How Does An RV Use Electricity From A Battery?
When you’re out camping without hookups, your RV battery becomes the lifeline that keeps things running. It powers a lot of what you need in your camper, even when you’re miles away from any electrical connection.
Here’s the thing though, your 12 volt battery can’t run everything. Those bigger energy hogs like your air conditioner, microwave, or the regular wall outlets? They all need 120-volt power to work.
Your battery only puts out 12 volts, which limits what you can actually use. Mostly, we’re talking about lights, fans, water pumps, and electronics that were built to work on 12-volt systems.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through what your RV battery can actually power, what it can’t, and how much juice each thing uses. Plus, I’ll share some tips on how to save RV battery power while boondocking and explain your options for getting that 120-volt power when you need it. Whether that’s through an RV inverter generator or a portable power station for RV use.
Understanding An RV Electrical Setup
Your RV basically runs on two different electrical systems:
- 12-volt DC power that comes straight from your RV battery.
- 120-volt AC power that you get from shore power, a generator, or a portable power station.
When you’re hooked up to shore power at a campground, your converter does the heavy lifting. It takes that 120-volt electricity and converts it down to 12 volts, which charges your battery and runs all your 12-volt stuff at the same time.
But when you’re boondocking, the RV battery takes center stage. It handles your entire 12-volt system, everything from your interior lights to your water pump, ceiling fans, and various small electronics.
Not every RV battery setup looks the same, some RVs actually use two 6-volt batteries connected in series instead of one 12-volt battery. You can also have multiple 12 volt batteries wired in parallel to increase the amount of electricity you can store.
Understanding what uses 12V power in RV systems helps you plan better for dry camping trips and keeps you from draining your battery completely when you’re out in the middle of nowhere.
What Does RV Battery Power?
Your RV battery handles everything that runs on 12 volts (DC) rather than 120 volts (AC). We’re mainly talking about lights, fans, your water pump, and several safety systems.
Let me break down what your battery will actually run and roughly how much power each thing pulls.
Lighting & Fans
Lights
RV lights can be one of your biggest power drains. If you’ve got an older camper with incandescent bulbs, each one eats up about 10–12 watts. Run ten of those, and you’re burning through over 120 watts every hour. On a smaller battery, that’ll drain you dry pretty fast.
The fix? Switch to LED bulbs (click to view on Amazon). It’s a game-changer for RV boondocking electricity. LEDs cut your power usage by about two-thirds. They’re brighter, they don’t get hot, and they last forever.
Ten LED lights might only pull 30–40 watts per hour. That’s a massive difference when you’re trying to stretch your battery.
Range Hood Light & Fan
The hood over your stove has a small fan and a light. Swap the light for an LED if you haven’t already, and know that the fan typically draws around 20 watts per hour. Not a huge drain, but it adds up if you leave it running.
Bathroom Fan
Bathroom fans vary quite a bit in what they pull. A basic vent fan might use anywhere from 12–24 watts per hour, while bigger models like MaxxAir or Fan-Tastic Vents can draw 20–60 watts depending on what speed you’re running them at.
Fans don’t seem like much, but leave one on all night and you’ll definitely notice it in your battery level come morning.
Water System
Water Pump
The water pump is one of those RV battery appliances that only kicks on when you actually need water. It pulls around 7 amps or 80–90 watt-hours while it’s running, but that’s usually just for a few minutes at a time throughout the day.
Water Heater (Propane Mode)
Most RV water heaters give you the option of propane or electric. When you’re running it on propane, which is what you want when boondocking, it still needs a tiny bit of 12-volt power for the thermostat and to fire up the ignition. We’re only talking about 1–2 amps total.
The electrical heating side to a water heater will only work when you’re plugged into power.
Climate Control
Furnace
Your RV furnace burns propane to create heat, but it needs 12-volt power to run the fan and thermostat. Depending on the size of your unit, it can pull 8–10 amps (roughly 100 watts) while it’s cycling.
This is one of those things that can really hammer your battery if you’re not careful. Running it all night long will drain your batteries faster than just about anything else in the 12-volt system.
