An RV without full power is like a hot air balloon without a gondola: What’s the use of it? For RV owners, especially those with high-powered rigs, finding a place at home to the plugin can be difficult.
But what about the 50 amp rig owners? How can you charge an RV from home? “Can I Plug My 50 Amp RV Into My Dryer Outlet?”
The short answer is NO! The long answer also happens to be NO!
Why is this? This article will show you why it’s never a good idea to attempt to use your dryer outlet as a charge port for your RV. Our experience and expertise have earned the trust of our many readers and we truly appreciate them. Let’s find out more below!
Is There a Difference Between an RV and Dryer Plug?
Even though they may look similar to each other, you definitely don’t want to plug your RV into a dryer receptacle. Each of these plugs is designed to do different things
Plugging in an RV to a dryer outlet will result in major complications and possibly damage to your household and RV electrical systems.
It all has to do with voltage, amps, and wattage. Household power systems are totally different from RV systems. We will talk about each one in our Volts, AMPS, and Watts section further below.
Also Read: Can You Hook up a 30-Amp RV to a 50-Amp?
Can’t I Just Plug My RV Into My Dryer Outlet? What’s the Big Deal?
No, you cannot plug your RV into a dryer outlet. There is not enough amperage coming from the dryer outlet to service the RV. Plus, you risk damaging your home and RV electrical systems by plugging your RV into a dryer outlet.
Regular homes and RVs operate on totally different voltage and amp levels. The voltage coming from a standard house is 240 Volts. RVs use a 120 Volt power supply for their systems. So they are not compatible.
The plugs on these devices are much larger than a standard 120 Volt plug. Homes normally use a 30 Amp power supply.
What’s With Volts, Amps, and Watts? And What Do These Have To Do With the 50 Amp RV?
Voltage
Dryers and other large appliances need a lot of power to operate correctly. In the case of a dryer, they normally need 240 Volts to run. A regular house contains many more large appliances than you can typically fit into an RV, hence the need for a more powerful and permanent solution.
RVs on the other hand mostly run off of a 120 Volt system. This system is thought to be plenty for an RV to power whatever it needs to, including some larger appliances.
120 Volt systems may seem like a lot, and it is, but an RV needs to be extremely flexible in what it can power all at once, hence the need for a large amount of voltage.
Watts
A typical home can provide anywhere between 5000 to 7000 Watts of power. Homes need this much because their occupants should never have to expect to run out of power for their devices.
A typical RV can generate between 2000 to 4000 Watts of power, depending on the model of RV and any types of modifications that were indeed such as Solar panels, etc.
This is normally more than enough for an RV, since you cannot put in as many appliances and plugins as many devices as a normal home.
AMPS
Although RVs can come in 30 AMP and 50 AMP varieties, for the sake of this article we will be focusing on 50 AMP systems.
Regular homes normally have 30 AMP electrical systems built into them. Don’ let the number fool you, as 30 AMPS is more than powerful enough to run what you need to without any problems.
An RV with a 50 AMP system is not compatible with a dryer outlet. This is because a normal home dryer only needs a 30 AMP system to work.
Even if you could plug in A 50 AMP RV into your home dryer outlet, you’d never be able to draw enough power to charge your RV batteries.
Also Read: Best Generator for a 50-amp RV in 2021
Basically, if you plug a 50 AMP RV into a 30 AMP dryer plug, you are just begging for trouble. You could easily damage the power supply on both your RV and your home if you do this.
Can I Use the 220 Volt Outlet for My Welder To Run My RV?
Can you use a 220-volt outlet for a Welder to power your RV? Unfortunately no, you cannot do that.
You have to remember that your RV runs on a 120 Volt electrical system. You would possibly burn out your RV electrical system if you tried to do that. This would cause much electrical damage and even more frustration.
Conclusion
Caring for your RV is important. It’s not just what you do when it’s not being used but also what you do before you turn it on and how you do it.
We hope the above article about “ Can I Plug My 50 Amp RV Into My Dryer Outlet?” has helped explain why you should never try to plug your RV directly into your home’s electrical system.
Getting with an electrician will be your best bet. They can install the proper adapter you’ll need to plug your RV into your home with no problems.