If you run an RV campground, you already know the power has to work. No drama, no surprises. The short answer is this: treat your electrical like a commercial system, not a backyard extension cord, and work with a qualified commercial electrical service to design, inspect, and maintain it. That means proper load calculations, right-size panels, regular testing, and clear rules for guests. Everything else is details, but the details are what keep rigs plugged in and your reviews positive.
So let us walk through those details in a way that lines up with how campgrounds actually run, not how a handbook says they should run.
Why campground power feels simple, but really is not
From a guest perspective, campground power seems easy. Plug in the RV, flip a breaker if it trips, and that is it. If you run the place, you know it is not that simple.
You have:
– Dozens of sites pulling power at the same time
– A mix of 30 amp and 50 amp pedestals
– Old infrastructure mixed with new sections
– Seasonal spikes when everyone runs air conditioning or electric heaters
– People with very different levels of electrical knowledge
I stayed at a campground last summer where two air conditioners, a microwave, and an electric grill were all running on one loop of sites. It was just waiting to trip. You could feel it. The owner kept apologizing, but the problem was built into the layout, not the guests.
Campground electrical problems usually start in the design and load planning, not at the pedestal where the guest plugs in.
So if you are thinking about upgrades, expansion, or just trying to stop nuisance trips, it helps to zoom out and think like a commercial property owner, not just a campground host.
Know your loads before you touch a breaker
If there is one habit that separates stable campgrounds from chaotic ones, it is this: they know what their system can handle, in real numbers.
RV sites have pretty predictable power needs on paper:
– 30 amp sites are usually 120 volts
– 50 amp sites are usually 120/240 volts
But real life is messy. Guests bring:
– Space heaters
– Electric grills
– Dehumidifiers
– Multiple air conditioners
– Battery chargers and power tools
A full campground during a heat wave can push your system close to the edge without warning.
Do a real load calculation, not a guess
If you built your park years ago, your original plans might be out of date. You might also be running more big rigs now than you did before.
Key things to look at:
- Main service size in amps
- Total number of 30 amp sites
- Total number of 50 amp sites
- Common loads like bathhouses, laundry, kitchen, pool pumps, office
- Future expansion you are thinking about
You do not need to do all the math yourself, but you need someone who actually understands commercial load calculations, not just house wiring.
If your campground grows but your main service does not, you are basically building problems into every busy weekend.
30 amp vs 50 amp sites: plan for how guests really use them
Most campgrounds end up with a mix of 30 and 50 amp sites. The ratio you choose changes everything from your wiring size to your guest satisfaction.
Different rigs, different expectations
– Smaller trailers and older RVs: often 30 amp
– Larger fifth wheels and Class A rigs: usually 50 amp
So if your park attracts bigger rigs, but you only have a few 50 amp sites, you get:
– Constant site requests and swaps
– Upset guests when breakers trip
– People using adapters and putting 50 amp rigs on 30 amp pedestals
Adapters are common. They are not always safe. A 50 amp RV trying to live on a 30 amp feed will push that circuit hard. You cannot completely stop guests from doing it, but you can design your system so that it is not fragile.
Think in terms of sections, not individual sites
Rather than looking at each pedestal on its own, think in chunks:
– How many sites share one panel
– How far those panels are from the main service
– How voltage drop behaves on long runs
If you put a bunch of 50 amp sites at the very end of a long feeder run with marginal wire size, you will see low voltage, lights dimming, and equipment stress. That is not always obvious on a drawing, but you will definitely hear about it from guests.
Grounding and bonding that does not cut corners
Grounding is not glamorous. No one books a campground because it has great grounding. They just expect that if something goes wrong, they will not get shocked.
Still, too many older campgrounds have:
– Loose or missing ground wires
– Corroded connections inside pedestals
– Bonding problems between panels and metal structures
These issues are hard to see, which is why they linger.
Good grounding rarely gets praise, but bad grounding will be the first thing an inspector or injured guest looks at after something goes wrong.
If you work with an electrician, ask direct questions:
– How is the system grounded at the main service
– How is bonding handled between panels, pedestals, and metal water lines
– When were the last ground resistance tests done
You do not need to be an expert, but you should not be in the dark either.
Pedestal design: small details that make a big difference
The pedestal is where your world meets the guest’s world. If that connection is weak, worn, or confusing, you feel it every weekend.
Here are the main details to think about.
Weather and corrosion protection
Campgrounds deal with rain, mud, dust, and sometimes salty air. Over a few seasons:
– Lids crack or fall off
– Gaskets fail
– Contacts rust or pit
– Labels fade
Once moisture and dirt get into the receptacles, you see more heat buildup and more tripping. In some cases, plugs can weld or melt into the outlet under heavy load.
