RV Fridge - Get It Cold & Keep It Cold

Do you find that your RV refrigerator does not keep your food cold enough?  Does your RV fridge have its own unique smell?  Do you know how to chill down a warm RV fridge?
Many of us store our RV in places that do not have electricity for us to keep the fridge plugged in and working all the time or even a few hours before we take off for a fun-filled and safe camping adventure.
So let's talk about the care and feeding of an RV refrigerator.








1.   I hope you do not keep the fridge sealed as tight as a drum during storage.  You need to leave the door cracked open just a bit so that air can move in and out of your fridge. This helps keep the inside of the fridge dry and reduce mold build up.  Did you ever wonder what that slide button on the fridge door is used for? Well to lock the door during travel to be sure but, if you slide the button so that you are locking the fridge door while the door is being held open the slide lock can be used to keep the fridge door from closing during storage. Be sure your fridge is as clean as possible before you close the door on the RV.  Making sure the fridge is clean will help stop the growth of mold inside of the unit.  Also if possible you should use a Naturally Activated Charcoal Odor Absorber like this one; RV Activated Charcoal

RV Activated Charcoal

This little odor eater would hang from a shelf at the back of the fridge to help keep odors out.  You can also use a box of baking soda but that can spill going down the road and make quite a mess. 

2. What can you do to get the fridge colder quicker once you get to the campground or on the way?  You could buy a bag of ice and put it on the top shelf of the fridge next to the silver fins at the back.  You could buy some cheap cold packs That look like this;

Cheap Cold Packs

Freeze them (usually three) and use them in place of the ice.  Very little if any water to clean up.  Or you could get some Zip Lock Heavy Duty Freezer Bags and put ice cubes from your home freezer in them and use them in place of the bought ice. Another idea for an ice pack is to partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dishwashing liquid, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it can be refrozen many times. The frozen Dawn will conform to the place you need an ice pack. Maybe a bit more water to clean up than you would like.
The Nu-Ice Freezer Pack is a  chemical freezer pack capable of maintaining a sub-zero temperature by putting the pack into an insulated environment for up to 96 hours. This is accomplished by first freezing the special pack to initiate the simple chemical reaction within the pack. 

Nu-Ice Freezer Pack

But you could do even better and help the ice or cold pack by adding an RV fridge fan like this one; RV Fridge Fan.

RV Fridge Fan

It uses 2 D cell batteries (be sure to use alkaline type) and will give you 30 days of use before the batteries need to be changed.  It will reduce your fridge cool down time by half. I use one in my TT and it does work. (just be sure to turn it off before storing the rig).

I know some of you are a bit more high tech than a simple battery operated fan inside the fridge and would like something a bit more.  I reference you here; High Tech RV Fridge Fan.

CAUTION:  Do not run your RV Fridge on GAS while going down the road.  Guys this is very dangerous for a lot of reasons and not recommended by anyone in the know that I have talked to.   I am sure someone will tell you that they have done it for years with no problems.  But it only takes one time, of a fire or explosion or both.

3. What else could you do to help your RV fridge?  You could put a fan on the backside of the fridge inside the outside fridge compartment.  I am talking about the outside compartment in the back of the fridge.  There are several types of this kind of fan.  One type uses a thermostat to sense when there is too much heat, inside the outside compartment, thus slowing down cooling, and turns on the fan.  Or there is the DIY system that uses a 12-volt computer fan that comes on whenever power is turned on to the rig (this is what I use).  Let's look at them both, first the thermostat controlled fridge compartment fan; RV Fridge Outside Compartment Fan

 There is some DIY here as well but a lot less than the system that I use.  Follow the link and read some of the user comments to better understand how this system works.

 RV Fridge Outside Compartment Fan

Next, let's take a look at the one I used; 12 Volt Computer Fan

This is a completely DIY project so please remember that.  I found a convenient place on the inside of the outside refrigerator compartment's grated grill cover and mounted the fan with some zip ties.  I ran the power wire from the fan to the rigs 12-volt power line, that I found inside the refrigerator compartment.  My 12-volt lines were the same color as the fan's wiring. The fan blows air across the fins on the outside of the fridge located inside the fridge compartment.  The power draw is so small I did not worry about it and the fan runs whenever the rigs 12-volt system is on.  The fan is designed to be used in a computer so is whisper quiet. Boy does it work.

