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12V Projector for Campervans: Your Autumn 2025 Guide to Cosy Campervan Cinema
- Chris Wallace-Tarry
- 4 days ago
- 14 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
The clocks have just changed and the nights are drawing in; it's time to make our campers cosy. A 12V projector is the upgrade that makes autumn and winter in your van feel special, whether you live on the road full time or just head out at weekends. In this guide, we'll look at the current crop of compact 12V projectors and what really matters for use in a van. We'll cover image quality, throw distance and screen space, battery versus plug-in use, size, weight and portability, power draw, and realistic lifetimes. We'll also share our favourite picks for campervan projectors to suit all budgets.
Index
Shane, the founder of The Van Conversion, is a campervan professional and NCC-certified electrical installer. Since 2020, he’s lived on the road full-time, completing several van builds along the way. He’s the author of Roaming Home and the creator of The Van Conversion Course, which have helped thousands build their own vans. Shane also writes The Van Conversion Newsletter, where he shares hands-on tips and practical insights. He’s passionate about empowering others to make their vanlife dreams reality.
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In a Nutshell and Our Top Picks
A 12V projector is any portable projector you can run from a campervan’s 12V leisure system. Some accept USB-C directly, and many also have internal batteries which you can top up from 12V or mains.
For vans, prioritise USB-C power, a sensible throw of about 1.2:1, auto-focus and keystone correction.
300-700 lumens is usable without going full blackout. The closer you can get to 700 ISO or 500 ANSI, the less fussy you’ll be about stray light coming in through curtains or the cab.
Expect 40-80 inch images at 1.5-2.2m, which is about all the space you'll have in a van.
12V projectors typically draw 45-65W while running or charging, so factor this into your electrical system's specifications.
Best 12V Projector Overall: Nebula Capsule 3 Laser
The Capsule 3 Laser packs impressive specs into a very small form factor. As far as we could tell, this is about the best off-grid vanlifers will get from a fully USB-C powered projector.
1080p laser light source at 300 ANSI lumens
Runs and charges over USB-C Power Delivery with inputs from 5–20 V
Draws up to 45W when charging
Throw ratio is 1.2:1, giving you a 60 inch image at roughly 1.6m
Auto focus and image correction
Battery is good for about 2.5 hours, expandable to 4 hours with power bank tripod
898g
83 x 83 x 167mm
Best Budget 12V Projector: Nebula Capsule Air
We like the Nebula Capsule Air for its small form factor and comparatively low price relative to its respectable capabilities.
720p image at 150 ANSI lumens; perfectly watchable in a dark van
Compact drink can-style body, very lightweight
Auto focus and image correction
2 hour battery life, expandable to 4 hours with power bank tripod
Charges over USB-C Power Delivery at up to 45W
40-60 inch image at 1.5m
650g
68 x 68 x 140mm
Best High-Spec Campervan Projector: XGIMI Halo+
This is the brightest portable projector we found that still works well in a van. It's not USB-C powered, so you'll need to run it from its battery or charge it from your inverter. For vans with big electrical systems or campsite use, you won't get a better van cinema experience.
1080p 700 ISO lumen image
Integrated dual 5W Harman Kardon speakers for hi-fi sound
2.5 hour battery
Auto alignment, image distortion correction, and auto focus
Throw ratio is 1.2:1, giving a 60 inch image at 1.6m
1.6kg
172 x 114 x 145mm
Why 12V Projectors for Campervans are Better than TVs and Laptops
When the clocks go back and outdoor activities start finishing at four in the afternoon, a 12V projector is a neat little upgrade that makes evenings in the van feel special. You get a big, cinematic picture from a device that packs away in a cupboard when it's time for bed. No wall bracket to fit, no permanent cabling to route, and no dedicated fusing for a bulky TV. For most portable 12V projectors, you either run from their internal battery or plug into a small USB-C socket, which keeps installation clean.
