RV and Camping Generators

For RV and camping use, one load decides the generator: the air conditioner. Everything else in an RV runs on very little.

What size generator does an RV need?

Note the gap. Without air conditioning, a 2,000 W inverter covers an RV comfortably. With it, you're looking at 3,000 W or more — unless you address the surge.

What is an RV air conditioner soft start?

A soft-start device fitted to the RV air conditioner ramps the compressor up rather than applying full voltage instantly, cutting the starting surge substantially.

The practical effect: a 2,000 W inverter generator that couldn't start a 13,500 BTU air conditioner often can with a soft start fitted.

That's frequently cheaper than buying a larger generator, and it comes with real side benefits — a smaller, lighter, quieter generator to carry, and less stress on the compressor.

This is the single most useful thing to know about RV generator sizing. See starting watts vs running watts.

Do you need an inverter generator for an RV?

Three reasons that all point the same way:

Noise rules. Most campgrounds set quiet hours and many specify noise limits. A conventional open-frame generator at 70+ dB is antisocial and often prohibited outright. Inverter units in the low 50s are what's expected.

Weight and size. You're carrying it. Inverter generators are enclosed, compact, and dramatically lighter for the same output.

Clean power. RV electronics, converters, and modern appliance controls tolerate clean output far better. See sensitive electronics and generators.

Fuel efficiency at light load. Most of the time you're drawing very little, and an inverter throttles down accordingly. That matters when the fuel is in a can you also carried.

Can you run two generators in parallel?

Many inverter generators support parallel kits — connecting two identical units to roughly double the output.

The appeal for RV use:

• Carry one for light loads: lights, charging, water pump, TV
• Add the second when you need the air conditioner
• Two smaller units are easier to lift than one large one
• Redundancy — if one fails, you still have power

The trade-offs: two units to maintain and fuel, and the parallel kit is an extra purchase. Units generally must be the same model.

How does the RV connect — 30-amp or 50-amp?

RVs come in two service sizes, and they're not a small difference:

A 50-amp RV isn't "a bit bigger" — it has more than three times the capacity, because it receives two 120-volt legs rather than one. That's what lets a large coach run two air conditioners.

For generator use, the consequences are practical:

• Most portable generators provide a TT-30 outlet, which matches a 30-amp RV directly.
• A 50-amp RV on a 30-amp source needs a "dogbone" adapter. It will work — but the coach is limited to 30 amps total, so you're managing loads, not running everything.
• Never adapt to draw more than the source can supply. An adapter changes the plug shape, not the available current, and the generator's breaker is what stops you.

Check which service your RV has before shopping for a generator. It sets the ceiling on what any amount of generator wattage can actually deliver into the coach.

Do you need a surge protector or an EMS?

Yes, and the distinction between the two matters.

A surge protector clamps voltage spikes. Useful, but spikes aren't the main threat.

An electrical management system (EMS) monitors the supply continuously and disconnects the RV when something is wrong — low or high voltage, reversed polarity, an open ground, or an open neutral. It's the more capable device, and it's what most experienced RV owners fit.

The reason is campground pedestals. They're outdoor equipment, heavily cycled, often decades old, and wiring faults are common. The specific danger is low voltage: on a hot afternoon with a full campground, pedestal voltage can sag well below nominal, and an air conditioner compressor running at low voltage draws more current, overheats, and fails. That's an expensive repair caused by something you can't see.

An EMS also protects against a badly wired generator connection, and against the neutral-bonding mismatches that show up when a coach is fed from a portable unit.

Does altitude change the sizing?

If you camp in the mountains, yes — and it's the reason a generator that ran the air conditioner at home won't at 8,000 feet.

Naturally aspirated engines lose power as air thins, commonly cited around 3–3.5% per 1,000 feet of elevation. A 3,000 W generator at 8,000 feet may deliver closer to 2,300 W. Since the air conditioner's starting surge doesn't shrink to match, the pairing that worked at sea level simply stops working.

Two responses: fit a soft start to the air conditioner, which is the cheaper and better fix anyway, or check whether the manufacturer offers a high-altitude jet kit for your engine. Carbureted units run rich at elevation without one — wasted fuel, sooty plugs and rough running.

What about fuel on the road?

Worth planning, because an RV is already carrying fuel and the options interact.

Gasoline is the default, and it means carrying an approved can, secured, ventilated, and never inside the living space. It also means the fuel goes stale between trips — use stabilizer, or run the carburetor dry before storage.

Propane is attractive precisely because an RV already carries it. Dual-fuel and tri-fuel generators can run on propane, which stores indefinitely and doesn't gum up a carburetor over a winter of sitting. Expect roughly 10% less output than on gasoline, and note that connecting a generator to the RV's own propane system is an installation matter, not a hose you improvise — have it done properly.

Built-in RV generators typically draw from the vehicle's main fuel tank, usually with a reserve cutoff so they can't strand you. That's a genuine convenience advantage over a portable, and part of what you pay for.

What are campground generator rules?

Check before you go:

• Quiet hours, commonly overnight, during which generators must be off
• Noise limits, sometimes specified in dB
• Outright prohibitions, common in some national and state park campgrounds
• Running-time restrictions during the day

Some campgrounds offer shore power hookups, which removes the question entirely — worth checking when booking.

Safety in an RV context

The confined-space risk is worse here than at a house, because the sleeping space is small and close.

Never run a generator inside or under an RV, in a compartment, or near a window, vent, or air intake. Exhaust entering a sleeping space is fatal quickly.

Distance and direction matter — keep it well away with exhaust pointed clear.

A CO alarm inside the RV is essential, not optional. Test it before each trip. Many RVs come with one; confirm it's within service life.

Built-in RV generators are permanently installed with exhaust routed outside by design. That's a different situation from a portable set beside the vehicle, and the routing is the whole point.

See generator carbon monoxide safety.

Alternatives worth considering

Portable power stations are increasingly popular for camping — silent, no fumes, usable inside, and rechargeable from solar or the vehicle. They can't run an air conditioner for long, but for lights, charging, and a fridge they're excellent, and there are no campground rules against them.

Pairing a power station with solar for quiet loads, and a small inverter generator for the air conditioner, is a common and effective setup. See portable power stations explained.

Where to go next

• What is an inverter generator?
• Generator noise levels
• Portable power stations explained
• Size it properly: generator sizing calculator

More in our generator and backup power guides.