How Many Watts Does An RV AC Use ?

Air conditioners in an RV are very popular and almost essential now. It would be best to have a cooling machine to help you sustain the weather. However, air conditioners are one of the most power-hungry appliances. Therefore, you must know how many watts an RV AC use so that you can choose a suitable power source.

On average, a 10,000 BTU unit can draw between 700 and 1,500 watts for a 15,000 BTU unit.

Key Takeaways About RV AC Wattage

• How many watts does an RV AC use? Typically RV air conditioners use between 700 and 1500 watts of energy.
• Using the air conditioner for 12 hours a day makes 8400-watt hours to 18000-watt hours a day.
• Since it is a huge energy consumption, it is very expensive. Solar power generators are the best option for a cost-effective and portable energy source for RV air conditioners. Jackery solar generators have high-capacity portable generators that are robust, reliable, and portable. Hence they fulfill all requirements for the best RV AC power source. They offer MPPT technology for a stable fluctuation-free power supply and have a quick recharge time using both solar panels and AC outlets.

How Many Watts Does An RV AC Use?

How many watts an RV AC use depends on many factors, including the BTU, size, brand, and stage of the air conditioner. For example,

RV AC Watts Consumption of Atwood Air Command, Coleman-Mach 3 Power Saver, and More

As we discussed, the size and brand of the RV determine how many watts an RV AC uses. High-capacity air conditioners use 1500 to up to 3500 watts, while smaller ones can do 700 to 1250 watts.

Let us summarize the wattage consumption of the most popular RV air conditioners.

RV AC Watts Consumption Based on Stage

The two most important working stages of RV air conditioners are a startup and running wattage. Startup power is the maximum power surge an AC requires to start working. In comparison, the running wattage is the continuous working wattage of an AC.

What Size Generator Do I Need For RV AC When Off Grid

The generator size you need to run an RV AC when off-grid depends on your required air conditioner size and how long you want to run it. Since an air conditioner requires substantial energy to run, you need a powerful solar generator to support it. Jackery solar generators are available in high capacity, including but not limited to 1000-watt hours, 1500-watt hours, and 2000-watt hours.

Best Solar Generator for RV AC When Off-Grid

The Jackery solar generator 2000 Pro supplies 2160Wh power, sufficient to run a large RV AC, while the other versions offer wattages that can easily support average RV ACs. Let us review the best option for portability, high wattages, and overall performance.

Best for Lightweight- Jackery Solar Generator 1000 Pro

The Jackery solar generator 1000 Pro is a lightweight power source yet powerful enough to support your regular-sized RV air conditioner. It comes with a foldable handle that facilitates easy transportation and storage. It has a long lifespan of 1000 charge cycles and a lighter body, making it perfect for any outdoor adventure. All Jackery solar generators are equipped with pure sine wave inverters to ensure stable power and ensure your equipment's safety. The integrated battery system (BMS) also monitors & protects battery life for a long time.

Best for Van Life- Jackery Solar Generator 1500 Pro

The Jackery solar generator 1500Pro is the best choice for portable power as it is compact, easy to carry, and lightweight. It uses the latest lithium battery and technology to charge very fast, i.e., under 10 hours with the included 200W SolarSaga panel or in 2 hours using an AC wall outlet.

Its dual PD100W design, three 1800W AC charging ports, two USB-C charging ports, and one car charger make it the best choice for any outdoor adventure. Also, it can sustain weather and outdoor conditions reliably with its outer shell that has top 94V-0 fireproof material with passing safety drop standards.

Best for Most RV Air Conditioners- Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Pro

The Jackery solar generator 2000 Pro can provide 2,160 Wh capacity, 2,200W AC power, and 4,400W peak power. This high capacity, fast solar recharging, MPPT technology, and sturdy hardware is the greatest choice for any off-grid setup. Since it has multiple output ports, you can connect virtually all your devices. Also, its high capacity allows you to power up multiple devices simultaneously.

The Jackery solar generator 2000 Pro can be fully charged with 6 Jackery SolarSaga 200W solar panels within 2.5 hours and in just 2 hours via an AC wall outlet. Also, you can charge it using your car port. The lithium battery is designed with dual battery protection and four temperature core detectors to guarantee a perfect balance of fast and reliable charging.

The statistics mentioned above are based on full charging. However, when you connect the solar panels and the sunlight is available, the working hours of the air conditioner are increased. The Jackery solar generators support pass-through charging, so you charge the generator and use the power simultaneously.

Another important point to understand about the statistics is that there is always some loss of power during the transmission and operation of a generator. Therefore, we have calculated the working hours based on 85% percent efficiency to make the estimates more realistic.

How to calculate the hours: Working time = Capacity Wh * 0.85 / operating wattage of your device

For example, assuming the power consumption of your RV AC is 1250 Watts.

The Jackery Solar Generator 2000Pro Working time will be 2160Wh * 0.85 / 1250w = 1.5 hrs.

FAQ About Laptop Wattage

1. What is the average RV air conditioner energy consumption?

1. A 15,000 BTU Air conditioner requires 1200 to 1700 watts.
2. A 13,500 BTU Air conditioner requires 1000 to 1300 watts
3. A 10,000 BTU Air conditioner requires 600 to 750 watts
4. A 7,000 BTU Air conditioner requires 500 to 650 watts
5. A 5,000 BTU Air conditioner requires 300 to 450 watts

2. How much electricity does an RV air conditioner use?

How much electricity an RV air conditioner uses mainly depends on BTU cooling output. For every 1,000 BTU cooling output, you need about 100 watts of electric power input.

3. How much power does an RV air conditioner use per hour?

The average RV air conditioning unit needs between 1,900 to 3,500 watts to startup and uses 600 to 1,700 watts per hour to run.

Conclusion

An RV outdoor adventure is more convenient and more enjoyable because you can experience the outdoors and nature without leaving your comfort behind. So, you should be able to run your RV air conditioner too, but how many watts does RV AC use, and how can you support it? It depends on the size, manufacturer, and the BTU of your RV AC. You need about 600 to 1700 watts to run an average-sized RV air conditioner. We have discussed the capacity and the runtime of leading RV ACs and Jackery solar power generators. These generators have enough capacity and are safe, reliable, and fast charging to make your RV-ing experience smooth and trouble-free. You can choose one for your requirements based on the information laid out in this article.