Dave Solberg

Choosing the Right Extension Cord

Dave Solberg
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Duration:   2  mins

If you use an extension cord to plug in your RV to the shoreline power, it’s essential that you utilize the right one. We’ve seen it happen far too many times: an RV owner uses a standard orange extension cord with a 15 amp rating to run their 30 amp power center. This is asking for trouble as the excessive power draw can overheat the cord and connection which can melt the cord and possibly cause a fire.

This issue can be easily avoided by taking advantage of an extension cord with the right rating. In this lesson, Dave Solberg teaches you how to select the proper extension cord for your needs. He explains why lower rated cords crumble under the pressure of the high amp draw associated with roof AC unit and other RV appliances, and introduces a simple tip to guarantee you get your RV appliances up and running without risking damage to your vehicle or your home. You’ll also learn why it’s so important to understand power rating and amp gauge when selecting an extension cord to power your unit. When in doubt, go with the heavier option!

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14 Responses to “Choosing the Right Extension Cord”

  1. Cynthia Tockey

    My rv is about 75 ft from my house, one discussion I read said not to exceed 50 total combined feet to include the rv’s power cord, why?

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Cynthia,

      Thank you for contacting us.
      This is because of the voltage drop. The longer run you have, the more voltage drops. When voltage drops, the amps increase. You will experience over heating issues and can trip breakers more easily with longer runs. You need to stay under the 50ft run if you plan on using it like you normally would. If you run cords longer than that, you will have to limit what you are using and for how long. Since you are 75ft you just want to be careful what you are running. I would be cautious of using things like the AC and microwave.

      Sincerely,

      Sarah
      RV Repair Club Video Membership

      Reply
  2. Rajiv

    When I park my RV curbside in front of my home, I use atleast 2-3 30 amp rv cables that are connected to a 30 amp clothes dryer port. It’s an efficient setup that works well but requires expensive cables and dryer to rv cable converter. Is it safe though? Experts advise please.

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Rajiv,

      Thank you for contacting us.

      It is not safe to connect to a dryer outlet. These are very different from RV 30 amp outlets. A dryer outlet uses 2 hots and a neutral. RV outlets use a hot, neutral and ground. You will create a hot skin condition by connecting to a dryer outlet. You can never do this. You can only connect to a standard 15 or 20 amp outlet in a home using a reducer adapter. You would have to install an RV 30 amp receptacle if you want to use a 30 amp service. Even if you did install one, that is a very long run with all of those cords. You will be getting a very large voltage drop using all of those. You could still connect to it but don’t run a lot of things at the same time. At most to safely run a few things is a 50ft run. Anything longer than that will cause voltage drop issues.

      Sincerely,

      Sarah
      RV Repair Club Video Membership

      Reply
  3. Roger Karnopp

    can i combine a 15 amp and a 30 amp cord for more length? camper requires a 30 amp cord

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hello Roger!

      That’s a great question!

      The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members to our online community. We do have a promotional offer if you are interested. This would include access to expert advice (like this), plus discounts, hours of Premium videos, etc. Please feel free to take a look. You can message us right back with your question if you decide to become a member and you will have a response within 1-2 business days from our experts!

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      Sincerely,

      Jessica
      RV Repair Club Video Membership

      Reply
  4. Dale Koehler

    All I want to do is plug in our RV to cool down the refrigerator (no air conditioning) the night before. I also have a distance of about 75′ from wall to camper. What would you recommend?

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hi Dale,

      That’s a great question!

      The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members to our online community. We do have a promotional offer if you are interested. This would include access to expert advice (like this), plus discounts, hours of Premium videos, etc. Please feel free to take a look. You can message us right back with your question if you decide to become a member and you will have a response within 1-2 business days from our experts!

      Please follow the steps below to receive the annual membership at the introductory rate:

      1. Click on the email link: https://go.rvrepairclub.com/C23373
      2. Click on the Premium Membership offer.
      3. The Checkout page will display your Premium Membership purchase.
      4. Fill in your Billing Details and create an account password.
      5. Fill in your debit/credit card information.
      6. Finish by clicking Complete Order.

      If you have any further questions, please contact Customer Service at 1-855-706-3536 at your earliest convenience, or chat with us on our site.

      We greatly appreciate your business!

      Sincerely,

      Shelley
      RV Repair Club Video Membership”

      Reply
  6. trish

    So if I”m plugging in my 40ft Coach with a 50amp plug – I put on the 30amp adapter, followed by the 15 amp adapter to plug into my house plug (using a typical orange extension cord)….. What should I do different? Still unclear. Thanks

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hi, Trish. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club and the opportunity to assist with your electrical question. First I would recommend having a certified electrician install a dedicated plug in for your rig in the garage. It can be a 20 amp, however if you are reducing a 50 amp coach down to plug into a typical 15 amp garage outlet, you are asking for trouble. Most outlets are “ganged” or connected to other outlets along the wall so if you have a refrigerator, freezer, or air compressor plugged into that same circuit, now you don’t have a full 15 amps. Also, your 40’ rig will draw about 8 amps for the refrigerator, but will also draw anywhere from 3-9 amps for the converter to charge the batteries periodically! Do yourself a favor, get a dedicated outlet for your rig!

      Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hi, Ken. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club and the opportunity to assist with your extension cord question. For a 30 amp service I would recommend using a 10 gauge/30 amp cord which will match up exactly to your existing shoreline cord and you will not experience any drop out. Plus do not go any further than 25 feet for a total of 50 otherwise you will experience power drop. For 50 amp service, most shoreline cords are 6/3 + 8/1 STW. If you must use a residential cord, stay with the heavy duty 10 gauge – 15amp and make sure you understand the limitations of what you can and can’t use inside the rig!

      Reply

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