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RV Energy Usage Calculator

Calculate power consumption and optimize your RV energy system

Understanding Your RV Power Needs

Select the appliances you use and how long you run them each day. This calculator will help you determine the right battery bank size, solar panel capacity, and whether you'll need a generator for off-grid camping.

Daily Usage
7,485 Wh
7.5 kWh/day
Battery Runtime
3.8h
0.2 days capacity
Solar Generation
1,600 Wh
Deficit: 5,885 Wh
Peak Demand
1,400W
Maximum simultaneous

Your Power System

Capacity: 2,400 Wh (1,200 usable)

$

Per kWh

Essential Appliances

Kitchen Appliances

Comfort & Entertainment

Electronics & Other

Daily Energy Breakdown

❄️
Refrigerator
150W × 24h
3,600 Wh
48%
🚿
Water Heater
1400W × 1h
1,400 Wh
19%
🍲
Microwave
1000W × 0.5h
500 Wh
7%
💡
LED Lights
10W × 5h × 8
400 Wh
5%
📡
WiFi Router
15W × 24h
360 Wh
5%
📺
Television
80W × 4h
320 Wh
4%
🌀
Fan
40W × 8h
320 Wh
4%
☕
Coffee Maker
1000W × 0.25h
250 Wh
3%
💻
Laptop Charger
65W × 3h
195 Wh
3%
📱
Phone Chargers
20W × 2h × 2
80 Wh
1%
💧
Water Pump
60W × 1h
60 Wh
1%
TOTAL DAILY CONSUMPTION
7.49 kWh/day
7,485 Wh

Usage by Category

essential 4,060 Wh (54%)
comfort 1,720 Wh (23%)
kitchen 750 Wh (10%)
electronics 635 Wh (8%)
entertainment 320 Wh (4%)
personal 0 Wh (0%)
cleaning 0 Wh (0%)
security 0 Wh (0%)

Power Source Analysis

Battery Bank

Current Capacity
2,400 Wh
(1,200 usable at 50% DoD)
Runtime
3.8 hours
(0.2 days capacity)
💡 Recommendation
For optimal boondocking, consider a 2,495 Ah battery bank (29,940 Wh) to provide 2 days of backup power.

Solar Power

Daily Generation
1,600 Wh
(400W × 5h × 80%)
Status
⚠ Deficit
Short: 5,885 Wh
💡 Recommendation
You need approximately 1,872W of solar panels to fully cover your daily consumption with 5 hours of sun.

Generator

Required Output
1,872W
For 4h runtime
Daily Fuel Cost
$8.00
~2.0 gal/day @ $4/gal

Shore Power / Campground

Daily Cost
$0.90
@ $0.12/kWh
Monthly Cost
$27.00
30-day estimate

Technical Details

Peak Power Demand
1,400W

This is the maximum power draw if your highest-wattage appliance is running. Your inverter should handle this plus 20% headroom.

Inverter Loss
575 Wh

Energy lost converting DC to AC for 120V appliances. Total with loss: 8,060 Wh/day

Battery Cycles (50% DoD)
0.2 days

How long your batteries can run your loads without any charging. Deep cycle batteries last longer with partial discharge.

Recommended Inverter Size
1,680W

Sized for peak demand plus 20% safety margin for surge loads and efficiency.

💡 Energy Efficiency Tips

Battery Management

  • • Avoid discharging below 50% for longer battery life
  • • Monitor voltage: 12.2V = 50% charge, 12.6V = 100%
  • • Keep batteries warm in winter for better performance

Solar Optimization

  • • Tilt panels toward the sun for maximum generation
  • • Clean panels regularly to maintain efficiency
  • • Park with panels facing south (northern hemisphere)

Reduce Consumption

  • • Use propane for cooking and heating when possible
  • • Run high-draw appliances during peak solar hours
  • • Switch to LED lights throughout (10W vs 60W)
  • • Use fans instead of AC when temperatures allow

Generator Usage

  • • Run generator during heavy loads (AC, microwave)
  • • Charge batteries during generator runtime
  • • Respect quiet hours at campgrounds (usually 10pm-8am)

Understanding RV Power Systems

Key Terms

Watt-hours (Wh)
Energy consumed over time. A 100W appliance running for 2 hours uses 200Wh.
Amp-hours (Ah)
Battery capacity. Multiply by voltage to get Wh (e.g., 100Ah × 12V = 1,200Wh).
Depth of Discharge (DoD)
How much battery capacity you use. 50% DoD extends battery life significantly.
Inverter
Converts 12V DC battery power to 120V AC for standard appliances.

Planning Your System

  1. Calculate daily usage - Use this calculator to determine your Wh/day needs
  2. Size your battery bank - Aim for 2-3 days of capacity at 50% DoD
  3. Add solar panels - Match or exceed daily consumption for sustainable boondocking
  4. Choose an inverter - Size for peak demand plus 20-30% safety margin
  5. Consider backup - Generator for cloudy days or high-demand situations

Common RV Power Configurations

Weekend Camper

  • • 100-200Ah battery
  • • 200-400W solar
  • • 1000W inverter
  • • 2000W generator

Full-Time Boondocker

  • • 400-600Ah battery
  • • 800-1200W solar
  • • 2000-3000W inverter
  • • 3500W+ generator

Shore Power Focused

  • • 100Ah battery
  • • 0-200W solar
  • • 1000W inverter
  • • Small generator