What Size Generator To Run Rv Ac

Air conditioners are easily one of the largest appliances in an RV. They require a lot of power to run safely and efficiently.

Then if you like to practise a lot of dry out camping ground or boondocking, the obvious question to enquire is:what size generator is needed to power an RV air conditioner?

In short, your generator will need to supply enough starting and running watts to ability upward your air conditioner and keep it running. For a 15,000 BTU air conditioning unit, your generator should be able to handle a minimum of five,000 starting watts and ii,000 running watts.

If you lot like boondocking or dry camping in your recreational vehicle, you will need to make sure your generator can efficiently run your air conditioner when there'due south no shore power to plug into. After all, nobody likes sitting around in a sweltering, stuffy RV.

The issue that many RVers run into is that it's rare to but run your RV's A/C unit of measurement.

In well-nigh cases, y'all volition have the Ac running while you are cooking, watching television, opening an electric awning, or otherwise conducting RV life.

That means that your generator will demand to handle the wattage needs of your air conditioner, as well every bit any appliances you are running simultaneously.

Fortunately for you lot, nosotros are going to interruption downwardly the math and assistance yous find the information y'all need to calculate the right size generator to power your RV air conditioner (and other appliances).

So permit'south get to it!

What Size Generator Is Needed To Run An RV Air Conditioner?

To put information technology as only as possible, you need a generator that tin handle the running and starting wattages of your RV air conditioner plus whatsoever other appliances yous normally run simultaneously.

For example, allow'south say your air conditioner requires ii,000 running watts. You lot also like to run your refrigerator (i,600 watts) and microwave (800 watts) without turning off your A/C.

That would hateful your generator must handle loads of upwardly to 4,400 watts (2000 + 1600 + 800 = 4400).

Just in society to brainstorm estimating the wattages required of your RV'due south diverse appliances, you volition first need to understand how they are rated and how to discover those ratings for your rig's specific appliances.

So permit's start past breaking down the most common metric used to advertise RV air conditioners: BTUs.

What Are BTUs?

Many air conditioning units are rated with a certain BTU capacity. 'BTU' stands for 'British Thermal Units'.

Technically speaking, information technology is a measurement of the corporeality of energy required to increment the temperature of a pound of h2o by 1℉.

When we are talking most RV furnaces and air conditioning units, it refers to a specific unit's heating or cooling chapters.

As you'd expect, air conditioners with more cooling capacity will come up with a college BTU rating.

How Are BTUs And Wattage Related?

And so, while your air conditioner's cooling chapters is measured in BTUs, the metric nosotros really want to get down to is wattage.

In society to make up one's mind what generator size is needed to power your RV air conditioner, yous need to know the wattage ratings for the specific A/C brand and model in your rig.

Every bit you lot'd expect, wattage ratings for A/C units go up as BTU ratings increase. Larger RV A/C units will require more starting watts (the wattage required to go it up and running) and running watts (the wattage required to keep it running once it's turned on).

Starting wattage is well-nigh always higher than running wattage. So this number is more of import to help you empathize the upper threshold of the loads your generator must be able to handle.

In other words, if your generator has enough power to get your air conditioner started, it will too have plenty power to keep it running.

That being said, you can still max out your generator if you turn on also many other appliances while your air conditioner is running.

Generally speaking, information technology's better to have more power than needed than it is to come up upward curt. But buying a generator that's slightly too large for your RV comes with other bug.

Then allow's discuss how to get a better estimate of your RV's power consumption.

How To Estimate Your A/C Power Consumption

Most RVs are either equipped with 13,500-BTU A/C units or 15,000 BTU units. These are the most common sizes, but at that place are larger and smaller units out there.

So to begin estimating your ability needs, yous volition demand to place the starting and running wattages for your air conditioning unit.

The best places to find the starting and running wattages for your RV's air conditioning units are either on the manufacturing label (on the unit of measurement itself) or in your RV owner's manual.

That said, hither's a quick reference nautical chart of common starting and running wattages according to air conditioning cooling capacity:

BTU Rating	Starting Wattage	Running Wattage
ten,000	~one,800	~1,200
13,500	~3,800	~1,300
15,000	~5,100	~i,600

To be clear, this table is simply meant as a general reference. Again, yous should consult the owner's transmission for your RV or air conditioning units for specific wattages.

Also, go on in heed that you volition take to add up these totals if your RV is equipped with multiple air-conditioning units. Sure, it's simple math.

Only it'due south vital if yous want to make sure your generator tin power up and continuously run both (or all) of your air conditioning units.

How Much Added Power Do You Need?

On peak of the wattage ratings for your RV'south air conditioning units, you lot will have to pay attention to the ratings for your rig'south other large appliances.

This includes things like your refrigerator, microwave, fans, and television unit of measurement. The reality of RV life is that yous will rarely be running just i appliance at a fourth dimension.

Plus, information technology'due south going to be super inconvenient if you have to plow off your air conditioning units when yous want to warm something upward in the microwave.

If you cull the correct size generator, this won't be an outcome. Simply estimating your additional power needs (on tiptop of the baseline needs for your air conditioners) starts with an cess of which appliances yous use most frequently.

This is plain going to be different for every RV owner, just here's an instance chart to give yous a ameliorate visual:

Appliance	Starting Wattage	Running Wattage
15,000 BTU A/C Unit	~5,100 watts	~1,600 watts
Refrigerator	~800 watts	~i,600 watts
Microwave	~625 watts	~800 watts
32" LCD Television	150 watts	0 watts

As I mentioned, this chart is solely to give yous an example. Your appliances very well may use less ability (and they may also use more).

