Some of motorhomes or RVs include having lots of furniture that you can stay relaxed on. Aside from this, you can power up electrical appliances. This can be quite amazing as you can use your devices while you are traveling in your motorhome. Although, keep in mind that the overall electricity in a vehicle is still limited.
This is why you have to ensure that you do not use too much power. One solution for this is installing a generator in your motorhome. Alternatively, you can plug your vehicle directly into an outlet to power up all the devices in it. When it comes to these outlets, there are multiple variations that you can select from. This can confuse a lot of people which is why we will be using this article to provide you with information on the 20 Amp vs 30 Amp outlet in an RV.
20 Amp vs 30 Amp Outlet in an RV
20 Amp RV Outlet
Before getting into 20 Amp outlets, you should understand what the ampere rating refers to. When trying to power up any electrical appliances, the user has to first connect their power cord to an outlet. The output of current from the socket you are using is measured by the voltage. In simple terms, voltage refers to the total force exerted by a single power source. On the other hand, amperes or amperage is used to measure the strength of this electrical current is.
These can be hard to understand just by using these terms. Considering this, you can take an example of a water pipe. The pressure of water flowing in the pipe will be known as volts, but the rate at which water is flowing will be Amps. With that being said, when you take the outlets in your household, these will mostly range from 15 to 20 Amps.
Just like this, the electrical sockets in your RV will also be of 20 Amps. These are enough to power up most appliances without any issues. Additionally, they are also protected using fuses or circuit breakers. These monitors what the amp and voltage of electricity are flowing through a circuit. In case, this starts to fluctuate, the fuses will burn themselves, cutting down the connection as a result. This protects the appliances that were connected to the outlet from getting damaged.
30 Amp RV Outlet
Now that you understand what a 20 Amp RV outlet is and how it works, you will notice that there are also outlets ranging from 30 to 50 Amps. When it comes to these, you should note that they are different than their smaller counterparts. Considering this, you will notice that an outlet like this will most likely be on the outside of your vehicle. These sockets are made so that you can install another power source in your vehicle.
These can usually be found at camping parks so that you can power up the electrical devices in your motorhome using them. The overall concept is quite easy and you can use electrical appliances in your vehicle as long as it is connected to the power source. Although, some people question if it is okay to connect a 20 Amp wire to a 30 Amp outlet. The short answer for this is ‘yes’ you can do so. However, there are some things that you should be aware of before trying this. One of these includes having a converter or adapter with you that will allow you to install the wire.
This is essential because the prongs on a 20 Amp outlet and 30 Amp outlet are different so that you do not accidentally confuse them. Aside from this, you should keep in mind that it is not recommended that you use these outlets. This is because when connecting a 20 Amp wire to your 30 Amp outlet, the overall power that you will get will range from 15 Amps to 20 Amps. This will not be enough to power up your entire vehicle and it can result in damaging your appliances instead. Considering this, you should only try using these if you are only looking to power up a few devices in your vehicle.