30 Amp RV Plug Voltage: Is a 30 Amp RV Plug 110 Or 220?
Be like the Boy Scouts. If you are not sure about whether the shore power is AC or DC then make sure you have the right adapters in your storage bin. That way you are covered no matter what power supply the campground has available. Being prepared is the best way to have a good vacation.
The 30-amp plug is a 110 or a 120 AC outlet. It is not a 220-volt outlet. However. the 50-amp plug can run off either 110 or 220-volts depending on how the campground set up its electrical system. The fewer appliances and other electronic devices you have the more you will use the 30 amp option
To learn more about this plug, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can get the right extension cords and adapters for your RV or trailer. Take a few minutes to see how this important information can help you.
Are 30 Amp RV Plugs 220?
In the general sense, no it is not a 220-volt plug. Almost all 30-amp plugs are designed to handle 110 or 120 volts of power. You can usually tell by the design of the prongs if it will go higher than 110 or 120 volts.
However, there is a special TT-30 plug on the market that will confuse people. It is able to handle up to 240 volts. This type of plug should not be installed in your RV or travel trailer so do not plug your 30 amp plug into a 220 or 240-volt outlet without an adapter.
The problem you will have is how the campground wired its camping spots. You should double-check to make sure the correct voltage is wired to the correct outlet before plugging in. Each campground may be wired slightly differently due to wiring costs, etc.
Is RV 30 Amp 110 or 220?
The rule of thumb is that 30-amp plugs are 110 or 120 AC current just like your traditional home. That is the way it should be. But as we mentioned in the previous section, how the campground owner had the electrical outlets is a different story.
There is an RV discussion forum talking about this but the disaster happened roughly 8 years ago. The RV owner plugged their 30 amp 110 plugs into what was supposed to be a 30 amp 110 outlet. It wasn’t and damage to the RV ensued.
There are national standards for campgrounds to follow but that does not mean someone did not cut corners. The code we saw was from 2011 and that code may have changed in the past 11 years.
If you want to protect your RV, you may want to look up the national standards for RV campgrounds. Then watch the outlets when you pull into the one you are using for the night or two.
RVs are wired in the following standard ways- 15A/120v, 20A/120v, 30A/120v, or 50A/240v. There is no standard RV production that has 30A/220V set up. Unless that has changed as well over the years.
Can You Run a 30 Amp RV on a 110 Outlet?
This will depend. There is a possibility that it would work but you have to be careful. Most households with 110 outlets are restricted to 20 amps. Some may only get to 15 amps. That will be enough power to run your AC but it is not enough power to run your AC and your fridge at the same time.
If the breaker does trip, you may have to forgo using the AC unit and just be content with running your fridge. You may be able to run your t.v. off the same outlet but you may not be able to run your fridge.
What this means is that while you can power your RV by plugging it into a standard 110 outlet, you will not get enough power to run more than one or possibly two electronic devices.
If you try to use more than one or two then your circuit breaker should trip and you have to figure out which device you need to run the most. To fully power your RV, you should plug into a 30-amp outlet which does run on 110 voltage but carries more power because it is a thicker power cord that handles the extra power.
How To Check The Voltage on a 30 Amp RV Plug?
It is called a rookie mistake when you plug your RV into a campground without checking the amps and voltage. Many RVers carry their own multi-meter to make sure the power to the outlet is what they need for their RV.
They always check first before plugging in. There are different types of meters you can use, some are analog and others are digital. Just pick up the one that fits your budget. These meters are not hard to use and anyone can use them.
The conclusion of the story we told earlier was that the campground admitted their mistake and refunded the campground fees. There was only $200 worth of damage and the RV owner felt that was too low for them to pursue.
But $200 is $200 and you can prevent that damage if you use a multimeter and check your outlets before you plugin.
Some Final Words
Keeping electrical units straight can be confusing at times. The good news is that the 50-amp plug and outlet should have a different design than the 30-amp plug and outlet. That will be your first clue as to what kind of power is going through the wires.
However, campgrounds can throw curve balls at you and put 220 to a 30-amp plug which is why you need to test before you plugin. Never assume as it seems campgrounds have some freedom to wire their electrical units in any way they see fit.
