How to Wire an RV to a 220-Volt Plug
Unless your recreational vehicle (RV) is designed for use in certain European and Asian countries, in Africa or in the Middle East, plugging it directly into a 220-volt outlet can be dangerous. The "house" circuits of all RVs manufactured in the United States for domestic use are wired and equipped for 120 volts only. Because of the high amperage rating of the circuit breakers protecting 220-volt outlets, such as those designed for dryers and stoves, only plug your RV into these receptacles once you have stepped down the voltage with a continuous-use transformer.
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Instructions
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Check whether a continuous-use transformer, colloquially called a step-down voltage transformer, a step-down converter or a voltage converter would serve your purposes. These types of transformers turn 220-volt power into 120-volt power, typically to enable the use of American appliances in foreign countries. Available in sizes from 100 to 5,000 watts, they come with a plug-in cord, while you must hard-wire larger sizes into their supply. Manufacturers recommend the transformer be capable of twice the nominal wattage expected at peak demand. A 200-watt converter should power a household hairdryer adequately.
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Check and note down the product information stamp, sticker or embossed plate on every appliance. You should find a W-value for its wattage, or an A-value for its amperage. Total up all the wattages. If the appliance has no W-rating printed on it, calculate the wattage by multiply its voltage by its amps; our household hair dryer using 1.8 watts on 110 volts would need a 200-watt converter (1.8 x 110 = 200).
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Calculate the maximum peak load a transformer serving your RV would need to supply: Add together all the W-values of all appliances and equipment you might use simultaneously.
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Purchase a step-down transformer that exceeds the total peak demand by a factor of 100 percent. Many appliances, ranging from small appliances such as a computer printer to medium-size appliances such as a microwave oven to heavy equipment such as a roof air conditioner, use two or three times their stared wattage in an initialization surge -- colloquially called a "spike."
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Tips & Warnings
A television spikes at five times its nominal use wattage.
Electricity is delivered at 60-hertz (or cycles), while most 220-volt electricity elsewhere in the world is delivered at 50-Hertz. A step-down transformer decreases the voltage but does not affect the cycles, although this difference would leave most appliances unaffected.
The 220-volt power in other countries is single-phase, while 220-volt power in the United States is three-phase. A step-down transformer that decreases the voltage but does not affect the phasing would damage your RV.
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