The 5 Best Power Inverters for RV & Camper Trips

May 24, 2021/Riley Draper Table of Contents

Taking your RV out on the road is an experience unlike any other. You have nearly every single creature you could ask for within arm’s reach. It’s truly a home on wheels.

You get to see some of the most unique parts of your country when you hop in the camper and drive. The only downside is the electricity situation. A power inverter is sometimes necessary to convert the direct current that your camper generates into an alternating current that we use in our homes to power all of our familiar electronics.

A power inverter isn’t a complicated piece of equipment, but grabbing one that’s not suited to your needs will drive you crazy. We’re here with the 5 best power inverters on the market right now!

In a hurry? Here’s the test winner after 10 hours of research:

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5 Best Power Inverters for RV & Camper Trips – Overview

Here are the top 5 picks.

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1. Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 160

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The Jackery Portable Power Station is primarily a rechargeable generator with an impressive storage capacity that powers your electronics for hours. It’s full of convenient features and it’s the kind of generator that you’d be able to rely on during the tightest of pinches.

It also hides its ability to work as a power inverter, making it an even more impressive buy at its price point. The Jackery 160 houses a 167 watt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, so instead of using gasoline and making a ruckus, it’s a silent package that diligently pumps out electricity to your accessories without filling your campsite with cloying fumes.

Its reliance on charging rather than burning fuel is how its able to draw from so many sources to power itself and your electronics. This generator can pull from your camper while you drive from destination to destination, it can be charged with its solar panel if you’re at your site during the day, and it can be used in line with the DC current of your camper, feeding your electronics while it dumps power into the lithium-ion batteries inside of the generator. 

It’s an incredibly modern piece of equipment. There are several types of outlets on this generator/inverter combo. There’s a standard AC outlet that Jackery states can handle 110V and peaks at 150W. There’s a USB-C port for charging your most modern electronics like smartphones, drones, and cameras.

You’ll also find a pair of USB-A ports for everything else you’d need to charge as well as a standard DC 12V port so you can even power things that you would have wanted to plug into the DC port of your camper instead of this generator. 

It’s a powerhouse, and the option for charging it with solar power is an amazing addition to an already versatile generator that’s bound to become a central part of your camper loadout. The solar power allows you to use this further from your RV and camper than any simple power inverter would ever be capable of.

If you’re the type to drive your camper to a site and hike away to an area more in tune with nature, then you’re going to love the ability to pack up your electricity and power your precious accessories while you wander away from the vehicle for a night under the stars. 

Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.

PROS

  • An incredibly versatile piece of equipment, it’s ready to power pretty much anything you can think to bring with you, and it can pull power from a wide array of sources
  • Easy to carry and set up no matter where you are
  • Exceptional for the price point

CONS

  • Fewer outlets than a dedicated power inverter
  • This is technically a generator, so you’re not going to get the full functionality of a dedicated power inverter

Check Latest Price

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2. GoWISE Power PS1004 3000W Continuous 6000W Surge Peak Power Pure Sine Wave Inverter

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The GOWISE  power inverter is a pure sine wave power converter that’s capable of some pretty impressive stuff. Once you have it installed you can use the remote controls to engage and disengage it as you see fit. After you’ve wired it up to the camper, you’ll be able to switch it on and off with the press of a button rather than having to repeat the process every time you make a stop. 

From a technical standpoint, the GoWISE Power Pure Sine Power Inverter is a 3000W inverter capable of a continuous 6000W. It’s protected against electrical surges, so if you end up overloading it or something happens with your camper, you won’t end up frying anything or leaving yourself in the dark.

This inverter can convert 2V of DC to 120V of AC, so you’ll be able to power a wide range of devices with some pretty high power demands. If you’re safety-oriented, you’re going to love this power inverter. It features 5 different points of protection throughout the inverter, protecting it and yourself from disaster.

This is important since it’s willing to operate four outlets at once. The pure sine waves that this power inverter output makes it perfect for use with delicate and expensive electronics. The pure sine waves that come from this power inverter mimic the sine waves that occur in the powerlines at home.

