The Complete 30 Amp RV Plug Guide: Your Outlet to Freedom!

30-amp RVs are the most common rigs on the road. As a result, 30-amp RV plugs and outlets are also very common.

The ability to utilize a 30-amp outlet, even if you have a 15- or 50-amp RV, allows you to take advantage of that power regardless of your own rig’s plug.

That’s why we’re here to offer the complete guide to the 30-amp RV plug.

Whether you have a 15-amp, 30-amp, or 50-amp RV, this information is important to know, so let’s get right to it!

How Do I Know the Amp Rating of my RV?

First things first! Before figuring out how to best use a 30 amp power outlet, you need to know the amp rating of your own RV. We know this may sound basic, but even some people who’ve been RVing for a while may not have thought about the specs of their own rig.

The quickest way to obtain this information (even easier than finding your owner’s manual.. and certainly easier than calling customer service at your RV dealer!) is to look at your RV’s power plug. The design of the plug will tell you what amp RV you own.

Let’s take a quick look at three photos.

Note… our apologies to all of our friends RVing around the world in countries with 220/240-volt systems. This particular topic is primarily specific to North America. We’ve used your systems on FIVE international RV trips and love them!

15-amp Standard Household Plug

Most household electrical outlets in North America are designed for 15-amp plugs. Items like lamps and other low-power-draw appliances generally have a 15-amp plug with two prongs that look like this:

Grounded 15-amp plugs have a third prong. Standard 15-amp household outlets are designed to accept this type of plug. But even with the addition of that third (ground) prong, this is still a 15-amp plug.

We should probably mention that 20-amp outlets are generally used in places where more power might be needed. (Think larger appliances or power tools like refrigerators, food processors, and electric lawnmowers or hedge trimmers.) This is why 20-amp outlets are more often found in kitchens and garages. Note that “larger appliances” does not include washers and dryers, which require even more power.

The presence of a 20-amp outlet indicates that the circuit breaker feeding it is also rated to handle 20-amps. This is a great choice to plug your RV into when “moochdocking” in a friend’s driveway! (Again, look in the garage.)

If you look at your RV’s power cord and see a plug with three larger prongs, spaced further apart with two of them at an angle, then your RV has 30-amp service. This plug would go into the 30 amp outlet at an RV park or campground.

And finally, large RVs such as Class A motorhomes, large 5th wheels, and other big rigs offer 50-amp service. That’s what your RV has if your rig’s power plug has 4 prongs like this one: 

Here’s a good representation of what the various outlets look like for 15/20-amp, 30-amp, and 50-amp services:

Another easy way to surmise the power rating of an RV is to look at the roof. If it has no air conditioner units at all (think pop-up trailer), it may only be equipped with 15-amp service. If there’s a single A/C unit, it likely has 30-amp service. 2 or 3 A/C units or more (yes, they’re out there!) is a certain indication of a 50-amp RV.

In general, the larger the RV, the more electrical equipment it has, so the larger the power needs.

What’s the Difference Between 30-amp and 50-amp Power?

The 30-amp power plug has three prongs. Each corresponds to one of three wires: hot, neutral, and ground.

A 30-amp connection provides 3,600 watts of power (30A x 120V).

As shown in the photo above, a 50-amp RV plug has four prongs. Those provide two 120V legs of 50 amps each, one shared neutral wire, and one ground wire. Yes, that actually equals 100 amps (50 on each leg).

If you saw our post on the 50-amp RV plug, you may recall that a 50-amp connection provides significantly more power than just the difference between 50 amps and 30 amps. That’s largely due to the two 50-amp hot leads on a 50-amp plug vs. the single 30-amp hot lead coming into a 30-amp plug.

A 50-amp connection provides 12,000 Watts (50A x 120V = 6,000W x 2 = 12,000W).

So, the difference between 30-amp power and 50-amp power is technically 8,400 Watts (12,000W – 3,600 W).

If I Have a 30-amp RV Can I Plug Into a 15-amp or 50-amp Outlet?

Yes indeed! If your RV has 30-amp service, you can plug into a 15/20-amp or 50-amp power outlet if there’s no 30-amp RV outlet available. However, you’ll need to have some dog bone adapters.

Let’s take a look at the details!

Plugging a 30-amp RV into a 15/20-amp household outlet requires a 30-to-15-amp “dogbone” adapter (often referred to as “dog-boning down” to 15-amps).

To plug a 30-amp RV into a 50-amp (4-prong) outlet you’ll need a 30-to-50-amp dogbone. This is sometimes referred to as “dog-boning up” to 50-amps.

In fact, we keep dog bone adapters in our toolkit of RV electrical supplies and use them all the time. (Our Class A motorhome has 50-amp service, so we only need to dogbone down.)

For an RV with 30-amp service, here are the adapters you’ll need to carry.

30-amp to 15-amp Dogbone Adapter

If your RV has 30-amp service and you need to plug into a 15-amp outlet, you’ll need a 30-amp female to 15-amp male adapter.

This will allow you to connect your RV to a 15-amp power outlet.

30-amp to 50-amp Dogbone Adapter

If your RV has 30-amp service and you need to plug into a 50-amp outlet, you’ll need a 30-amp female to 50-amp male adapter.

