Des Moines electrician tips for safe RV and campsite power

I am going to walk through how an electrician looks at RV and campsite power, step by step. Some of this may feel basic. Some will feel fussy or overcautious. That is fine. With electricity, being a little fussy is not a bad thing.

Why RV and campsite power is not as simple as “plug and play”

At home, your electrical system is mostly stable. You use the same panel every day. If something is wrong, you probably notice. At a campground, you roll up to a random pedestal that might have been installed last year or 30 years ago.

That pedestal has had hundreds of RVs plugged into it. Heavy cords have dragged on it, weather has beaten it, and sometimes people have done “creative” repairs. I have seen tape where there should be a cover, rust on the breaker handle, and outlets so loose the plug almost falls out on its own.

RV and campsite power is temporary, shared, and often old. Treat it with more suspicion than your home outlets.

Here are a few reasons campground power can be tricky:

• Wiring might not be up to current code.
• Grounding can be weak or missing.
• Voltage can swing up or down when large rigs turn things on.
• Outlets may be damaged by heat, moisture, or simple wear.
• Some campgrounds run long wire runs that drop voltage under heavy load.

None of that means you need to be afraid of plugging in. It just means you need a routine, like you do for hitching up a trailer or checking your brakes before a mountain pass.

Step one: test before you plug in

Most people back in, hop out, grab the RV cord, and plug in immediately. That is the part where an electrician would slow down and pull a tester out of their pocket.

Simple tools that make a big difference

You do not need a truck full of equipment. A few simple tools cover most cases:

If you only buy one add-on, many electricians would say a quality RV surge protector with EMS (Electrical Management System) is the place to start. Those devices are not perfect, but they catch the big, common problems.

Quick campsite power check routine

When you pull into a site, try a short routine like this before you ever plug your RV cord into the pedestal:

1. Look at the pedestal.
   • Is the cover broken or missing?
   • Do you see rust, burn marks, or melted plastic?
   • Does it feel loose or wobbly if you gently touch it?
2. Make sure the breaker for your outlet is off.
3. Plug your surge protector into the pedestal outlet.
   • Turn the breaker on.
   • Let the device run through its checks.
4. Check the display or lights.
   • If it shows bad wiring, low/high voltage, or open ground, stop.
   • Do not “just try it” to see if things still work.
5. If all looks good, turn the breaker off again, then connect your RV cord to the surge protector and then flip the breaker back on.

Never plug or unplug your RV cord with the breaker on. Turn it off first, plug in, then turn it on.

This small habit reduces arcing at the plug and extends the life of the outlet and your cord. It also gives you one more chance to notice if something looks off.

30 amp vs 50 amp vs “just a household plug”

RV electrical hookups can be confusing. The shapes look similar, but what they deliver is very different. A mistake here can burn things up fast.

Basic RV hookup types

A lot of trouble comes when people treat 50 amp service like “twice as much 120 volt power on one hot leg.” It is not that. It is two separate 120 volt hot legs that are 240 volts apart. An RV wired for 50 amps expects that split. When a pedestal is miswired and sends 240 volts in a way the RV does not expect, things fail quickly.

Why “dogbone” adapters can be risky

Adapters are common. You see 30 to 50 amp, 50 to 30 amp, 15 to 30, and so on. They are useful, but they do not magically give you more capacity.

• 30 amp RV plugged into 15/20 amp outlet: You are limited to 15 or 20 amps safely, no matter what your RV can draw.
• 50 amp RV plugged into 30 amp outlet: You now have only 30 amps total. You need to manage what is on.
• “Cheater” adapters that use two 30 amp outlets to feed a 50 amp RV: Avoid these. They can cause odd problems and are often not allowed.

An adapter changes the shape of the plug, not the capacity of the power source.

If you find yourself stacking adapters, pause and ask yourself why. When an electrician sees more than one adapter in a chain, they start to wonder what problem is being hidden instead of fixed.

Managing your RV power load without guesswork

A big cause of tripped breakers and overheated cords is simple overload. Especially in hot weather when everyone wants to run air conditioning, microwave, and water heater at the same time.

Know your big power users

Each RV is different, but some appliances are always heavy hitters. Here is a rough guide:

On a 30 amp site, you can see how easy it is to hit the limit with just two big items running at the same time. It is not that the breaker is “weak”. It is just doing its job.

Simple habits for load management

A few habits help you stay below your limits:

• Run one heavy appliance at a time on 30 amp service. For example, turn the AC fan to “on” instead of “auto” when using the microwave so the startup surge is lower.
• Use propane for water heating and fridge if your electrical capacity is tight.
• Avoid using space heaters on shared circuits with other big items.
• If you run a portable AC unit or extra heater, plug it into a separate, correctly sized circuit, not a daisy chained strip.

