Are you trying to go camping without a battery for your camper? Do you need a battery to run an RV? What about if the camper is plugged in? These are questions that come up often, and today we will answer them!
Most things in a camper can be run without a battery. However, not having a battery in the camper is only possible if there is another power source for the items in the cabin. Many people tend to use the battery to run small appliances and ensure that electrical outlets work.
In this blog post, we will cover the different items that can run without a camper battery. Stay tuned for items you will not be able to run without a battery, too!
What Items Can Be Run Without a Camper Battery?
Have you ever wondered what you can run without a camper battery? There is quite a bit of stuff that will work without running your camper’s battery.
However, the main caveat is that to run most of your electricity-based items, you must have another power source if you do not have a camper battery. Most often, the camper is being plugged into shore power. But there are other power options we will briefly touch on later.
A Quick Recap On What A Battery Does
First, let us talk about how camper batteries work.
An RV battery is a lot like your house wiring, and it connects to the camper’s power supply. The battery then provides electricity when you are plugged in or if there is no outlet nearby and can work for items that do not need direct current.
A battery is charged by energy from something called an alternator. The alternator has been built into the engine of your car. It allows the engine to generate electricity while driving or sitting still, which charges the battery when there is no available external power source (such as in a blackout).
RVs may come with their own generators and solar panels for charging batteries without plugging in; however, if they do not, then yes–you need a battery onboard since RVs are equipped with electrical storage systems designed specifically for powering appliances such as microwaves, refrigerators, TVs and other built-in appliances.
If you are using a generator or other external power source, you should have no issue without a battery since these types of devices use DC (direct current) instead of AC (alternating current). In the next few sections, we detail what you can run without your camper’s battery.
Lights and Outlets
Lights will not need a battery as long as they are plugged into shore power or another vehicle. For example, the cabin lights and outlets can still run even if the camper battery is dead.
If you can plug into a power source, then you will be able to run any of the interior or exterior lights for your RV.
Fans and Air Conditioners
Fans and air conditioners will still run if they are plugged in from shore power or another vehicle. That is because these devices are designed to run off electricity and do not require a battery or gas.
However, they can be run on a battery or gas power, if needed. But the main point here is you can run your fans and air conditioners without a camper battery. And that way, you will stay cool no matter what.
Microwave and Small Appliances
A microwave and other small appliances, like coffee makers, are safe to use as long as they are not used on high power mode and are not plugged into an outlet that has other appliances like the refrigerator connected with a transfer switch.
When you turn off your camper battery, the outlets can be powered by shore electricity instead of running exclusively through the camper battery without any backup.
You can also use non-electric items such as propane cookers, electric grills, campfires, heat lamps for light if you have an inverter installed in your camper.
TV and DVD Player
You will need to make sure all TVs and DVD players have their own plugs near them so they can be easily unplugged for safety reasons. And there should not be an issue while using a generator or external power source for powering these entertainment systems battery-free. Check my article about installing a TV in an RV for more information about the subject.
Additionally, you can power a radio or CD player as long as they are hooked up to shore power. These appliances also draw such a low amount of power that you do not have to worry about them overloading a circuit.
Laptops and Smartphones
You can use your laptop with its charger when you are not running your camper’s battery. Just make sure that your laptop is plugged directly into an outlet that is receiving electricity from shore power or another vehicle instead of using your camper battery.
Generally, if you are connected to shore power, you will not need to worry about draining the battery on your RV because most RVs have smart-enough systems to know to switch over. If you have an older RV, you will have to flip the switch manually, as directed by the manufacturer.
Again, just like with your laptop, there should not be any problems using this device without a camper battery.
Water Pump
Finally, the water pump in your RV can also run without a camper battery, as this is one of the essentials to a working toilet, shower, and sink.
To avoid any potential problems when you are out camping and find yourself in need of potable drinking water, these pumps function without your camper’s battery.
Now that we have gone over what you can run without a camper battery, as long as you are connected to a power source, let us dive into some of the other questions you may have surrounding this topic.
Can You Run A Camper Without A Battery?
You can run a camper without a battery as long as you have plugged your camper into an alternate power source. This means that the camper will run off the power supplied by a 120-volt outlet. There are some exceptions to this, depending on your camper’s setup and how you use it.
For example, if you have an RV with solar panels or wind generators that can charge the battery while in use, then there is no need for any type of battery storage system.
Solar panels and wind turbines only work when they are exposed to daylight or moving air, so these systems cannot be used at nighttime.
Similarly, if your camper does not rely entirely on electricity but also uses propane gas as its main source of fuel, then you can run a camper without a battery.
The camper can be powered by a natural gas tank, a generator, or even some solar panels (which can also be used to charge the battery system), while you use it for camping trips during daylight hours.
A camper battery is not necessary but will give you more time between needing to recharge with another external power supply.
Do You Need A Battery If the RV Is Plugged In?
You do not need a camper battery unless the RV is unplugged. In this case, you should have a battery that is fully charged and ready for use. And while you may not need a battery, it sure does make camping a lot easier.