Pick pedestals with:
– Proper weatherproof covers
– Durable materials, not the cheapest thin metal you can find
– Clear labeling for 30 amp vs 50 amp vs 20 amp outlets
And have someone walk the sites on a regular schedule just to look at:
– Loose outlets
– Broken covers
– Warm receptacles after heavy use
Warm to the touch is not always a crisis, but if it feels hot, something is wrong.
Cable management at each site
Guests are not thinking about your cable routing. They plug in wherever it reaches. If you place pedestals in awkward spots, you get:
– Power cords stretched across roads or walkways
– Cords under vehicles and trip hazards
– Extra extension cords added on
If you plan or rework a section of your park, stand in the site like you are a guest. Where would you park, where would your door be, where would the shortest, safest cord run land. It sounds simple, but a lot of layouts clearly did not go through that kind of basic test.
Lighting and common area power that supports actual use
People rarely talk about electrical until it annoys them. Lighting is a clear example.
You want enough lighting to:
– Make roads and paths visible
– Help guests plug in or disconnect at night
– Keep bathhouses and laundry safe
But some parks go overboard and end up with bright, harsh lighting that kills the camping feel.
Finding a balanced approach
Instead of flooding everything with light, think about:
– Focused lighting near steps, hookups, and doors
– Lower height fixtures near paths
– Timers or motion sensors in less used areas
From an electrical point of view, modern LED lighting reduces load, but you still need to size and protect those circuits correctly, just like any other.
If your bathhouse, office, laundry, and store are on the same panel, plan for worst case. Think busy Sunday morning with:
– Washers and dryers all running
– Lights on
– Water heaters pulling power
– Maybe a small kitchen in use
A commercial electrician can help separate or rebalance these loads so that one heavy-use area does not drag everything else down.
Table: core electrical elements in an RV campground
| Area | What it involves | Common problems | Practical checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main service | Utility connection, main disconnect, main panels | Undersized for peak season, aging equipment | Have load calculations reviewed and panels inspected |
| Feeder runs | Cables from main panels to subpanels / site groups | Voltage drop, undersized conductors, damage | Check voltage at distant sites under load |
| Pedestals | 30/50 amp outlets, breakers, weatherproofing | Corrosion, loose terminals, broken covers | Inspect visually every season, feel for hot spots |
| Grounding / bonding | Ground rods, bonds between metal systems | Corroded connections, missing bonds | Ask for periodic testing and documentation |
| Common buildings | Bathhouses, laundry, office, store | Shared circuits, overloaded panels | Map which loads are on which breakers |
| Lighting | Roadway, site, path, security lighting | Unbalanced loads, poor placement | Walk the park at night and note dark or harsh spots |
Why working with commercial electricians matters for campgrounds
RV campgrounds feel casual, but the power system is not a casual system. It behaves more like a small commercial property with heavy seasonal spikes.
Residential electricians can be very skilled, but they often focus on:
– Houses and small apartments
– Simple panel upgrades
– Limited number of large loads
A campground has:
– Dozens or hundreds of similar, high-demand hookups
– Shared infrastructure across a large area
– Voltage drop challenges
– Many untrained users plugging in and unplugging every day
That is closer to a small marina, hotel, or RV park than a single home.
When you talk to an electrician about your campground, ask about:
– Their experience with RV parks, marinas, or similar properties
– How they handle load calculations across many similar units
– How they plan for voltage drop over long cable runs
– Their familiarity with local code for campgrounds and outdoor wiring
If the conversation stays at “we can swap some breakers and it should be fine”, that might not be enough for a growing park.
Maintenance that actually fits the camping season
Most campground problems show up at the worst possible time. Full park, holiday weekend, 95 degrees, everyone cranky.
You cannot remove all risk, but you can tilt the odds.
Off-season is your best friend
Plan your bigger electrical work for:
– Late fall after peak season
– Early spring before things get busy
During those windows, you can:
– Shut down sections of the park without drama
– Replace panels and feeders
– Upgrade pedestals and wiring
– Add new sections cleanly
Create a simple list, not something huge or grand:
- Which panels are older or overloaded
- Which pedestal rows give the most trouble
- Which areas guests complain about most
Then prioritize based on risk, not just what is cheapest or most visible.
What to check each year
You do not need a giant checklist, but a few basics go a long way:
- Walk every site and open each pedestal door
- Look for rust, insect nests, loose or broken parts
- Test random outlets with a simple tester for hot/neutral/ground issues
- Listen for buzzing breakers under load
- Label or relabel panels and breakers where needed
You can do the obvious visual checks yourself. Deeper testing and corrections belong to a licensed electrician.
Guest behavior: set clear rules and expectations
You cannot control what every camper does, but you can guide them enough to protect your system.
Common guest behaviors that cause trouble:
– Using cheap or damaged 30 amp or 50 amp cords
– Running space heaters on general purpose outlets
– Running multiple air conditioners on a 30 amp site
– Using undersized extension cords for heavy loads
– Plugging into random outlets intended for maintenance
You do not need a lecture at check in, but a small, clear information sheet or sign helps.
