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Old 04-01-2019, 12:49 PM   #1
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6kw Generator only provides 30A ??

I am new here but hope other Legacy owners can help me understand why my 2018 Legacy 38C comes with a 6kw Onan generator (thats 50 amps usable power) but only provides my coach with a 30 amp connection. I understand that a true 50 am connection is 50 amps per leg and 100 amps total.
Why even put in a 6kw generator if your only planning to give me 30 amps of usable power from it? Is my coach wired wrong or am I missing something.
(With heavy AC use planned for this summer I am trying to figure out how to more easily run both AC usits which the generator has the capacity for but the connection to the RV wont allow.)
Thanks in advance!
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Old 04-01-2019, 04:21 PM   #2
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I don’t know the technical answer but can tell you my 2015 Legacy runs everything in the coach on generator. I upgraded both a/c last year and everything is still fine with both AC running. I can’t do that plugged into 30A, so it seems I’m getting more than 30A from the generator
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Old 04-01-2019, 04:31 PM   #3
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We need some more information here...


What make and model of generator do you have?
Have you checked the breaker switches on the genny itself?
Has it worked properly before?
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Old 04-01-2019, 04:44 PM   #4
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but only provides my coach with a 30 amp connection.\!

How have you determined this?
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Old 04-01-2019, 05:08 PM   #5
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Additional Information

The generator is an Onan Diesel 6kw and even shows 50amp on the tag but has a 30 amp 2 pole breaker.
The knowledge of only getting 30 amps to power the RV is from the information panel which shows a standard 30 amp connection while the generator is running.
This provides enough power to only run one AC unit at a time (15k BTU each) and the second one will fail to startup when the compressor kicks in. Each will then drop to just the fan and continue this until I turn one off.
I am getting a hard start kit in the mail this week to install on each of them to see if that will help but also trying to figure out why I am not able to use about 40% of generator's rated power.
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Old 04-01-2019, 05:14 PM   #6
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If you have a 30A two pole breaker, you should have more than 30A.
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Old 04-01-2019, 05:17 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by NickC View Post
I am new here but hope other Legacy owners can help me understand why my 2018 Legacy 38C comes with a 6kw Onan generator (thats 50 amps usable power) but only provides my coach with a 30 amp connection. I understand that a true 50 am connection is 50 amps per leg and 100 amps total.
Why even put in a 6kw generator if your only planning to give me 30 amps of usable power from it? Is my coach wired wrong or am I missing something.
(With heavy AC use planned for this summer I am trying to figure out how to more easily run both AC usits which the generator has the capacity for but the connection to the RV wont allow.)
Thanks in advance!

The Specs on your MH call for a 50Amp Service cord and 50Amp Transfer switch. Not sure where you're seeing this 30Amp connection at.
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Old 04-01-2019, 05:18 PM   #8
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If it has TWIN 30 amp breakers as you mention, that is TWO 30 amp circuits for a total of 6,000 watts (50 amps) combined. It should be wired to feed that power to two legs of a 50 amp (4 wire) connection for shore power.

What you get is 25 amps per "Leg" of the input power when on genny, not the 50 amps per leg that the "50 amp" service provides when connected to a 50 amp shore power circuit.

Yeah, it's a bit confusing, but you have a lot of power available with more than needed to run 2 A/C units.
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Old 04-01-2019, 05:31 PM   #9
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If it has TWIN 30 amp breakers as you mention, that is TWO 30 amp circuits for a total of 6,000 watts (50 amps) combined. It should be wired to feed that power to two legs of a 50 amp (4 wire) connection for shore power.

What you get is 25 amps per "Leg" of the input power when on genny, not the 50 amps per leg that the "50 amp" service provides when connected to a 50 amp shore power circuit.

Yeah, it's a bit confusing, but you have a lot of power available with more than needed to run 2 A/C units.
If the OP has a 2 pole 30 amp breaker as stated then it will not trip until over 30 amps is used on one leg.
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Old 04-01-2019, 06:05 PM   #10
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just like my Palazzo, with a 6kw quiet diesel Cummins Onan generator, you have a powerful generator for most all of your needs - 6,000kw is equal to approximately 50amps of output, plenty to do everything you wish.

Now, yes, the breaker on the front of the generator may only 'look' like a single 30amp breaker, but there is a 'twin' breaker attached to it, both feeding the 'sides' of your Main Electrical Panel....when one trips, the other trips with it.

No, 50amps is not as much as the '100amps' for rv park Shore Power 50amp service, since it is 240v with two sides, but it's still plenty to use while you are off-grid, or while driving, especially if you need to run both roof a/c units, and most everything else at the same time.
You won't need your battery charger while driving since the Alternator puts out charging to your House batteries, and you won't need both heat and air conditioning at the same time, nor will you need your Engine Block heater while driving, etc. Even when off-grid and parked, using your generator, you'll find it's plenty, plenty enough for everything you want to do.

