FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the difference between 12 Volt & 120 Volt Electricity?
12 Volt-Direct Current (DC). 12 volt is the type of electricity you would find in an automobile. Your battery is the foundation for the 12 volt system in your RV. A fully charged battery will operate the 12 volt equipment (furnace, water heater, most lighting, range hood, monitor panel, roof vent fans, etc.) in your unit until the battery becomes discharged.
120 Volt-Alternating Current (AC). 120 volt is the same type of electricity you typically find in a home. Plugging your shoreline cord into a power source (campground or other appropriate receptacle) is the foundation for the 120 volt system in your unit (optional generators produce 120 volt electricity as well). Certain equipment (Roof Air Conditioner, microwave, most televisions, DVD players, etc) in your RV can only operate from 120 volt electricity thus require the unit be plugged in to a power source or a generator running.
Backup systems which are a part of your RV’s electrical system. Your unit is also equipped with a “Converter”. When the shoreline cord is plugged into a campground (or other appropriate receptacle), this device “Converts” 120 volt electricity into 12 volt electricity. The “converter” is also equipped with a “battery charger” which provides a “trickle charge” (slow, low amperage charging) to your battery as long as the shoreline is plugged in to a power source.