[Explained] How Much Gas Does an RV Generator Use?

Undoubtedly, RV generators are considered one of the must-have items for RVs. As you’ll be tripping or camping at distant places, of course, you won’t get an electrical outlet everywhere. That time the RV generator plays the most vital role to keep your electronic devices operable and ensure a power backup for your RV. And when it comes to using an RV generator, this common question arises in most RVers’ minds. Knowing the RV generator’s gas consumption is important, especially when you’re planning for a trip and have to store generator gas accordingly. Mainly it relies on the generator’s size, load, and fuel type.

That’s why we’re here to make things convenient for you. We’ll share the gas consumption for conventional gas fuels. All you need to do is read the entire post without skipping part. Are you ready? So, without any further ado, get started reading!

What Is the Gas Consumption of an RV Generator?

The amount of gas an RV generator consumes depends on the size (wattage) of the generator, the load it is under (number of appliances), how often it is used, and the type of fuel it uses. In this post, we’ll talk about the consumption of common fuels which are gasoline, propane, and diesel. 

In the Case of Gasoline

Let’s start with the information in terms of gasoline consumption. Here’s a table that shows consumption per hour based on the generator size and appliance load –

Generator Size (Wattage)	At ¼ Load (Cubic Foot/Hour)	At ½ Load (Cubic Foot/Hour)	At ¾ Load (Cubic Foot/Hour)	At Full Load (Cubic Foot/Hour)
1000	4482	7332	10147	12780
750	3379	5509	7622	9593
600	2717	4416	6107	7681
500	2276	3687	5096	6407
400	1834	2958	4086	5132
350	1614	2593	3581	4495
300	1393	2229	3076	3857
250	1172	1864	2571	3220
200	952	1500	2066	2583
175	841	1317	1813	2264
150	731	1135	1561	1946
100	510	771	1056	1308

In the Case of Diesel

Here’s a table that shows the diesel consumption per hour based on the generator size and appliance load –

Generator Size (Wattage)	At ¼ Load (Gallon/Hour)	At ½ Load (Gallon/Hour)	At ¾ Load (Gallon/Hour)	At Full Load (Gallon/Hour)
1250	26.9	45.3	65.0	88.8
1000	21.6	36.4	52.1	71.1
750	16.3	27.4	39.3	53.4
600	13.2	22.0	31.5	42.8
500	11.0	18.5	26.4	35.7
400	8.9	14.9	21.3	28.6
350	7.9	13.1	18.7	25.1
300	6.8	11.3	16.1	21.5
250	5.7	9.5	13.6	18.0
200	4.7	7.7	11.0	14.4
175	4.1	6.8	9.7	12.7
150	3.6	5.9	8.4	10.9
100	2.6	4.1	5.8	7.4

In Case of Propane

Here’s a table that shows the propane consumption per hour based on the generator size and appliance load –

Generator Size (Wattage)	At ¼ Load (Gallon/Hour)	At ½ Load (Gallon/Hour)	At ¾ Load (Gallon/Hour)	At Full Load (Gallon/Hour)
12kW	0.57	1.20	1.60	2.01
11kW	0.52	1.10	1.47	1.84
10kW	0.47	1.00	1.33	1.67
9kW	0.42	0.90	1.20	1.51
8kW	0.38	0.80	1.07	1.34
7kW	0.33	0.70	0.93	1.17
6kW	0.28	0.60	0.80	1.00
5kW	0.24	0.50	0.67	0.84
4kW	0.19	0.40	0.53	0.67
3kW	0.14	0.30	0.40	0.50
2kW	0.09	0.20	0.27	0.33
1500W	0.07	0.15	0.20	0.25
1000W	0.05	0.10	0.13	0.17

Formula of Gas Consumption

If you prefer to calculate the gas consumption on your own instead of depending on the aforementioned information, you can easily do that by applying the following formula –

Gas Consumption = (Generator Size x Generator Power Output) / (Generator Efficiency x Load on the Generator)

Final Verdict

As you’ve read this far, we can assume that you understand the gas consumption of an RV generator, especially how it works and how to calculate it. Basically, a 1000-watt RV generator is enough for an RV to run average appliances. On the other hand, a 12kW RV generator is considered a better RV generator for any RV. And remember, the more the size or wattage or load, the greater the gas consumption will be. If you find this post useful, it’ll be very supportive to share your kind feedback with us.