The power cord that connects an RV to a campground's electrical supply is one of the most important safety elements for an RV system. It should contain three or four wires. The equipment-grounding conductor wire, which is generally the green-colored wire, is the most important one. The RV can turn on and function without it, but there is always room for electrical errors or blowouts when it is not in use.
The power cords that come with RV units are usually anywhere from 20 to 26 feet long. Most campgrounds require that RVs park within range of the electrical supply so they do not use an extension cord.
If the power cord is strung across the campground, be sure to keep it away from campfires, roadways or any area where another vehicle can run over it. Damaged power cords are prohibited when attempting to power an RV.
RV units are required to plug into ground fault interrupt breakers (GFI) at campground sites. These circuit breakers will trip and switch off the power when they sense a small electrical leakage in the system. If and when they switch off, there is usually an electrical problem in either the RV, the power cord or some other item that is connected.
For the safety of all campers, only one RV should be hooked up to an RV load center, or electrical supply, at a time except when there are dual box sites offered. Having multiple RVs hooked up to one box uses a large amount of energy and can sometimes start an electrical fire.
