30amp vs 50 amp

[Sincityjets]

What will I be missing when I am forced to go to a 30amp park plug over a 50amp plug?

Are certain circuits excluded, or do you just have to watch what you run?

Thanks.

Chad

[cfo111]

you will find out if you have 2 ac's . electric hot water,turn on coffee pot,and more and your breakers start popping.

[ScottBrownstein]

Best strategy is to switch to propane HW, that leaves you 30 amps for the A/C, microwave and maybe a second A/C. if you go over that, the pedestal breaker will pop.

[Flybob]

Everything will still work only not at the same time. If you need to run a high demand device, simply turn off another high demand device while it is running. Running WH on propane will free up some demand.

[Sincityjets]

I have the aqua-hot, so that should help, it sounds like.

[Blackrock]

My 5th wheel with one air conditioner is set up for 50amp but I usually just use a 50-30 pigtail and my 30a cable to the 30a socket on the pedestal. It's a lot easier than lugging that 50a cable around. Everything works just fine.

I am set up for three months in an RV resort right now so for that I am using the 50a (Python) cable.

[Travler]

I think if you look at the breaker box you can see what is controlled by which leg of the incoming feed. I think if I remember correctly that they are in different colors in my breaker box. That way you can tell what will have power and what will not. I think in my rig the second AC is not fed if on 30 amps but your rig may be different.

[clr]

A 50 amp RV has TWO phases (legs) of 120 VAC being sent to the RV. A 30 amp RV has only one phase of 120 VAC being sent to the RV.
When you connect a 50 amp RV to a 30 amp plug the 50 to 30 dog bone (adapter) combines the two legs of the RV wiring to the same leg of the 30 service. So every thing will still work within the RV (every thing will still have power in the RV), you just need to watch how many high current devices you are running at the same time as you only have 30 amp available when you do this.

[5picker]

Here is a visual to show how the dog-bone adapter ties the two 50a legs to one 30a.

You likely won't be able to run both air conditioners at the same time (if equipped) and you'll need to watch other high current draw appliances running simultaneously.

As mentioned, running the water heater on propane and also the refrigerator (if necessary) will free up current for other things.

Keep in mind... with a 50a service, you have 100a of usable combined current.
50a on each leg for a combined 100a throughout your R/V.

With a 30a service you only have one leg of 30a so that is less than a third of the current available on a 50a service.

[Brother Les]

Even with a 30amp camper, running the AC, Electric WH, and the Microwave at the same time will tempt and most likely trip the fuse.

[tomkatb]

You become the $10,000 load shedding device.

Study up on what everything draws. Since you have 30% of the juice of a 50 amp system you have to plan ahead.

We immediately shift to refrigerator on lp. Water heater on lp. Turn off the front ac.

When you first plug in the converter becomes a high use device until the batteries charge some. About 15 minutes. We can hear the fan in the converter on high.

Then the DW load shedding person knows she can turn on a second high demand device, like the ac.

All laundry to be dried at night when the second ac is not needed. The DW has the main ac set a degree colder than the front. Our front then only runs during the day. Except in Houston this month.

Microwave use has to be very careful.

We love the state parks. Most have mostly 30 amp service.

The DW is very good. We have never flipped the breaker in a 30 amp state park.

Now, yesterday in balmy Houston, at 113 degrees corrected. We did blow the 50 amp breaker. DW had the two acs on, water heater, washer, dryer, microwave, fridge, and converter. Just a bit too much.

[jkoenig24]

70 Amps

[5picker]

Originally Posted by jkoenig24

70 Amps

Care to elaborate?

[G Hollingsworth]

My past motorhome and current one both had power management systems that automatically managed load. For example if you have two A/Cs running and turn on a higher priority item like the microwave, then them system accommodates but shutting off one of the A/C units. If you have a power management system then plug in and it will look after things for you.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Originally Posted by G Hollingsworth

My past motorhome and current one both had power management systems that automatically managed load. For example if you have two A/Cs running and turn on a higher priority item like the microwave, then them system accommodates but shutting off one of the A/C units. If you have a power management system then plug in and it will look after things for you.

When running on 30 amp with adapter does it know the usual amperage is not currently available? Just curious.

[G Hollingsworth]

Chad: my past unit could automatically recognize 50 vs 30 amp service. If less than 30 amp service then you had to manual switch it to 20 amp (no 15 amp option). The new one has a more sophisticated unit which auto recognizes 50/30/20/15 amp supply and adjusts accordingly. That said, I haven't tried to run much on anything less than 30 amp as appliances like a residential fridge, induction stove, microwave and so on need a bit of power.

If your unit automatically identifies the power available then it will manage usage in the unit turning off low priority power draw when higher priority units come on line.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Sincityjets

What will I be missing when I am forced to go to a 30amp park plug over a 50amp plug?

Originally Posted by jkoenig24

70 Amps

Originally Posted by 5picker

Care to elaborate?

He was answering the question literally.

What will the OP be missing? About 70 amps.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

He was answering the question literally.

What will the OP be missing? About 70 amps.

Sorry, that one went over my head when the other questions the OP asked weren't included in that answer.

Thanks!

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

He was answering the question literally.

What will the OP be missing? About 70 amps.

30 amps X 120 volts = 3600 watts

50 amps X 240 volts = 12000 watts

So he will be missing 8400 watts worth of capability. Lol

[cboss]

Here's a cheater, but it does not always work.
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Heavy-P...02509154&psc=1