Their systems may be smaller or missing many components you will find in a larger RV. The 30 amp systems are much weaker than the 50 amp RVs but smaller RVs do not need to use as much electricity as the larger ones. How Much Electricity Does a 50 Amp RV Use? Just so you know, the 30 amp option only draws around 3,600 watts. It is rare to see anything but a very high-end RV using both legs and 240 volts of power. That means, the appliances, etc., in your RV only use 120 volts of power, not 240. Then the system is designed for the RV‘s system to separately use those two power legs. Each hot wire draws 6000 watts and since there are 2 of them, that means you will get 12,000 watts of service. You cannot plug a 50 amp plug into a 30 amp outlet without an adapter. You will never go over that amperage no matter how many appliances you turn on. You can plug a 30 amp plug into a 50 amp outlet but you will only be able to use 30 amps at the most. The difference between the two is that the 50 amp plug has 2 hot prongs and wires while the 30 amp only has one. The 30 amp option only has 3 prongs and 3 wires. In comparison to the 30 amp plug, the 50 amp plug has 4 prongs and 4 wires. Or cut down on the appliances you use while plugged into that 15 amp outlet. The only solution to this drawback is to install a 30 or 50 amp circuit. The drawback to this option is that you may overload the house system and flip the breaker. Then you will need a heavy-duty extension cord. You will need a 30 to 15 amp adapter, then a 50 to 30 amp one. As long as it is wired for 110-120, you can make a connection.īut to make this connection, you need to use up to 2 different adapters. When you are not at a site where 50 or even 30 amps is available, you can still plug your RV in and use the current electrical system at that site. That is too much electricity for your RV’s electrical system. BUT, you should never connect your RV directly to a plug that is wired for 220. It is possible to connect your RV to a house wired for 110 or 120. The dryer will not be an indication of a power change in your RV. If you have a dryer in your rig, then that would be an exception to the standard electrical rule that is used across the industry. Almost all electrical outlets and appliances in an RV run on the 240/120 circuit and use 120 volts when turned on. If the outlet has spots for 4 prongs, usually 3 flat and one U-shaped, then that is the type of plug you will need. To make things simpler, you have to match the plug to the outlet in your RV. Either you fry your RV’s electrical system or you start a fire. If you have a 4 wire plug, you cannot plug it into a 3 wire outlet. If you have a 3 wire, then you cannot connect it to a 4 wire outlet. What matters is how many wires are coming to the plug or the outlet. The standard system is a 240/120 or a 120/240/ It doesn’t matter which order those numbers come in. Yet, when you do that, you may be even more confused. Sometimes, you have to go to the horse’s mouth, a qualified electrician, and get them to explain it to you. The numbers they may understand but they do not understand that even when the numbers are the same, the plugs will not work in the same system. The problem is that for most people who are not electricians, the electrical world can be quite confusing. You can find 3 pronged 50 amp power cords, especially on a welder, that will not work in a 4 plug 240 outlet. A three-pronged plug means that there is no neutral wire and it is a true 220 or 240 plug. Everything is now 240 and an RV electrical system is 240/120. There is no 220 in America anymore, at least according to one electrician. Most RVs run off the 120-volt system which means that if you plug your 4 wire 50 amp power cord into a 3 wire system, you may end up frying all your electronics inside your RV.
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