As the RV industry continues to explode in sales, so does the diversity of how people are using their rigs. When I first entered the RV industry “YEARS” ago, there were basically two types of RVers, the snowbirds who retired and either went South for the winter or became full timers traveling the country, or the family that did weekends and an occasional vacation then the unit sat in storage for 6 months.
Times have changed, people are using their RVs to support their hobbies such as quilting, dog shows, flea markets, and others. It makes sense. Why fly or drive to an event and stay in a hotel paying way too much money for a room someone else slept in last night? Why stay 20-30 minutes away from your hobby destination and fight traffic and high priced restaurants? Staying close to the event, cooking your own meals, and sleeping in your own bed makes way more sense!
However this also means at times you will not be able to plug into an electrical source that is designed for your rig. The typical RV runs on a 30 amp system which provides 120-volt power to the distribution center for appliances such as the roof AC, refrigerator on electric, and outlets that power the microwave and other items. It also supplies power to the converter which charges your 12-volt house battery/batteries. This supplies power to the roof vents, interior lights, and any appliance that runs off LP.
If you are going to be staying at any location that is not equipped for RVs you need to know your power requirements as well as what power they have available. Most residential electrical outlets provide 120-volt power with 15 amps and are typically “ganged” to other outlets so this reduces the power available. Your RV will need:
- 14 amps to run one roof AC
- 8 amps for a refrigerator on the electric mode
- 9 amps for the converter to charge the house batteries, not counting any other appliance you have plugged into an outlet!
If you plug into this residential outlet, you will risk blowing the circuit or even worse, a fire.
If you do need to plug into a residential outlet there are some precautions you can take. First, identify what amperage is available at the outlet. This can be done by verifying the circuit breaker the outlet is connected to at the electrical panel. Most garage outlets are 15 amps but as stated earlier, they can be “ganged” to other outlets in the garage for a freezer, air compressor, and other items. Outlets at a fairplex parking lot or other outlets attached to a light pole are typically the same. So these outlets will not have enough power for you to run everything in your RV.
- Do not run the roof AC if possible as it will draw 14 amps at maximum capacity.
- Open the roof vents, side windows, and park in a shaded area if possible.
- If you need to run the roof AC, run a generator!
- Run you refrigerator on LP mode instead of Auto as this will default to the 120-volt operation and draw amps.
- On the LP mode it will draw power from the house batteries which hopefully will last a couple of days before needing to be recharged.
- Make coffee on the stove top or campfire rather than using an electrical coffee maker.
- Don’t use the microwave, get creative with the stove top, grills, or campfire.
- Do not use an electrical ceramic heater, these draw a huge amount of power! It’s better to use a catalytic heater such as the Olympic or Camco version which uses a small LP cylinder. These are very safe for interior heating as they do not reduce oxygen and create very little condensation.
Another important issue is to use the proper extension cord to plug into the outlet and the distance. If you are plugging into a 15 amp outlet, make sure the cord is rated to 15 amps and no longer than 25’ total length from your shoreline cord to the outlet, otherwise you will get a drop in power and risk an overheating situation. If you need to go with a longer cord you will need to use a heavier gauge extension cord.
About the author:
Dave Solberg: Managing Editor, RV Repair Club
For the last 25 years, Dave has conducted RV maintenance and safety seminars, developed dealer and owner training programs, written RV safety and handyman articles, authored an RV handbook reference guide and logged over 100,000 miles on the road in an RV.
RV Repair Club is your go-to online resource for enthusiasts who want quality RV maintenance, repair, and upgrade information – a community where passionate RVers can come together to gather knowledge and share their experiences.
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Dale C.~ “The dispatch agent coordinated the tow truck driver and the auto repair shop to get my rig serviced in a timely and efficient manner. The repair service center they sent me to was excellent with exceptional service. I have used Coach-Net for the past 15 years and have had to call them 5 or 6 times and each and every time I have been provided with excellent service. I would recommend them and have recommended them to every RVer I know.”
