electrical option - not enough juice for everything

[trudinator]

Just turn off the fireplace while you're making coffee or getting ready. This is, after all, a camper, not the Marriott.

[powertrader]

much less than 50amp service, or divorce,,,,AND the perfect cup of coffee....
Michael

[Oaklevel]

Turn your gas on the hot water heater & use it.............
We have 30 AMP service Often two women along (& three men) Coffee maker, microwave, AC, etc.... No firepalce but we have never tripped a breaker, or blown a fuse. We go to camp not stay at the Holiday Inn..................................

Good Luck........................................

[MillerTime]

To help on the campground breaker, use the 50 amp plug, use a 50-30amp adapter to plug trailer in. On the 30 amp plug at the pedestal you will have 3600 watts. If you use the 50 amp with the 30 amp adapter you will have 6000 watts ( on each leg but the adapter will only use 1 leg).
This may help a little on the inside as well, but the already mentioned ideas would solve it all

Ps- a 50-30 adapter can be found at walmart and other places for $15-25

[caper]

If you use a 50-30 amp adapter will not help. Your trailer is limited to 30amps. If you can fool your 30 amp breaker in the trailer not to trip you will be overloading your wiring in the trailer. This could result in a fire hazard.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by caper

If you use a 50-30 amp adapter will not help. Your trailer is limited to 30amps. If you can fool your 30 amp breaker in the trailer not to trip you will be overloading your wiring in the trailer. This could result in a fire hazard.

Heck lets just pull out the 30 main and put a 50 amp main in the power center it wont trip for awhile-ish



TURBS

[MillerTime]

I said the pedistal breaker.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by MillerTime

I said the pedistal breaker.

Lol I knew what you meant!

I was just spouting off at the mouth!
Having fun!

[jimh]

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

Heck lets just pull out the 30 main and put a 50 amp main in the power center it wont trip for awhile-ish



TURBS

humm...u may be on to something...change the cable to #6-2 w/ground...wire pedistal end with a 30amp plug then adapt to 50 amp...wouldn't want to wire a 50 amp plug because u wouldn't want to give the illusion that it was a normal 50amp service...

[MillerTime]

Ok, ill explain it for all the ones thinking I'm some kind of idiot.

Say you have a 30 amp plug at your pedistal, with a breaker that actually trips at 30 amps(realisticaly it is less) and 120 volts ( also highly unlikely) =3600 watts. When you plug your shore cord in you will automaticly have a drop in available amps and or voltage from the contacts in and on the plug. Add at least 25' shore cord at a .032 voltage drop per foot ( thanks turbs) .032 x25'=.8 voltage drop- you are down too 119.2 minus drop in connetions. Then you also have the conection to you internal breaker box. So say you are are down to 115 volts at 30 amps ( again probably less) =3450watts. Every draw on power creates resistance and heat- thus a lesser than 30 amp load will still trip the breaker. The same resistance will also carry into the trailer- lesser available power will add extra stress to the appliances used inside and thus unduly trip an internal breaker.

Now since we don't live in a perfect world- your camp pedistal trips at 28 amps, only has 110 volts plus afore mentioned draws you are well below 3080 watts.
- if you use the 50-30 adapter you have a MUCH BETTER chance of using your electrical system to its full capacity. And less chance of burning things up from decreased power (ie. A/C units, microwaves etc.)
Of course with out standing infront if the pedistal or poking around in the trailer electrical with a dvom or other test equipment, you will never know.

Ok I'm done now!

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by MillerTime

Ok, ill explain it for all the ones thinking I'm some kind of idiot.

Say you have a 30 amp plug at your pedistal, with a breaker that actually trips at 30 amps(realisticaly it is less) and 120 volts ( also highly unlikely) =3600 watts. When you plug your shore cord in you will automaticly have a drop in available amps and or voltage from the contacts in and on the plug. Add at least 25' shore cord at a .032 voltage drop per foot ( thanks turbs) .032 x25'=.8 voltage drop- you are down too 119.2 minus drop in connetions. Then you also have the conection to you internal breaker box. So say you are are down to 115 volts at 30 amps ( again probably less) =3450watts. Every draw on power creates resistance and heat- thus a lesser than 30 amp load will still trip the breaker. The same resistance will also carry into the trailer- lesser available power will add extra stress to the appliances used inside and thus unduly trip an internal breaker.

Now since we don't live in a perfect world- your camp pedistal trips at 28 amps, only has 110 volts plus afore mentioned draws you are well below 3080 watts.
- if you use the 50-30 adapter you have a MUCH BETTER chance of using your electrical system to its full capacity. And less chance of burning things up from decreased power (ie. A/C units, microwaves etc.)
Of course with out standing infront if the pedistal or poking around in the trailer electrical with a dvom or other test equipment, you will never know.

Ok I'm done now!

Description werks for me!
I like that chart!

Turbs

[MillerTime]

Yes pretty handy, thanks! really kind of suprising how little the voltage drops per foot of wire, but of course the conections are where the problems usually lie.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by MillerTime

Yes pretty handy, thanks! really kind of suprising how little the voltage drops per foot of wire, but of course the conections are where the problems usually lie.

Or if the wire has been hot .

[jimh]

i know exactly what u mean. i was just suggesting the cable between the pedestal and breaker box be changed to match the protection. i thought u had a good suggestion.
i was just building on it. if the breaker box buss is capable of it, it would be a cheaper fix than converting the entire trailer to 50 amp. i know that would only give u 20 more available amps, but that may do the trick.

not meant to be critical...just thought it would work.

[MillerTime]

X2 on hot wire

[caper]

It sounds like a good idea. But if the main 30 amp breaker did not trip in the trailer and the OP was drawing more then 30 amps the wire would over heat and a fire could occur. The scenario you are giving is the same as putting a 20 amp fuse in the old fuse panel because the 15 kept blowing. It works but for how long. The best thing to do is use less items in the morning that draw high amps.

[danno2u]

The electric water heater draws 11 amps in my rig... all by itself. I believe it is 1,500 watts. So I use propane to heat the water as needed. On a 30 amp power supply, you don't have much overhead left if the electric water heater is like mine.

[MillerTime]

To caper -Ok someone elses turn.
If that therory was the case, why have a 200 amp main in your house if your 15 amp breaker failed?

[MillerTime]

Oh and walmart wouldn't sell the adapter for $16.97 + tax if there was that much liability

[jeeplj8]

It is interesting to see how quickly you exceed the 15 amps available with just a few appliances. It sounds like 50 amp service is going to cost more than I want to spend. My original plan to have one of them shower at night. I like that plan better now.

But Miller a idea at least makes sure I have 30 amps on the right side of the box.