9 RV Electrical Supplies for Every RVer’s Toolkit

As full-time RVers and chronic DIYers, we carry lots of tools and supplies, and we use them all regularly. But even part-time and occasional RVers need a few tools and supplies. Today we’re looking at RV electrical supplies in particular because RVing means you’ve got a home-on-wheels with not just one, but TWO electrical systems (12V DC and 120V AC). We think these nine items are especially useful to have in your RV toolkit.

Let’s jump right in!

Digital Clamp Meter with Probes

A good clamp meter is an important RV electrical tool to have on board because it allows you to test for current and voltage, making it a tool that comes in handy frequently.

This electrical test tool is actually a combination of a clamp meter and a basic digital multimeter with probes included. The probes allow you to measure voltage, while the clamps can be used to measure current.

Many people carry a basic digital multimeter, and that’s fine. But the clamp (or “jaws”) that are integrated into this digital clamp meter make it possible to clamp the jaws around any point in the electrical system, and then measure the current in that circuit without disconnecting or de-energizing it. So, when using a clamp meter it isn’t necessary to shut off the circuit carrying the current.

In fact, most electricians carry high-quality clamp meters for this reason and because they eliminate the need to cut into a wire and insert the test leads/probes into the circuit to take in-line current measurements. This is because the jaws of a clamp meter don’t need to actually touch a conductor while measurements are being taken.

Dogbone Adapters

Dogbone adapters may be some of the most important RV electrical supplies you carry. The purpose of carrying dogbone adapters is to make sure that wherever you go you’ll be able to hook your RV up to a power source, no matter what the amperage of the shore power is.

For example, our RV has a 50-amp electric service. A 50-amp plug has four prongs, so if we were to show up at a power pedestal that offers only 30-amp hookups, we’d use a dogbone adapter to bring our 50-amp service down to the 30-amp level, allowing us to plug our rig into the 30-amp hookup.

If you’ve got a rig with 30-amp electrical service and you want to connect to someone’s house power, you’ll need an adapter to step down to their 15-amp service.

So, a dogbone adapter converts the plug used for your RV’s electric service down/up to a different style plug for a different amperage connection. Just be aware that when adapting your RV’s plug down to a lower-amperage connection, you’ll need to be sure that you don’t pull more power than that connection can support.

15A Male-30A Female

50A Male-30A Female

30A Male-50A Female

For everything you need to know about dogbone adapters and how to use them, feel free to check out our YouTube video on the topic.

30A to 15A Standard Residential “Puck” Electrical Adapter

In addition to the “dogbone” style adapters listed above, these little puck adapters are very inexpensive and take up very little room. It’s a good idea to toss one or two of these in your toolkit so that you’ll have one if you need it. You may even be able to help out another camper who doesn’t have a toolkit that is well-stocked with RV electrical supplies.

They can come in handy at power pedestals that have recessed/sealed boxes since the smaller adapter won’t interfere.

30A Female-15A Male

Heavy-Duty Outdoor Extension Cords

You’ll surely find yourself in need of an extension cord from time to time, and it’s very important to have the appropriate heavy-duty outdoor extension cord for your RV.

If you arrive at a campsite (or at a friend’s home, for example), and you need to park further away from the power source than your RV’s power cord will be able to reach, you’ll use your extension cord. But if you’ve got an RV with 50-amp electric service, you’ll want a good quality, heavy-duty outdoor 50A extension cord.

The same is true if your RV has a 30-amp power cord. You’ll need a good, heavy-duty outdoor 30A extension cord.

It’s always a good idea to use as heavy-duty of a cord as possible, to avoid the risk of overheating. The longer the extension cord, the greater the risk. And drawing too much current through an under-rated extension cord is begging for trouble. It will overheat if left in that situation for too long and could end up starting an electrical fire.

So, whenever possible, use as heavy-duty of a cord/cable as you have available, stepping down to the smaller plug as close to the outlet as possible.

50A Extension Cord

30A Extension Cord

15A Extension Cord

Please have a look at our post on everything you need to know about your RV power cord for lots of important information on RV electrical power.

