It also depends on what mode the unit is set.
How many amps does a rv roof air conditioner draw.
For instance a 13 500 btu air conditioner can draw around 14 5 amps when set in cooling mode and 16 amps when set in heating mode.
A roof air conditioner can draw 16 amps to start but may only use 13 amps once it is running.
Remember this is compressor amp draw not adding in the fan speed draw.
You add 1 amp for each 10 degrees above 95 and subtract 1 amp for each 10 degrees below 95.
The spec sheet is the actual amp draw for that unit at 95 degree outside temp so at 100 degree the correct actual amp draw will be 15 1 amps on hi fan.
If yours was not pulling 15 1 amps then the ac is not operating to its full specs and is not cooling as it should.
An air conditioner on an average needs around 12 16 amps.
Where as a 13 500 btu air conditioner will draw around 12 amps.
A larger fifth wheel or a class a rv generally uses 50 amp capacity.
For devices in the rv that require more amperage you will notice larger sized circuit breakers in the power distribution box.
A 15 000 btu unit has a greater cooling capacity but will require more power about 5 100 starting watts and about 1 600 running watts on average.
This is basically the cooling capacity of your ac.
For example the roof air conditioner is on a separate 20 amp circuit breaker.
This reduction in power allows rvers to start and run their air conditioner with a smaller generator like a 2 000 or 2 200 negating the need to haul around a bigger generator like a 3 000 watt or run two smaller generators in parallel.
The exact value depends on the btu and the mode in which it is operating.
One other thing to keep in mind is many rv appliances require more amps to start the appliance than they do to run the appliance.
The amp draw does not go down after running.
Even though the electrical power supplied to these rv s is designed to be adequate for the average family while they camp far too often the added equipment that may be used will overload the circuit breaker.
The combined 16 amps x 120 volts 1920 watts which exceeds the 1800 watt rating of a 15 amp circuit.
The typical rv is usually designed with either a 30 amp or a 50 amp 220 vac service that powers all of the electrical equipment and appliances the owner may want to use while camping.
A 15 000 btu air conditioner in rv on an average draws around 12 5 13 amps.
There is a chance for it to increase depending on the number of the air conditioning units installed in your rv and their individual sizes.
So if you have a ac rated at 12 amps at 95 degrees then at 75 degrees it will pull 10 amps.