Power use is friendly too. Many portable projectors draw in the region of 45 to 65 watts when running and charging, which compares well to a typical TV in a van that can sit anywhere from 60 to 120 watts once you factor in running it from an inverter. A projector pulls a similar wattage to a laptop, but gives you a much bigger picture without crowding around a physical screen. In fact, the projectors we recommend manage a 60-80 inch picture with the space available in most vans, which feels like a real movie night rather than a compromise.
All of our recommendations in this guide carry internal rechargeable batteries, so they impact your electrical budget more like a laptop or Bluetooth speaker than a fixed appliance. Top up the projector whilst driving or during full sun hours, watch a film on battery, and stow it when you're done.
Can You Really Power a 12V Projector in a Campervan?
Powering a fully-featured 12V projector in a van is perfectly possible, but you need to pay attention to the specs. Truly portable projectors take power via USB-C, rather than using USB-C only for data transfer. For most projectors, however, standard 12V USB-C isn't sufficient. Instead, projectors like the Nebula Capsule 3 Laser and Air rely on USB-C Power Delivery outputs. Power Delivery is a USB-C standard that can boost voltage up to 20V and 100W automatically from a 12V leisure battery. Scanstrut's Ventura series is a good example of this high-power type of USB-C socket. As long as you've this kind of USB-C socket in your van, you'll be able to run your projector without turning on your inverter.
Higher-spec projectors offering brighter images and more powerful built-in sound generally need more power than a 12V system can provide. The excellent XGIMI Halo+ and BenQ GS50 are both good fits for campervan use, but their internal batteries need to charge via mains AC power. For this you'll either need an inverter, a shore power connection, or a portable power station with AC power output.
12V Projector Power Draw and Battery Life in Off-grid Campers
Think of a 12V projector like a modest laptop charger. The Nebula Capsule 3 pulls 45W when charging, and takes 3 hours to charge, meaning it'll take 135Wh to fully charge. On a 200Ah lithium battery at 12.8V, you have roughly 2,500Wh usable, so charging up your projector for a film night takes about 18.5% of your total battery capacity. By comparison, a good 12V fridge averages 250–500Wh per day depending on season, whilst a 60W laptop charger for two hours is ~120Wh.
Brightness and Throw Distance in Campervan Projectors
Brightness is where portable projectors live or die in a van. A bright image is crisper, higher-contrast, and can be made larger without losing quality. When comparing 12V projectors, look for ANSI or ISO lumen figures. Both are standardised ways of measuring real light output across test images, so they're far more trustworthy than vague “LED lumens.” As a rule of thumb, 200-300 ANSI lumens is fine for a 100 inch picture at night time or with all of your curtains drawn. 500–700 (ANSI or ISO) lumens gives headroom for 120-150 inches or for partially dark interiors.
Remember that throw distance changes perceived brightness. When you move the projector back, the image gets larger and the same light is spread over more area, so the picture looks dimmer. A typical 1.2:1 throw might give you 60 inches at about 1.6m and 100 inches near 2.7m. Size up only if you can control stray light. By contrast, TVs and laptop screens are bright enough to watch even in fully lit rooms. A projector won't give you this kind of image, which is why you need to draw your curtains and cover your skylight if you're watching during the day.
Key Features of 12V Campervan Projectors
When you’re choosing a campervan projector, focus on the features that cut nightly faff. A 1080p image resolution is ideal, as it's the resolution we're generally used to with laptops and TVs. On the other hand, if you're on a budget, 720p isn't as bad as you'd think due to the inherently short throw distance in a campervan.
Arguably more important than resolution are autofocus and auto-keystone. Auto-focus focuses the image on setup and keeps it focused even if you move the projector; essential for campervans where the projector won't have a fixed home. Auto-keystone detects the angle of the projection surface relative to the projector, and adjusts the shape of the image so you always get a perfect rectangle. Many portables, like the Capsule 3 and Halo+, also correct horizontally, meaning you don't have to stand your projector perfectly square to the wall.
Colour and HDR matter too. Both the Capsule 3 Laser and Halo+ use a laser light source and support HDR10, so colours hold up better at sensible sizes in a dark van. The Capsule II uses LED, is dimmer, and reviewers note HDR is effectively off the table, meaning you'll need to be watching in complete darkness for colours to really pop.
