30 amp hookup

[exrpfd110]

Originally Posted by wneise

I know that if I run the AC and the electric element in the water heater, it pops the 30amp main.

if you are tripping the breaker running what the manufacturer has put on the rig, i think you have an Internal problem.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by exrpfd110

if you are tripping the breaker running what the manufacturer has put on the rig, i think you have an Internal problem.

Actually, on RV's with a 30 amp service, you have to practice energy conservation to a point. You can hardly ever run everything that is installed at the factory at the same time. especially if you have an installed air-conditioner.

These links below will help explain that.

http://www.uvsconsole.com/clients/ho...l%20System.pdf

http://rvservices.koa.com/rvinformat...lectricity.asp

[exrpfd110]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Actually, on RV's with a 30 amp service, you have to practice energy conservation to a point. You can never run everything that is installed at the factory at the same time.

so, you really can't run the AC and the HW at the same time with the coffee pot. Boy, i wish the dealer would have mentioned that when we were looking at our unit.

[exrpfd110]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Actually, on RV's with a 30 amp service, you have to practice energy conservation to a point. You can never run everything that is installed at the factory at the same time.

http://www.uvsconsole.com/clients/ho...l%20System.pdf

http://rvservices.koa.com/rvinformat...lectricity.asp

Hey wmtire, thanx for the info. Guess i have to tell the the wife to lay off the hairdryer during the hot weather.....haha!

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by wneise

I know that if I run the AC and the electric element in the water heater, it pops the 30amp main.

The AC can draw up to 28 amps on startup (fan and compressor starting at the same time) and drops back to about 15 amps running.
The heating element is 1000 watts of AC or 9 amps at 110 volts.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by exrpfd110

Hey wmtire, thanx for the info. Guess i have to tell the the wife to lay off the hairdryer during the hot weather.....haha!

The DW's hair dryer has been the cause of tripped breakers and fire alarms.

She now has a MUCH smaller unit (still 1000 watts though) that is only used in the camper.

[wmtire]

Here is a chart with approximations of common use items in a travel trailer, along with OE installed equipment draws. You also have to understand that even though you are limited to basically 30 amps of TOTAL draw, you also have individual circuits inside the trailer that are limited to less than this, say 15 amps or so. You can see this in your breaker box. If you overload these individual circuits, they will also trip. So you have to not overload each individual circuit, nor let the total of the individual circuits added together to overload the main 30 amp breaker.

Here is a chart with average amp draws for common items:


120 Volt AC Amp Ratings
Appliance or Electronic Equipment Estimated Amps
Air Conditioner (X number of A/C) 12-16 Amps
Blender 5-6 Amps
Coffee Maker 5-8 Amps
Compact Disc Player 1 Amp
Computer (Laptop) 2-3 Amps
Converter 1-8 Amps
Crock Pot 1-2 Amps
Curling Iron <1 Amp
Drill 2-6 Amps
Electric Blanket 0.5-1.5 Amps
Electric Fan 1 Amp
Electric Water Heater 9-13 Amps
Electric Skillet 6-12 Amps
Hair Dryer 5-12 Amps
Iron 5-10 Amps
Light (60 watt % 120V) <1 Amp
Microwave 8-13 Amps
Microwave (Convection Oven) 13 Amps
Refrigerator in AC mode 5-8 Amps
Space Heater 8-13 Amps
Television 1.5-4 Amps
Toaster 7-10 Amps
Vacuum (handheld) 2-6 Amps
VCR 1-2 Amps
Washer/Dryer 14-16Amps

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by herk7769

The DW's hair dryer has been the cause of tripped breakers and fire alarms.

She now has a MUCH smaller unit (still 1000 watts though) that is only used in the camper.

I have the same problem when I use my hair dryer. Oh, wait a minute, I use a towel.

[exrpfd110]

Originally Posted by wmtire

Here is a chart with approximations of common use items in a travel trailer, along with OE installed equipment draws. You also have to understand that you are limited to basically 30 amps of TOTAL, you also have individual circuits inside the trailer that are limited to less than this, say 15 amps or so. You can see this in your breaker box. If you overload these individual circuits, they will also trip.