Only let'south use these numbers to illustrate how you can estimate your added power needs.

Estimating Your Total Power Needs

If you lot are running all four of these appliances at once, your generator will need to exist capable of handling approximately four,000 running watts (1600 + 1600 + 800 + 0 = 4000).

That is certainly possible and your generator should be more than capable of handling that kind of load.

The reality is that it is highly unlikely that you will start all of these appliances at exactly the same time.

It would actually crave a bit of a coordinated effort by multiple people to practise so, just, if yous did, your generator would need to handle at least 6,675 starting watts (5100 + 800 + 625 + 150 = 6675).

The more common scenario is that you will already accept one or ii of these appliances running when you become to beginning your air conditioning unit (or units).

So, a more realistic metric tin be to add your A/C unit's starting wattage to the running wattages of your other appliances.

For case, let's say your refrigerator and goggle box are on when yous go to commencement your A/C unit.

In this scenario, the load placed on your generator would be approximately half dozen,700 watts (5100 + 1600 + 0 = 6700).

Understanding The Scenarios

This is normally going to be the largest load that your generator will have to handle.

But there can be a myriad of scenarios that will change the load placed on your generator. If you lot begin to brainstorm, y'all tin can see that they're almost endless.

The fridge, h2o heater, and microwave are running when I become to turn on a reading lamp. Both A/C units are running when I want to operate the electrical-powered awning.

Dad turns on the RV's rear air-conditioning unit at the exact same moment that Mom starts the microwave.

The list can go on and on. Only if you practise a few calculations using your RV's largest appliances, yous will exist able to game plan for the largest loads your generator will need to handle.

Then you can become virtually finding a generator that tin handle those loads!

Choosing A Generator To Power Your RV Air Conditioner

Now that you lot know how to estimate how much starting and running wattage you'll need from a generator, y'all demand to know how generator sizes are measured.

The good news is that we haven't done all this talking nearly wattage to of a sudden switch things upwards and offer a new metric.

Most generators come with an advertised wattage that makes it relatively like shooting fish in a barrel to compare them with your RV's power needs.

Most of you lot with pocket-sized-to-medium-sized RVs volition probably be fine with a 2,000 to 4,000-watt generator.

Larger RVs, travel trailers, and 5th wheels may require something that can handle loads up to 5,000 watts or college.

These larger units tend to be bulkier and require more than storage space. They also tend to exist a bit louder than some of the smaller portable generators for RV use.

That being said, some generators can be operated in parallel with a 2d unit. That increases your power output while allowing you to employ two smaller units instead of i large one.

Likewise, nearly generators for RV use these days are gas-powered, but some tin run on either gas or liquid propane.

If you opt for a model that tin can run off either fuel blazon, keep in mind that the advertised wattage can change depending on the type of fuel you add to the generator.

How To Maximize Your Generator + Ac Efficiency

Making sure the numbers match when information technology comes to the wattages of your generator and A/C unit is really merely the beginning step to running your RV's air conditioner.

There'south a big difference between operating an RV air conditioning unit and doing and then as efficiently as possible.

Why should yous care about efficiency? Peachy question.

The more efficiently y'all operate your A/C unit of measurement, the better it will be at keeping the cabin of your RV at your desired temperature. Plus, the virtually efficient performance equally possible will also maximize the life span of both your air conditioner and your RV generator.

So, here are a few practice'due south and don'ts to help yous maximize your generator and air conditioner efficiency:

Exercise:

Add together cleaning of your air conditioner and replacement of its filters to your regular RV maintenance routine
Utilize fans in your RV to assistance circulate air and increment comfort
Apply certain appliances simply at night or in the evenings to remainder energy usage
Exist smart about which appliances you run simultaneously
Unplug phones, appliances, and other powered accessories when you aren't using them
Run your air conditioner low and deadening. It'due south okay to leave it on for several hours at a time to keep the temperature where you want it.

Don't:

Start all of your RV's appliances at the same fourth dimension
Run all of your RV'southward appliances simultaneously
Leave your ac units running for long periods of time (6+ hours) without giving them a break. Information technology volition run them down faster and lead to replacement more than apace.
Blast your air conditioning unit for short periods of time throughout the day. This is the most inefficient way to run ac because it never quite gets the internal temperature of your RV to the desired level.

Consider A Solar Console Installation

In addition to these do'south and don'ts, many RV owners install a small set of solar panels to supplement the power provided by their generator. This is peculiarly popular for dry out camping and boondocking.

By installing solar panels, yous tin increase your power storage that can provide supply to smaller appliances.

Instead of relying on your generator to provide all of your ability needs, you tin charge phones, laptops, and other electronics using your solar installation.

Depending on the verbal solar setup you get with, you may even be able to power some smaller appliances with your installation.

But the point hither is that solar installations will reduce the overall brunt on your RV'southward generator.

As a result, it volition let you lot to run your larger appliances more efficiently, and for longer periods of time, when you are camping in more remote locations.

Conclusion

Learning how to cull the right size generator to proceed you cool and comfortable in your RV is a large part of mastering your RVing Know How.

We promise that y'all've constitute this guide useful to help you ensure that your RV's generator is ready to handle your A/C power needs for the upcoming travel season.

If you take any direct experience with replacing RV generators or choosing a new 1 for a rig with large ac units, we'd dear to hear from you! Drop u.s. a comment beneath and share your story.

Concluding Updated on May v, 2021 by