This adapter will allow you to plug your 30-amp RV into a 50-amp power outlet.

For RVs with other amp ratings (smaller 15-amp rigs, and larger 50-amp rigs) here’s a summary of which dogbone adapters you’ll want to carry on board:

15-amp to 30-amp Adapter

If you have a 15-amp RV, and you want to plug into a 30-amp outlet, you can use a 15-amp female to 30-amp male dog bone adapter to plug into a 30-amp service.

You can plug into a 30-amp power outlet using an adapter like this one:

50-amp to 30-amp Adapter

And finally, if you have a 50-amp RV and need to plug into a 30-amp outlet, you can use a 50-amp female to 30-amp male dog bone adapter like this one:

If you want to plug your 50-amp rig into a 15-amp or 15/20-amp outlet, you’ll need to use TWO dogbones. You’ll plug your rig into your 50-to-30-amp adapter and then plug that into a 30-to-15-amp adapter. Note that this is the exact same one owners of 30-amp rigs carry, which we’ve listed above.

Again, we dogbone our 50-amp rig all the way down to 15-amps (again, using two adapters) whenever we’re visiting family or friends and want to trickle charge our batteries using an outlet in their garage.

BUT…. and this is important…

When dog-boning down to a lower amp rating (plugging your 50-amp RV into 30- or 15-amps, or your 30-amp RV into 15-amps), keep this one thing in mind: You won’t be able to use all of the appliances you are accustomed to running when you’re connected to the service your RV plug was meant to handle.

Pay attention to the limits of the lower amp rating you’re connected to, and moderate your power demands accordingly. You’ll know you’ve neglected to do this when you trip the circuit breaker on the pedestal (or in your cousin’s garage). Reduce your power demand before that happens!

For a complete visual guide to dog bone adapters, check out our video “Dog Bones 101”:

The Importance of Heavy-Duty Outdoor Extension Cords

When you’re too far from the power source, it’s important to have a heavy-duty outdoor extension cord for use with your RV.

If you’ve got an RV with 30-amp electric service, you’ll want a good quality, heavy-duty outdoor 30A extension cord. (Likewise, if you have a 50-amp RV, you’ll want a 50A heavy-duty extension cord.)

The same is true if your RV has a 15-amp power cord. You’ll need a good, heavy-duty outdoor 15-amp extension cord.

You’ll want to use the heaviest-duty cord possible to avoid the risk of overheating. The longer the extension cord, the greater the risk of overheating and the heavier the cord needs to be.

Also, drawing too much current through an under-rated extension cord could lead to an electrical fire.

For an RV with 30A service, a high-quality, heavy-duty outdoor extension cord like this one is a good choice:

How Can I Protect My 30A RV from Power Surges?

How do you know if a power pedestal is wired properly at any given campsite? Also, how do you know its condition before plugging your valuable RV into it?

It’s possible for your RV’s electrical system to be seriously damaged by a power surge or miswired pedestal anywhere you plug into a power source.

A high-quality surge protector is a relatively pricey investment, but it’s nowhere near as pricey an investment as your RV is!

We recommend a high-quality surge protector like the Power Watchdog from Hughes Autoformers, which is the one we use ourselves (and absolutely love)! We’ve even been able to arrange a special discount for RVgeeks readers. Just use promo code RVGEEKS at checkout.

Prices vary, so check current Amazon pricing, too:

The Power Watchdog offers more features and higher surge protection than competitive units — and at a lower price. It will protect your RV in a variety of important ways, which we detail in this video:

How to Replace a 30-amp Plug on Your RV’s Power Cord

If you need to replace the 30 amp plug on your RV’s power cord, it’s a pretty straightforward job for a competent DIY RVer.

The new plug is likely to come with instructions, but in general, these are the steps to replace it:

1. Cut off the old plug.
2. Trim back the insulation on the cord.
3. Strip the wires.
4. Attach the wires to the correct terminals in the replacement plug.

If you don’t already have one, we like this self-adjusting wire stripper and use ours all the time.

Can You Plug an RV Into a 30-amp Dryer Outlet?

This is a tricky question. So tricky, as a matter of fact, that we personally would NEVER plug a 30A RV into a clothes dryer power outlet.

That’s because there are several different types of dryer outlets, some of which are 100% incompatible with RVs. Since it takes an expert to truly understand when it’s safe and when it’s not, we’re going with NO! Don’t plug your 30-amp RV into a dryer outlet!

All of that said… there are circumstances where it’s OK, so if you’re REALLY interested in knowing the details read this: Can I Plug My RV Into My Dryer Outlet? RV -vs- Dryer Outlet!

Can I Install a 30A RV Outlet at Home?

If you’ve got a 30A RV and want a (safe!) 30A power outlet to plug into at home, it can be done if you’re confident & competent working with electricity.

You could also have a 30A outlet professionally installed at home. Just make sure the electrician knows you want an outlet to use with an RV and not as a dryer outlet!

Take a look at this video showing the steps to installing a 30-amp RV outlet to decide whether this is a DIY project that you’d be comfortable undertaking or whether it would be better to call in a pro.

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