4. So we have the fridge getting cold but how cold is it and when can I put in some food?  Well if you do not have a thermometer to measure the temperature then how do you know?  There are two kinds of thermometers one is digital and one is analog.  Let's look at them both.

Digital RV Thermometer Digital RV Thermometer

Digital RV Thermometer

The unit has two sensors one for the freezer and one for the fridge.  The unit runs off batteries and can tell you at a glance from the outside of the refrigerator unit what is going on inside and when your unit is cold enough for food.

Analog RV Thermometer; Analog RV Thermometer

 Analog RV Thermometer

This simple unit hangs from one of the shelves in the fridge and tells you when it is safe to put in your food. The negative thing is that you have to open the fridge to tell if it is ready, letting in more hot air and letting the cold air out.  I am saving for the digital version.

Well, we've got your RV refrigerator humming along but, it is time to go home and park the rig until the next time.

How can you get it cleaned out and dried out fast?  One of these guys should help; Inexpensive Hair Dryer

Inexpensive Hair Dryer

Because I do not dry camp I have the power needed to use this, to dry out the fridge and freezer fast and get going home. Darn, the ice cream is going to melt again.

Until next time.

Do RVers Really Need A Power Management System?

I see that question all the time on Facebook and most of the Blogs that I read.  For the simple, easy, straightforward answer, YES you do.  There are so many factors involved here that I can not possibly cover them all in a single post but, I would like to cover the basics so that you can better understand why you need a Power Management system of some kind.





1. You need to know what the AC (Shore Power) voltage is inside your rig.  This is the power that indirectly powers lights, water heater, microwave, furnace, charger for the 12-volt battery system, etc.  If the voltage gets below 102 volts and should stay there for a few minutes it would be possible to sustain approximately $1200 of damage or more.

So what do you need?  You will need an AC Line Voltage Monitor.  The unit shown below is plugged into an AC wall outlet that you can see and will monitor what the line voltage is.  If it should go below 105 volts you need to unplug your rig from the outside power pedestal until the voltage goes back to normal.

AC Line Voltage Monitor

So how do you know when the outside power pedestal is back to normal.  You plug the Voltage Monitor into the 125 volts two pin socket in the power pedestal and see what the monitor reads.  It should read 110 volts or higher up to 125 volts.  The same caution goes for overvoltage.  You should unplug the rig from the power pedestal if your Voltage Monitor begins to read over 122 Volts.  Plug the Voltage Monitor into the power pedestal and watch for the voltage to drop to below 122 Volts.
Could this monitoring of the voltage be done for less money?  Yes, by using a cheap Digital Volt Meter  pictured below;

 Digital Volt Meter  

Harbor Freight often offers a cheap digital voltmeter for free, with coupon.  Watch their ads and take advantage of the offer.  You could plug the test leads that come with the meter into the meter and then the other ends of the test leads into the slots on the AC wall socket. (Caution do not leave unattended) Or you could make up a cord from a 6-foot extension cord and the test leads that come with the meter.  See below for an example.

AC Cord With Test Meter Leads

2. Next is  The Polarity Tester.  This is used to be sure that the Neutral wire of the power line is not reversed with the positive lead of the power line.  If that were to happen you could have what is called a hot-skin condition.  Meaning that if you had an aluminum skinned rig you could receive quite a shock from your rig.

 The Polarity Tester

The Polarity Tester can also tell you if the Earth Ground (the bare copper wire) is hooked up properly.  
The Earth Ground is a separate conductor which may seem to be doing nothing but, is, in fact, a protective wire. It is there, ready to take the current away to earth ground, from the body or frame of the electrical device it is connected to, makes contact with any "hot" wire. [the 120 volts mains power is carried in two current carrying conductors called "hot" and "neutral".] 
So, IF one of the "hot" conductors should contact the metal frame of the rig, or housing of an appliance, perhaps because the appliance got damaged by being dropped from a table, or similar accident,  the third wire which is the earth ground wire, which runs directly from the housing to the grounding [or earth ground bus] in the fuse or breaker panel, will in effect cause a short circuit which should blow the fuse or trip the breaker. 
This third wire also guarantees a current path back to the electrical panel where the fuse or circuit breaker protecting that circuit is located, in the event that the hot wire should come in contact with the rig's frame, but the neutral conductor should happen to have been cut or damage and become disconnected, or open. 
The idea is to guarantee that if a part of the rig, device or appliance should become "hot," which could be fatal to anyone who then came into contact with it. That the earth ground would trip/open the circuit protection device [fuse or breaker], and turn off the flow of AC current. 

