![]() RV shore power is when you can plug your RV into an AC electrical grid. When you are in motion, if you are plugged into a vehicle using the trailer adapter, the vehicle engine should charge your battery. Power sources include shore power, a generator, a vehicle engine, or a solar panel. Your battery is charging any time an external power source is connected and providing power to your RV. They can’t drive the air conditioning or heating systems either. The amount of power the batteries can provide on their own is fairly low - they can run the lights, water pump, and small appliances for the better part of the day, but that is about it. The batteries provide your RV with a source of power when no external power is available. Reference our RV electrical system schematic above as well. Let’s take a quick look at each of the sources of power for an RV. BUT if you are running off a battery, say while boondocking, use just the basics, and use them sparingly! In short, if you’re plugged into a power source, feel free to enjoy and indulge in all the comforts of home. TIP: Use your RV electricity sparingly when unplugged If you don’t have shore power, then you are running off the DC system, which can run the essentials like the lights and water pump for a few days. Most RVs are set up so that if you have RV shore power (more about that later), you can run pretty much everything in the RV. RVs with an inverter will have specially marked wall outlets that run on the DC battery system but provide AC power. Along with the RV power converter, many rigs also have an inverter, which is a device that turns DC power into AC power. The device that does this is called a converter. The two RV electrical systems are connected so that if you have AC power coming into your RV, it will charge up the batteries for the DC system. The AC system is capable of generating a lot more power than the DC system, which is limited by your RV batteries. ![]() Your lights, water pump, fans, TV, and radio run off the DC power system. Big appliances like the air conditioning, microwave, and power outlets, run off the AC power system. The AC system is powered by plugging your trailer into an external AC power source, while the DC system runs off one or more battery systems installed in your RV. There is also a DC (direct current) system that works similarly to the one in a car. ![]() There is an AC (alternating current) system that is similar to the one in a typical home. The majority of rigs have two electrical RV systems. Read on for a basic understanding of your RV electricity systems, how they work, and what to be aware of in terms of safety. Whether you are renting an RV on Outdoorsy for the first time or purchasing an RV for travel or to rent out to others, it’s important to learn the basics of RV electrical systems. Blog Featured Top Blogs How-To Guides Power & Electric ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |