House power

[Russellvh]

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2022 F.R. Wildcat 5th wheel.

Very new to RV life. At RV parks I hook up to 50 amp. Am I correct that I can get an adapter that will allow me to plug my RV into a house? If so, will that power my 12 v refrigerator and the 12 v lighting?

My brother in law has invited us to park in his drive for a visit. Won’t be cooking or anything like that just sleeping mostly. He lives in Iowa and I figure a spring visit so shouldn’t need ac.

Anything I should know if we do this?

 

[Fish]

You can get an adaptor to go to a regular plug in, most will only be 15 amp.
You will be severely limited as to what you can use. Definitely no air.
Lights, keep your battery charged, some tv, furnace.
Easier if your refrigerator also runs on propane.

 

[Russellvh]

Thanks for the help. (fyi) Refrigerator is 12 v only

 

[Rich W.]

Thanks for the help. (fyi) Refrigerator is 12 v only

Had to look at the website on that one and it does specify “12V Stainless Steel Refrigerator” which seems odd. But given that, all you need to do is keep your batteries charged and run some lights and the 12v side of your furnace and 15amps should cover that just fine since it wont all be happening at the same time. Just monitor it to make sure all is well.

 

[Scooterfan]

I keep mine plugged in at home. Refer, lights, TV, Charger, will all work fine. Like already said...no AC, hairdryers, or any other appliance that takes 15 amps at startup.

 

[Rich W.]

You could also tell the BIL he should install a 50amp pedestal. And while he’s at it water and sewer would be nice….

 

[Smirak]

Ok, not to hijack, but related…

I just put a deposit on a new TT. This is my first TT or RV of any kind. When I built my house 2 years ago, I had my co tractor run me a 50a 220v disconnect so I could install an AC in my wood shop. However, that hasn’t come to fruition yet. What would I need in order to be able to utilize that circuit for shore power?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[DKRITTER]

Thanks for the help. (fyi) Refrigerator is 12 v only

What you're going to do is use a 110v 15-20 amp (depending on the breaker) extension cord to plug into you RV. It will be converted to 12v 15-20 amp to use in your 12v system. if you exceed the amps it will pop the breaker.

 

[Rich W.]

Ok, not to hijack, but related…

I just put a deposit on a new TT. This is my first TT or RV of any kind. When I built my house 2 years ago, I had my co tractor run me a 50a 220v disconnect so I could install an AC in my wood shop. However, that hasn’t come to fruition yet. What would I need in order to be able to utilize that circuit for shore power?

Thanks,
Kevin

This is a pretty standard RV sub-panel. To find it on-line just search on 100 amp rv panel and you’ll find it. Amazon lists it as a “temporary outlet panel”. There is also this : https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-100-Amp-3-Spaces-3-Circuit-Load-Center/999926136

 

[DKRITTER]

Ok, not to hijack, but related…

I just put a deposit on a new TT. This is my first TT or RV of any kind. When I built my house 2 years ago, I had my co tractor run me a 50a 220v disconnect so I could install an AC in my wood shop. However, that hasn’t come to fruition yet. What would I need in order to be able to utilize that circuit for shore power?

Thanks,
Kevin

Tread lightly here a 220 plug will fry a RV. A RV has 2 110v 50amp lines coming in with a ground and a neutral.
When you wire this up be sure to hire someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[TheLooks]

All 50 amp RV plugs are 240 vac. Please read to the end of this article.

How to Install a 50 amp RV Outlet (Diagrams in PDF) - Electric Problems

169 169Shares How to Install a 50 amp RV Outlet (Diagrams in PDF) Wiring a 50-amp plug is not complicated because everything is pretty much straightforward…

electricproblems.com

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

I have wondered why there is so much chatter/noise about this outlet type. Seems straight forward, 2 hot, 1 neutral and 1 ground. Breaker is double pole.

Check the outlet after wiring to confirm it is done.

How have people wired it wrong?

 

[TheLooks]

Yes, many have wired the 30 amp plug with 2 diagonal blades for 240. There are several plug configurations and it is confusing to the public at large. Even some electricians have got it wrong.

 

[DKRITTER]

Again tread lightly.
A dryer plug is 220, an electric water heater is 220, most welders are 220.
In a 50A RV you have 2 breaker boxes each 110V . Again use someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[TheLooks]

Again tread lightly.
A dryer plug is 220, an electric water heater is 220, most welders are 220.
In a 50A RV you have 2 breaker boxes each 110V . Again use someone who knows what they are doing.

This is just wrong. It takes two 110 legs to make 220. The fact that there are no appliances in an RV that use 220 does not mean it is not there. A 220 breaker just picks up 110 from each side of the box and you have 220. If you so desired you could put a 220 dryer in your RV. If you put your meter on the 2 hot legs of your 50 amp plug you will get 220/230/240. It depends on what the power company is putting out. Sometimes it reads 112 on each leg and you will have 224.....sometimes it will read 121 and you will get 242.... spiking and sagging.

How to Wire 50 Amp Service for an RV

Although a 50 amp service for a recreational vehicle, or RV, is connected to four wires and uses a four-prong plug, it is still a three pole service with only hot, neutral and ground connections. It is different from a conventional 120 volt service in that there are two 120 volt hot feeds, or...

itstillruns.com

 

[Rich W.]

Again tread lightly.
A dryer plug is 220, an electric water heater is 220, most welders are 220.
In a 50A RV you have 2 breaker boxes each 110V . Again use someone who knows what they are doing.

With 50amp service there is nothing to worry about. The outlet has two hots, a neutral, and a ground, as @MemoriesByTheMile said, and as long as its wired correctly, the RV will do the rest, as each hot is connected to its own bus bar in the on-baord panel, each with its own set of breakers, usually one group for the higher amperage stuff (AC units, elec dryers, etc) and one group for the lower amperage stuff which can also be supplied by the inverter running off the hosue batteries.

Where people get in trouble is with 30amp services, mistaking a 240v residential outlet (dryer, stove, welder, etc) for a 30amp RV service. Since the outlets are different, there should be no way to mix these up, but people make mistakes, and was thought to be a 30amp 120v RV service with a hot, neutral and ground, is actually a 240v outlet, as referenced by @DKRITTER with two hots and a neutral. The only way to plug a 30amp RV into this type of service is if someone has used the wrong outlet, but it happens. And with very unpleasant consequences.

So as @DKRITTER says, find someone who understands the difference before proceeding. As @TheLooks said, even electricians have made the mistake.

 

[TheLooks]