Finally, built-in speakers are a nice touch for portable projectors, giving you an all-in-one unit. All 3 of our recommended 12V projectors have built-in speakers, but the XGIMI Halo+ stands out with genuine 2.1 Dolby audio.
How to Set Up a 12V Projector in Your Van
Setup is mostly about sensible placement and keeping the nightly faff low. Get an idea of how big and bright you want your image to be first, then figure out where to install your screen. Depending on your layout, a sensible location is probably either against the back doors, against the bulkhead, or against the sliding door.
For screens, a matte white blackout roller blind is the neatest permanent option and can of course function as an actual blind if you install it in front of windows. Otherwise, a dedicated foldable projector screen works well. These come with eyelets that you can clip to screw hooks in your ceiling or mounted to the bulkhead or back doors. In any case, you'll want a dedicated projecting surface unless you happen to have a clear area of white wall in your van.
Mounting can be as simple as a mini tripod on a table. The projectors we recommend in this article all come with tripods as optional extras. These are a good buy as they make adjusting the horizontal and vertical projection angle very easy, really augmenting a portable projector's versatility. If you feel like the dedicated stands are expensive, here's a neat little hack: most projectors mount to their tripods with a standard ¼-inch thread, which works with quick-release plates and many cheaper photography tripods.
What About Fixed 12V Projectors?
As we've discussed, brightness is key if you want a crisp image with good colour. The problem with running a projector as a fixed, permanently wired 12V appliance is that 12V isn't enough to power a very bright bulb. For example, the Philips PicoPix Micro 2TV, which accepts DC 12V power at 3A, puts out 200 ANSI lumens but only at 480p resolution. Most people are used to at least 1080p from their laptop and computer screens, and 480p is going to be an unacceptable step down.
Shane installed a fixed 12V projector in his van that provides a 720p image, but he's never been very happy with it. Even at 720p, the image isn't especially crisp due to low overall brightness and poor colour contrast.
Home cinema spec projectors, running off mains electricity, are another alternative. A comparatively low-spec model, like XGIMI's entry-level Horizon, pulls 250W when running at 240V. Running this off an inverter, we factor in an additional 15% power usage to account for inverter inefficiency, giving us a power draw of around 290W. This is comparable to the power draw of a small blender, and will consume 580Wh or 48Ah during a 2-hour movie. This isn't crippling, especially if your electrical system is based on lithium leisure batteries. If you're running at least 300Ah of usable lithium capacity (or if you only watch films when plugged into shore power at a campsite), a mains-powered home cinema projector is a viable option.
Overall, however, we do prefer the flexibility and comparatively low draw offered by portable 12V projectors. Ultimately, these devices are designed to run off their internal batteries, so they're inherently efficient. Even if you decide to run your Nebula Capsule 3 Laser from your inverter, it only pulls 45W when running - less than a fifth than the XGIMI Horizon mentioned above. Additionally, the internal battery allows you to charge your portable projector when you've got a surplus of power, like at peak sunny daytime hours. In contrast, a fixed home cinema projector draws power from your leisure batteries whilst it's running, which is likely to be at night when your panels and DC-DC charger are doing nothing.
Bringing it All Together
A small, efficient projector is the most van-friendly way to get a proper big screen for immersive movie nights. You keep the power draw modest, avoid fitting a heavy TV, and it's a major upgrade over a laptop with tinny speakers and a small screen. A campervan projector gives you a large, flexible picture of up to 100 inches and stows away neatly the following morning. All the portable projectors we recommend incorporate internal batteries. This is a huge selling point, as it makes the device far more flexible for off-grid lifestyles. An internal battery allows you to charge your projector whilst you're driving, or during peak sunny hours when you've got power to spare.
For budget-minded vans and weekenders, we like the Nebula Capsule Air. It sips power through USB-C PD, is incredibly compact, and delivers a watchable picture at smaller sizes in a dark interior. If you want a sharper image, richer colour and an easy one-cable power setup from a PD socket, the Nebula Capsule 3 Laser is the sweet spot. It keeps nightly faff low with quick autofocus and auto-keystone, and its laser light engine holds contrast well at campervan sizes.
