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30-Amp RV: How many devices can you run?
02-02-2018Author :Levi and Natalie Henley in Education
Everyone who lives in an RV has most likely tripped a breaker at one time. Most of the time, too many devices running at once cause the breaker to trip. How do you determine the maximum number of appliances you can run on your system?
A Little Bit about Electricity
One could write a whole book about electricity; I believe that would be called a textbook. Fear not! RVers are not required to be electricians, and with a few electrical factoids, an RVer can calculate how much electricity they are using and how much they can use on a 30-amp system.
There are three units you need to know to calculate your rig’s electrical capacity: volts, amps, and watts. Two of those will always remain the same. Volts will be 120 and amps will be 30 in a 30-amp system. If you can multiply, then you can figure out the total wattage capacity of your rig.
There are three units you need to know to calculate your rig’s electrical capacity: volts, amps, and watts. Two of those will always remain the same. Volts will be 120 and amps will be 30 in a 30-amp system. If you can multiply, then you can figure out the total wattage capacity of your rig.
The Formulas
Volts X Amps = Watts
Watts / Volts = Amps
A 30-amp RV system uses 120 volts. Multiply 120 volts by 30 amps and we get a maximum allotment of 3600 watts. What does that mean? It means that all devices plugged in and running cannot exceed 3600 watts?
Watts / Volts = Amps
A 30-amp RV system uses 120 volts. Multiply 120 volts by 30 amps and we get a maximum allotment of 3600 watts. What does that mean? It means that all devices plugged in and running cannot exceed 3600 watts?
Make Sure to Include Everything
There are a lot of things that run all the time or randomly throughout the day. A refrigerator is always running, for example. In order to figure out what you can run, you have to take into account these things first. Your appliances will vary in wattage use, so check the labels.
Let’s take one of my usual scenarios. I have a 30-amp system. My refrigerator uses 400 watts. I now have 3200 watts available. If my air conditioner is on, it uses 1700 watts. 3200 - 1700 = 1500 left. Even though the air conditioner doesn’t run all the time, I would need to have that 1700 watts available when it did turn on. In order to calculate what I can run, I have to figure out what I can’t turn off. What is left is what I can use.
Let’s take one of my usual scenarios. I have a 30-amp system. My refrigerator uses 400 watts. I now have 3200 watts available. If my air conditioner is on, it uses 1700 watts. 3200 - 1700 = 1500 left. Even though the air conditioner doesn’t run all the time, I would need to have that 1700 watts available when it did turn on. In order to calculate what I can run, I have to figure out what I can’t turn off. What is left is what I can use.
Be Sure to Separate the Load
Just because it’s possible to use 3600 watts doesn’t mean you can plug 3600 watts worth of devices into one plug. Most RVs have a few plugs at a time connected to different 15-amp breakers. So, if you find that you keep tripping a particular 15 amp breaker, it may be a good idea to try plugging any high wattage devices into a different plug, preferably on the other side of your RV as this increases the chance of it being plugged into a different circuit.
It may be a good idea to note which plugs are attached to which breaker. You can do this by shutting off one 15-amp breaker and noting which plugs don’t work when a device like a light is plugged into them. Then turn that breaker on and try the rest of the plugs and so on. Do this until you have found out which plugs go to which breakers.
Using the formula above, a 15-amp breaker has a maximum of 1800 watt available. This can add up fast. A small space heater uses 1500 watts on high normally. This means that the average RV circuit on a 30-amp rig will only accommodate 1 of those. Spreading out the load would allow 2 of those heaters to be run at a time and at 3000 watts for two, there are only 600 watts to spare, not including the running fridge.
To recap, read the wattage on the appliances you intend to use. You can put wattage labels on things if it helps. If the total wattage exceeds 3600, you can’t run them all at once. My wife and I don't generally make every day living a constant math problem. Over time, we have come to know how many big watt users we can run at a time. We consider big watt users to be anything that takes over 1000 watts. We also know to distribute the electrical load between circuits, and we know which plugs go to which breaker.
It may be a good idea to note which plugs are attached to which breaker. You can do this by shutting off one 15-amp breaker and noting which plugs don’t work when a device like a light is plugged into them. Then turn that breaker on and try the rest of the plugs and so on. Do this until you have found out which plugs go to which breakers.
Using the formula above, a 15-amp breaker has a maximum of 1800 watt available. This can add up fast. A small space heater uses 1500 watts on high normally. This means that the average RV circuit on a 30-amp rig will only accommodate 1 of those. Spreading out the load would allow 2 of those heaters to be run at a time and at 3000 watts for two, there are only 600 watts to spare, not including the running fridge.
To recap, read the wattage on the appliances you intend to use. You can put wattage labels on things if it helps. If the total wattage exceeds 3600, you can’t run them all at once. My wife and I don't generally make every day living a constant math problem. Over time, we have come to know how many big watt users we can run at a time. We consider big watt users to be anything that takes over 1000 watts. We also know to distribute the electrical load between circuits, and we know which plugs go to which breaker.
Blog Author Details
Levi and Natalie Henley
Levi and Natalie Henley are a full time RVing couple. Together with their three cats and dog, they travel around the country in their 2011 Sunstar Itasca seeking work camping gigs. They share their adventures, seasonal job experiences, and travel tips on their website, www.henleyshappytrails.com
Education
Everyone who lives in an RV has most likely tripped a breaker at one time. Most of the time, too many devices running at once cause the breaker to trip. How do you determine the maximum number of appliances you can run on your system?
