Inverter
An inverter/charger in an RV, often simply called an inverter, has two main jobs. First, it charges the 12-volt house batteries in the RV. Second, it converts (or inverts) the 12-volt DC power from these batteries into AC power at the standard voltage and frequency for your country. This is essential for running household-type appliances and devices in your RV.
Not all RVs, especially the lower-priced ones, come with an inverter already installed. Inverters are rated based on their output, in volt-amps, which is generally equivalent to watts.
There are two types of inverters:
- Modified Sine-Wave or Quasi-Sine Wave Inverters: These are the less expensive option and work well for most RV needs.
- Sine-Wave or Full Sine-Wave Inverters: These are more expensive but are recommended for powering sensitive electronic devices like televisions, DVD players, computers, printers, and fax machines.
Like generators, inverters need to be the right size for the electrical load you expect. Most RV inverters are rated between 1500–2000 watts. This is enough to run appliances like a microwave oven or a TV and computer, but not all at the same time as the microwave.
The amount of time you can run these devices depends on the capacity of your RV’s batteries and the efficiency of the inverter. It’s important to note that heavy electrical loads, like air conditioners, space heaters, water heaters, and large refrigerator/freezers, generally can’t be powered by an inverter. This is because the house batteries don’t have enough capacity for these big energy users and would drain too quickly.