Through our RV Service, customers are always asking about the amount of appliances you can use in your RV. The answer to this question depends on the amount of power coming from the campground. If the campground only has a 30 amp service available, an RV with 50 amp service will only be able to use 30 amps of service. Some campgrounds will only have a 15 amp service available, which is not enough amperage to run an air conditioner or a select few appliances.
The best way to know what appliances you will be able to use in your RV is to check in with the campground ahead of time. There are special adaptors in which you will need to use different services. If you have a 30 amp power cord, and the campground only offers a 50 amp service, you will need an adapter. If you have a 50 amp service and the campground only offers a 30 amp service, you will need an adapter. These adapters are available through our parts department here at Colonial RV.
For your convenience, we have listed each appliance and the amount of amperage it generally draws.
APPLIANCE AMPERAGE CONSUMED
Roof Air Conditioner (Start-up) 18 amps
Roof Air Conditioner (Continuous) 13 – 15 amps
Convection Microwave 16 amps
Electric Water Heater 10 amps
Microwave 10 amps
Converter 55 Amp Output 5 – 13 amps
Space Heater 10-15 amps
Washer/Dryer 10 amps
Refrigerator 3 – 4 amps
TV or VCR 1 amps
Hair Dryer 9 amps
110 Volt Light 1 amps
Curling Iron 3 – 4 amps
Toaster (2 slice) 7 – 13 amps
Coffee Maker 7 amps