Generator or lithium battery bank to run the RV and dog area at dog shows?

Answered by RV Parts Giant · Upland, CA · October 3, 2026

Short answer: Check the ground's rule first: some shows ban personal generators outright, so a lithium bank is the only option. Size it from a measured load list (fans, fridge, lights, monitor) times the nights before you can recharge, add solar, and keep a temperature alarm that does not depend on shore power.

Often the venue decides for you. The Kennel Club of Palm Springs, at Empire Polo in Indio, publishes "no personal generators" on the show grounds, with an exception for built-in RV units in the standard overnight RV parking. Grooming spaces there are listed with 20 amp power reached by a 50 foot cord. Read your show's current premium list or reservation page every year; rules change with grounds and contractors.

Where generators are banned or the pedestal is shared and weak, a battery bank is the answer.

Size it from a list, not a battery

Write down every load you will run: box fans, a 12 volt or compressor fridge, lights, the temperature monitor and its router, phone charging.
Amps times hours per day for each. For anything rated in watts, divide by 12 for rough amps.
Add a third for what you forgot, then multiply by the nights before you can recharge.

Real numbers beat nameplates, especially for fans, which draw very differently on each speed. Fit a SmartShunt, run the rig at home for a day, and read the total off your phone.

A single 12V 280Ah LiFePO4 is the usual answer for fans, a fridge, lights and charging. A roof air conditioner is a different category: measure your unit before anyone quotes you a battery for it.

The pieces around the battery

120 volt loads need an inverter. A MultiPlus-II inverts from the bank and charges from a pedestal, and its input current limit can be set so you do not trip a 20 amp breaker shared with other exhibitors.
Recharging at a ground with no hookups and no generators means solar: a panel and a SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 or 100/50.
Fuse the bank with a MEGA fuse in its holder on the main positive.

What not to rely on

Owners report that auto-start generators trigger on temperature, not loss of shore power; that 120 volt thermostats lose their settings when power drops; and that Wi-Fi monitors go silent when the router loses power. Run the monitor and router from 12 volts, keep a second alert on a separate power source, and test the chain at home by pulling the plug. A battery bank carries fans through a pedestal failure. It is not a substitute for someone being near the rig.