This power inverter minimizes electronic noise in your electronics by perfectly inverting current the same way your electronics are used to in more stable environments. If you have medical equipment to run that needs to be protected and can’t risk being stopped by an artificial sine way and its sporadic inversion, then you should consider using the GoWISE power inverter. 

We love using this power inverter unit, but it’s important to remember that it’s hungry for power. It’s a 12-volt inverter, so if you’re aiming to get the full 3000 wats of continuous power out of it, then you’re going to need to draw current from several batteries at once.

You’re looking at about 250 amps of power being moved around inside of this inverter. If your RV or camper can’t handle that then you’re going to have to settle for the slightly lower power output or you’re going to have to seek out a different power inverter altogether.

This power inverter is a simple piece of equipment. Once you’ve deployed it and hooked up the pair of wires it comes packaged with, you can set it and forget it. Your RV or camper will happily provide power to your electronics, without any complaint, and you’ll be living in the lap of luxury. 

Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.

PROS

  • This power inverter is robust and carefully engineered to give you a steady and powerful flow of AC
  • The built-in cooling system keeps this inverter from overheating

CONS

  • The wires included in the package are a little short for our tastes

Check Latest Price

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3. AIMS Power 3000 WATT Pure SINE Power

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This is another powerful pure sine power inverter. It can provide 3000 watts of continuous power, and the pure sine waves that it outputs are gentle with your electronics while outputting an immense amount of power. This power inverter peaks out at 6000 watts.

It’s capable of converting 12 volts of DC to 120 volts of AC at 60hz. It comes standard with “soft start” technology, meaning that it’s not going to draw a huge amount of energy and risk overloading your RV or electronics when you plug things into it.

Its compact and lightweight design makes it incredibly desirable as a power inverter. It’s not going to become a cumbersome pain in the butt to hook up when you’re ready to start drawing current from your RV or camper. It’s fully featured, with several ways to communicate when something is wrong or even a little bit out of wack for a second.

The responsiveness and consideration designed into this power inverter are what sets it above similar competitors. It’s engineered to protect you and your things from electrical overload in the case that there’s a potential short on the way or any other unforeseen jump in electrical output.

It’s built with a cooling system onboard, but if it ever goes over temperature it will alert you and cut things off at the head. There are high and low voltage alarms that will notify you if you’re dropping below or exceeding the proper thresholds.

The circuitry is internally fused so, in the event of a drop, fall, or any other shock to the system, this inverter isn’t prone to falling apart when you need it most. Because this power inverter is capable of putting out so much power, you’re going to want to keep an eye on your use habits, but otherwise, this is an incredible piece of equipment.

Your RV or camper, no doubt has a pretty high degree of output, but you don’t want to leave yourself high and dry in the middle of your camper trip. It’s always important to remember that your inverter has to be drawing power from somewhere.

Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.

PROS

  • Works well in the winter
  • Great for electronics that you’re worried about shorting out because of the soft-start tech
  • Full of fail-safes and alerts when any single aspect seems out of place

CONS

  • The limited number of outlets cuts into its otherwise impressive functionality

Check Latest Price

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4. Energizer 3000 Watts Power Inverter, 12V to 110 Volts Modified Sine Wave Car Inverter

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This specific model of power inverter from Energizer is their 3000-watt power inverter and peaks out at 6000 watts. It competently converts a 12-volt direct current into 110 volts of modified sine wave alternating current. It’s important to note, though, that all of the power inverters available from Energizer on Amazon are equally capable of putting out a good clean electrical output to even our most delicate electronics when put to the test. 

This power inverter was tested on campers and RVs, but it’s a great option for home use in the event of an emergency blackout like a hurricane or storm outage. It works so seamlessly with the batteries we tested it on, that we can say that their claim to be reliable in a pinch seems quite valid after a little bit of time with it.

The power converter is backed up with the Energizer brand name. It’s a piece of equipment you can trust as much as you can trust their more familiar domestic batteries. This inverter comes set up with all of the standard features you’d expect from a competent power inverter like overload protection to keep fires from breaking out or shorts from destroying your electronics.

It protects well against over and under voltage while in use. You’ll never be blindsided by a leap or dip in power. The high-temperature protection is also effective and one of the key reasons you’d want to include this inverter on your trips. Everything is displayed on an easy-to-read LCD display.