To help further in checking for unwanted or wanted electricity a good investment is the, Voltage Sensor which is shown below;

 Voltage Sensor

With this probe, you do not need to touch the power line to tell if there is voltage present.  You can use this probe to find power lines behind the wall or under the floor of the Rig as well as the towing vehicle.

3.  Often times you want to know or need to know how much power something uses, especially if you keep popping a breaker or the power pedestal. The solution is Kill-A-Watt .  The unit shown below can be used to show how much power an appliance, tool or piece of electronics is using.

 Kill-A-Watt

4. Next, let's look at surge protectors for the various pieces of equipment in your Rig.  Surge Protectors protect only what is plugged into them and only for over-voltage surges.  Surge Protectors do not protect for under voltage or high voltages.  Shown below is a pair of good simple surge protectors;

Surge Protectors

There are Appliance Surge Protectors made just for appliances like microwave and coffee makers

 Appliance Surge Protectors

AC refrigerators, freezers. 

Refrigerator/Freezer Surge Protector

These special surge protectors offer extra features like audible alarms, flashing lights, displays, etc and are to be used with just the items listed on the packaging for the one you would buy.

5.  Next is a group of power management items that will protect your entire Rig not just one item or several items in it. First is the Portable Power Management System This type of system looks at High and Low voltage protection, a time delay for air conditioning compressor startup, 3-mode surge protection, reverse polarity protection, open neutral protection, open ground protection, AC frequency protection accidental 220 Volt protection. Includes an Integrated information panel, previous error code display is weather resistant and has a built-in locking bracket so it can be chained to the power pedestal at the campground to prevent theft.  The only thing this unit cannot do is flush the black water tank.  The miracle unit we are talking about is shown below.

30 Amp RV Surge Protector

These portable units come in two sizes the one above 30 amp and the one shown below 50 amp.

50 Amp RV Surge Protector

Let's say you were involved in a lightning-caused power surge at a campground.  It is estimated you would suffer approximately $3000 to $5000 worth of damage to the electrical system of your Rig along with the things plugged into it.  The features of the 50 amp unit are the same as the 30 amp unit.
Ah, but there is more!  What happens if you do not want something portable but something more permanent in the Rig? Then you have the permanently installed units which are called Fixed Power Management Systems  These units are not really a DIY type of item but, they can be installed by the DIYer if care is taken during the installation.  The 30 amp model is shown below;

 30 Amp Fixed Power Management Systems

There is also a 50 amp version of the same unit as above and can be found here;  50 Amp Fixed Power Management Systems .  The features of both units are the same and are,  high and low voltage protection, time delay for air conditioning compressor start-up, 3 mode surge protection, surge trip indicator, reverse polarity protection, open neutral protection, open ground protection, AC frequency protection. Accidental 220V protection, with remote information display panel, and unit bypass switch.  Unfortunately, this unit also does not dump the black tank.

I hope that you now have come to the conclusion that some type of power management is needed to protect your Rig, its contents and YOU!









Until Next Time

And finally, please remember that this blog is an Amazon affiliate. When you order something through any of the Amazon links, it doesn’t add anything to your cost, but I do earn a small commission on everything you buy. Just click on an Amazon link, then shop as usual.

Can You Hear Me Now? Breaker Breaker 1... 9.....

For this post, I would like to discuss keeping in touch with the family while camping.  Many people in the good old days, used string and two soup cans or a CB walkie-talkie to keep in touch with family members during camping.  Most of the campers in the olden time and even RVers today, nothing was or is used to stay in touch.  While some may believe that a cell phone is good enough, and it may be traveling down the interstate, in a campground in the wilderness or at the nearby lake you may find that the good old cell phone does not work, even a little.   You may find that the carrier you have is the wrong carrier for good service in the area that you are in and that the other guy would have been a better choice.  Whatever the case, today we have very small radios called FRS/GMRS that will last a long time on batteries, give you several miles of range, be quiet and can even be set up for "selective call" so only your family members will hear you when you call them in for lunch or are backing up the rig.  RVers who are backpackers take note, these little radios can have weather radios and GPS built-in as well.