I have met a few campers who swear they can “feel” when they are close to tripping a breaker. I am not that confident in human senses. A small plug-in meter that shows total amps is a more reliable judge than a hunch.

Cords, extensions, and why size and length matter

Many RV power problems start outside the RV, in the cord lying on the ground. Heat, damage, and voltage drop often trace back to a cable that is too small for the load or is coiled up tightly.

Use proper RV cables, not random household cords

Heavy RV cords are made with thick conductors and insulation for high loads. Those bright orange or yellow household extension cords that are thin and light are not meant for long-term heavy current.

• Check the wire gauge on any extension. For RV use, 10 AWG is normal for 30 amp, 6 or 8 AWG for 50 amp.
• If you do use an extension, keep it as short as possible.
• Uncoil the cord fully when in use so heat can escape.

Here is a rough guide for 30 amp service extensions:

Electricians tend to be picky about wire size because we have seen what overheated cords look and smell like. It is not dramatic like in movies, but it is not pleasant either.

Visible cord checks you can do fast

Before you plug in your RV cord, run your eyes and hands along it:

• Look for cuts, nicks, or squashed spots.
• Check both ends for cracks, melted plastic, or discoloration around the blades.
• Once you have been on power for a while, feel the plug and the pedestal outlet. Warm is normal. Hot enough that you cannot keep your hand on it is not.

If you find a spot that is hot or brittle, replace the cord or plug head. I know it is tempting to tape it and “use it for one more trip,” but that is how small damage turns into melted plastic or worse.

Grounding, GFCI, and “tingles” you should not ignore

Many campers have felt that light tingle when touching an RV door handle with bare feet on wet ground. Some people shrug it off. Electricians do not shrug that off.

What that tingle usually means

That tingle can mean your RV has become slightly energized, often called a “hot skin” condition. There is some voltage between the metal skin of the RV and the earth.

Common causes include:

• Open or missing ground at the pedestal.
• Neutral and ground bonded together inside the RV in a way they should not be.
• Faulty appliance leaking current to the RV chassis.
• Damaged cord where hot wire touches metal parts.

A GFCI outlet or breaker should trip when even a small leakage happens, but not all campground circuits have GFCI protection, especially older ones.

If you ever feel a tingle when touching your RV, stop and treat it as a wiring fault, not just an annoyance.

What to do if you feel a tingle

A simple reaction plan could be:

• Disconnect shore power at the pedestal.
• Unplug the RV cord from the pedestal.
• Check the pedestal with a tester or ask the campground to inspect it.
• Test your RV on a known good circuit later, or have an electrician check for leakage or incorrect neutral/ground bonding.

I know it feels like a hassle when you just want to relax. But that small shock is the body telling you something is not right. Listening to it is better than arguing with the laws of physics.

Generators at camp: courtesy and safety

Many hikers and campers like spots without hookups. That often means a generator if you want air conditioning or heavy power use. Generator use can be done safely and politely, or it can wreck the peace of a quiet site.

Electrician view of small generators

From an electrical angle, a few points stand out:

• Size the generator to your needs. Running a generator at or near its maximum for hours is hard on it.
• Use the correct RV-to-generator cord. Do not backfeed a household outlet with a “suicide” cord.
• Grounding with portable generators is a bit technical. Many are “floating neutral” by design. Your RV surge protector manual will usually explain how to handle this.
• Always run generators outside, far from windows and doors, to avoid carbon monoxide buildup.

I have seen people move a generator closer to the RV to avoid annoying neighbors, then end up with fumes drifting inside. In that case, I think a quiet, inverter style generator and limited run times are a better fix than creeping the machine closer to your bed.

Inside the RV: panel, breakers, and outlets

The pedestal and cord are only half the story. Your RV panel, wiring, and outlets also need some attention from time to time.

Know your breaker layout

Spend a few minutes with your panel cover open and a small label maker or a pen. Many RVs leave the circuits half labeled, or labels are vague like “general outlets.”

• Turn off all loads, then turn on one circuit at a time.
• Walk through the RV and see what each breaker controls.
• Label them in plain words that you will understand years later.

This helps when something trips in the middle of the night. Instead of flipping all breakers randomly, you can go straight to the right one.

Common RV wiring issues an electrician looks for

Most RV owners are not pulling new wire through walls. But you can still spot signs of trouble:

• Outlets that feel loose when you plug something in.
• Faceplates that are warm under normal use.
• Lights that dim sharply when a large appliance starts.
• GFCI outlets that trip often without a clear cause.

Some RVs use “quick connect” style outlets with small metal prongs that pierce the wire insulation. These save time at the factory. They are also more prone to loose connections after years of vibration on rough roads.

If you are comfortable, an upgrade to standard screw-terminal residential style outlets can be helpful. If not, this is a job where getting a qualified electrician or RV tech involved makes sense.