My advice? Use it when you need it, but dial back the thermostat at night and pile on extra blankets instead. If you camp in especially cold weather, consider getting a diesel heater. They use way less electricity and they’re a lot more quiet, so they can keep your camper warm at night without waking you up.
Vent Fans
Your roof vent fans help move air and cool things down. They’ll use anywhere from 20–60 watts per hour depending on the speed setting. Try to run them mainly during the hottest part of the day and turn them off at night to conserve power.
Other Appliances
RV Fridge
The RV fridge can run on propane when you’re camping without hookups, which is perfect. But even in propane mode, it still needs a little 12-volt juice for the control board and starter.
That usually works out to about 10 watts per hour, or roughly 240 watts over a full day. Not terrible.
Tip
Keep your fridge level and in the shade as much as possible. It’ll stay colder and won’t work as hard, which saves both propane and battery power.
Propane Alarm
Every RV has a propane leak detector, and it runs 24/7 off the battery. It barely uses anything, maybe 1 watt per hour, but since it never shuts off, it adds up over several days. Just another reason to make sure you’ve got enough battery capacity for extended trips. Safety systems need to stay powered.
Radio and Speakers
Your stereo system runs on 12 volts too. How much power it uses really depends on how many speakers you’re running and how loud you like it. Inside speakers typically pull about 50 watts each, while outdoor speakers might use closer to 100 watts.
If your battery’s getting low, either turn down the volume, use fewer speakers, or invest in a portable bluetooth speaker. You don’t have to go silent, just be smart about it.
TV Antenna Booster
A lot of RVs have an antenna booster with a little switch and red indicator light. It draws around 12 watts per hour.
Here’s an easy way to save power: turn that thing off when you’re not actually watching TV. Leave it on all day and you’re wasting almost 300 watts. That’s energy you could be using for something else.
12-Volt Television
Some RVs come with a 12-volt TV or at least a 12-volt outlet in the entertainment area. A small 19-inch 12-volt TV pulls about 2 amps (24 watts). Bigger screens will draw more.
Understanding what can I run off RV battery includes knowing that certain TVs are possible, but they’re not exactly battery-friendly for extended viewing sessions.
Mechanical Features
Slide-Outs and Electric Jacks
These are the heavy hitters when it comes to RV battery power usage, even though they only run for short bursts. A slide-out motor can pull 30–40 amps (around 360–480 watts) while it’s moving. That’s only for a few seconds, but it’s a serious load on your battery.
If you’re running low on juice and need to bring in your slides or lower your jacks, plug your RV into your tow vehicle or fire up the engine first. It’ll help shoulder that big power draw.
Electric Awning
Your electric awning motor is pretty modest, only about 2 amps (roughly 24 watts). It won’t kill your battery unless you’re opening and closing it constantly. But hey, every little bit counts when you’re managing your 12V vs 120V RV power systems.
What Won’t RV Batteries Run?
Even though your RV battery keeps a lot of things running, there’s a whole list of bigger appliances that just won’t work unless you’re hooked up to shore power, running a generator, or using a hefty inverter setup with serious battery capacity.
Here’s what won’t run on battery power alone:
- Air Conditioner: RV air conditioners are absolute energy monsters, typically pulling 1,500–2,000 watts. Your standard battery setup simply can’t handle that kind of load. You’ll need shore power, a generator, or a large inverter system backed by multiple batteries to run the AC.
- Microwave: Most microwaves gobble up over 1,000 watts, which is way more than a single RV battery can deliver without an inverter.
- Electric Water Heater: When you switch your water heater from propane to the electric heating element, it draws way too much power for batteries to manage on their own.
- Standard Wall Outlets: Those regular outlets in your RV only work when you’ve got 120-volt power flowing. If you’re not plugged in, they’re essentially useless unless your RV has an inverter installed.
- Electric Fireplace: These typically plug into wall outlets, so they’re only functional when you’re connected to shore power or running a generator.
- Household Kitchen Appliances: Things like coffee makers, toasters, blenders, and hair dryers are all 120-volt devices. They can’t run on your RV’s 12-volt system, no matter how much you wish that first cup of morning coffee was possible. Here’s some ways to make coffee without electricity, in case you were wondering.