If you often watch with the family or just want more punch, the XGIMI Halo+ is our premium pick. It's brighter and sounds bigger, and while you'll power it from your inverter, the payoff is a more TV-like picture with higher contrast and brighter colours.
Used a few evenings a week, any of these fits neatly within a typical leisure battery and solar budget. Pick your size and power route, add a matte white blind, and you have a cosy cinema that travels with you all through the darker months.
Our Favourite Vanlife Films
Now that you've got your campervan cinema setup sorted, what are you going to watch? We can't have our readers idly scrolling Netflix in their campervans. Instead, allow us to recommend some films that inspire us to get out into the big wide world (just as soon as the weather gets better).
Into the Wild
The quintessential vanlife film and the seed of inspiration that drove both writers for this website to pursue a nomadic lifestyle.
It's an adaptation of Jon Krakauer's book which tells the story of Chris McCandless's break with the modern world and escape into nature. Inspiring, beautiful, and heartfelt, Into the Wild will light a fire in your belly that will drive you to drop everything and hit the open road.
The Velvet Queen
This is a very different kind of film which nevertheless continues to act as my polestar for what I want to get out of life.
The Velvet Queen is a quiet, dramatic travelogue following two photographers on their quest through deepest Tibet in search of snow leopards. The two men spend days at a time lying in hides, talking in whispers about the animals they see, the glorious landscapes surrounding them, and the place of mankind in a beautiful natural world. A sweeping soundtrack by Nick Cave breathes life into the vast panoramas, filling one with a desire to book a one-way flight to central Asia and lose themselves forever in the steppes.
Wild
Not to be confused with the first film on our list, Wild tells another true story of an escape into nature in search of personal rediscovery.
Cheryl Strayed (what a name) decides to solo hike the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail in the hopes of discovering the woman her mother raised her to be. On the way, her resilience grows in the face of the sharp demands that nature makes of anyone who ventures alone into the wild places of the world.
The Alpinist
Shane and I both live in Chamonix, so there has to be a climbing film on this list. The Alpinist catalogues the adventures of a truly free-spirited climber on his solo ascents of high mountains around the world.
Marc-Andre Leclerc follows his heart and climbs for himself; every ascent is the realisation of a dream and another step in pursuit of the classic adventuring spirit. This film never fails to remind me of what it is to get out into the world and set one's sights on far horizons.
Captain Fantastic
The only bit of fiction on our list! TVC heartthrob Viggo Mortensen plays a left-wing anarchist father who raises his children in the woods, with a converted school bus as their home.
The film does an amazing job of portraying the wild, survivalist lifestyle many vanlifers dream of. At the same time, it manages to gently critique our many escapist dreams through a touching story of family drama.
Final Thoughts
You should now have everything you need to upgrade your van for autumn and winter with a cosy 12V projector setup. Forget the bulky TV and instead choose a projector with a healthy internal battery, low power draw, and compact form factor. If you're worrying about keeping it charged off your leisure batteries, a campervan projector is the kind of gadget that a portable power station is made for; read about those in our ultimate guide. And if you're looking for other gadgets to buy for your van (or that of a loved one), our guide on Christmas gifts for vanlifers should give you plenty of other ideas.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Van Conversion Newsletter for everything you need to get started with your own van conversion (we'll send you a free wiring diagram when you join).
If you're looking for some guidance with your van conversion, you might be interested in our book Roaming Home, or in our online course The Van Conversion Mastery Course. You'll learn directly from our founder Shane how to convert a van into your dream home - no prior experience needed. Shane also offers one-to-one consultations, where he'll help you with any aspect of your build in a face-to-face video call. All consultations come with a free copy of Roaming Home and our Diagram Pack.
Finally, our Van Conversion Ultimate Guide lays out the whole van conversion process in easy-to-follow sections with tools, materials, and step-by-step instructions. It's the perfect companion for your van build.
Until next time.