What size generator for a 30 amp RV?
A 3,500W portable, for a typical 30 amp rig running its 13,500 BTU rooftop AC plus the converter, fridge, and TV: 2,700 running watts with a 4,200W peak when the compressor starts. Fit a soft start and the peak falls to 3,225W; strip the list down to the AC alone and that soft start is how people get away with 2,200W suitcases. Scenarios below.
The scenarios that matter
| Load list | Running | Peak | Bare min | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC + converter + fridge + TV/lights | 2,700 W | 4,200 W | 3,500W portable | 3,500W portable |
| Same rig with a soft start on the AC | 2,700 W | 3,225 W | 3,400W inverter | 3,500W portable |
| Add the microwave (no soft start) | 3,700 W | 5,200 W | 5,000W portable | 5,000W portable |
| No AC running: converter, fridge, TV, microwave | 2,200 W | 2,400 W | 3,400W inverter | 3,400W inverter |
Reading that table like an owner
The AC start is the whole sizing event. Everything else on a 30 amp rig is polite: the converter charges at a steady 500W, the fridge on electric sips 400, the TV rounds to nothing. Then the compressor asks for double its running draw in one second, and the generator either has it or the AC breaker does its thing. That's why the soft start earns its $300: it doesn't reduce what the AC uses, it removes the slam, and row two shows it cutting the peak by about a third.
Microwave discipline is the other lever. Row three prices running it with the AC mid-cycle; if instead you let the compressor settle and nuke lunch during its off-cycle, the smaller class never notices. Owners of 2,200W units develop this habit within a weekend.
The cap worth respecting: your shore cord and main breaker allow 3,600W, so a 5,000W unit on a 30 amp rig is carrying watts you physically cannot draw. Buy the 3,500W portable, or a pair of small inverters with a parallel kit if you value the 45 lb suitcase form factor over one 100 lb frame.
Questions people ask
What size generator for a 30 amp RV with one AC?
3,500W portable covers the real load: the 13,500 BTU rooftop AC runs about 1,500W and starts near 3,000, and with the converter, fridge, and TV alongside, the peak hits 4,200W. A soft-start module drops that peak to 3,225W and brings a smaller class into play. The shore cord tops out at 3,600W either way.
Will a 2,200W inverter generator run a 30 amp RV?
With a soft start on the AC and nothing heavy running beside it, yes, barely: the softened start fits under the 2,200W peak rating, but the microwave or an electric water heater element takes it down. As the only generator for a rig you actually air-condition, it is a compromise you feel every afternoon. It shines as half of a future parallel pair.
Is a 3,600W generator the "right" match for 30 amps?
It is the ceiling match: 30 amps at 120V is 3,600W, so anything bigger can never be fully used through the shore cord. The 3,400 to 4,000W inverter classes are popular for exactly that reason. Match the generator to your loads first, and let the 3,600W cord cap settle any urge to buy bigger.