You can do all the following with a camper that has no RV battery:
- Keep things plugged in
- Plug into shore power if you are near it, as it is an easy source to charge up and run some of your devices
- Run most appliances that are not electric-based
Even though you do not need a battery for your RV, having to rely on an external power source can make your experience much more difficult. Next up, we will cover some tips for those of you who do not have an RV battery.
Tips For When You Don’t Have A Camper Battery
When you do not have a camper battery, you can do a few different things to get power to your RV. If your camper does not plug into any type of outlet or hook up to shore power, it will need its own generator to run anything like lights, appliances, and other electronics. Once again, though, even if the camper is not running off electricity just yet, make sure you still carry around enough gas to run your camper’s generator or turn on the engine.
Make sure that while camping with an RV without batteries, you still carry around enough gas for generators, so they do not stop working midway through your campsite stay.
If an RV has full power while plugged in at home but not while out camping, then this means there was a break or disconnection with shore power – either check all connections before leaving again or be sure to pack a spare battery!
For people who travel often or live out of their camper full-time, this also means packing extra car batteries for backup when traveling long distances, as well as a
If there are no outlets nearby and the AC adapter on an inverter attached to batteries does not provide electricity, then plugging into shore power will charge up batteries!
If the camper battery is used while there is no place to get a DC charge, then you will need to have a generator running. You could also use three 12-Volt deep cycle marine batteries wired together as an electrical system backup.
Is There Anything You Can’t Run Without Your Battery?
There are some things that you can’t run on a camper’s battery. So, if you want to be able to run everything, you will need to have an alternate or additional source of power.
You may need to plug in your camper for power if any of the following comes up because these usually draw too much power:
- Powering appliances that are not part of the camper’s installed appliances, such as a hairdryer
- Using all of your outlets at once to draw power
- Using electric heaters, fans, or coolers
You can run most of your small appliances and electronics on without a camper battery, so do not get too worried when you are out in the wilderness camping.
Do You Need Generators If You Don’t Use A Battery?
You do not need a generator if you do not have a camper battery, but your RV or camper must be plugged into shore power.
But if you do not have a battery and are not connected to shore power, it can be helpful to have a generator or another power source. And as we mentioned earlier, we will cover some options below briefly.
The following are all the types of power sources, besides a battery, for your RV that you can choose from:
- A generator – Usually, these power sources require propane or gasoline to run
- A
solar panel – Generally, asolar panel is used in conjunction with a battery system, but it depends on your RV - A vehicle engine – Anytime you are driving, the RV battery will power most of the interior outlets and appliances
- Shore power – This power source is most common when you have parked your camper at a campsite or home. You can simply plug your RV into the grid and have electricity like you would at home. It allows you to charge most RV batteries, as well as power everything in your RV
In essence, you need at least one main power source for your camper, but it does not need to be a battery. However, having a battery or series of batteries can make life a lot easier when you are dry-camping out in the wilderness.
How Serious Is Not Having A Camper Battery?
If you are an RV camper, you know that not having a battery can be a serious issue. The thing is, you likely chose an RV over a tent for comfort purposes. If your rig has some way of hooking up to power, then it might not need the battery as much.
You can determine if you will need a camper battery by asking yourself these questions:
- Does your camper have solar panels?
- Is the camper plugged in when you are using it?
The following are times when you would not need a battery for your camper:
- If you are plugged into an outlet, and everything runs off of your house’s current, there is no reason for the battery to kick in unless you want it to – but why would you? You have got instant access to whatever voltage your socket provides!
- If you are using full-time shore power from your campsite’s electric box (like at Walmart) and have one of those automatic converter boxes installed between the campground wiring and your plug, you have no real need to have this option because you will always be plugged in.
- If your camper is running on gas, and the battery is not needed to run anything that requires power (like lights), then a dead battery is no problem – you do not need one!
- When there are appliances in use like air conditioners or if you are charging items off of said battery, the battery comes into play.
Running out of power while camping in your camper is not a really serious problem, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Many times campsites have shore power available you can plug into, or you can simply refill the gas tank on the generator to keep the power flowing.
There are some things you can do if your camper battery is dead and there is no AC power available:
- Charge the battery with a generator or
solar panel and let the camper run on 12-volts for as long as possible - Connect three deep cycle marine batteries together in series, then wire them up so that they share their voltage between themselves. The idea here is like using jumper cables from car to car, and it will most likely have enough power to get you to a place with shore power. When one battery becomes completely discharged, another starts taking over because of its higher voltage level. So each time this happens, you have two good batteries instead of just one!
Choosing not to have a battery can make camping much more difficult, especially because you must rely on a generator or shore power to run things in your RV without a camper battery.
In Summary: You Can Run A Lot But Not Everything
It is important to have a battery in your camper, but it does not always need to be the main power source. Many people use their batteries for smaller appliances and lower draw electronics.
But if you are not using your battery, you must have another power source to power the items within your camper. Yet most things can run off of shore power or a generator without any problems.
