By Cheri Sicard
Are you an RV newbie confused about how RV electrical systems work (yes, there are two)? The excellent video above from the team at Home A Roam can help. It’s a short and concise overview of how RV electrical systems work, i.e., an RV Electrical 101 tutorial.
If you have ever wanted to troubleshoot electrical problems but had no idea where to start, the video can help. So be sure to give it a view so you can absorb all the details. Here’s what’s covered in this RV Electrical 101 tutorial:
Part 1 – Measuring RV electricity: This section covers volts, currents, and watts, and what they mean in terms of your RV.
Part 2 – AC versus DC: RVs have two power systems: the alternating current system that runs at 120 volts, and the direct current or 12-volt system. This section explores how they operate, how they differ, and what each does in your RV.
Part 3 – Generating and converting: This section teaches you about RV generators and how to convert DC power for use with AC appliances. It begins with the different levels of RV electrical service, how much they do, and how to determine your generator and inverter needs.
Part 4 – Solar power: How to determine your solar and inverter needs to power your RV off grid.
Part 5 – Storing power: You will need sufficient batteries to store power. This section introduces a new measurement, the watt-hour, and what this means to RVers. You will use this measurement to calculate your battery needs—the video shows how.
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There are multiple inexpensive watt meters on the market for determining how much power plug-in AC devices require. Most have modes to detect peak, continuous, average or accumulative power draw. The granddaddy brand is Kill-A-Watt, but IMO others will work just as well for less.
I wasn’t too concerned about this until I purchased a small portable generator. I can run almost anything, but not everything. You can damage these units by trying to draw more than the designed power. So I put such a meter between the generator and whatever I am plugging in. I have adapters for both my 30A camper and my 50A RV shore power ports.
Thank you, Cheri! 🙂 Nice video! Comprehensive but not overwhelming! Thanks for the effort that you put into finding interesting and helpful, educational even, videos! 🙂 You must spend a lot of time daily going through videos. 🤔😯 Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
I do spend a lot of time on You Tube for sure, but it’s fun and I learn a lot!
Connection plug types and adapters…missing!