An inverter can power some household appliances when RV hookups are not available
Inverter
We also have a small 400 watt modified sign wave inverter on board our RV rig. On those occasions when we are not hooked up to power and don’t want to fire up the generator, we can still watch television or a movie on DVD, or power the laptop computer.
Here are some examples of what various inverter wattages can power:
A 300 watt inverter is usually used to power household appliances such as a TV (up to about 27"), a DVD player, a computers, small printer, etc. These commonly connect with a 12-Volt plug. A 600 watt inverter costs a little more and powers a little more. One like this could be expected to power household appliances such as a large screen TV, a 5-amp power tool or a bread machines. This type inverter would be connected directly to the 12-volt battery and have three or more grounded outlets for powering several products at the same time.
A 1750 watt inverter powers yet more: household appliances, larger power tools, microwave ovens, toasters, and hair dryers. These inverters connect directly to the battery network. They can generally supply 1500 watts of continuous power.
A 3000 watt inverter generally has output power rated at 2500 watts for a continuous load. An inverter such as this can power nearly all household appliances and office equipment. For significant loads such as this, it is likely that special wiring and battery banks would be necessary.