There is nothing like finally pulling up to your driveway after an extended RV trip, only to discover that your RV’s battery is low. You are tired and given that you have to charge those batteries you really wouldn’t want to head out after that long trip.
You’re tempted to find another way, then you consider this thought: why not just charge yourself RV by plugging it into your home’s dryer outlet? You save yourself the grief of having to go charge elsewhere and you can rest easy at home.
Given that the outlet for your dryer looks as if can take a plug just like that on your RV, it makes perfect sense to change them around and connect both of them using the same outlet, right? No, it doesn’t make sense.
While the plugs might look similar, they have been created to handle varying voltage amounts. When you plug the RV into the outlet for your dryer could cause your home’s electrical system to become damaged, burn up your batteries, and even create a fire in the worst-case scenario.
That being said, don’t think you are out of options. There are some solutions you utilize to charge your RV’s batteries with your electricity at home.
This article aims to divulge details on why you should never connect your RV directly to your home’s power system while showing you what you are able to do to ensure that your RV can be charged at your home.
How is a dryer plug different from the plug on your RV?
Dryer plugs and those used by RVs might look quite similar, however, there are some integral differences. For one, your dryer has been created to operate using household electricity.
Electric companies provide 240 volts to households via the home’s main panel. It is at this point that the voltage is segmented into three varying circuit feeds.
You have 240 volts that go to power things in the kitchen such as a cooker/oven combo and other items in the house such as a dryer.
The other feed is rated at 120 volts and it is the GFCI or ground fault circuit interrupter which ensures that you remain safe from any electrical devices that are malfunctioning. It does this by turning off the electricity protecting you and those in the house from shocks.
You might wonder how can you ensure you do not connect a 120-volt appliance to a 240-volt outlet, thankfully, manufacturers tend to make plugs of 240-volt appliances bigger so you never make that mistake.
The majority of RVs require a 120-volt alternating current plug coupled with 30 amps service to charge. Given that the plug to charge the RV is bigger, it can be easy to erroneously believe that you can plug it into a dryer or cooker/oven combo outlet.
Nevertheless, given that your home dryer’s outlet is two times the voltage, plugging in your RV to that outlet could damage your batteries, it could also damage your home’s electrical system.
Is it possible to connect a 30 amp RV to a house?
While it is possible to connect a 30 amp RV to a home, it is not something that can be done directly by using your home’s dryer outlet or any other outlet in the home. That being said you can utilize special adaptors to enable you to charge your RV at home.
To do this, you will require at least a 30amp or even 50 amp hook-up, given that the typical home outlets in a house are unable to supply sufficient power to your RV.
What you should look for is a 30 or 50 amp hook-up, that acts as an adaptor capable of being plugged into the 3-prong outlet.
Once you do this, you can now connect the RV to your extension cord which is connected to the adaptor. If you follow this process, your RV should be charging at this point.
Ensure that the extension cord is only as long as required. This is because the longer the cable is, the higher the likelihood of the cable overheating.
Is it possible to connect an RV rated 30 amp to an outlet rated 50 amp?
While you typically can’t connect your RV directly to your home, there is an exception to this rule and that is if your RV is a Class A motorhome. this is because Class A motorhomes operate using 50 amps.
what this means is that your RV will require 240 volts and that makes it the perfect match for the dryer outlet as it operates on the same voltage.
While it won’t have any adverse effect on your RV or your home, it is likely to be inefficient, given that your house might not be able to provide sufficient power that your RV requires.
What to do if your RV is a 30 amp, can it be connected into an outlet in your home?
With a couple of adjustments, it is possible to connect your RV to the outlet. As stated much earlier in the article, you have to get a 30 or 50 amp adapter which can be plugged into the wall.
Depending on your jurisdiction and if your city’s building code enables it, you could choose to have a 30/50 amp adapter installed by an electrician. Doing this will enable you to charge your RV just like normally do at an RV park.
If you are interested in using an adaptor, there are a couple of steps you will have to follow to ensure that you can charge your RV safely. They are:
- Figure out what your RV has been configured for. It could be 50 or 30 amps. The best way to know is to check the owner’s manual.
- Additionally, you could choose to have a look at your RV’s male plug. If the male prong comes with 4 prongs then it operates using 50 amps, however, if the male prong comes with 3 prongs, then it operates on 30 amps.
- Shut off every light, appliances, and any other gadget in the RV that runs on electricity.
- Plugin your 30/50 amp adapter, so that it is attached to your home’s electricity system.
- Connect your chosen extension cord to the adapter which has already been plugged into the outlet in your home. You should then connect that to the RV’s power cord.
- Reset your home’s circuit breaker
- Do not use any RV appliances while it’s charging
Conclusion
There are numerous reasons as to why you would prefer to charge your RV’s battery at your home rather than having to head out.
Seeing just how much easy it can be charging from your home, so that the next time you head out camping, your RV is charged can be a great motivator.
The aim of this article was to seamlessly answer if it was possible to plug your RV into your dryer outlet. Generally, the answer to that question is no, you should not connect your RV into your dryer outlet.
This is simply because it is likely that your RV operates on a different voltage rating and connecting it to an outlet with a different voltage could damage your batteries or worse start a fire. What you should do is get the appropriate adapter to connect your RV safely to your home.
There is an exception to this rule, however. You are able to connect your RV directly to your home using your dryer outlet only if your RV is 50amp rated.
This is typical of Class A RVs. Nevertheless, it unlikely to be as efficient as connecting your RV to shore power when you are in an RV park.
If your RV is not a Class A motorhome, you can make a couple of modifications to your home’s power system, which can enable you to charge your RV at home just as you would do at a campground.
This modification is best done by a professional to ensure that you and everyone that comes into contact with that connection and your home’s power system at large are protected.
If you would love to come home and simply charge your RV up for the next camping trip, then the little bit of effort and time required to change your home’s electrical system to cope with charging your RV is definitely worth it.