Let's take a look at a few [shown below] and discuss their features and benefits in more detail.

Motorola Model MD200R

Shown above are some Basic FRS radios.  They come as a pair when you buy them and have the following feature set.  The units come with rechargeable batteries, two belt clips, charging cable, AC adapter and have a range of 20 miles over flat and open terrain.  They offer a 12hr battery life.  As you can see the unit does not offer a lot of features but it works and could be used when backing the RV into that tight site, right next to the lake.



Motorola MH230

Above is shown a step-up model of an FRS/GMRS radio.  It can run on alkaline batteries for up to 10hrs or 8hrs on rechargeable batteries.  This model from Motorola includes 11 weather channels, 22 talk channels, and each channel has 121 privacy codes, (selective call)  for privacy.  The range is 23 miles over flat and open terrain.  It comes with belt clips and 1 dual drop-in charger to charge the pair of radios at the same time to save you time.  Use one as a base station at the RV and give the other one to whoever you want to keep track of.  Additional units can be purchased so everyone who needs one has one.  This unit would be great for a fisherman to keep in touch while out in the boat on the lake.

Garmin Rino 650 with GPS & FRS



 Calling all Backpacking RVers out there.  Here is an FRS/GMRS radio that has a built-in GPS or a GPS that has a built-in FRS/GMRS radio.  This unit is not low cost, but it does show that just about any need for communications while RVing can be met with an FRS/GMRS radio.  For the fun of it here are some of the features of this radio.  The radio has a 2.6-inch color touchscreen that is glove friendly.  A high sensitivity GPS receiver, a rugged waterproof case. Runs 18hrs on a set of batteries, and has a list of accessories as long as your arm. 

While most of us will want a lower cost unit you need not suffer from little to no features.  Range, the number of channels, the privacy feature (selective call), and battery life are the important ones to watch out for.

Safety and peace of mind make the weekend RV getaway fun and exciting for the whole family and the ability to stay in touch with all members of the camping party does that for me and my family.









Until next time.  Over and Out?

Propane Gas Saving Ideas

I am sure most of you have noticed that gas of all kinds including diesel fuel is going up in price.  Many of us would like to stretch our Propane Gas as far as possible.  Well, there are some basic tricks of the RV lifestyle that can help you do just that.  You must have access to AC power (shore power) to make these tricks work.

The first one has to do with your hot water heater.  If your unit is a dual operating type (AC and Propane) force your unit to use AC whenever possible by shutting off your propane tanks. Turn your hot water heater off overnight.  The tank will keep the water hot to warm all night.

But your comment is, how will I cook anything?  The answer to that follows.

Second is to use induction cooking.  An induction cooktop uses magnetic energy to heat and cook whatever is in a pot or pan that a magnet can stick to.  For example, this Deluxe Burton Induction Cooktop is what I have and it works just great.  This is what it looks like;

Deluxe Burton Induction Cooktop

Here are some of the features of this Induction Cooktop ;

• 1800-watt high-quality induction cooktop provides 10 power levels
• Push-button controls and digital display; 180-minute timer with auto shut-off
• 10 temperature settings; overheat sensor; in-line fuse
• For use with induction-compatible cookware; the unsuitable-cookware detector
• Measures 13-2/7 by 12-1/2 by 2-3/5 inches

As mentioned in the features of the cooktop you must use cookware that a magnet will stick to.  Most cookware today is aluminum and so would not work.  You do not need a completely new set of cookware just enough to get by with using the induction cooktop.

Here is an example of Induction Cookware shown below;

Induction Cookware 

Any cookware will work as long as a refrigerator magnet will stick to the bottom of the pan or pot.  Here is a chance to go to Goodwill or other secondhand shop and make a killing on induction ready cookware.  Just be sure to bring your refrigerator magnet with you.

