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.
Learn more about RV Repair Club.
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.”
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.
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.
12-volt Deep Cycle batteries are the lifeline for RV enjoyment. Not only do they power the common 12-volt functions like lights, roof vents, and such, but are also essential for powering any appliance running on the LP mode and even the absorption refrigerator on the 120-volt mode as the temperature sensor and monitor panel are powered by the 12-volt batteries!
Then came the AGM or absorbed glass mat battery which was maintenance free and literally had fiberglass mats inside the battery to absorb the acid and could be stored sideways! Many RVers believe that replacing the lead acid batteries with AGMs will double the power available. This is not true, rather the AGM batteries require less maintenance and are less prone to sulfation. This makes them a more powerful battery only after the lead acid batteries develop sulphur between the plates and lose storage capacity!
In terms of avoiding breakdowns, have your recreational vehicle regularly inspected and maintained by professional technicians. This includes regular inspection of the chassis components such as brakes and tires, as well as house systems like propane and batteries. The heart of the RV system is 
Since motorhomes can’t be towed backwards, and because they are rear-wheel drive, the tow driver will have to remove the driveshaft from your vehicle before it can be towed. They will usually put the shaft somewhere on their truck during the trip, then leave it with the mechanic at the destination shop. The shop will reinstall the drive shaft during the repair process, but it is important to understand that this step does occur during the recovery process. Don’t be alarmed when the driver crawls under your rig to remove your drive shaft. This is a perfectly routine process and mechanics are familiar with replacing the shaft.
Most RV owners take their awnings for granted. Just pull them out when you get to the campground and don’t forget to put them away when leaving, right? Wrong… Just like any material used on an RV, awnings need to be cleaned and conditioned at least once a year and dried when put away or they will become deteriorated and moldy.
In 
Today we are seeing more RV enthusiasts using their RV for winter activities such as skiing, ice skating, and even ice fishing. Even if you are not one of the die-hard cold weather enthusiasts, your RV adventure may take you to a location that will need the onboard heater to keep things warm. An understanding of how your RV LP furnace operates is important to help make it run more efficiently and to prevent a malfunction.
Just like in your home, the thermostat senses the ambient temperature at the point of installation and can be set to the desired temperature. Once the temperature falls below the setting, it creates a closed circuit which sends power to the furnace control board. If you have an older model with a bi-metal thermostat it’s best to replace it with a newer digital RV model. Make sure it matches the mode of operation your current thermostat has.
Motorists often neglect to think about the objects that keep their vehicles rolling down the road in comfort and safety. RV owners are no exception to this rule, and in some cases are less likely to pay attention to the tires on their rigs. Even though tires are definitely not “out of sight”, they do tend to be “out of mind” for many people. Yet, the importance of keeping your RV tires in top shape cannot be overstated.
RV Generators come in a variety of brands, are fueled by gasoline, diesel, or propane (LP), vary greatly in capacity, and may be air or water-cooled. Therefore, it is important to know exactly which generator and configuration you have in your RV. While it is as important as upkeep of the rest of your RV, generator maintenance is sometimes overlooked. Although troubleshooting and repair of a generator can get complicated, maintenance is not, and this generally results in fewer failures and longer life. Here, we will describe some simple generator maintenance tasks that most RVers can easily perform.