When you’re boondocking, your best bet is to lean on propane-powered options for heating, cooking, and keeping your fridge cold.
For everything else that needs 120 volts, you’ve got options: grab a portable power station for RV use or bring along an RV inverter generator to create that 120-volt power when you actually need it.
How To Power An RV When Boondocking
When you’re camping off the grid, your RV battery does a solid job handling lights, fans, and your basic 12-volt systems. But what about the bigger stuff? Like running wall outlets, heating up food in the microwave, or cranking the air conditioner on a hot afternoon?
You’ve got two main options for getting full 120-volt power while boondocking: either fire up a generator or use a portable power station (sometimes called a solar generator).
Using a Generator
Most RVers go the traditional route with a gas or propane generator. You just plug it into your RV’s power cord, and boom, you’ve got the same kind of power you’d get at any campground with hookups (with restrictions of course).
Pros
- Different sizes available for power needs.
- Works in any weather conditions.
- Quick to refuel and get back to running.
- If there’s fuel you can make power.
Cons
- Loud, not ideal if you’re trying to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature.
- Needs regular maintenance to keep running smoothly.
- You’ve got to haul gas or propane, which adds weight and requires storage.
For most campers, a 2,000–3,000 watt generator hits the sweet spot. It’ll run your main RV systems and charge your batteries simultaneously. If you want to use the AC you’ll want to bump up to a larger 3,500+ watt model to handle that extra load.
Using a Portable Power Station for RV
A portable power station, often called a solar generator, is the quiet, more modern approach to powering your RV while boondocking. These units pack built-in lithium batteries that store energy you’ve gathered from solar panels or topped off by plugging into a wall outlet before your trip.
You can actually plug your RV’s 30-amp cord right into most power stations using a simple adapter that converts the 30-amp plug to a standard outlet connection. Sounds almost too simple to work, right? But it does and surprisingly well for moderate power needs.
What large 1000-watt (or bigger) power stations can run:
- Interior lights and wall outlets.
- Your microwave for quick heating sessions (for larger power stations only).
- Smaller 120V devices like TVs, laptop chargers, phone chargers, and fans.
A power station isn’t going to power your air conditioner or electric water heater for any meaningful length of time. But for quiet, emission-free power while you’re enjoying the outdoors? They’re pretty much perfect.
We actually use a 1000-watt solar power station that charges from panels mounted on our roof as our primary power source when we’re boondocking. It keeps our lights, fans, and outlets humming along without any of that generator noise.
Understanding how to charge RV battery while camping through solar really opens up your options for extended off-grid stays. The combination of knowing your RV battery run time and having backup 120-volt power gives you the best of both worlds. You can stretch your battery further for 12-volt needs while tapping into your power station when you need those wall outlets working.
Pros
- Silent operation.
- No fuel or fumes to deal with.
- Can recharge with solar panels during the day.
- Easy to move and store.
- Works instantly with no setup or maintenance.
- Great for running small devices and charging electronics.
Cons
- Limited capacity, can’t run high-watt items like AC units for long.
- Expensive compared to a small generator.
- Recharges slowly on cloudy days if using solar.
- Must manage power carefully to avoid draining it completely.
How to Save RV Battery Power
When you’re camping without hookups, every single amp-hour matters. The good news? Small tweaks to how you use power can extend how long will RV battery last between charges. Here are some straightforward ways to stretch your battery life when you’re boondocking.
1. Switch to LED Lights
If your rig still has those old-school incandescent bulbs, do yourself a favor and swap them out for LEDs. LEDs use roughly one-third of the power that incandescent bulbs do, plus they barely give off any heat.
Over the course of an evening with multiple lights on, you’ll easily save hundreds of watts. When comparing RV LED lights vs incandescent, it’s honestly a no-brainer for anyone serious about extending their RV battery run time.
2. Keep the Fridge and Water Heater on Propane
Even when your fridge and water heater are running on propane, they still need a tiny bit of 12-volt power for their control boards and igniters. But that’s nothing compared to what they’d pull running on electric mode.