Rain, snow, and wet sites

Many of the best hiking and camping trips happen in less than perfect weather. Wet sites, puddles, and snow around the pedestal change the risk picture a bit.

Working with wet conditions

A few simple habits help:

• Keep connections off the ground using a stand or even a sturdy box.
• Make sure cord connections are under a drip loop, so water runs off, not into, the plug.
• Do not leave open adapters or splitters lying in puddles.
• Use covers on outdoor outlets if you plug anything in outside the RV.

I have seen people wrap connections in plastic bags and tape. That sometimes traps moisture instead of keeping it out. It looks safe, but inside the bag you often get condensation, which is not what you want around live conductors.

When to call in a professional instead of guessing

Some campers feel they should be able to fix everything themselves, from wheel bearings to electrical faults. I think that is a bit unrealistic, especially with power. There is a line where trial and error becomes a bad idea.

Situations where it is better to call a qualified electrician or RV tech include:

• Repeated breaker trips with no clear load cause.
• Burning smell from panel, outlets, or cord ends.
• Visible arcing or sparking at connections.
• Persistent tingling shocks around the RV even after basic checks.
• Evidence of melted insulation or darkened bus bars in the panel.

If you are traveling far from home, this can be tricky. Some campgrounds have local contacts. Some larger towns near popular parks have mobile RV techs. In a city like Des Moines or similar mid sized areas, a residential or commercial electrician often has the skills to track down RV electrical problems too, as long as they are familiar with RV panels and split phase arrangements.

Basic RV power checklist before each trip

Before you head out, you probably have a tire and brake routine. Adding a brief electrical checklist helps too. Nothing complex, just the basics:

• Inspect your main RV cord for damage.
• Verify your surge protector works and is not cracked or melted.
• Test a few interior outlets with a plug-in tester.
• Press the “test” and “reset” buttons on GFCI outlets.
• Make sure no DIY wiring projects are left half finished.

This sort of quick check catches a lot of problems before you are at a remote site with limited help.

Small habits that make campsite power safer

Most of what an electrician would tell an RV owner is not fancy. It is small habits that stack up.

• Turn breakers off before plugging or unplugging.
• Test the pedestal every time, even if you stayed at the same site last month.
• Do not overload 30 amp service just because everything “seems to work.”
• Fix damaged cords instead of ignoring them.
• Treat any shock or tingle as a real warning.

These are not dramatic changes. But they shift you from “I hope the power is fine” to “I checked, and I know the basics are in good shape.” That is a different mindset.

Safe RV power is not about fancy gear or perfect conditions. It is about a routine, a few good tools, and not ignoring warning signs.

Questions campers often ask electricians about RV power

Q: Can I run my RV air conditioner on a regular household outlet at home?

A: Sometimes, but carefully. A typical household outlet is on a 15 or 20 amp circuit. If your RV is plugged into that with an adapter, you need to keep loads low. Often that means running either the AC or other big appliances, not both. The circuit wiring in your house may not be sized for long, full-load operation to a distant outdoor outlet. A dedicated 30 amp RV outlet, installed by a qualified electrician, is a much better long term solution.

Q: Is a cheap surge strip from a hardware store enough protection for my RV?

A: Not really. Power strips are built for small electronics indoors. RV surge protectors with EMS are built for the kinds of problems that happen at pedestals: low voltage, open neutral, reversed polarity. They cost more, but they also give you more useful protection. A power strip is not a substitute for a real RV surge protector at the pedestal.

Q: My breaker at the pedestal keeps tripping, but the one inside the RV does not. What does that mean?

A: That often points to a total load that is right at or a bit above the pedestal breaker rating, or a weak pedestal breaker that has seen a lot of use. It can also mean there is corrosion or a loose connection at the pedestal creating heat. Try reducing your load first: turn off one AC, water heater on electric, or other large appliances. If it still trips often at modest loads, ask the campground to inspect or move you to another site.

Q: Is it safe to leave my RV plugged in all season at a campsite?

A: Many people do this without trouble, but it depends on the quality of the pedestal, your cord, and your RV. For long term stays, make sure your cord is fully supported, connections are under cover, and you check for heat or discoloration every so often. A good surge protector is even more helpful in that case, because you are exposed to storms and transient power issues for a longer period.

Q: What is one upgrade that makes the biggest safety difference for RV power?

A: If I had to pick one common upgrade, I would probably say a quality surge protector with EMS at the pedestal, used every time. It does not replace basic checks, but it covers several major failure modes that are hard to see with just your eyes. Some would argue a full panel inspection and outlet upgrade in an older RV is even more important. Honestly, both matter, but for most travelers the surge protector is the simplest starting point.

What part of your RV electrical setup worries you the most right now, and what small step are you actually willing to take before your next trip to make it safer?