How a 50amp or 30amp RV - CAN LIVE on 15amps
87,293
Published 2021-09-19
Living on just 15amps off an 14/3 or some cases a 12/3 extension cord when traveling, that’s what this RV video is about.
We have a 50amp RV. We also have a onboard Onan 5500 gas generator. It will power everything in our RV. But sometimes we just don’t want to nor should run our onboard generator & especially when we are mooch docking. One option is I bought a EU2200i Honda gas generator recently & it’s an awesome machine. It will be one of my go to options for an emergency event like last winter when Texas experienced a total power grid failure. This generator will supply all the power we need and only use 1 gallon of gas per 8 hours.
This Honda generator has 2 - 110V outlets, runs continuously at 1800 watts or 15amps total, and it’s super quiet, light weight, and a small foot print for easy storage.
List of 120V electrical things that are important to us to run on electricity:
1) Our Refrigerator
2) Our Microwave
3) The Water Heater
4) Sometimes the toaster
5) My iMac computer that I edit all our videos on
6) Joanie’s Emeril 6qt. Pressure Air Fryer
7) Our floor heater
8) Our TV
9) Our reclining love seat
10) Charging all our electronics. Now that doesn’t really count because we charge all that stuff off our USB gang charger and that runs off the house batteries. But at least I needed to mention that.
And lastly, I use a drip coffee maker and Joanie drinks tea. We heat the water for those items on the stove top using propane. If you have an electric coffee maker that would go on your list.
All these items use different amounts of power. After awhile you just learn what you can have turned on at the same time and what you can’t. Whenever Joanie or I buy anything that uses power, any kind of power—whether it’s 12V or 120 electric—I always look at the power usage and take that into consideration when buying, because I know down the road there will be times when the amount of power it draws will be important. On electric items I never buy anything that uses over 1500 watts because I know I can use other items turned on as well when using that 1500 watt unit.
Those of you who have a residential fridge you don’t have the option to run propane like we do, but you can still do what we do on 15amps. You’ll probably be using a tad more amps though. The compressors on these new RV refrigerators don’t use near the power like the old ones did. If you want to reduce the amount of power the residential fridge is consuming, you can turn off the ice maker.
So what I’m saying is, if you have access to a outlet and can bring in 15amps it can and should run everything in your RV, except A/C units like I said in this video. You just have to juggle what things you have on at the same time.
Up here in Maine at Joanie’s oldest brothers house—where we are now—and stay for 2 or 3 months, we also use his shower, but we dump our tanks every couple of weeks into his septic tank. I did a video on how we do that if your interested. It’s in my PLAYLISTS page here: youtube.com/c/RVstreet/playlists
I've been working all year on multiple, alternative, power strategies for our 50amp RV, for when we don’t want to use our onboard Onan generator, we’ll have the power we need. These power strategies will cost me at least 1/2 of what it would cost to convert to a lithium battery bay & I won’t have all my eggs in one basket.
Please...consider SUBSCRIBING to our Channel. It's FREE. It’s a great way to support us, our channel—and Martin—who is a “Purple Heart Veteran” 💜.
💗 OUR AMAZON STORE 💗
FOR THE PRODUCTS WE USE & RECOMMEND IN ALL OUR VIDEOS
www.amazon.com/shop/rvstreet
💗 BUT THERE’S MORE:
EVEN IF WHAT YOU NEED IS NOT IN OUR AMAZON STORE, YOU CAN STILL CLICK OUR STORE LINK BELOW, THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO OUR STORE, SHOP AND SEARCH ON AMAZON LIKE YOU NORMALLY WOULD, PUT YOUR ITEMS IN THE CART AND CHECK OUT. Using our Amazon Store to buy your RV gear, parts, maintenance items “AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED” is a great way to say "Thank You" Martin for making these videos and helping the RV community.
I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to my Amazon Store
DISCLAIMER:
We are in no way experts or professional mechanics. But being a journeyman millwright for years & being EX Military, has proven to be very helpful in my lifetime learning how to care for & maintain all sorts of machinery & equipment like: helicopters, airplanes, tanks, motorcycles & many types of other vehicles. That, along with 18 months preparing & upgrading our RV before we went full time, & now traveling for several years has gained us a lot of knowledge. Regardless of what we recommend, consult a professional if you're unsure about working on your RV. Work you perform or products you purchase based on any information we provide is at your own r
All Comments (21)
-
Martin, excellent video! I plug our RV into a 20 amp circuit when at the house. I have a 100’ #12 gauge cord. With that length, you really need #12 because of voltage drop. I can run the absorption fridge, and the AC (no soft start) while charging the batteries. I have even watched TV too. One thing your viewers need to know about cords. They are not designed to be rolled up on a reel with this much load. Leaving them coiled causes a lot of heat build up. Making for a dangerous situation. Thank you for your videos! Respectfully, Kevin
-
For those who need to run their AC you can install the Soft Start system to your ac and be able to run off the 15 amp but will be very limited on running anything else. Great video Martin!
-
I have a new Class B and what you are sharing is invaluable!!! When I make my videos using what I learn from y’all then I’ll shout you out. I’m your new subie!! Thank you for sharing and y’all enjoy your holiday!!
-
"Martinized!" 😆I laughed out loud! All jokes aside, this was a Must Watch video for anyone. RVer or not. More and more we see we need to be prepared. Great information broken down so anyone can understand. Another winner!
-
First video I’ve seen by you and THANK YOU! Conversational and easy to understand! It’s very much appreciated! I’m a single woman that just bought my first baby rv… little guy t@b 320 CS-S!
-
As always - great video Martin! Thank you so much for the effort and care you put into each of these videos. Hope to one day see you both on the road!
-
Great video.. My RV a 30amp Class C, is plugged into a 20amp to my house all the time. I only wanted the RV to be charging my batteries and be able to do any work in it if needed. I can run the AC, lights and converter. Nice setup.. I have boondocks and do not need to run everything at the same time.. I think some people want to do what they do at home.. leave everything running at the same time. lol
-
Martin , your videos made me feel comfortable and confident that I can be a true class A owner!!!
-
I love you and you straight forward information! We have learned a lot from you!
-
Very good video Martin! Safe travels.
-
You do a great job! Thanx for spending the time. :)
-
Thank you for enlightening people on this topic
-
My new favorite channel. You guys are awesome thanks for the tips and tricks.
-
Thank You for this video. Really enjoyed learning about 15 amps camping. Educational!
-
Thanks Martin. Good stuff.
-
You are by far, the BEST! We did follow your AC DIY & it was easy and the best! Thanks Martin!
-
Wow, so glad I found your channel!!!
-
Very good video most are pushing their system at the highest amps and then will notice their cord melting at the box. Meaning basically they are not tripping the circuit but reaching maximum for a prolonged period. A good Engineer friend of mine put a amp meter on the main circuit of the coach. When anything turns in it will add up the amps. I have a 30 amp system but will keep it way below that especially living in Florida with the a/c running. He taught me all about power management. Anyone who purchased a RV should be educated on this.
-
Very helpful, insightful and encouraging channel-thanks for the content!
-
Great pointers!