Here is a chart with average amp draws for common items:

120 Volt AC Amp Ratings
Appliance or Electronic Equipment Estimated Amps
Air Conditioner (X number of A/C) 12-16 Amps
Blender 5-6 Amps
Coffee Maker 5-8 Amps
Compact Disc Player 1 Amp
Computer (Laptop) 2-3 Amps
Converter 1-8 Amps
Crock Pot 1-2 Amps
Curling Iron <1 Amp
Drill 2-6 Amps
Electric Blanket 0.5-1.5 Amps
Electric Fan 1 Amp
Electric Water Heater 9-13 Amps
Electric Skillet 6-12 Amps
Hair Dryer 5-12 Amps
Iron 5-10 Amps
Light (60 watt % 120V) <1 Amp
Microwave 8-13 Amps
Microwave (Convection Oven) 13 Amps
Refrigerator in AC mode 5-8 Amps
Space Heater 8-13 Amps
Television 1.5-4 Amps
Toaster 7-10 Amps
Vacuum (handheld) 2-6 Amps
VCR 1-2 Amps
Washer/Dryer 14-16Amps

thanx for all your input, i'm sure this will be very helpful in the future.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by exrpfd110

so, you really can't run the AC and the HW at the same time with the coffee pot. Boy, i wish the dealer would have mentioned that when we were looking at our unit.

If you are having this problem, then you can turn off the water heater's electric heating element (if so equipped), and run the water heater off propane, thus saving these amps for something else.

I've seen some trailers that have the microwave and the water heaters electrical heating element on the same circuit, which always trips when you have both on at the same time.

You'll get the hang of it in time, and realize what has to be turned off so something else can be turned on.

A good mindset is to always remember that anything that makes heat or cools is going to use the most electricity.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

I have the same problem when I use my hair dryer. Oh, wait a minute, I use a towel.

I'm with you there, and it get's easier with each passing day.

Back on topic:

Now that you understand you can't run everything with a 30 amp service, you are going to look upon your neighbors with 50 amp RV's more enviously now. Here is copy of a previous post that explains how 50 amp is different from 30 amp, along with why RV's with 50 amp can use so many more electrical items.

Most experienced camper owners fairly understand the common 30 amp service. It's 110 volt, and you are limited to using a total 30 amps of electrical stuff in your trailer at the same time. Most have learned that you have to turn some things off in your trailer.... when using toasters, hair dryers, and other things that take a lot of electricity to power or you will trip the breaker(s).

Now with a 50 amp service, common sense says that you now have 50 amps of total power, as the name applies, versus the 30 amp previously discussed....or 20 amps more than 30 amps. (20 + 30 = 50)

Now the fun part: You have more than 50 amps total when hooked to a 50 amp service. This 50 amp service is 220 volt (2 X 110), but the service is actually split into two 110 volt sides....EACH with 50 amps.

So, in reality you have TWO (2) fifty amp lines supplying power to your trailer....or a total of 100 amps when connected this way.....or as some voltage monitors say L1 and L2. This is over three times as much as a 30 amp service.

Because you have 100 total amps (over 3 times as much as a 30 amp), you can run all kind of electrical stuff at the same time now. 2 air-conditioners, water heaters, microwaves, toasters, hair dryers. etc. You are still going to be limited to the individual circuit breakers for each circuit/outlet. It's so much better than a 30 amp service. You can run up to 50 amps of stuff on your L1 side and then up to 50 amps of other stuff on your L2 side.

Unless you get into some higher-end RV's, nothing in your travel trailer actually uses 220 volt, but everything works off of 110 volt either on your L1 or L2 sides. This is the part that confuses a lot of people.

The sides (L1, L2) share a common 50 amp breaker and plug-in in the campground pedestal, so if there is a problem on either side, then the breaker trips....shutting down both sides. It might not be as confusing if the breaker had printed on it 50(x2).

Because RV's with 50 amp service have the ability to use over 3 times as much electricity as RV's with 30 amp service, you can understand why many campgrounds charge extra for 50 amp service sites.

When you started this forum, you asked about an adapter for using your 30 amp trailer on a 50 amp service. What this adapter does is just takes one 110 volt side of this 50 amp(x2) service, to provide power to you........and terminates the other 110 volt side inside the adapter so it doesn't provide anything. It's pretty straightforward and simple when you understand how it all works.

[jimh]

Originally Posted by youroo

On the (Bourbon Trail) in KY. we encountered a C/G in Bardstown,KY. (50) amp only! They had adapters for rent & sale,we had our own adapters we travel with. Youroo!!

been there...the only one, ive stayed in, with 50 and 20 but no 30. campground loaned me an adapter. if it was the same one, it is near the heaven hill bottling plant.

