The RV electrical design tool that’s already figured out your rig
Size your battery bank, solar, wire, and inverter for any RV — Class A, Class C, travel trailer, or fifth wheel. Honest math, realistic duty cycles, and a BOM with real amazon.ca links.
Every RV appliance pre-loaded
Residential fridge, rooftop AC, microwave, water heater, 12V fans — with duty cycles that match real-world use.
Honest solar + alternator budget
Solar vs. driving vs. shore-power breakdown so you stop guessing whether one more panel will cover you.
Inverter sizing that matches your peak
Get the right inverter size based on actual simultaneous loads — not the biggest one the YouTuber recommended.
Answers from your own design
Every figure is computed from the system you entered and cited to the code section it came from — not a generic table.
Typical loads we already model
These are realistic watt draws and duty cycles pulled from the PowerLab appliance catalog. When you start a design, you pick from this catalog and customize \u2014 nothing to re-type.
| Load | Watts | Hrs/day | Wh/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooftop AC (13.5k BTU) | 1,600 | 4 | 6,400 |
| Residential fridge (12V) | 55 | 12 | 660 |
| Microwave (1100W) | 1,500 | 0.25 | 375 |
| LED interior lights | 40 | 6 | 240 |
| Water pump (on-demand) | 75 | 0.5 | 38 |
| TV + streaming stick | 90 | 4 | 360 |
| Sample total | 8,073 Wh/day |
Typical real-world band for this niche: 1,500\u20136,500 Wh/day (midpoint 4,000). Your actual number depends on your gear and how you use it; PowerLab calculates it exactly.
Frequently asked
How much solar do I need on my RV?
For a weekend camper with a residential fridge and lights, 200–400W is usually enough. Full-timers running AC off-grid need 800–1,200W plus a large battery bank. PowerLab gives you the exact number for your own loads and region.
Do I need lithium or can I stick with lead-acid?
Lead-acid works if you’re plugged in most of the time. For boondocking more than a weekend you’ll want LiFePO4 — double the usable capacity per amp-hour, 10× the cycle life. The battery tab compares both for your exact load profile.
Will this work for my travel trailer without its own alternator?
Yes. PowerLab supports shore power, solar, and generator-only as charging sources. You can disable alternator contribution entirely.
What about the RVIA standard?
The permit-ready report references NEC (US) or CEC (Canada) rules that AHJs and RV-park inspectors typically ask for. RVIA compliance is a separate manufacturer-level cert that PowerLab doesn’t attempt to certify.
Design yours in the next 10 minutes
Free tier gets you load + battery + solar sizing for up to 3 designs. No credit card required. Upgrade when you need unwatermarked, code-cited documents you can hand to an inspector.
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