RV and van appliance wattage chart

Typical running watts and daily watt-hours for the appliances in the RVWatt library. Use this to estimate a day’s energy use, then open the calculator to size solar and batteries for the place and months you actually travel.

Daily watt-hours are watts × hours per day × quantity × duty cycle. For AC appliances the figure is then divided by a 90% inverter efficiency, which is the calculator’s default. The inverter’s idle draw (10 W by default, for as long as the longest AC load is on) is not in this table; the calculator adds it at the system level.

These are planning estimates, not a substitute for the label on your device or a few days on a battery monitor. Fridge use in particular rises in hot weather.

Appliance	Watts	Hours/day	Duty	Qty	Type	Wh/day from the battery
12 V compressor fridge (50–65 L)	45	24	40%	1	DC	432	Open in the calculator
A planning figure. Dometic’s official CFX3 45 and 55 figures are about 297 and 317 Wh/day at 32 °C; many vans use less in mild weather and more in the heat.
12 V compressor fridge (8–10 cu ft)	55	24	50%	1	DC	660	Open in the calculator
Mid-range for a built-in 8–10 cu ft RV fridge. A Winnebago View Norcold test was about 670 Wh/day; similar 10 cu ft units are often reported at 600–750 Wh in mild weather.
Residential fridge (120 V)	150	24	35%	1	AC	1,400	Open in the calculator
Includes inverter loss at 90% efficiency (1,260 Wh of fridge use becomes 1,400 Wh from the battery). If the inverter stays on all day, add its idle draw too — 240 Wh at the default 10 W.
Roof vent fan	30	8	100%	1	DC	240	Open in the calculator
Conservative. A fan on a low speed uses much less; high speed on a hot day can get closer to this.
LED lights (all)	20	4	100%	1	DC	80	Open in the calculator
All interior LED lights together at the van-library default of 20 W for 4 hours. The Class C preset and the travel-trailer example use 40 W (160 Wh) for a larger rig.
Water pump	60	0.3	100%	1	DC	18	Open in the calculator
Short, occasional use.
Phone charging	10	3	100%	2	DC	60	Open in the calculator
Two phones, three hours of charging each.
Laptop (AC charger)	65	6	100%	1	AC	433.3	Open in the calculator
Six hours through the inverter at 90% efficiency (390 Wh at the laptop, 433 Wh from the battery).
Starlink Mini	30	8	100%	1	DC	240	Open in the calculator
Eight hours at 30 W. Your total depends on how long you leave it on.
Starlink Standard	90	8	100%	1	AC	800	Open in the calculator
In this library it runs through the inverter (720 Wh of use, 800 Wh from the battery). Starlink’s published average is about 75–100 W; we use 90 W.
Diesel heater (running)	15	8	100%	1	DC	120	Open in the calculator
Running draw after the glow plug. All-night use in deep cold will be higher; edit the hours in the calculator.
Propane furnace blower	80	8	50%	1	DC	320	Open in the calculator
An 80 W blower at 50% duty for 8 hours, in line with a Suburban SF-30/35 draw of about 6.5–9.4 A at 12 V.
TV (32 in LED)	50	2	100%	1	AC	111.1	Open in the calculator
Two hours through the inverter (100 Wh of use, about 111 Wh from the battery).
CPAP (allowance; ~10–15 W without humidifier, 40–60 W heated)	40	8	100%	1	DC	320	Open in the calculator
A conservative allowance. Many machines draw about 10–15 W without a humidifier and 40–60 W heated; check your label.
Induction cooktop (1 burner)	1800	0.3	70%	1	AC	420	Open in the calculator
One burner, 0.3 hours at 70% of 1,800 W, plus inverter loss. This is a short cooking session, not all-day use.
Microwave (1000 W cooking, input)	1500	0.15	100%	1	AC	250	Open in the calculator
About 1,500 W input (1,000 W cooking) for 0.15 hours, plus inverter loss.
Coffee maker	900	0.15	100%	1	AC	150	Open in the calculator
Treated as a one-at-a-time load when the calculator sizes the inverter.
Electric kettle	1500	0.1	100%	1	AC	166.7	Open in the calculator
Treated as a one-at-a-time load when the calculator sizes the inverter.
Hair dryer	1500	0.1	100%	1	AC	166.7	Open in the calculator
Treated as a one-at-a-time load when the calculator sizes the inverter.
RV air conditioner 13.5k BTU (with soft start)	1300	3	80%	1	AC	3,466.7	Open in the calculator
Three hours at 80% of 1,300 W with a soft starter, plus inverter loss. Air conditioning is a very large load.
Camera / drone batteries	50	1.5	100%	1	DC	75	Open in the calculator
Occasional charging.
12 V tire compressor	180	0.2	100%	1	DC	36	Open in the calculator
Short use.
Cellular router / hotspot	10	12	100%	1	DC	120	Open in the calculator
Twelve hours at 10 W.
Blender	500	0.05	100%	1	AC	27.8	Open in the calculator
Treated as a one-at-a-time load when the calculator sizes the inverter.

A few useful totals

A small 12 V compressor fridge (50–65 L) is 432 Wh a day in this library — often the single largest load in a simple van. A built-in 8–10 cu ft 12 V fridge, the kind on many modern Class C motorhomes and travel trailers, is 660 Wh a day. A 120 V residential fridge is about 1,400 Wh from the battery before idle draw, which is why fifth wheels with household fridges need a much larger bank.

Add only what you actually run. A weekender van in the library (small fridge, fan, lights, pump and two phones) totals 830 Wh a day, all DC, with no inverter. See solar for a camper van and solar for a travel trailer for worked system sizes.

Start a custom list in the calculator

Frequently asked questions

Why is a 45 W fridge 432 watt-hours a day?

Because it runs off and on all day. The library uses 45 W × 24 hours × a 40% duty cycle = 432 Wh. That is a conservative planning figure for a 50–65 L 12 V compressor fridge; many portable fridges use less in mild weather.

Do the AC numbers include inverter loss?

Yes. AC watt-hours in this table are divided by 90% inverter efficiency. A laptop that uses 390 Wh at the charger draws about 433 Wh from the battery. The inverter’s idle draw is not in the row totals; the calculator adds it when you size the whole system.

Are these the exact watts of my fridge or CPAP?

Not necessarily. They are typical library figures so you can get started. Check the label or a meter on your own device, then edit the watts, hours and duty cycle in the calculator.

Related guides

Safety: high-current DC is dangerous. A 12 V battery bank can deliver thousands of amps into a short circuit, enough to melt tools, weld rings and watches to terminals, ignite insulation and start a vehicle fire in seconds. Lithium and lead-acid batteries can also vent, burn or explode if overcharged, damaged or charged outside their temperature limits. Remove jewelry, use insulated tools, disconnect the battery before working, fuse every positive conductor as close to the battery as practical with a fuse rated for the battery's short-circuit current (often a Class T for lithium banks), use properly crimped lugs and pure copper cable, and secure batteries against movement. If you are not confident, hire a qualified RV or marine electrician. RVWatt provides estimates only; see our Terms of Use.

These figures are planning estimates from typical appliance ratings and NASA monthly sun averages for a flat, horizontal panel. Your real use will differ with heat, shade, dirty panels and how you actually live in the rig. Follow your equipment manuals and have a qualified installer check high-current wiring.