Is It Safe To Plug An RV Into Shore Power With An Automatic Transfer Switch

Updated 11/20/2023 | Published 11/18/2023

Question:

Can I plug my RV 30 amp shore power cord from my RV into my RV outlet even though I have my ATS

asked by: Lonzo

Expert Reply:

A transfer switch is installed to prevent power from being drawn from multiple sources (i.e. shore power, generator, inverter). The Go Power ATS # 34264403 you were looking at is for transferring back and forth from inverter and shore power. Transfer switches are wired so that one power source (typically shore power) will be dominate and when connected to it would automatically switch to it.

If you were using an inverter to power your RV and then connected your shore power cord to the RV and power pedestal then once the ATS detects the shore power it will automatically switch over and should turn the inverter off. There will typically be about a 30 second delay after shore power is connected for the voltage to stabilize so that there's no risk for your electronics.

As long as everything is wired properly you should have no issue plugging into shore power with an automatic transfer switch (ATS).

expert reply by: Kevin C