Are you tired of feeling left in the dark during your camping adventures, or fretting over power outages at home? The BougeRV Fort 1000 Solar Power Station could be the answer to your power dilemmas.
Keep reading for our thorough review.
BougeRV Fort 1000 Review
Looking for a power source for your next camping trip or a backup for emergency situations at home? We’ve put the BougeRV Fort 1000 Solar Power Station to the test to see if it lives up to the hype.
Boasting a solid 1,000 watt pure sine wave output, this power station has the muscle to fuel your small appliances, keep your devices charged, and your campsite lit. Plus, its off-grid capabilities mean you can roam free without the stress of finding an external power source.
Here are tbe Bouge RV Fort 1000 specs at a glance:
- 1120Wh LiFePO4 Battery
- 1000W, with 2000W Peak
- 10 outputs
- Charge via solar, wall charge, or DC (car)
- Color LED smart display
Keep reading to find out if this unit could be the solution you’ve been searching for.
Solar generator for camping and off-grid
A solar generator can elevate your off-grid camping experience, powering everything from a blender and coffee maker to a mini-fridge. You can also enjoy lighting, music, or any other amenities you’d miss from home.
The best part? Solar generators operate near silent when compared to traditional gas and propane generators and are fossil-fuel free. You can also recharge them using solar panels at no extra cost and without any noise. This allows for anytime operation from dawn to dusk, wherever you are. Plus, if you’re in parks where gas generators have restricted hours due to noise, a solar generator lets you plug in and power any time of the day.
Unboxing the Bouge RV Fort 1000
What’s in the box?
- BougeRV Fort 1000 solar generator
- AC charging cable
- solar charging cables
- 12v car charging cable
- warranty card
- manual
Out of the box, the Fort 1000 has a solid feel. It’s easy enough to carry, with dual handles on either side. It’s also a reasonable weight for the power at just under 30 pounds (28.7 lbs. or 13 kg, to be exact).
There are a few nice little add ons – the bottom of the BougeRV comes with little rubberized pads on the bottom to keep the generator from sliding on smooth surfaces. Just remember to remove the protective plastic from the bottom!
It’s light enough that, as an average sized woman, I can carry it around home or a campsite with relative ease. I wouldn’t want to trek it with me on a longer hike, but that’s pretty standard for any solar generator of this power level.
How long does it take to recharge?
You can recharge using:
- a BougeRV solar panel, you can recharge in 4.5 to 5.5 hours (200W max).
- in your car, using the included DC cable (200W max).
- the USB-C recharge port (60W max)
- the rather large AC adapter brick charger
The LiFePO4 battery can be recharged over 3500 times. There’s also an advanced BMS (battery management system) to prevent power surges or overcharging.
For us, it went from a 20 percent charge, out of the box, to a 100 percent charge in about four hours (using the wall charger).
Next, we tried out charging various devices. There are 10 inputs, covering everything from USB to DC to AC.
What can it power?
With 1,200W of power, you can run a mini fridge for 15 hours, a coffee maker for 1.5 hours, a CPAP machine for 23.8 hours or charge a laptop 17 times.
You can use the Fort 1000 to plug in standard household items, using the AC outlets, USB chargers, or even using a car charger.
The Fort 1000 is a pure sine wave inverter, meaning it can run delicate electronics safely.
The Fort 100 has:
- three 3 prong, grounded household AC outlets (110V), to plug in anything from a freezer to a laptop to a small heater to a heated blanket to a blender
- four USB ports which include:
- One USB-C port, with a 60W Max output, which would be great to charge a laptop or tablet
- One USB-A port with quick charge 3.0, which is fantastic for charging cell phones quickly
- Two USB-A ports that run at 5V with a max current of 2.4A
- a traditional 12 volt automotive style outlet so you can charge any device you normally plug into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter port
There’s no wireless charging on top of the BougeRV, which is a small disappointment, but not a big deal for me, as I rarely use this feature anyway.
The BougeRV display
I found the Fort 1000’s LED display clear and easy to read. It’s a simple, but intuitive smart display indicating input/output wattage and battery percentage.
There’s no app for the BougeRV solar generator, which is a little disappointing.
That said, I mostly use our solar generator apps for monitoring charging via solar panels, so it’s not a necessity for us.
Is the BougeRV generator noisy?
The fans do have a bit of noise, which is comparable to other solar generators on the market. They do run at only one single speed, meaning that there’s no option to turn down the fans to reduce the noise. However, the fans do their job of making the unit says cool.
To be fair, the fan is no louder than other solar generators we’ve tried from other companies.
Is it durable?
The Fort 1000 is a durable unit, but like other solar generators, it should be kept away from water and handled with care to prevent water damage.
That said, it has a solid feel, with sturdy handles on either side for carrying.
The buttons on the display have a solid feel, and the charging and output plugs are solid.
Is there an app?
No, there is no app for the Bouge RV solar generator.
What’s the warranty like?
The warranty on the website says there’s a “5+2 Years (Exclusive benefit for purchases made on the BougeRV official website.)
To be fair, that’s not 100% clear to me, so I reached out to BougeRV support for clarification.
I sent an email to support on Saturday, Sept 30th, for clarification on the warranty. I’ll update this blog when more information is available.
Bottom Line: Is the BougeRV Fort 1000 worth it?
With a robust 1,000-watt pure sine wave output, this power station is more than capable of running your appliances, charging your gadgets, and illuminating your campsite. Its ability to function off-grid allows you the freedom to explore without worrying about locating a separate power supply.
That said, it’s not perfect (nothing is!) with the absence of wireless charging and no included app to check the levels wirelessly. We also would have loved to see a higher solar input max wattage to be able to charge quicker via larger solar panels than 200W. If you only have 200W or less in solar panels or plan to charge it at home, then the BougeRV portable power station is more than fine for your needs.
Pros
- Nice balance of power at 1,000W and weight (under 30 lbs.)
- Intuitive and easy to use
- Solid carrying handles
- Can handle charging common household items, as well as sensitive electronics
- Solid lithium iron phosphate battery
Cons
- Fans are a bit loud and only have one speed, which could be irritating but does keep it cool.
- A higher max solar input would be good for those with larger solar panels.
- Does not have a built in wireless charger, which could be a handy feature for some.
- AC adapter brick charger is large and awkward