Can You Run RV AC on 110V? Is It Worthy?

An RV AC is one of the must-needed items for an RV, especially in terms of hot summer trips. Keeping yourself cool in such hot weather is very important as you definitely don’t want the intense heat to get in the way of having an enjoyable experience. And when it comes to RV AC, many RVers have common confusion among them about if they can run their AC on 110V power.

To clarify, you can most likely run your RV AC on 110V. The simple reason is most RV ACs are made in a way that they can run on traditional household electrical circuits that supply 110 to 120V of power. To know more about this topic, stick to the post till the end.

Is It Possible to Run RV AC on 110V?

Yes, it’s quite possible to run RV AC on 110V as long as it’s compatible with this many volts. But there’s one thing you should know, you won’t be able to make use of other appliances that run with the same power while using your RV AC. This is because 110V power converts to 15 amps and RV AC utilizes 13.5 amps. Therefore, you can’t use the same wattage devices altogether.

In an RV, devices like TV, fridge, AC, microwaves, etc are always powered by the AC current. This AC electrical system is maintained by an external power source. It can be a shore power, an RV park, or a house. For your information, while getting power from a house, make sure to use an adapter.

An adapter plays an important role while balancing the amps to get the required one to overcome some problems. One of them is power circuit overloading. Yet most RV ACs depend on 13.5 amps, some tend to use 18 and 16 amps while starting and running the RV respectively. When such overloading occurs, the circuit breaker trips and shuts down the whole power circuit.

And if the power circuit lacks a circuit breaker, the consequences can be more severe. There’ll be overheating that’ll melt the wire’s insulation and in the worst-case scenario, catch a fire. That’s why it’s highly recommended not to run devices that consume more than 80% of the available current while using 110V power. Lastly, it’s better to ensure that the circuit powering your RV AC is capable of handling the electrical load.

(FAQs) Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Can my RV AC run on the generator? 

Yes, it surely can. The generator works the same as the shore power and supplies AC power. It’s true that average generators can’t afford more power than shore power. But the generators that come with more watts can provide you power similar to shore power. 

Can I run RV AC while on a move? 

Yes, you can. There shouldn’t be any problem running your RV AC while driving regardless of the AC type. Just remember one thing – RV roof AC consumes more power, meaning it’ll cost more gas compared to the non-driving state. On the other hand, dash AC won’t be problematic at all. 

Can a 110V RV AC run on 220V? 

No, a 110V RV AC must not get in touch with a 220V power supply. The 110V and 220V are respected to 15 and 20 amps. And you already know that most RV AV units use 13.5 amps with is nearly corresponded to 15 amps. That means 110V RV AC is perfect for 110V power. But when you try to connect it to a higher voltage like 220V, the amperage will also be increased, causing overloading which can be dangerous for your power circuit.

Conclusion

To conclude, you can definitely run an RV AC on a 110V power supply if the AC is specially designed for 110V, except for higher voltage. It’s better to check the AC manual to see what power supply your AC requires including voltage and amperage. If you use RV shore power or RV park as your power source, you won’t need any adapter. You’ll only require it while using a household power source. Let us know if you find this post helpful and if you have any more queries, mention that too.