If all of that weren’t enough, you have Energizer’s customer service to fall back on. This isn’t a part of the inverter itself, obviously, but because you have that extra peace of mind, it has to be mentioned in our review. This power inverter from Energizer has one weak point, but we believe that it does its job so well that it’s excusable.

We understand how important it is to folks to have a pure sine wave output from their power inverter. The modified sine waves that many power inverters output can be seen as inferior. In the case of this Energizer power inverter, it feels like they’ve come as close as electronically possible to a pure sine wave.

Electronics we tested with this power inverter didn’t seem to suffer from very much interference, and the inverter stood strong against our regular battery on intensive testing, so we’re going to give this one a pass.

Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.

PROS

  • Backed by Energizer’s customer service
  • Great price point
  • The LED readout makes troubleshooting this power inverter much more simple

CONS

  • The modified sine wave may be solid, but it’s still not enough to guarantee that medical equipment will operate at 100% with this power inverter.

Check Latest Price

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5. AIMS 5000 Watt 12 Volt DC Power Inverter

[amazon box=”B003TU6MDM”]

This is another power inverter from AIMS. Like the AIMS Power 3000 WATT Pure SINE Power, it’s a powerhouse, but even more so than its sister inverter. This power inverter is capable of outputting an impressive 5000 watts from a 12-volt direct current.

If you’re looking for something that can put out an incredible amount of electricity to power all of your RV gear, then you’re going to have a great time using this AIMS power inverter. It’s a bit more chunky than other power inverters on this list, but that difference in design makes it a great deal more powerful than its counterparts.

It’s simple to set up, which is great for folks that have a high energy demand. Your rooftop air condition, your computers, and your cookware are all going to enjoy the draw they can pull from this power inverter. It comes standard with all of the cooling and safety features you’ve come to expect from AIMS and their power inverters, which was a great load off of our minds when we tested the higher end of this power inverter’s capacity.

The larger size makes it easily capable of housing a mighty cooling fan, so despite its higher demands, it didn’t seem prone to overheating as long as you’re careful to keep the fan unobstructed with regular maintenance and routine RV cleanliness. 

Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.

PROS

  • Compact and capable of incredibly impressive output
  • Great for someone with high energy demands

CONS

  • Has its own high energy demands, if you’re not sure your RV can handle this, we would suggest looking elsewhere

Check Latest Price

Our Winner

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If you’re the type of person looking for the perfect power inverter for your off-grid cross-country trip, then you understand how important it is that you bring along reliable and flexible equipment. Anything that serves more than one purpose and is capable of acting as a backup for any sort of system failure is going to be an absolute delight. These are the reasons that the Jackery Portable Power Station is our favorite power inverter.

It doesn’t output pure sine waves, but that’s a small blemish on an otherwise impressive record. This portable power station is pretty hard to beat, and as long as you’re not trying to power an entire house off of it, you’re going to be in good hands.

It’s quiet and clean, so you can take it out to your campsites without feeling like it’s choking you out or disturbing the nature around you, and it’s so versatile that it’s able to incidentally act as a power converter, despite its primary function as a portable power station. Solar power is an amazing addition to something that’s already so useful in so many situations, but again, that’s why this has been crowned the supreme power inverter. 

Bonus tip: If you have questions about your power inverter needs, this guy is knowledgeable and excellent at explaining the ins and outs of a power inverter for the average Joe.

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Riley Draper

Riley Draper is a writer and entrepreneur from Chattanooga, Tennessee. As a world traveler, he has been to more than fifty countries and hiked some of the most elusive trails in the world. He is the co-founder of WeCounsel Solutions and has published work in both national and global outlets, including the Times Free Press, Patch, and Healthcare Global. When he’s not writing, he’s probably on a hiking trip or climbing in the mountains.

Riley Draper

Riley Draper is a writer and entrepreneur from Chattanooga, Tennessee. As a world traveler, he has been to more than fifty countries and hiked some of the most elusive trails in the world. He is the co-founder of WeCounsel Solutions and has published work in both national and global outlets, including the Times Free Press, Patch, and Healthcare Global. When he's not writing, he's probably on a hiking trip or climbing in the mountains.

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