But you are a baker by trade and need to often use the oven that came with your Rig for that purpose.  What are you to do?  Well let's look at a solution called the Infrared Countertop Oven shown below;

Infrared Countertop Oven

Some of the features of this innovative oven are shown below;

• Digital-controlled infrared oven cooks food quickly and easily
• Cooking methods include conduction, convection, and infrared radiant heat
• No preheating, defrosting, or ventilation needed; dishwasher-safe parts
• Extender ring, cooking rack, baking pan, manual, and recipes included
• Measures approximately 14 by 14 by 16 inches
• 3-inch Extender Ring, 2-inch rack, 10-inch baking pan 
• Cooks up to a 16 Lb. turkey /141b ham with Extender Ring

So now we have the baking taken care of and we are not cooking with gas but electricity and so are saving gas and bucks ($). 

I heard you lady in the back row.  You are cold at night and need some heat so turning off the Propane gas is not an option.  Let's look at some options here as well.  

You could put one of these Mattress Heating Pads on your bed and plug into electric and sleep warm as toast all night.  These heated pads come in all the popular sizes King, Queen, and Twin.  I have shown the queen size below;

Mattress Heating Pads

Because heat rises this mattress type heating pad is much better than a heating blanket and will use less power to keep you toasty warm during the cold night. 

Ah, but you need to heat the Rig so you need more power, I mean heat.  Then you want a Ceramic Space Heater  This type of heater generates a lot of heat for very little electricity used.  The one pictured below is what I use.  I have a 30ft TT and use two of the Ceramic Heaters. One blowing toward the bedroom and one in the living room blowing toward the kitchen.  These heaters will cook you out of the Rig, they can generate so much heat.  I winter camp in North Texas and it can get below freezing, as we all found out in the winter of 2013/2014.  But even though my water hose froze outside, inside we were as warm as toast.  Shown below is the  Space Heater I have;

 Space Heater 

I have listed some of the features of this unit below;

• Ceramic space heater with adjustable thermostat for comfortable warmth—ideal for home or office
• 1500-watt high setting; 3 output options: Low, High, or Fan Only; power indicator light lets you know when it’s plugged in
• For safety: tip-over switch with auto shut-off and overheat protection with auto shut-off; ETL listed
• Carrying handle for easy transport; not for use in bathrooms, laundry areas, or other high-humidity rooms

If you have a four-legged friend (Furkid) traveling with you, please take note: this unit comes with Auto Shut-Off.  If the Ceramic Heater is tipped over the heater shuts off automatically.  This is a very important feature if you are traveling with four-footed friends.  There are some clumsy two-legged friends out there as well.

Again I remind you that these LP Gas saving tips only work if you have access to a power pedestal so you can get AC power.  With these hints, the Propane Gas becomes the backup plan and not the main source of energy for your Rig.  I know from experience that these hints and tips will work.

Until next time.

And finally, please remember that this blog is an Amazon affiliate. When you order something through any of the Amazon links, it doesn’t add anything to your cost, but I do earn a small commission on everything you buy. 

What Are Those 12-volt Sockets Good For?

We have all done it.  Left the cell phone charger sitting on the kitchen table closed the front door, made sure everything was locked up and left for our weekend RVing get away.  If you have one of those not very smartphones you know that in 8hrs or less the phone will be dead and your Hot Spot, Weather App, and every game that keeps the kids quiet during the ride will come to an end.






What to do?  Have you ever wondered what the 12 Volt Standard Wall Plate that looks like this is used for?

2 Volt Standard Wall Plate 

Or maybe you will remember this 12 volt Wall Plate with Antenna Amplifier & Switch it looks like this;

12 volt Wall Plate with Antenna Amplifier & Switch

Both of these wall plates have a 12-volt power socket just like your car, truck, or RV does.  You could plug a car charger for your phone or tablet computer into the wall plate and it would start to charge your phone or tablet computer.  Ah, but you say you have a charger for your phone already why would you need another one for the Rig?  If you remember you left it on the kitchen table and left for this trip.  OK, now what?  Well if you bought one of these 12 Volt Single Outlet USB Charger which looks like this;

12 Volt Single Outlet USB Charger

Then all you would need is either the Apple Charging Cable which looks like this;

or the Android charging cable which looks like this;

Android charging cable

and you could charge your phone, table, or any USB device and never have to worry.   You say that you need to charge two USB powered devices at the same time.  Don't worry be happy and buy a Dual USB Charger which looks like this;

 Dual USB Charger

Now all you have to do is plug in the appropriate charging cable and you are good to go.  If you need longer charging cables than 6ft you can get them up to 10ft for both Apple products and Android products.  If you would like to be able to plug the charging cable into a normal wall outlet you can buy those also.  And for those of us that want it all you can buy the USB Charging Kit Bundle  The one shown below is for Android but they have them for Apple as well.