High-Quality Surge Protector

A high-quality surge protector is a more important part of your RV electrical toolkit than you may think, and since we don’t want you to learn about surge protectors the hard way, we’re including this in our list of important RV electrical supplies.

Here’s the thing: You’ve got a very expensive RV and you’re entrusting it to many different power sources when you travel. Not all campground power pedestals are in excellent condition. Many, in fact, are very old. And even at campgrounds where newer systems have been installed, power surges can occur for a variety of reasons.

We understand that many people would prefer not to invest in a high-quality surge protector like the Power Watchdog due to the expense, but we highly recommend them for their high-quality protection of your far more expensive RV and the electronics and appliances within it (not to mention the fact that the Power Watchdog offers more features and higher surge protection than competitive units, at a lower price).

We’ve got a video with much more information explaining why this degree of electrical system protection is well worth the cost, and we’ll share that with you below.

50A Surge Protector/Power Watchdog

30A Surge Protector/Power Watchdog

Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper

Any minor (or major!) projects around the RV that involve wiring will very likely require a wire stripper. And while many people think they’ll never get involved in a DIY project that involves any type of wiring, you’d be surprised at the number of projects you’re fully capable of doing around the rig that’ll require you to strip a few wires. We suggest tossing one into your toolkit as an essential part of your RV electrical supplies.

We like this self-adjusting wire stripper and we use ours all the time.

Non-Contact Voltage Tester/Receptacle Tester

A non-contact voltage tester and a receptacle tester are both fantastic tools to have in your RV tool kit.

The voltage tester verifies the presence of AC voltage and is useful anytime you’re troubleshooting an electrical issue in your RV, or when you’re working on an electrical installation. This type of tester allows you to verify the presence of voltage without contact with live electrical conductors.

This non-contact tester we’re linking to also comes with a GFCI outlet tester, which is also very good to have in your RV electrical toolkit. This allows you to test various different wiring conditions of any outlet you’re considering plugin into, simply by plugging it into the outlet and touching a button.

Be sure to see our post on RV hot skin, a condition that is rare but that you should absolutely be aware of for your safety and that of your family.

Non-Contact Voltage Tester & GFCI Outlet / Receptacle Tester Kit

Variety of Electrical Wire Connectors

Having a variety of electrical wire connectors as a part of your RV electrical supplies allows you to perform any number of DIY repairs and projects easily.

These are not expensive, but provide you with various types of connectors which will save you from having to break camp and find a hardware store if you have an electrical issue to address.

Screw Terminals/Twist Wire Nut Caps Assortment

Insulated Fork/Ring/Space Quick-Connect Crimp Terminals

Insulated Butt/Splice Connector Assortment Pack

High-Quality Electrical Tape

No RV electrical supply toolkit would be complete without a roll of high-quality electrical tape. Electrical tape comes in handy in a variety of situations. The ability to wrap any rewiring you may do with high-quality tape for additional integrity is always a good thing.

You’ll be amazed at how often you reach for a roll of electrical tape.

BONUS! LED Lights

One of the most beneficial changes you can make to your RV, right from the get-go or as soon as you can, is the installation of LED lights.

We’re throwing this one in as a bonus because while LED lights aren’t really tools for your RV electrical toolkit, they’re a very important part of your electrical system due to the dramatic reduction in power consumption of LEDs compared with traditional bulbs.

For more information, please have a look at our post entitled, “What Are RV LED Lights?”. We’ve also got a very thorough post about RV LED lights technology – everything you need to know to outfit your entire RV, saving you money in the long run and power right off the bat.

If you’re interested in the same great M4 LEDs we use in our own RV, head over to the M4 Products website and use Coupon Code RVGEEKS5 to get yourself a 5% discount!

Converting your lights to LEDs is a very simple process and one that will benefit you for as long as you own your RV.

What Other Electrical Supplies Do You Carry in Your RV?

Leave us a comment letting us know what other RV electrical supplies you carry in your toolkit! We’d love to know what you’ve found useful in your RV travels.

And if you’re interested in learning more about your RV’s electrical system, check out our article RV Wiring For Dummies: Don’t Be Shocked By What You Don’t Know.

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