Camping has always been something families do together. However, until recently, living and traveling in an RV fulltime was something that was primarily done by retirees. Now thanks to the internet, more and more young people are able to find mobile work and take their families on the road.
Obviously, if you’re going to be traveling fulltime, you will have to do some sort of homeschooling or 
When you move into your RV, be sure to set very clear boundaries for the kids from the beginning. For instance, our son is not allowed to leave our campsite without permission. He also isn’t allowed in anyone else’s RV without us. Setting these clear and unchanging boundaries will help keep your kids safe while you see the world.
RV homes are quite small. For this reason, it’s important to get out of the RV and stretch while all giving each other some space.
When was the last time you went RVing without reservations? Many people feel uncomfortable not knowing where they will park their home for the night, but if you can handle a bit of uncertainty, the rewards can bring out the best the RVing lifestyle has to offer: comfort, spontaneity and adventure. Think you’re ready for the excitement? Here’s how to build it into your next trip.
“What was that?” The explosion was loud enough to hear over the rumbling of frost heaves and potholes under our wheels. We only had a second to process what we had just heard, when the piercing alarm of our tire pressure monitoring system alerted us to trouble. Big trouble.
We all love grilling in the summer time and everyone has their favorite grill at home whether it’s a ceramic model like the Big Green Egg, simple charcoal like a Weber Kettle, or wood pellet version. However, getting a grill that will fit conveniently in an RV is a little more of a challenge.
Lump coal also is wood that is “charred” or burned down removing sap, moisture, and other chemicals present in wood but with little or no additives. It can be used in the same grills as the briquettes, however it burns hotter (1400 deg F) but burns faster. Since it gets hot faster, it’s good to use if you are needing to sear the meat first. Lump coal also produces less ash after the burn. It has become popular with the Ceramic grills such as the Big Green Egg as it cooks faster and produces a smoke flavor. Ceramic grills also have less space for ash which means they fill up faster with the briquettes and why the lump is recommended. Since lump coal burns hotter, it’s a better choice for cooler days to maintain a higher temperature, but will require more coal. If you are looking for a longer burning, medium heat, the briquette charcoal is a better choice as it’s like a slow cooker versus the “InstaPot”!
Dry camping refers to camping without hookups. For many, the main attraction of dry-camping is to be “off the grid”, or in a wilderness area with little sign of civilization.
Going camping doesn’t necessarily mean being dirty. In fact, most RVers much prefer returning to a nice clean space at the end of a long day in nature.
Summer is here, and I can almost smell the campfires being lit under the starlit sky. For many RVers, this will mean lots and lots of travel. After all, summer is when the kids are out of school, the weather is free of ice and snow, and nearly all campgrounds are opened.
For years, the standard in changing engine oil has been every 3 months or 3,000 miles, no exceptions. Then along came synthetic oil which advertised going 5,000-7,000 miles before changing and the debate began.
Oil is graded by viscosity which is the ability to flow in different temperatures. The Society Of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has developed a test to measure and grade the flow of oil through a pipe and assigns a number to coincide with that flow. The higher the number, the slower the flow rate. Conventional oil with a single number such as SAE 30 has high viscosity, but will be difficult to start in cold weather. These ratings are sometimes referred to as “weight”. Using a lower weight oil such as SAE 5 would be easy to start in cold weather, but does not provide enough protection when the engine heats up to 210 degrees operating temperature.
The advantage of synthetic oil is it provides better protection longer. Even though both conventional oil and synthetic have similar additives such as anti-wear, anti-foam, detergents, rust inhibitors, and corrosion inhibitors, the synthetic provides superior protection at the end of the oil change interval. Typically synthetic manufacturers don’t claim the oil extends oil change intervals, the real advantage is synthetic maintains a superior flow from new to used several months/miles down the road.
Take a look back at 