USB Charging Kit Bundle

But they have the Apple Charging Kit Bundle as well, which is shown below;

Charging Kit Bundle

Well, that should get you going and you can just plan on leaving any of the items we talked about in the Rig for the next time you leave the charging cable and power supply on the kitchen table.


PLEASE NOTE:  The following comments may not apply to all RVs.  Without checking the wire gauge behind the socket plate there is no way to be sure that the following products can be hooked up to the 12-volt socket in your RV.

Along with the ideas above, you can use the power plug to power small appliances such as a coffee maker

12-volt coffee maker

or maybe a 12-volt frying pan.

12-volt frying pan

Maybe you are boondocking and would like to use your PS3, or some other video game or even some device that only runs on AC.  Then you would use a DC to AC converter.

DC To AC Converter

This would allow you to power Dual USB ports that can charge most phones and tablets simultaneously (Max 4.8A total output), while two grounded AC outlets (300-350W) great for charging a laptop, breast pump, nebulizer, game console, kindle, TV, DVD players, lights, iPad, and other electronic devices.

The idea here is that if the park AC power fails you can use the 12 battery that powers your rigs lights, to make coffee while you wait for the power to be restored.  While you are refueling next time at a truck stop go inside a look at all the 12-volt appliance available to the trucking community that you can use in your RV or towing vehicle. [NOTE, not all 12-volt wiring can handle 12-volt appliances.]

CAUTION:  This is not a long-term solution for power outages as your rig's battery will run down very quickly if you make dinner this way with no way to recharge your RV onboard battery now that the AC power is out.











Until next time.

And finally, please remember that this blog is an Amazon affiliate. When you order something through any of the Amazon links, it doesn’t add anything to your cost, but I do earn a small commission on everything you buy. 

12 Volt Emergency Power & Emergency Tire Pump

When you dash off for a weekend camping vacation, most of us just don't sweat the details.  I know, I don't and that is what gets us all into trouble.  Last camping season,  the wife, grandkids, and I headed out for just such a weekend.  It was early in the season and when we got to the campsite we were the only ones around.






So far so good.  We had a great time exploring the Spring outdoors and when we were ready to go the truck would not start.  Normally that would not be a problem because we would have lots of fellow campers around us to help out.  Not this time.  There also was the time we were on our way to Branson MO to meet relatives, when one of the trailer tires decided to blow and the spare was nearly flat.  Forgot to air up the spare tire at the beginning of camping season.  Hey, it happens.  Short term memory fading as I get older.
All of this drove home the point that Murphy is always with us and bad thing happen to good people as well.  So what is the solution?  One of these, 12Volt Emergency Power & Tire Pump

12Volt Emergency Power & Tire Pump



What this thing does is provide emergency power to start your truck not all of the units that look like this one will start a V8 or larger engine, as well as an air station to pump-up just about anything that needs air.  You can use a standard AC extension cord as the power cord to charge the unit up.  You can even leave it plugged in for a continuous charge and not damage the unit.  Oh, it does have a DC output jack that may be used for 12volt stuff.  Also, it has a built-in tire pump that will pump up most TT and 5th wheel tires.  Again many of these combo units can't pump up RVs tires before the cows come home.  As always be sure you check your rigs tire pressure when the tire is cold not when it has been run on the road for several hours.

Due to the fact that newer 5th wheels are using tires that require more pressure than the above unit can provide.  I am suggesting that you might want to take a look at the following RV Tire Pump.  While this unit will not start your car or truck in will pump up RV tires up to 150 lbs.