A Little Bit about Electricity
One could write a whole book about electricity; I believe that would be called a textbook. Fear not! RVers are not required to be electricians, and with a few electrical factoids, an RVer can calculate how much electricity they are using and how much they can use on a 30-amp system.
There are three units you need to know to calculate your rig’s electrical capacity: volts, amps, and watts. Two of those will always remain the same. Volts will be 120 and amps will be 30 in a 30-amp system. If you can multiply, then you can figure out the total wattage capacity of your rig.
There are three units you need to know to calculate your rig’s electrical capacity: volts, amps, and watts. Two of those will always remain the same. Volts will be 120 and amps will be 30 in a 30-amp system. If you can multiply, then you can figure out the total wattage capacity of your rig.
The Formulas
Volts X Amps = Watts
Watts / Volts = Amps
A 30-amp RV system uses 120 volts. Multiply 120 volts by 30 amps and we get a maximum allotment of 3600 watts. What does that mean? It means that all devices plugged in and running cannot exceed 3600 watts?
Watts / Volts = Amps
A 30-amp RV system uses 120 volts. Multiply 120 volts by 30 amps and we get a maximum allotment of 3600 watts. What does that mean? It means that all devices plugged in and running cannot exceed 3600 watts?
Make Sure to Include Everything
There are a lot of things that run all the time or randomly throughout the day. A refrigerator is always running, for example. In order to figure out what you can run, you have to take into account these things first. Your appliances will vary in wattage use, so check the labels.
Let’s take one of my usual scenarios. I have a 30-amp system. My refrigerator uses 400 watts. I now have 3200 watts available. If my air conditioner is on, it uses 1700 watts. 3200 - 1700 = 1500 left. Even though the air conditioner doesn’t run all the time, I would need to have that 1700 watts available when it did turn on. In order to calculate what I can run, I have to figure out what I can’t turn off. What is left is what I can use.
Let’s take one of my usual scenarios. I have a 30-amp system. My refrigerator uses 400 watts. I now have 3200 watts available. If my air conditioner is on, it uses 1700 watts. 3200 - 1700 = 1500 left. Even though the air conditioner doesn’t run all the time, I would need to have that 1700 watts available when it did turn on. In order to calculate what I can run, I have to figure out what I can’t turn off. What is left is what I can use.
Be Sure to Separate the Load
Just because it’s possible to use 3600 watts doesn’t mean you can plug 3600 watts worth of devices into one plug. Most RVs have a few plugs at a time connected to different 15-amp breakers. So, if you find that you keep tripping a particular 15 amp breaker, it may be a good idea to try plugging any high wattage devices into a different plug, preferably on the other side of your RV as this increases the chance of it being plugged into a different circuit.
It may be a good idea to note which plugs are attached to which breaker. You can do this by shutting off one 15-amp breaker and noting which plugs don’t work when a device like a light is plugged into them. Then turn that breaker on and try the rest of the plugs and so on. Do this until you have found out which plugs go to which breakers.
Using the formula above, a 15-amp breaker has a maximum of 1800 watt available. This can add up fast. A small space heater uses 1500 watts on high normally. This means that the average RV circuit on a 30-amp rig will only accommodate 1 of those. Spreading out the load would allow 2 of those heaters to be run at a time and at 3000 watts for two, there are only 600 watts to spare, not including the running fridge.
To recap, read the wattage on the appliances you intend to use. You can put wattage labels on things if it helps. If the total wattage exceeds 3600, you can’t run them all at once. My wife and I don't generally make every day living a constant math problem. Over time, we have come to know how many big watt users we can run at a time. We consider big watt users to be anything that takes over 1000 watts. We also know to distribute the electrical load between circuits, and we know which plugs go to which breaker.
It may be a good idea to note which plugs are attached to which breaker. You can do this by shutting off one 15-amp breaker and noting which plugs don’t work when a device like a light is plugged into them. Then turn that breaker on and try the rest of the plugs and so on. Do this until you have found out which plugs go to which breakers.
Using the formula above, a 15-amp breaker has a maximum of 1800 watt available. This can add up fast. A small space heater uses 1500 watts on high normally. This means that the average RV circuit on a 30-amp rig will only accommodate 1 of those. Spreading out the load would allow 2 of those heaters to be run at a time and at 3000 watts for two, there are only 600 watts to spare, not including the running fridge.
To recap, read the wattage on the appliances you intend to use. You can put wattage labels on things if it helps. If the total wattage exceeds 3600, you can’t run them all at once. My wife and I don't generally make every day living a constant math problem. Over time, we have come to know how many big watt users we can run at a time. We consider big watt users to be anything that takes over 1000 watts. We also know to distribute the electrical load between circuits, and we know which plugs go to which breaker.
Comment
BumbleBeeAZOctober 12, 2020 | 07:06 AM
Thank you for this information. I have a related question. I have a 2017 Fleetwood CA Coach purchased used in June. I have it parked in a heated building and plugged into a 50Amp Service. The Coach has an on-board Electrical Converter/Inverter. My question is, will it damage the Inverter/Converter or other component's if I leave it plugged in whiled parked for several months? Thanks, Ricky
Author : Levi and Natalie Henley
Levi and Natalie Henley are a full time RVing couple. Together with their three cats and dog, they travel around the country in their 2011 Sunstar Itasca seeking work camping gigs. They share their adventures, seasonal job experiences, and travel tips on their website, www.henleyshappytrails.com/
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MeandmydogJanuary 9, 2022 | 12:00 AM
Thank you so much I’ve been trying to Google it for the last 20 minutes I finally got an answer me and Ebony really appreciate it Thank you