30 Amp vs. 50 Amp Power Cords – Which One is Yours?

Why is it you can only run one air conditioner at a time on the  30 Amp power cord but if you have the 50 Amp power cord you can operate both air conditioners?

Then we hear other RVers use the terms Amps? Volts? Watts? What does all this mean?  You just want to sit and enjoy the scenery but instead you are sitting in the dark?  How can you determine the limits of your RV electrical systems?

There are 3 electrical systems in your RV

• 12 Volt DC (direct current - automotive type battery) that runs the exterior running lights, stop lights and turn signals of your coach.  On a trailer they are powered through the 7 way pin connector from your tow vehicle. On a motorized unit they are powered by your chassis alternator and battery just like your car.
• 12 Volt DC (direct current - deep cycle battery type) that powers all the 12 volt lights, fresh water pump, circuit boards for your appliances, propane detector, room slide outs and powered leveling jacks. The converter (fancy battery charger) that takes 120 volts AC like we have at home wall receptacles and changes it to 12 volts DC for this deep cycle battery.
• 120 Volts AC (alternating current like we have at home) that powers the air conditioner, microwave, electric element in the water heater, ceiling fans and wall receptacles and the AC to DC converter.  This 120 Volts AC gets its power from the 30 or 50 amp power cord we plug into the pedestal shore power or generator.

Most electrical products have a label or plate on them that list voltage, amperage and sometimes the watts it will use.  What does all that mean?

Voltage – is the “push” that the electricity has.  Voltage is the same to electricity that water pressure is to a water system.  Voltage is either 12 volts DC (direct current) or 120 volts AC.

Amperage - is the flow of electricity.  Amperage is the same to electricity as gallons of water flow is to a water system.  The size and length of the wire carrying the amperage or current determines how much flow we can have.

Wattage or Watts – is the power of the work that can be done.  Watts is figured by taking the voltage and multiplying it by the amperage.

Every electrical device has a wattage or power rating.  For example: We rate our generators by the wattage they produce.

Recreational Vehicles come with one of two power cords.  The power cord is either rated at 30 amp or 50 amp at 120 volts AC.

50 amp & 30 amp Power Cord

So if you Rig has a 30 Amp power cord, you will have a 3,600 Watts or 3.6 KW (kilowatts) to run all your 120 volt AC appliances.

The 30 Amp power cord has a black wire as it power leg, white wire as its neutral leg and a green ground wire.

If you Rig has a 50 Amp power cord, you will have 12,000 Watts or 12 KW (kilowatts). Yes you read that correctly….12,000 Watts of Power available to use.

The 50 Amp power cord has 2 hot or power legs.  One is black and the other is red.  Each hot leg is capable of carrying 50 Amps.  One white wire is the neutral and the other wire is the green ground wire.

Typically, motor homes and 5th wheels will have the 50 amp power cord to handle their power requirements.  It is the ‘extra’ power that allows you to operate that 2nd air conditioner.

It is surprising how fast your AMPS add up which cause your circuit breaker to trip. Sometimes the individual circuit breaker for those powers appliances will trip other times it is the main circuit breaker that goes.  When you locate that tripped ciricuit breaker you flip it to the OFF position then back to the ON position.

Typical Power Requirements for your RV Devices

Air Condition – 15,000 BTU                       12.5 amps x 120 volts= 1,500 watts

(your air conditioner will somtimes pull 20 to 30 amps to get started)

Electric Water Heater – 6 gallon               12.5 amps x 120 volts= 1,500 watts

Microwave Oven                                             12.8 amps x 120 volts= 1,536 watts

Electric Coffee Pot                                                9 amps x 120 volts= 1,080 watts

Toaster                                                                   10 amps x 120 volts= 1,200 watts

Hair Dryer                                                             10 amps x 120 volts= 1,200 watts

TV                                                                               2 amps x 120 volts=     240 watts

Dirt Devil hand vacuum                                    2 amps x 120 volts=     240 watts

Electric Frying pan                                          10 amps x 120 volts=  1,200 watts

Iron                                                                        10 amps x 120 volts=1,200 watts

Food Processor                                                     6 amps x 120 volts=  720 watts

Crock Pot                                                              1.5 amps x 120 volts=   180 watts

Heating Pad                                                           .5 amps x 120 volts=      60 watts

Take a minute and  figure how much power you are using. It is suprising how fast it adds up. You can trip your breaker and be in the dark.

