Campers discover inverter limits at 6 a.m. when the coffee maker and electric kettle both want surge current the inverter promised in fine print it could only sustain for milliseconds. Marketing "2000 W" on the label is often peak—not what you can run continuously while a compressor fridge cycles in the background.
Continuous watts vs surge watts
Surge (peak) rating covers motor start inrush—fridges, microwaves, and power tools spike two to seven times running amps for a fraction of a second. Continuous rating is the thermal limit of the MOSFETs and cooling fan after ten seconds. Planning with peak alone guarantees nuisance trips and browned-out 120 V that confuses appliance controls.
Inverter efficiency and idle draw
Pure sine units waste less on electronics but cost more. Modified sine can trip modern power supplies. Every inverter idles—fifty to forty watts is common—stealing amp-hours overnight even when "nothing is on."
Stacking loads like a panel schedule
Treat your camper AC panel mentally: fridge baseline, plus planned loads, plus headroom. Compressor fridges on 12 V native DC avoid inverter tax entirely—worth the second circuit when boondocking.
Startup sequencing
Run the microwave alone. Start the coffee maker after the fridge compressor is idle. Teach family members it is not home grid unlimited capacity.
Battery support behind the inverter
A 2000 W inverter on a single Group 27 battery is a mismatch—the battery voltage collapses before the inverter hits its watt cap. Banks need capacity and cable gauge to support amps, not just inverter branding.
Practical upgrades
- Move heavy heat loads to propane where possible
- Use DC-native lighting and fans
- Upgrade to lithium if your charger supports it—voltage sag improves
- Hard-mount inverter near batteries; no ten-foot #10 jumper hacks
Inverter camping fails are almost always stack errors—peak mistaken for continuous, fridge forgotten in the background. Size for simultaneous reality, not the one appliance on the box art.