If you’re looking to purchase a new RV or find out what type of electrical system is already in place, you may want to know the answer to the question, “is my camper 30 amp or 50 amp.” If so, this article should be of help. You’d think that since most RVs are advertised as 30 amp, that this would be the norm. Yet, with today's options, it can still be hard to find the correct power source for your RV.

Are you looking to upgrade your camper to 50 amp (or at least want to know what's the difference between 30 amp and 50 amp)? Then this is the blog post for you! I'm going to save you some time and tell you everything you need to know.

How do you know if your camper is 30 amp or 50 amp?

If you are a new RVer, it is important to understand the difference between 30 and 50 amps because if you show up to a campground that does not have an electrical service that matches what your RV requires, you will not be able to hook up to their electricity supply. There are a couple of ways to find out whether your RV is 30 or 50 amps.

• Check Your Electrical Service Panel

Open up the electrical service panel on your camper. This is usually located in the main living area and will have large breakers for each of the various systems in your camper (this may include lights, air conditioning, furnace, microwave oven, refrigerator and stereo). On each of these breakers there should be a number that indicates how many amps they require.

You can also look at the electrical box located outside of your camper near where you connect to the power source. The size of the wires coming out of this box indicates whether it is 30 or 50 amps. If you see one thick wire, it is most likely 30 amps (this is typically 10 gauge wire) whereas two thick wires means it is probably 50 amps (typically 6 gauge wire).

• Other way to check your amperage

The other way is by checking the power requirements of all of your appliances on board and adding them together. If the total is less than 3,600 watts (30 amps x 120 volts = 3,600 watts), then you have a 30-amp RV. If the total is over 3,600 watts (and up to 7,200 watts), then you have a 50-amp RV.

• Find Out What Amp Your Camper is By Looking at the Plug

When you are plugging in your camper to the power source, you will either see a 30 amp plug or a 50 amp plug. The 30 amp plug is shaped like a sideways L where the 50 amp plug has 2 angled legs and one straight leg. If you don’t have a plug yet, you can look at the sockets inside your unit. You’ll be able to tell what amp it is by size and shape. A 30 amp socket will be smaller than a 50 amp one. This means that a 30 amp plug will also be smaller than a 50 amp one.

• Find Out What Amp Your Camper is By Turning on the Appliances

If you are unsure of what type of camper you have, there is another way to determine if it is a 30 amp or 50 amp. The best way to do this is by turning on some appliances at the same time. If you turn on your microwave and water heater, your power will go out (if it is a 30 amp camper). However, if your camper is a 50 amp and you turn on the appliances at the same time, they will both be able to run without any problems.

If you find out that your camper is 30 amp, i would suggest getting a 30 amp surge protector, if you have a 50 amp camper, i would suggest a 50 amp surge protector