FREE RV Power Converter Size Calculator

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By creating this innovative power converter size calculator, RV52.com solves one of the most complex tasks with RV ownership.

The task is when you try to figure out how big your RV power converter needs to be. There are a ton of appliances on your RV with complex ideas around their usage that make the calculation tricky.

Follow the blue arrows to get to the calculator.

Let RV52.com help you feel more confident about your power converter choice.

Using Pencil and Paper, you’d have to do the following steps

Make a line on a sheet for each DC light bulb. Determine if LED or incandescent.
Make a line item for EACH electrical component in your RV
Make a note on each line item whether the item is DC or AC.
Make a decision based on your “usage pattern” for each component (like how many hours you will operate something).
Find out the power consumption for each device in your list above.
Make sure you convert between DC and AC properly. AC appliances should not count towards the amperage calculation, but I think you should know them anyway.
Do all the addition and multiplication.
Now you should have the size of the SMALLEST power converter you should get to replace your current power converter.

Use this FREE RV power converter size calculator to ensure you buy the right power converter!

After completion the RV52.com computer will try to help you find matching rv power converters.

Towable Trailer Power Converter Calculator

Form used to calculate the total required Amperage for an RV power converter.

Step 1 of 12

INCANDESCENT lights
These are a big part of the current draw from your batteries and inverter. In this section do NOT count any LED lights, we'll do that in another section.
Count EVERY SINGLE incandescent light including the porch light. By counting, you count EVERY bulb. Most light fixtures hold two bulbs so make sure to count the bulbs.
Don't sweat the small stuff. Just do the best you can with your answers. Close counts!
Number of incandescent Lights*
Please enter a number from 0 to 100.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT count any LED light bulbs. Count every incandescent bulb. Be sure to count any exterior bulbs like your porch light.
Average hours incandescent lights are on*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
This will be used to give you an idea of how long your battery will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of the converter. You can leave this value untouched if you want.
Average number of incandescent lights on at any one time*
Please enter a number from 0 to 100.
This will be used to calculate how long your batteries will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of your converter.

LED Lights
These are a big part of the current draw from your batteries and inverter. In this section do NOT count any incandescent lights, we'll do that in another section. Count EVERY SINGLE LED light in the interior and the exterior. Do not count the running lights or brake lights.
Number of LED light bulbs*
Please enter a number from 0 to 100.
Average hours LED lights are on*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
This will be used to give you an idea of how long your battery will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of the converter. You can leave this value untouched if you want.
Average number of LED lights on at any one time*
Please enter a number from 0 to 100.
This will be used to calculate how long your batteries will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of your converter.

True Fluorescent Lights
Count how many fluorescent light BULBS are in your RV. This isn't very common. But I have to have it here to be complete. If you replaced you fluorescent tubes with LED replacements, I'll have another page/section for that.
Number of fluorescent light bulbs*
Please enter a number from 0 to 20.
Average hours fluorescent lights are on*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
This will be used to give you an idea of how long your battery will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of the converter. You can leave this value untouched if you want.
Average number of fluorescent lights on at any one time*
Please enter a number from 0 to 100.
This will be used to calculate how long your batteries will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of your converter.

LED Fluorescent Style Light Bulbs
Count how many LED fluorescent style light BULBS are in your RV. This isn't very common. But I have to have it here to be complete. These are where you've replaced fluorescent bulbs with LED tubes/strips that put out about the same amount of light.
Number of LED fluorescent-style light bulbs*
Please enter a number from 0 to 20.
Average hours LED fluorescent-style lights are on*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
This will be used to give you an idea of how long your battery will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of the converter. You can leave this value untouched if you want.
Average number of LED fluorescent-style lights on at any one time*
Please enter a number from 0 to 100.
This will be used to calculate how long your batteries will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of your converter.

Powered Roof Vents
These are things like Fantastic Fans or Super Fans. If you are lucky you might have one and more would be rare. I'll let you enter up to 4.
Number of powered roof vents*
Please enter a number from 0 to 4.
Average hours powered roof vents are on*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
This will be used to give you an idea of how long your battery will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of the converter. You can leave this value untouched if you want.
Average number of powered roof vents on at any one time*
Please enter a number from 0 to 4.
This will be used to calculate how long your batteries will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of your converter.