[jeeplj8]

Originally Posted by wmtire

I'm with you there, and it get's easier with each passing day.

Back on topic:

Now that you understand you can't run everything with a 30 amp service, you are going to look upon your neighbors with 50 amp RV's more enviously now. Here is copy of a previous post that explains how 50 amp is different from 30 amp, along with why RV's with 50 amp can use so many more electrical items.

Most experienced camper owners fairly understand the common 30 amp service. It's 110 volt, and you are limited to using a total 30 amps of electrical stuff in your trailer at the same time. Most have learned that you have to turn some things off in your trailer.... when using toasters, hair dryers, and other things that take a lot of electricity to power or you will trip the breaker(s).

Now with a 50 amp service, common sense says that you now have 50 amps of total power, as the name applies, versus the 30 amp previously discussed....or 20 amps more than 30 amps. (20 + 30 = 50)

Now the fun part: You have more than 50 amps total when hooked to a 50 amp service. This 50 amp service is 220 volt (2 X 110), but the service is actually split into two 110 volt sides....EACH with 50 amps.

So, in reality you have TWO (2) fifty amp lines supplying power to your trailer....or a total of 100 amps when connected this way.....or as some voltage monitors say L1 and L2. This is over three times as much as a 30 amp service.

Because you have 100 total amps (over 3 times as much as a 30 amp), you can run all kind of electrical stuff at the same time now. 2 air-conditioners, water heaters, microwaves, toasters, hair dryers. etc. You are still going to be limited to the individual circuit breakers for each circuit/outlet. It's so much better than a 30 amp service. You can run up to 50 amps of stuff on your L1 side and then up to 50 amps of other stuff on your L2 side.

Unless you get into some higher-end RV's, nothing in your travel trailer actually uses 220 volt, but everything works off of 110 volt either on your L1 or L2 sides. This is the part that confuses a lot of people.

The sides (L1, L2) share a common 50 amp breaker and plug-in in the campground pedestal, so if there is a problem on either side, then the breaker trips....shutting down both sides. It might not be as confusing if the breaker had printed on it 50(x2).

Because RV's with 50 amp service have the ability to use over 3 times as much electricity as RV's with 30 amp service, you can understand why many campgrounds charge extra for 50 amp service sites.

When you started this forum, you asked about an adapter for using your 30 amp trailer on a 50 amp service. What this adapter does is just takes one 110 volt side of this 50 amp(x2) service, to provide power to you........and terminates the other 110 volt side inside the adapter so it doesn't provide anything. It's pretty straightforward and simple when you understand how it all works.

well crap - have to call the dealer anyway - might as well trade the trailer...

The 30 amp thing is a continual pain in my butt and the roving neighbor's eyes.

Saturday morning, again, fired up the coffee maker but forgot to turn off the fireplace first. boom, there goes the breaker, and out I walk in my boxer's and a smile to the pedestal to flip it back on.

[WEMig]

Originally Posted by herk7769

The DW's hair dryer has been the cause of tripped breakers and fire alarms.

She now has a MUCH smaller unit (still 1000 watts though) that is only used in the camper.

X2, learned from experience!

[wneise]

Originally Posted by jeeplj8

well crap - have to call the dealer anyway - might as well trade the trailer...

The 30 amp thing is a continual pain in my butt and the roving neighbor's eyes.

Saturday morning, again, fired up the coffee maker but forgot to turn off the fireplace first. boom, there goes the breaker, and out I walk in my boxer's and a smile to the pedestal to flip it back on.

See if your dealer can convert you to 50 amp. It's just a new cord to pedestal and breaker box in your rig. The redneck option would be to run a extension cord from a 20 amp plug on the pedestal through a window, or straight to the fridge if it is plugged into an AC outlet behind the access panel. Taking the fridge off your main panel might give you enough. It sucks that camping on 30 amps takes as much planning as powering up Apollo XIII for landing.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by wneise

It sucks that camping on 30 amps takes as much planning as powering up Apollo XIII for landing.

It's not really that bad........unless you happen to see jeeplj8 in his boxers at the next campsite. (just kidding as it is April 1st)

[youroo]

Originally Posted by jimh

been there...the only one, ive stayed in, with 50 and 20 but no 30. campground loaned me an adapter. if it was the same one, it is near the heaven hill bottling plant.

Yes it was close to (Heaven!). Youroo!!