Always switch to propane when you’re dry camping, your battery will thank you. This is probably the single biggest thing you can do for RV battery power usage management.
3. Turn Off the Antenna Booster
That antenna booster might seem harmless sitting there with its little red indicator light, but it’s quietly drawing around 12 watts per hour. Flip it off when you’re done watching TV and you’ll save a surprising chunk of energy over a day. It’s one of those “set it and forget it” habits that makes a real difference.
4. Limit Fan and Furnace Use
Both your furnace fan and roof vent fans can drain your battery way faster than you’d think. Use them when you actually need them, but don’t just leave them running in the background.
On chilly nights, pile on extra blankets or consider a small propane heater that doesn’t need any electricity at all. Your battery will last significantly longer.
5. Use Solar Power to Recharge Daily
A portable solar panel or roof-mounted system is a game-changer for boondocking. Even a modest 100-watt panel can replace most of what you use daily for lights, fans, and small electronics, assuming you get decent sunlight, of course.
Solar is one of the best ways to charge an RV battery while camping without running a generator or idling your vehicle. Plus, it’s completely silent and doesn’t burn any fuel.
6. Check for Hidden Power Drains
Some devices draw power constantly, whether you’re using them or not. Your propane alarm is always on (which is good, safety first). But other things like certain stereo systems or powered boosters might be running 24/7 without you realizing it. These are called “parasitic loads.”
If you’re storing your RV for a while, disconnect the batteries completely so they don’t slowly drain to nothing. Nobody wants to come back to dead batteries before a trip.
7. Keep Batteries Warm
Cold weather is brutal on battery performance, we’re talking about losing up to half your capacity when temperatures drop. If you’re camping somewhere cold, consider using battery blankets or make sure your batteries are in an insulated compartment. A warm battery is a happy, efficient battery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Will RV Battery Last When Boondocking?
It depends on a couple of things, mainly how much power you’re using and what kind of battery setup you’ve got. A single 12-volt lead-acid battery typically gives you about one to two days if you’re being mindful about your lights and fan usage.
If you’ve upgraded to a pair of batteries wired together or made the jump to lithium, you’re looking at three to five days or even longer, especially if you’ve got solar panels helping keep things topped off during the day.
How Can I Tell If Something Runs on 12 Volts or 120 Volts?
This one’s actually pretty straightforward once you know what to look for. Check how the device plugs in. If it uses a cigarette-lighter-style plug or is hardwired directly into your RV’s fuse panel, it’s running on 12 volts.
If it plugs into a regular wall outlet, the kind you’d have in your house, then it’s a 120-volt device. Those won’t work on battery power alone unless your RV has an inverter installed.
Can RV Battery Run Fridge?
When you’re camping without hookups, your fridge runs on propane for the actual cooling part. But it still needs a small amount of 12-volt power from your battery to operate the control board and fire up the ignition system.
The good news is this barely uses any battery, maybe 10 watts per hour. If you set your fridge to “auto” mode, it’ll automatically switch over to electric when you plug into shore power at a campground, then flip back to propane when you disconnect.
Be careful with this if you’re using an inverter or portable power station to plug in your RV. If the RV fridge is on “auto” mode, it will switch to electric the second it senses 120 volt power. This will add a serious power draw to your battery or power station you may not have planned for.
Always turn the fridge to “gas” mode whenever you’re boondocking to avoid any accidental power draws while you’re out.
Can RV Battery Run Water Pump?
Absolutely. Your water pump is one of the main things the RV battery runs. It pulls around 7 amps while it’s actually running, but it only runs for short bursts when you turn on a faucet or flush the toilet. Over the course of a day, it’s not usually a huge drain on your battery unless you shower a lot.
Can My RV Battery Run the Furnace?
Yes, but there’s a catch. The furnace fan and thermostat both run on 12 volts from your battery, while the actual heat comes from burning propane. The issue is that the fan pulls quite a bit of power, we’re talking 8-10 amps (around 100 watts) while it’s running.
