How to Power Your RV without Shore Power

RVs have become much more sophisticated and luxurious over the past few years, and many people live comfortably in their RVs all year long. But whether you’re a weekend camper or a full-time RVer, electricity in your RV is probably important to you. And if you want that electricity without plugging into shore power, you’re going to need 2 things: a power source and an inverter. Keep reading to learn more about powering your RV without shower power, and how to find the best RV converter and inverter.

Potential Power Sources

If you’re not plugging into shore power, there are a few options available to you to power the electronics in your RV:

Your RV’s battery

Solar panels (or a solar-powered generator)

Engine generator that burns fuel

The first option is obviously an energy source that’s readily available, but quite limited; if you use too much electricity, you’ll deplete your battery and not be able to start your RV. The last option is popular, but does require you to continue buying fuel. This leaves solar power, which is generally considered to be the best long-term option (and as a bonus, is better for the environment too).

The Role of a Converter/Inverter

So once you have a source of power, why do you need a converter/inverter? If you remember your high school science class, you may remember that there are 2 types of currents: AC and DC. AC is the type of electricity that powers the appliances in your RV, but the power sources mentioned previously all provide DC power. A converter/inverter can change the current of the electricity from DC to AC and back again, depending on which direction it’s flowing. This makes it possible to run your appliances, charge your RV battery, and so on, from a single energy source.

Finding the Best One

But how do you ensure you find the best RV converter/inverter? The first thing is to ensure you’re getting a pure sine wave inverter; these are more expensive, but they operate modern appliances much more efficiently. Unless you’re only operating a hotplate and old radio in your RV, you don’t want a modified sine wave inverter.

Second, ensure the inverter is able to meet your energy needs. They can range in size from 100 to tens of thousands of watts, so you’ll have to calculate your energy consumption carefully. (This will also help you determine how large your power source needs to be.) Finally, look at efficiency ratings to find one that converts electricity as efficiently as possible.

 When you follow these steps, finding the best RV converter and inverter is easy, and you can power your RV on your next trip without finding a source of shore power to plug into.