What to tell guests, in plain language
You might include:
- Which outlets at the pedestal are for RV use only
- Advice to avoid extra extension cords for high loads
- Reminder that repeated tripping usually means overloading
- Request that they report hot outlets or burning smells right away
Some guests will ignore it, but many will follow it if written simply.
You could also add a short line on your website or booking materials about your power system, just so expectations are set. For example, something honest like:
“Most of our sites have 50 amp service. Please match your rig’s power needs to your site when you book, or ask us if you are not sure.”
Planning upgrades when you want to grow
If you are thinking about adding sites, upgrading to more 50 amp pedestals, or building new buildings, your electrical choices early in the process ripple out over years.
Ask bigger questions before you dig
Before you trench, think about:
– How many more sites you really want in the next 5 to 10 years
– Whether your current main service can handle that growth
– Which areas guests prefer and why
– Where it is easiest to bring new feeders from existing panels
Sometimes adding 10 sites in a convenient but electrically weak area causes more headaches than adding 8 sites in a place that lines up better with your system.
Future proofing a little bit
You do not need to go overboard, but it is often smart to:
– Use conduit that allows adding or replacing conductors later
– Run spare conduit for future low voltage lines like internet or lighting
– Size panels with some room to grow rather than filling every space on day one
Thinking ahead a bit can keep future projects from forcing you to tear up the same ground twice.
Safety, liability, and peace of mind
No one likes to think about accidents, but campgrounds mix power, water, children, pets, and wet ground. So electrical safety is not just a code question. It is also a liability and reputation question.
Potential risks include:
– Shock hazards from bad grounding or worn outlets
– Fire hazards from overloaded circuits or corroded connections
– Damage to guest RVs from low voltage or miswired pedestals
Most of these problems grow slowly. They do not appear overnight, which is why regular inspections matter.
If something serious ever does happen, investigators will look at:
– Whether your system was built and maintained to code
– Whether you addressed known problems in a reasonable time
– Whether you used licensed professionals for major work
You do not need perfection, but you should be able to show that you take the electrical side of the campground as seriously as you take cleaning bathhouses or managing reservations.
Common electrical headaches at campgrounds and practical ways to reduce them
Let us look at a few everyday problems and what usually helps.
Problem: breakers keep tripping on busy weekends
Likely causes:
– Circuits or panels overloaded relative to actual load
– Too many high demand sites on one feeder
– Old or weak breakers
Possible steps:
- Have an electrician check real loads during peak use
- Split high demand sites across more panels if possible
- Replace breakers that are failing or underrated
Problem: guests complain about low voltage
Likely causes:
– Long wire runs with undersized conductors
– Too many loads at the end of a feeder
– Aging connections increasing resistance
Possible steps:
- Measure voltage at several sites under real load
- Rebalance loads across feeders
- Upgrade conductor size on long runs when you do other work
Problem: frequent outlet damage or melted plugs
Likely causes:
– Loose internal connections causing heat
– Corrosion inside receptacles
– Guests wiggling or forcing plugs into worn outlets
Possible steps:
- Inspect and replace worn receptacles regularly
- Use commercial grade devices rated for RV loads
- Check torque on terminal screws during scheduled maintenance
Bringing it back to the camping experience
At the end of the day, your guests mostly care about:
– A quiet, comfortable night
– Power that works when they need it
– No surprises when they run their gear
Reliable electrical service supports all of that quietly in the background.
I sometimes think of it like this, even if that sounds a bit dry: the more reliable your power, the less anyone thinks about your power. They remember the shade, the trails, the clean showers, the friendly staff. They do not remember flipping a breaker at 11 pm in the rain.
So when you look at your campground wish list for the next couple of years, ask yourself:
Are your electrical plans keeping up with your hiking trails, new cabins, glamping sites, and online booking upgrades, or are they quietly falling behind
Quick Q&A to wrap things up
Q: How often should I have a professional inspection of my campground electrical system?
A: A full inspection every 3 to 5 years is a reasonable target for many parks, with lighter annual checks in between. If you have frequent issues now, or you are planning expansion, you might need more attention in the short term.
Q: Do I really need 50 amp service at most sites?
A: Not always. It depends on your guests. If you mainly host smaller trailers, 30 amp might be fine. If you want to attract bigger rigs, more 50 amp sites help. A mix is often best, but the electrical system needs to be planned around whatever mix you choose.
Q: Is it worth upgrading old pedestals if they still sort of work?
A: If “sort of” includes signs of heat, corrosion, or frequent tripping, yes, it is usually worth it. Newer pedestals with proper weather protection and solid connections reduce both daily headaches and long term risk, even if the old ones have not failed completely yet.
Q: What is one simple step I can take this month without a big project?
A: Walk every site on a busy day and feel the pedestals and cords. Listen for buzzing, look for damaged covers, and note any sites with repeated problems. That short walk gives you a very real starting point for your next electrical conversation.