That means if you run your furnace all night long while dry camping without any way to recharge, you can drain your batteries pretty fast. Better to use it when you really need it and maybe grab some extra blankets for sleeping.
How to Charge RV Battery While Camping Without Hookups?
You’ve actually got several options here:
- Run a generator: This’ll charge your batteries while also giving you 120-volt power for other things.
- Use solar panels: Mount them on the roof or set up portable ones in the sun.
- Plug into a portable power station: Many of these can charge your RV batteries.
- Drive around: If your trailer’s connected to your tow vehicle, the alternator will charge the batteries while you drive.
Even just a few hours of charging each day makes a huge difference in keeping your batteries healthy and extending your time off-grid.
How Do I Make My RV Battery Last Longer?
Run on propane whenever you have the option. The fridge, water heater, furnace for heat (just remember the fan still uses battery). Switch out any remaining incandescent bulbs for LEDs.
If you’ve got lead-acid batteries, try not to let them drop below 50% charge before topping them back up. Deep discharges shorten their lifespan.
For lithium batteries, the rules are a little different. Avoid letting them go completely dead. They’re more forgiving overall, but running them to zero repeatedly isn’t great for longevity.
Hi, thanks for the informative article. If I was to plug my 30 amp cord from the RV into a Jackery battery (with 30 to 20 amp adapter), would I be able to run small appliances through my RV’s interior outlets?
Absolutely, the Jackery power stations have 15A outlets and how much you’ll be able to draw depends on which Jackery power station you have. If you plug it in and it doesn’t work it will be because the initial draw is too high for the Jackery inverter (since the converter/charger starts charging your house batteries) so you would need a larger model.
I have used my Explorer 1000 this way with a Camco 15A to 30A adapter to power everything in my camper except the microwave and AC.
Question. Can I use my EGO power station with four 56volt 7.5 amp batteries as shore power for my 30amp RV? Meaning simply plug with an adapter the power station into the RV. When I asked the dealer his eyes glazed over.
Yes, as long as the inverter in the power station can handle the initial surge when you plug it in.
I do the same thing with my Goal Zero Yeti 1000 which has a 1500W inverter. I use this 15A to 30A adapter. It runs everything except the AC and I keep my fridge and water heater on gas since they use a lot of electricity.
Well first of all I’m as dum as a rock as to RV electronics. But if you are not running your fridge, AC, or water heater off the Goal Zero ( AC) why do you need shore power AC ( Goal Zero) other than your oven? Is not most every thing else DC? I replaced the single cheap Interstate battery with two very high end deep cycle batteries that are tied into the solar panels that came with my No Boundaries 19.2. The assumption is that would cover all my DC needs . Pending the sun.
The Ego is 3000watt surge and 2000watt continues. And I’m asking the feasibility of using it for shore power. I would simply go from the 30amp trailer connection to the external EMS smart surge protector^ to the EGO…or in your case goal zero. Apparently our use of high end batteries to place generators is a New thing. EGO has about 2240 watt HOURS. But since you can hot swap batteries you are only limited by your budget, sun shine, and ability to haul them around.
^ call me paranoid
We live in our camper full-time and work online, so we need to be able to power laptops, our Instant pot, coffee maker, George Foreman grill, TV, computer monitor, etc. We could plug it all into the Goal Zero directly, but it’s much nicer to plug the camper into the Yeti so all of the outlets are powered, and our camper batteries are charged at the same time.
Sometimes we do run our fridge and water heater on electricity, but they quickly use so much of the 1045Wh in the Yeti that we don’t consider it worth it or feasible with our camper and limits.
Yes, you’re only limited by those things. It’s definitely not impossible with enough solar panels and batteries, especially if you switch to propane on cloudy days.
That’s what I wanted to know. There didn’t seem to be much chatter on using your battery power station ( regardless of brand) as shore power. The only option for shore power offered was a generator. But if you conserve, take advantage of the sun, propane, shade, and have a enough battery capability I should be able to dry camp for short periods and still have limited AC power.
