Dealing with Utilities (Electric Power)

What do I need to know about temporary electrical connections?

  1. Connection to the power grid is required.
  2. A 15 or 20 amp connection with a 10 gauge cord, less than 100 feet from a weatherproof power connection is acceptable TEMPORARILY. (These cords are 3/4 of an inch diameter.)
  3. A 30 amp connection is required for extended occupancy beyond 30 days in most locations. (Some municipalities accept generators or renewables like solar.)
  4. This link to our RV Electric Usage Guide (LINK COMING SOON) will provide guidance calculating your power usage and explaining the difference between the 15 and 30 amp connections.

I want to use a generator. What advice do you have?

Generators are wonderful for emergency power, but safety and noise are factors with their use.

Beyond the first 3-4 months, we do not endorse the use of on-board RV generators due to noise and smell, unless you have a lot of space with your neighbors.  Another important fact is that generators are not designed for long-term daily use, which may lead to maintenance problems.

If you use generators:

  1. Be mindful of hours of operation because sometimes they are noisy. Mutual consideration is encouraged, if no other option is possible, with quiet hours between 11pm and 7am.
  2. Never connect a portable generator directly to your building’s wiring system. (Professionally manufactured RVs are OK, if they have a power management system which most do, because they are designed to not feed power back into the grid.)
  3. Your generator must ALWAYS be fixed to a surface. If not, the vibrations can cause it to walk and it may start a fire!

For more information on generator safety, visit the information on this topic provided by PG&E.