Can a power station run an RV air conditioner?
A 1,000 Wh power station runs a typical RV air conditioner (13,500 BTU) for about 42 minutes. It averages about 1,200 W, draws 1,800 W while running and needs about 2,800 W for a moment when it starts.
A 13,500 BTU RV air conditioner runs at about 1,800 W and needs about 2,800 W to start. A soft-start kit lowers the start-up spike, which is often what decides whether a station or small generator can run it.
How long by battery size?
| Battery | Runs a RV air conditioner (13,500 BTU) for |
|---|---|
| 300 Wh | about 13 minutes |
| 600 Wh | about 26 minutes |
| 1,000 Wh | about 42 minutes |
| 2,000 Wh | about 1.4 hours |
| 3,600 Wh | about 2.5 hours |
Hours = battery Wh × 0.85 (inverter losses) ÷ 1200 W average draw.
How long on each model?
| Power station | Battery | Runtime |
|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow River 3 Plus | 286 Wh | can’t start it |
| Jackery Explorer 300 v2 | 288 Wh | can’t start it |
| Jackery Explorer 600 v2 | 640 Wh | can’t start it |
| EcoFlow River 2 Pro | 768 Wh | can’t start it |
| Anker SOLIX C800 Plus | 768 Wh | can’t start it |
| EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic | 1,024 Wh | can’t start it |
| Anker SOLIX C1000 | 1,056 Wh | can’t start it |
| Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 | 1,070 Wh | can’t start it |
| Bluetti AC180 | 1,152 Wh | can’t start it |
| ALLPOWERS R1500 | 1,152 Wh | about 49 minutes |
| EcoFlow DELTA 2 Max | 2,048 Wh | about 1.5 hours |
| Jackery HomePower 2000 Plus v2 | 2,048 Wh | about 1.5 hours |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro | 3,600 Wh | about 2.5 hours |
| Anker SOLIX F3800 | 3,840 Wh | about 2.7 hours |
| EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 | 4,096 Wh | about 2.9 hours |
Would a generator be better?
The smallest generator in our comparison that can start a RV air conditioner (13,500 BTU) on its own is the Honda EU3200i (2,600 W running, 3,200 W starting). A generator suits long outages and heavy loads; a power station is silent and safe indoors. Size a generator for this.
Running more than just this? Add everything and size a generator for the whole list.
Size my setupMore questions
How long will a 500 Wh power station run a rv air conditioner?
About 21 minutes, at an average draw of 1200 W.
How long will a 2,000 Wh power station run a rv air conditioner?
About 1.4 hours.
What size power station do I need to run a rv air conditioner for 24 hours?
About 37,271 Wh with our 10% margin; none of the models in our comparison covers a full day, so a generator is the realistic route.
How many watts does a rv air conditioner use?
About 1,800 W while running, about 1200 W on average over time, and about 2,800 W for a moment when it starts.
What is the smallest power station that can start a rv air conditioner?
In our comparison, the ALLPOWERS R1500: 1,800 W output and 3,000 W surge.
Can solar keep a rv air conditioner running?
Partly: our planning figure of 700 Wh of solar on a good day covers about 30 minutes of a rv air conditioner.
Would a generator be better for a rv air conditioner?
Often yes: a day of it needs more than about 4,200 Wh, where a generator is the cheaper route. The smallest one in our comparison that starts it is the Honda EU3200i (2,600 W running). Never run a generator indoors.