Ceiling Fans
I'm hoping you know what a ceiling fan is. If you are lucky you might have one and more would be rare. I'll let you enter up to 4.
Number of ceiling fans*
Please enter a number from 0 to 4.
Average hours powered ceiling fans are on*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
This will be used to give you an idea of how long your battery will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of the converter. You can leave this value untouched if you want.
Average number of ceiling fans on at any one time*
Please enter a number from 0 to 4.
This will be used to calculate how long your batteries will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of your converter.

DC Powered Televisions
Not that common except maybe in little RVs. Make sure you are 100% sure that the TV was DC powered (12V) versus AC (120V). It should be fairly easy to check but you must know.
Number of DC TVs*
Please enter a number from 0 to 4.
Average hours TVs are on*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
This will be used to give you an idea of how long your battery will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of the converter. You can leave this value untouched if you want.
Average number of TVs on at any one time*
Please enter a number from 0 to 4.
This will be used to calculate how long your batteries will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of your converter.

TV Antenna Boosters - Plugged into 12V Outlet
These are add-on boosters rather than the built-in antenna boosters. These boosters can be coupled with the AC powered TVs so this section is completely separated logically from the DC TV section.
Number of Antenna Boosters*
Please enter a number from 0 to 4.
Average hours booster are on*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
This will be used to give you an idea of how long your battery will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of the converter. You can leave this value untouched if you want.
Average number of boosters on at any one time*
Please enter a number from 0 to 4.
This will be used to calculate how long your batteries will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of your converter.

TV Playback Devices
This could be DVDs, VCRs, streaming devices...
Number of devices*
Please enter a number from 0 to 4.
Average hours devices are on*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
This will be used to give you an idea of how long your battery will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of the converter. You can leave this value untouched if you want.
Average number of devices on at any one time*
Please enter a number from 0 to 4.
This will be used to calculate how long your batteries will last. This is NOT used to calculate the size of your converter.

Single Items Usage
These are things that need to be included in a power converters total max rating but for which you will usually ONLY have one in the RV.
The biggest thing here is that you just need to give the overall daily usage to figure out the total battery life. This usage number does not affect the converter calculation.
Water Pressure Pump Daily Hours Usage*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
Usually you only use during boondocking. I'll calculate it in the worst case converter rating even though using the pump AND the converter simultaneously is very unlikely.
Stereo*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
Leave this as 1 or higher for the value. If you make it 0 I'll assume you don't have a stereo. I have to use the fact that you have one for the worst case calculation which is how you size the converters.
Range Hood and Fan*
Please enter a number from 0 to 24.
Leave this as 1 or higher for the value. If you make it 0 I'll assume you don't have a range hood. I have to use the fact that you have one for the worst case calculation which is how you size the converters.

Final Clean Up and Administrative Items
Battery AMP-Hour Storage Rating
Please enter a number from 100 to 10000.
I'm not going to require this. If you don't fill it in, I'll just use a somewhat standard battery number.
Fudge Factor*
Please enter a number from 0 to 5.
If you want, you can add a few amps into the overall number so that you feel like you have a safety factor. Honestly, this calculation is already very conservative... but hey... you might now.

Comments

Jesse says

January 2, 2020 at 12:52 pm

Can I interchange converter box and are they the same 30 amp
Jesse says

January 2, 2020 at 12:54 pm

Can I use a 30 amp converter out of my other motorhome for my Coachman
Marlan at Rv52 says

January 2, 2020 at 1:36 pm

I would think so. AC power in and DC power out with a battery charge function.
Marlan at Rv52 says

January 2, 2020 at 1:37 pm

I wouldn’t see why not. But why not get a new converter since they are not horribly expensive?

Power Converter Size Calculator

Using Pencil and Paper, you’d have to do the following steps

Towable Trailer Power Converter Calculator

Step 1 of 12

INCANDESCENT lights

LED Lights

True Fluorescent Lights

LED Fluorescent Style Light Bulbs

Powered Roof Vents

Ceiling Fans

DC Powered Televisions

TV Antenna Boosters - Plugged into 12V Outlet

TV Playback Devices

Single Items Usage

Things that are on full time

Final Clean Up and Administrative Items

Comments

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