There's almost no motorhome on the planet that has a 100amp generator, which would be a 12,000kw model, or higher - those are only for the 'big boys'. Some Prevost touring buses have 20,000kw generaters, which is more than 100amps, but they also can have TWO 50amp Shore Power plugs!


You've got plenty.
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Old 04-01-2019, 06:11 PM   #11
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If the OP has a 2 pole 30 amp breaker as stated then it will not trip until over 30 amps is used on one leg.
right, which is how all 'double-pole' twin breakers work...

what adds to the confusion, though, is that there are typical 'size' breakers in the electrical world - 15amp, 20amp, 30amp, 40amp, 50amp, etc....
but there's few 25amp breakers, which is why your generator uses two 30amp breakers, even though each 'side' is somewhat allotted 25amps.
The good benefit, though, is that one side gets to use a little more than the 25amps without necessarily tripping the breakers, giving you a little more breathing room when using the generator on hot days when both a/c units are running and you want to use the microwave and other devices at the same time.
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Old 04-01-2019, 06:55 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by NickC View Post
I am new here but hope other Legacy owners can help me understand why my 2018 Legacy 38C comes with a 6kw Onan generator (thats 50 amps usable power) but only provides my coach with a 30 amp connection. I understand that a true 50 am connection is 50 amps per leg and 100 amps total.
Why even put in a 6kw generator if your only planning to give me 30 amps of usable power from it? Is my coach wired wrong or am I missing something.
(With heavy AC use planned for this summer I am trying to figure out how to more easily run both AC usits which the generator has the capacity for but the connection to the RV wont allow.)
Thanks in advance!
Well, shore power is a 2 phase 120 volt input (50 amps per phase = 100 amps) to the coach and the generator is a single phase 50 amp input to the coach. Therefore the total from the generator is 50 amps. The generator output is split into 2 30 amp legs(in parallel) and distributed so one leg feeds one coach buss and the other leg feeds the other coach buss. The generator is capable of running 2 15K air conditioners and still have 1K available power for other items. Don't think you will have an issue.
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Old 04-01-2019, 07:37 PM   #13
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Well, shore power is a 2 phase 120 volt input (50 amps per phase = 100 amps) to the coach and the generator is a single phase 50 amp input to the coach.
It's actually called 240V split phase.
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Old 04-01-2019, 08:44 PM   #14
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we have an onan 5500 generator in a 50 amp 5th wheel with a residential refrigerator. the generator has two independent circuit breakers, one 30 amp and the other 20 amp. we have run 2 a/c's and anything else we wanted without tripping the generator circuit breakers. you should be more than fine!
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Old 04-01-2019, 09:11 PM   #15
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A 2 pole 50 amp breaker = 50amps. Not 100 amps. The amps listed is the total the breaker will handle. Breakers are rated for 80% of the load. A Good breaker will trip when it’s within that range. A 20 amp breaker good for 16 amps. That’s so you don’t overload your wiring. 120/240 volt single phase system. A 6k generator at 240 volts is good for 25 amps. Since your a/c units are 120 volt, the generator will handle both. Been in electrical trade for 38 years.
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Old 04-01-2019, 10:14 PM   #16
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A 2 pole 50 amp breaker = 50amps. Not 100 amps. The amps listed is the total the breaker will handle. Breakers are rated for 80% of the load. A Good breaker will trip when it’s within that range. A 20 amp breaker good for 16 amps. That’s so you don’t overload your wiring. 120/240 volt single phase system. A 6k generator at 240 volts is good for 25 amps. Since your a/c units are 120 volt, the generator will handle both. Been in electrical trade for 38 years.
Sorry, this is just wrong.
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Old 04-01-2019, 11:14 PM   #17
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Sorry, this is just wrong.
Damn. I hate it when I have to agree with Bubbles
6KW Onan does not deliver 240 volts. It will run 2 15000 BTU A/C's with power to spare. It comes with a 2 pole 30 amp main breaker. Power is reduce by 3.5% for every 1000' in elevation.

Nothing on the website mentions 50 amps.
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Old 04-01-2019, 11:24 PM   #18
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If a breaker is tripping at 80% of rated amperage it is bad. I believe breaker manufacturers test to a minimum of 135% of rated amperage for a given time interval.
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Old 04-01-2019, 11:53 PM   #19
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Nothing on the website mentions 50 amps.

Page 31 of the manual
https://www.electricgeneratorsdirect...QD_6_8_Man.pdf


the 50A output of the generator feeds the 2 pole 30A breaker.
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Old 04-02-2019, 08:27 AM   #20
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It's actually called 240V split phase.
Yes, but then an explanation of split phase would have to follow. I was thinking KISS is easier for the OP to understand.
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