Mobile setup tool
Mobile detailing power planner
Add the tools for one service, group them by the stages they run in, and see the largest running load and motor start. Then check a generator, power station, or customer outlet against it.
1. Tools for one service
Watts from each labelA stage is a part of the job where some tools run together, such as vacuuming, then extraction. Put a tool in every stage where it stays on. Use the running and starting watts from the label or manual of your exact model.
Tool 1
Label shows amps only? Volts × amps gives a figure at or above the true watts, so it errs high.The short extra demand when a motor starts. Leave blank if the manual does not say. For a light with no motor, enter the running watts again.Tool 2
Tool 3
2. Time per stage
Minutes, optionalNeeded only for the power station energy check. Enter the time the tools in each stage actually run.
3. Power sources to check
All optionalFill in any source you are thinking about. Use the ratings from its manual. A blank rating stays unknown; it is never counted as zero.
Power plan
Watts · watt-hoursAdd your first tool
Enter its running watts and pick the stage where it runs. The plan appears here as you type. Load the example to see how it works.
What size generator do you need for mobile detailing?
It depends on the tools you run at the same time, not on the biggest tool you own. Add the running watts of every tool in a stage. Then add the extra watts a motor needs for a moment as it starts. The generator must cover both: its running rating for the stage total, and its starting rating for the largest start.
Use the figures from the label or manual of your exact tools. Two vacuums or pressure washers of the same type can need very different power. A generic wattage chart is a guess, so the planner never fills one in for you.
The calculation
- Stage running load = the running watts of every tool in that stage.
- Start event = one tool's starting watts + the running watts of the other tools in its stage.
- Largest start = the biggest start event in any stage. If a tool has no starting figure, the start check stays unknown, unless the known part alone is already over the rating.
- Power station energy = each stage's running load × its minutes, added up, compared with 80% of the rated watt-hours.
- Outlet limit = 120 volts × the circuit's amps: 1,800 for 15 amps, 2,400 for 20 amps.
Worked example
These are example inputs from our generator guide, not figures for real tools. A vacuum runs at 900 watts and needs 1,500 to start. An extractor runs at 1,400 and needs 2,500 to start. A 60-watt work light stays on through both stages.
The vacuum stage runs at 960 watts and peaks at 1,560 when the vacuum starts. The extractor stage runs at 1,460 watts and peaks at 2,560 when the extractor starts. A generator rated 3,000 running and 3,300 starting covers both stages.
If the vacuum is still on when the extractor starts, the peak is 900 + 60 + 2,500 = 3,460 watts. That is 160 watts over the starting rating. Write the order on the job sheet: switch the vacuum off before you start the extractor.
Start one motor at a time
Honda's generator sizing advice is to start high-demand equipment at different times, so the starts do not add up. The planner assumes one motor starts while the others in its stage are already running. If two motors could start together, add both starting figures yourself.
Generator, power station, or the customer's outlet
- Generator: check its running and starting ratings, its outlets, and that you have a safe outdoor place to run it at every address.
- Battery power station: check its continuous output, its surge output for motor starts, and its stored energy for the time you work. It needs a charging plan.
- Customer's outlet: needs permission, a circuit with room for your load, and a cord that suits your tool. A result under the limit is not a pass, because other devices may share the circuit.
Labels that show amps
Many tools list amps, not watts. For a single-phase tool, volts × amps gives volt-amperes. True watts are equal or lower, so using volt-amperes as running watts errs on the high side, which is the safe side for sizing. Amps do not tell you the starting demand. Ask the maker for it.
Run a generator outdoors only
A fuel generator can cause fatal carbon monoxide poisoning. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to use generators outside only, at least 20 feet from homes, with the exhaust facing away, and never inside homes or garages, even with doors and windows open. Treat a van or trailer the same way: never run a generator inside one. If a job site has no safe place to run it, the generator fails that job.
Sources and limits
Honda explains running and starting wattage and starting large loads at different times. EcoFlow's runtime guide separates capacity, continuous output, and surge, and gives 0.80 to 0.90 as a first-pass AC efficiency. Schneider Electric gives the volts × amps formula and notes that watts also need the power factor. The CPSC carbon monoxide page gives the outdoor and 20-foot rules. Sources reviewed October 14, 2026.
The planner compares numbers you enter. It does not approve a generator, outlet, cord, or job site. Check every rating against the manuals and test the real sequence before a paid job. Then plan the rest of the van or trailer with the mobile setup guide and the water tank planner.
Compare power sources
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details. These are searches, not recommendations. Compare each listing's ratings with your plan, and pick a cord gauge your tool manual allows.