High-Pressure RV Tire Pump

But I hear you say that you needed something that had AC power like the 110volts that comes out of the power pedestal that your RV is plugged into.  Fear not, because you can use one of these, 110volt and USB Dual Power Inverter

110volt and USB Dual Power Inverter

The 300W DC-AC Power Inverter with USB charging ports is designed for most major brand notebook computers, digital portables devices like, video camcorder, digital camera, iPhone, Galaxy phones and computers, iPod, cell phone, PSP handheld Game, DVD player & etc.
You may want to pick-up the battery hook-up cable just in case.  It looks like this, 12volt Battery Clip-on Accessory Socket

12volt Battery Clip-on Accessory Socket

This device allows you to hook-up to any 12volt battery or any device that has 12volt battery clamps, such as the 12Volt Emergency Power & Tire Pump.
Some of us will like a bit more AC power than the little power converter above can provide if that is the case you might want to consider this, 1000watt Power Converter

1000watt Power Converter

This more powerful converter can power notebook computers, TVs, fans, refrigerators, game machines, DVDs, lights, musical instruments.  And can be powered by the 12Volt Emergency Power & Tire Pump above.  So if you need 110volt power at the picnic table or anywhere while camping, there are ways to get it that will help keep your family safe and make camping fun.

Don't forget that you can use Emergency Power at home when the lights go out to recharge your cell phones and provide power for lights.







Until Next Time


Please remember that this blog is an Amazon affiliate. When you order something through any of the Amazon links, it doesn’t add anything to your cost, but I do earn a small commission on everything you buy. Just click on an Amazon link, then shop as usual.

RV Dog Bones and Adapters

Many times as you travel around the country you will find that you are in need of some sort of thingy that changes what you have into something you need.  This happens most often on the electrical side of your Rig.  If you have a 50 amp rig you may find that the campground you have only has 30 amp plug-ins.  Or you may want to plug in your power pedestal power analyzer into the 30 amp or 50 amp plug-in to be sure that it is safe you plug into your rig.

Let's see what these things look like and what they are used for.  First the RV Dog Bone.

The typical RV Dog Bone is an electrical adapter that changes a 50 amp RV plug so that it can plug into the 30 amp socket of a power pedestal. The 30 Amp Male to 50 Amp Female Dog Bone  looks like this;

30 Amp Male to 50 Amp Female Dog Bone  

Of course, there may be a time when you need to plug your 30 amp Rig power cable into a 50 amp power pedestal socket  The 50 amp Male to 30 amp Female Dog Bone looks like this;

 50 amp Male to 30 amp Female Dog Bone 

Plugging in you 30 amp RV into this adapter will not harm your Rig and will give you no more power than what you should have. The reason to do this is often the power socket on the power pedestal is worn or broken and the only good one is the one your power cord will not plug into.  These RV Power Dog Bones let you mix and match to get some power.

So you have stopped by Grandma's house to spend a few days and you need a way to plug your RV into her outside power socket so you can get some lights and keep the fridge going.  What do you need well you need a 15 Amp Male plug to 30 amp Female plug . This little gadget is shown below.

                                                15 Amp Male plug to 30 amp Female plug

While these may not be all the ones you will ever need this group will get you started and cover most of the situations that you will find.  One last bit of information the industry does make Y connector so that you can get 15 amp sockets from both 50 amp and 30 amp outlets from the power pedestal.  I have shown one type below.  I do not use these myself because where I camp has always had 15 amp sockets to plug into if I need to have 15 amps at the power pedestal.  If you have a blow-up boat or kayak you might need this type of Y Adapter with 50 Amp Male Plug To RV 30 Amp and 15/20 Amp Female Connector  Shown below is what it looks like;

Y Adapter with 50 Amp Male Plug To RV 30 Amp and 15/20 Amp Female Connector

I would like to cover the pedestal power combiner.  These devices combine the power outlets of the power pedestal to give you more amps.  For example, if you combine the power output of the 30 amp socket with the power output of the 15 amp socket on the power pedestal you would get 45 amps of power to work with.  Or at least that is the theory.  Again I do not use this type of device as my Open Range 5th Wheel is 50 amps.  But to be fair I am showing you the device. The 45 amp Power Maximizer  The unit is shown below;

The 45 amp Power Maximizer  

Here is a power dog bone that I use all the time.  It is a 50 Amp right angle power adapter that takes the stress off of the power plug mounted to the trailer

.50 Amp Right Angle Power Adapter

Here is the 30 Amp version as well.

30 Amp Right Angle Power Plug

Click on the name of the item to learn more. 


Until next time,

Please remember that this blog is an Amazon affiliate. When you order something through any of the Amazon links, it doesn’t add anything to your cost, but I do earn a small commission on everything you buy. Just click on an Amazon link, then shop as usual.