Last Updated on July 28, 2023 by
Wondering where the circuit breaker in your RV is? Looking for help to efficiently manage your RV electrical system? Reading on to find the answer.
Although RVing is extremely popular and many people have their own recreational vehicles. However, not everyone is familiar with their RV’s systems, especially with the RV’s electrical system. This is why most RVers cannot solve even their RV’s minor electrical issues, making them hire a professional to fix the issues.
It would be nice to know about your RV electrical system, which will help you fix minor electric issues by DIY rather than calling an expert.
One of the basic but probably the most important components of your RV’s electrical system is finding and knowing the functionality of the circuit breaker or breaker box.
Where is the Circuit Breaker in the RV?
Luckily, locating the circuit breaker of your RV doesn’t require you to put much effort. To find the RV circuit breaker location, you have to locate your RV’s breaker panel first. It is usually covered by a plastic sheet to protect it. Behind it, you will see a series of breakers and fuses.
Generally, in most RVs, the circuit breaker can be found inside the vehicle mounted on a wall near the floor. However, some RVs also come with breaker panels that can be found under the bed, refrigerator, or under a cabinet or pantry.
Where is the Circuit Breaker Located In Your RV?
Before troubleshooting your RV’s electrical system, you should know where is the circuit breaker in your RV. The RV breaker box location varies on the RV type and model that you have.
In most of the older RV models, the RV circuit breaker location is usually under a bed, behind the cupboard, or mounted to a wall near the floor.
However, RV’s breaker box location can be found under the refrigerator or under a cabinet or pantry.
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SHOP NOWKnow More About your RV’s Circuit Breaker Panel
An RV circuit panel consists of multiple circuit panels that are connected to all the electrical circuits inside an RV. It includes lights, water, refrigerator, AC, hot water heater, etc. The RV circuit breaker trips as soon as they detect too much load draining electricity than they are intended to be.
Once the breaker trips, it means there is some problem with your RV electrical system. It could be a major problem, and you might need to call a professional to fix it or a minor one that you can fix by yourself if you have even a basic understanding of electrical systems.
Circuit Breakers and RV Electricity
Both the AC and DC currents are intended to supply electricity to RVs. However, the AC current is intended to supply power to major appliances that are power-hungry, such as air conditioning units, refrigerators, microwaves, etc.
On the other hand, the DC current is intended to supply power to smaller appliances and gadgets inside your RV, such as lights.
If you are wattages inside the maximum limit of your RV’s electrical system, you will be within the range to get uninterrupted power.
However, as soon as you exceed your electrical system’s maximum limit, mainly because running all the appliances at once, it will force the circuit breaker to trip and stop the power all at once.
You should also know what electrical item in your RV is connected to what circuit breaker. In this regard, every circuit panel comes with a circuit map, indicating each appliance’s location.
This makes it simple for you to figure out what circuit is supplying the power to what appliance. Once your breaker trip, you can add a label of which appliance is connected to turn back on the breaker.
Why Are RV Circuit Breakers Necessary?
RV circuit breakers are the critical and primary function of having a circuit breaker is to discontinue the power when a sudden electrical surge occurs or if anything goes wrong with the current flowing within the electrical system.
This means they prevent severe damage by discontinuing the power which helps to prevent electrical shock or fire.
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SHOP NOWRV circuit breakers are also necessary as they function as a safety precaution to protect your entire RV electrical system.
Furthermore, it is also vital to understand how many amps an appliance in your RV needs to keep running efficiently. The most power-hungry appliance in your RV is the air conditioning unit, so it requires heavy electricity to keep running.
The RV circuit breaker trips as soon as the electricity surpasses the maximum limit of the electrical system. In that situation, your RV circuit breaker makes sure that all of your RV appliances, electrical system, and your RV itself remain unharmed.
However, if you have reset your RV circuit breaker after tripping, but it continues to trip down, it is more likely because you are running too many appliances at once that surpass the maximum electricity limit. In that case, you should find the cause or call a specialist to fix the problem.
RV Circuit Breaker Troubleshooting
When you are struggling with your RV electrical system, there are four primary components that you have to check,
- Circuit Breakers
- Fuses.
- Device Draws.
- Power Supply
1. RV Circuit Breakers
If the RV electrical system problem involves RV circuit breakers, then they are usually the easiest to solve. The RV breaker box location is usually under the bed.
To troubleshoot the issue, you have to uncover the RV breaker box. If you see a breaker tripped down, it means you can solve the issue by simply turning it on.
To determine if the RV circuit breaker is tripped, you will see the switch sitting midway between on and off. Just turn off the breaker switch and then turn it back on to restore the power.
If it happens frequently, you should keep an eye on what’s going on prior to the RV circuit breaker’s trip down.
It may be because of the refrigerator or air conditioning unit. Understanding what caused the power surge will help you to prevent it from happening again. If the culprit is your RV air conditioning unit, you can try to fix the issue by running the air conditioner on low.
However, sometimes it is because of a loose connection or a wire that caught moisture. In that case, if the issue is because of exposed wire, you should protect it from moisture by wrapping it.
2. Fuse
Fuses can be found for both AC and DC currents. They also act similar to what an RV circuit breaker does – discontinue the power if something goes wrong with the RV electrical system.
Moreover, they are also intended to protect the RV appliances and components that use the faulty power source.
It is necessary to replace a burned fuse with another of the same amperage for smooth electricity flow. Fuses in RVs are made to provide optimal safety.
3. Power Supply
If all the appliances running on AC stop working, it means it is either because you have turned off the master switch or the electricity hookup at the campsite doesn’t have power. The former is easy to fix; however, the other is not.
I recommend you check the unit before plugging in your RV and before you start the unpacking process.
Moreover, also check if other campers around you are getting the power. If you are at a crowded RV park, the electricity system will fail to provide power. This happens especially during warmer temperatures when everyone wants to stay comfortable by running their RV air conditioner.
4. Device Draws
RV appliances of your RV are power-hungry ones and one of the biggest reasons for the causes of power failure.
You can prevent it by running all the appliances according to your RV electrical system. It will not only keep your RV appliances safe from burning but will also keep them running efficiently.
Wrapping Up
That is all about where the circuit breaker is in the RV. It could be under the bed, under the refrigerator, or mounted with a wall near the floor since the RV circuit breaker location depends on what type of RV you have.
I have also outlined the purpose of the RV circuit breaker and how it works.
If you have any further queries regarding the RV breaker box location, you are welcome to leave a comment below.
FAQ
RV circuit breaker location depends on the size of your RV and its model. However, generally, the RV breaker box location is under the bed or under the refrigerator.Where can I find an RV circuit breaker in my RV?
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