We must become good managers of our power usage so we can enjoy the RVing Lifestyle.

It’s our job to help you keep your wheels rolling…we’ll see you down the highway!!!

Order the 6 hour Electrical Course by clicking here!

Dear Terry and Evada,  

I recently purchased your Gold Club DVD set. When purchasing items on the internet, you never know what you will actually receive. However, I took the chance and certainly glad I did. The DVD’s arrived quickly and within the first few minutes of viewing the first DVD, I was sold.

After watching all of the DVD’s, I was able to fix some existing problems with my own RV and able to help 3 other people fix problems on their RV’s as well. The DVD’s paid for themselves within the first 3 weeks.  

The most frustrating part about owning an RV is encountering a problem with it, then calling the RV repair shop only to hear them say they cannot get you in for repair for 2-3 weeks. I am confident that I can fix 80% of my RV problems now.

Anyone that presently owns a RV or planning to purchase a RV soon, should consider purchasing these DVD’s. Please keep me informed about any upcoming class or new DVD’s that you are offering.

Thanks for your help.    

Sincerely,

Larry Rodgers

Book - RV Repair of your Atwood Water Heater

ATWOOD RV WATER HEATER REPAIR BOOK

This 191 page manual is part of the Texas RV Professor’s “Take-Home Technician Series” with complete details on how to troubleshoot, diagnose and repair the Standing Pilot and Electronic Ignition (DSI) Atwood RV Water Heaters.

Very easy to follow descriptions, photos, and charts. The Texas RV Professor and his sidekick Roady the RV Dog have written this manual so you will feel you have taken a technician home with you and he is looking over your shoulder, guiding you along. A must have manual for the RV do it yourselfer that owns an RV equipped with an Atwood Water Heater.   

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Terry Cooper – America’s RV Expert, shows you how!

Spend 75 minutes with the Professor listening to him explain several training programs that he has put together that will allow you to CA$H in on ‘supplying the demand’. Q & A Session also.

1) Certified Walk Through Technician
2) RV Inspector
and more…..Sale prices in this webinar are no longer valid

Listen to the pre-recorded Webinar 

Workamper New University and Mobile RV Academy have scheduled the start of the new 10-Month RV Maintenance Program, the Gold Star Club,  February4th through November 30th, 2010.

The program gives all RV Enthusiast an opportunity to becoming educated in a vast array of RV maintenance topics that will give everyone the edge they need to be successful while perusing the workamping dream.  If you are currently a full-timer or dreaming of becoming one then who better to invest your money in… than yourself! 

 Master Certified RV Technician, Terry Cooper – owner and instructor of Mobile RV Academy tells us that 80% of our RV Maintenance issues can be resolved ourselves.  So because of that fact, he has design a maintenance program for the average RV consumer. Want to know more? Click here.

 Here is a list of the RV Maintenance course available to take online at your convenience during this 10-Month Gold Star Club.

• Propane System
• Absorption Type Refrigerators
• Exterior Inspections & Repairs
• RV Furnace
• Servicing Your Air Conditioner
• Water Heaters
• Water Systems
• Electrical Systems

           There are also two extensive courses on ‘How to make Dollar$ on the road’….to help with a new career or just to supplement your current income.

• Becoming a RV Inspector
• Becoming a Certified RV Walk-Through Technician

All courses were developed and recorded in 2009 with live attendees.  Now they sit in a library waiting for you to access with handouts, post test & homework.   Everything needed to be successful in learning how to ‘do-it-yourself’ when it comes to RV maintenance is right there at your fingertips.   The cost of the program is 50% less than in 2009.  What a value!

 If you didn’t have the opportunity to be with Terry Cooper at the Free Tele-class back on January 7^th, it was recorded and is available to watch/listen.  You can read more about the program also.      

As a bonus there are 20 live events scheduled in 2010 on ‘How to make your RV experience one you will love’.  If you should miss any of these events, the recordings will be placed in the library alongside the maintenance courses to be accessed at your convince. All of this at no extra cost.  (The 1st event “Buying & Selling it Right” is recorded and placed into the library. You don’t want to join the club? The event can be purchased separately.)

Make your 2010 the best that it can be.  Investing in education is…Investing in Yourself!

Terry Cooper – America’s RV Expert