Never plug your 50 Amp RV plug into your homes clothes dryer outlet.I recommend NOT making your own adapters as this is where people run into trouble by connecting things that should not be connected. This will not damage anything but you’ll need to reset the circuit breaker. If you draw more than 30 amps the circuit breaker will trip. If you plug your 50 amp shore power cord into a 30 amp outlet, your 240 volt appliances will not work. This is fine as long as you understand the limitations. If your tiny home or RV only has a 50 amp shore power cord and you find yourself in a park with only 30 amp service, you may need to adapt your power cord plug to the smaller outlet. Using Extension Cords and Adapters (shown above)ĭiagram provided by RV Guy Mark via Winnie Owners Forum. If you need to replace your generator or add solar panels, you’ll need to know how much current you’ll need to make for the appliances you may want to use at the same time. If you pull into an RV park with limited shore power connect-ability or a friend’s driveway with a standard house outlet, you’ll need to decide which appliances you can run so you don’t overwhelm the circuit and trip the breaker. Why do you need to know how much current you are drawing? See more Mini/Split heat pumps on this page. That’s a lot of power.Īs an example, this DELLA Mini Split Air-Conditioner Heater Ductless Inverter System supplies 9,000 BTU of cold air and is one of the few that runs on standard house current. An electric clothes dryer can use 24 amps at 240 volts.Many larger rigs have two air conditioners on the roof. They draw almost 30 amps on startup and run at about 13 amps after that. Air-conditioners are available up to 15,000 BTU. The smallest RV air -conditioner (7000 BTU) can pull 14.40 amps as it starts up and then cruises at about 7.5 amp. This means that the current I in amps is equal to the power P in watts divided by the voltage V in volts. Converting watts to amps can be done using the power formula, which states that I = P ÷ E, where P is power measured in watts, I is current measured in amps, and E is voltage measured in volts. Most appliances are rated in wattage needed (just to confuse us I guess). Your circuit breaker box will have some appliances wired to one 50 amp leg and some to the other leg.Ĭlick on image to see great YouTube® video explanation. The 50 amp outlet will supply up to 50 amps (6000 watts) on two two separate circuits before the circuit breaker trips. Using the higher voltage allows them to pull less amperage. Occasionally, in some higher-end rigs, some appliances, particularly an electric clothes dryer, air-conditioner, and an electric oven, will use 240 volts. The air-conditioner(s) is the main power guzzler, next is an electric clothes dryer, then the microwave oven. This allows you to use many of your appliances at once. You actually get two 50 amp, 110 volts feeds, called legs. Many large RVs and travel trailers are wired with the 50 amp shore power plug. The 50 amp outlet can supply both 110 volts and 240 volts They will charge you more for the 50 amp service because your rig will probably be using more power than one wired with a 30 amp plug. RV parks generally charge you for which outlet you use. You’ll be drawing power only from the outlet you plug into. You usually need to turn this breaker on. There is a 50 amp plug, a 30 amp plug, and sometimes a regular AC outlet like you’d find in your house (15 amp max).Įach outlet has a circuit breaker above it. When connecting to “shore power” in an RV park, you will be presented with an electrical pedestal that looks like this picture. Here is what you need to know to connect like a pro. RV Shore Power, Surge Protectors, 50 amp, 30 amp HookupsĬonnecting your RV, travel trailer, tiny home, or houseboat to an aging “shore power” electrical system can be risky and confusing. In addition, we will explain how to protect your sensitive electronics and appliances against glitches, spikes, power surges, and under-voltage situations. On this page you’ll find easy-to-understand explanations of what you see and what you can expect from it, as well as what you need and how to get it. Now “shore power” also refers to RV park pedestals where the user can be presented with several options in terms of connections and amperage. The term “shore power” originally meant the process of providing electrical power from the shore to a boat or ship. Whether you’re an RVer or a tiny house-dweller, you need to understand the basics of electrical hookups before connecting to any external system.
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