We get lots of questions about RVs and energy needs. That is why we have decided to create this list of rough estimates of wattage consumption of the most common camping and RV appliances.
We hope these tables will help you calculate how big and powerful generator you will need for your camping and RV activities. Our team here at Generatorist has helped over 600,000 visitors find information about generators and we will help you as well.
The data is gathered from reputable government websites, popular generator manufacturers like Honda, Generac or Yamaha and merchants like Lowe’s, Sears or Home Depot. We add new appliances and update the numbers on a regular basis to make this the most comprehensive resource out there.
Essential Appliances
Estimated wattage
| Camping / RV Appliance | Rated (Running) Watts | Additional Surge Watts |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Light Bulbs (75W) | 300 W | 300 W |
| Dehumidifier | 785 W | 1250 W |
| Electric Blanket | 80 W | 1,250 W |
| Electric Water Heater (6 Gal.) | 1,440 W | 1,440 W |
| Fan | 200 W | 200 W |
| Furnace Fan (1/3 HP) | 700 W | 1,400 W |
| Heating Pad | 250 W | 250 W |
| RV Roof-Top AC (11,000 BTU) | 1,010 W | 590 W |
| RV Roof-Top AC (13,500 BTU) | 1,500 W | 1,000 W |
| RV Roof-Top AC (15,000 BTU) | 2,000 W | 1,300 W |
| Space Heater | 1,800 W | 1,800 W |
Washing Appliances
Estimated wattage
| Camping / RV Appliance | Rated (Running) Watts | Additional Surge Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Blow Drier (Hair) | 1,250 W | 1,250 W |
| Clothes Washer | 1,150 W | 2,300 W |
| Curling Iron | 800 W | 800 W |
| Iron | 1,200 W | 1,200 W |
| Shaver | 35 W | 35 W |
| Vacuum | 1,100 W | 1,100 W |
Kitchen Appliances
Estimated wattage
| Camping / RV Appliance | Rated (Running) Watts | Additional Surge Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Blender | 350 W | 500 W |
| Chest Freezer | 450 W | 900 W |
| Coffee Maker | 800 W | 800 W |
| Corn Popper | 275 W | 275 W |
| Crockpot | 250 W | 250 W |
| Deep Fryer | 1,200 W | 1,200 W |
| Dorm Size Refrigerator | 350 W | 500 W |
| Electric Can Opener | 170 W | 0 W |
| Electric Fry Pan | 1,200 W | 1,200 W |
| Electric Grill | 1,650 W | 1,650 W |
| Hot Plate | 1,200 W | 1,725 W |
| Microwave (635W Cooking Power) | 635 W | 800 W |
| Slow Cooker | 170 W | 270 W |
| Toaster | 850 – 1,250 W | 850 – 1,250 W |
| Toaster Oven | 1,200 W | 1,200 W |
| Waffle Iron | 1,200 W | 1,725 W |
Entertainment Appliances
Estimated wattage
| Camping / RV Appliance | Rated (Running) Watts | Additional Surge Watts |
|---|---|---|
| 12″ B&W TV | 30 W | 30 W |
| 19″ Color TV | 160 W | 160 W |
| 27″ Color TV | 500 W | 500 W |
| AM/FM Cassette | 10 W | 10 W |
| CD/DVD Player | 50 W | 200 W |
| Clock Radio | 100 W | 100 W |
| Desktop Computer | 600 W | 800 W |
| Laptop | 50 W | 0 W |
| Printer | 500 W | 500 W |
| Radio 2-Way | 360 W | 960 W |
| Satellite Dish & Receiver | 30 W | 250 W |
| Stereo | 450 W | 450 W |
| VCR | 100 W | 100 W |
Other Appliances
Estimated wattage
| Camping / RV Appliance | Rated (Running) Watts | Additional Surge Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Charger (Cell Phone) | 25 W | 0 W |
| Inflator Pump | 50 W | 150 W |
Printable Chart
Determining your
wattage requirements
If you want to learn what electronic appliances will your generator run, you need to get ready to do some math. Don’t worry, it will be a very simple process of adding up several numbers.
To determine what appliances you can run on this type of generator at the same time, you need to follow these steps:
- List all electronic appliances in your home you want to keep running in the case you are out of power (here is a great list full of appliances you might use)
- Write information from their name tags on required running and starting watts into a table (see examples below)
- Then you need to add up all the running watts required to operate your appliances
- The next step is to find the item with the highest additional starting watts
- Then add this number to your total running watts
- The final number represents the amount of starting watts your generator needs to provide
Here is a good example of calculating wattage needs for a 4000 watt generator.
We have decided that in case of a weather-caused blackout, we would need only essentials such as refrigerator with a freezer so our food will be safe, a lamp that will serve as an emergency light source, a small window AC unit to keep the temperature under control, a toaster, and a laptop.
| Selected Appliances | Rated (Running) Watts | Additional Starting Watts |
|---|---|---|
| Toaster | 850 W | 0 W |
| Refrigerator / Freezer | 700 W | 2,200 W |
| Laptop | 50 W | 0 W |
| Lamp (2 Lightbulbs) | 150 W | 0 W |
| Window AC (10,000 BTU) | 1,200 W | 3,600 W |
| TOTAL | 2,950 W | |
| 6,550 W |
As you can see in our example above, if we add up all running watts of our appliances we get the number 2,950 – so we are well within the 4,000 running watts limit (850 + 700 + 50 + 150 + 1,200 = 2,950).
However, we would need a generator that is capable of producing at least 6,550 surge (starting) watts to power all these appliances (2,950 + 3,600 = 6,550).
Just keep in mind that some electric appliances in your home may not have running watts provided on their data tags. If this is the case, you can estimate the running watts required thanks to the following formula:
Watts (W or kW) = Volts (V) x Amps (A)
Amps (A) = Watts (W or kW) / Volts (V)
So, as long as you have required Volts and Amps, you can easily convert them into an estimate of required running watts. Maybe you remember that this equation represents the Ohm’s law from High School physics.
Luckily, there is a device called “appliance load tester” that you can get to determine how many watts each your appliance takes. You can easily get one from Amazon and avoid all that physic´s equation.
You need to check each appliance / power tool in your home individually to see the precise wattage requirements. Feel free to check out the wattage requirements of the most popular household appliances, RV & camping appliances, or power tools for contractors here on Generatorist.