Our area, a few months back went through a mandatory evacuation. But the government was fairly clueless just where to go. Or how to get there. Like the fairgrounds with no water, electricity, or sanitation. And gasoline lines were super clogged.
Best always to keep your fuel tanks full. And be prepared to go dry camping for months with no exterior support, little warning ,and pandemonium all around.
How pleasant it is depends on the 7 “P” rule. Combined with Murph’s law.
Very thankful to have your knowledge available.
Refreshing!
Jenn . I have a business idea. Boon docking 20’ travel trailers on my property for college football games. I live 1 mile from a major university. 15 travel trailers would be the maximum number i could have room for. Local rules and regulations would never allow me to run Even temperary electric to the trailers. What type of rv trailerS should i purchase to bring on and off my property each weekend with no electric hook up available. 2 full days of use would be the longest anyone will stay.
Hi Dean,
Sounds like an innovative idea. I think the size of the batteries would actually matter more than the type of trailers.
You can check out this article here (click to go to) to read more about RV batteries and see some good options.
Another idea just to get you started could be to allow people with campers to park on your property during game weekends. That way you don’t have to supply the trailers and the Rvers will take care of their own power needs.
You could also become a host on a website called Boondockers Welcome (click to go to site) to make it easier for campers to find you.
Just some suggestions. Good luck with the business idea!
My class A coach has the House batteries and the Chassis wired together, 4 total, i have a on/off switch for both. When i am hooked to my shoreline i always leave the batteries on. If i am dry camping should i turn off the Chassis batteries and just run off the House batteries?
Hi Kevin,
I would say yes because you don’t want to risk draining both your house and chassis batteries.
Also, the chassis batteries are a different type of battery that isn’t made to be slowly discharged over time like a deep cycle RV house battery. You can still use the chassis batteries if you really need to, but you will end up having to replace them sooner than normal.
My question is why does my water pump (when its running) cause other 12v items to not have enough juice to run. Like my tv for example. And even the lights get dim. Mind you, this is even with 2 fully charged marine 12v batteries.
Hi Robert,
It sounds like you might have an overloaded 12 volt circuit if even the TV isn’t getting enough power when the pump is running.
You could try cleaning the terminals on the batteries to make sure the connection is solid. I would also check the ground wire for the 12 volt system, sometimes it can come loose and cause the whole thing to act up.
Some RVers will run dedicated 12 volt wires from the 12V relay or battery to the water pump so it’s not connected to the other 12 volt appliances in the RV. You can use this controller to do that (click to view on Amazon).
Got new battery, plugged in to electricity but I still have no electricity in some of my camper. Like slide frig lights outlets ect still won’t work. What is my problem?
Very likely a GFCI plug needs to be reset. Sometimes there are several, sometimes even in the storage compartments. Check all plugs and reset all GFCIs.
I think Jerry is right, sounds like a GFCI outlet has been tripped. Or a fuse could have blown.
Check out this article for more information on resetting GFCI outlets.
To check your fuses look inside the breaker fuse panel inside the RV. There should be a red light illuminated if one of the fuses isn’t working.
My battery is not charging I bought a brand new one
Hi,
What battery did you buy and how did you install it? Did you just replace the old one and connect the wires the same way?
I have a small RV with a mini-frig. It runs on propane, but only at 5500 feet or below. I live at 7200 feet and want to camp in the summer at higher elevations. The frig won’t light with propane even at my home at 7200 feet. Have been researching online to see if a solar powered battery backup would allow me to plug in the trailer and run the frig on battery. Is this even possible? Any suggestions to solve this dilemma? In the summer I want to camp at higher elevations than where I live not at 5500 feet where it is hotter than you know what. Lived for many years in 1000 feet elevation in the AZ desert cities. Don’t want to go back in the summer. Thank you for any suggestions.
A portable power station would work, but you would need a pretty big one with some solar panels to keep the fridge running 24/7.
It mostly depends on how much power the mini fridge uses.
One thing you could do is get a portable power station, solar panels, and a smaller 12 volt fridge.
The 12 volt fridge should use less power than the camper mini fridge, and it can be powered by either a portable power station or the 12 volt RV battery.