Fifty vrs thirty amps

[Lon]

My twenty foot mini lite seems to function well on thirty amps. What advantage is the extra 20 amps service to me?

[bikendan]

None

[nbenn3]

With 50 amp service you can run everything in the camper without fear of popping a breaker. Sorry my DW loves her hair dryer and it's a pain on 30 amp lol.


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[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Lon

My twenty foot mini lite seems to function well on thirty amps. What advantage is the extra 20 amps service to me?

There is none, Your limiting factor is your 30 amp breaker and wire size. It's good still to carry a 50/30 dogbone. The reason is most of the time the 50 amp socket is in better shape at some poles. Your still only going to pull 30 amps max.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by nbenn3

With 50 amp service you can run everything in the camper without fear of popping a breaker. Sorry my DW loves her hair dryer and it's a pain on 30 amp lol.


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Not True in the OP case! He could still trip his breakers! Youroo!!

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Lon

My twenty foot mini lite seems to function well on thirty amps. What advantage is the extra 20 amps service to me?

Unless your trailer is set up for a 50 amp service, there is none as everyone has stated.

A 30 amp service has one 30 amp hot leg, a neutral, and a ground...that is capable of providing 3600 watts of 120 volt AC power. (120 volts X 30 amps = 3600 watts)

A 50 amp service is a 120/240 volt split phase service, that has TWO (2) 50 amp hot legs, a common neutral, and a ground. Each leg is capable of providing 6000 watts of 120 volt AC power...or 12000 watts total. (120 volts X 50 amps X 2 = 12000 watts)

So as you see, there is really more than an extra 20 amps, it would be 70 amps extra in total... or closer to 3 1/2 times more.

If your RV is prewired for 30 amps, it has a 30 amp main breaker in the RV and appropriate sized wiring, so that is your limiting factor at the onset.

More good reading:


http://www.rv-dreams.com/rv-electrical.html

http://www.myrv.us/electric/


http://www.rvtechmag.com/electrical/chapter3.php

http://www.rv-motorhome-answers.com/AC-Electricity.html

[Grampa Jim]

Lon,,,,when I had a 30 AMP rv I installed a 50 AMP adaptor, because,,,,like gljurczyk said above,,,,,the 50 plug will almost always be in better shape. The 30's get fried too often and your rv won't know the difference. No, you aren't adding more electricity to your system. No harm to do it at all.

[Avenger61]

Will my 30 amp TRC Surge Guard still work too?

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Avenger61

Will my 30 amp TRC Surge Guard still work too?

Not sure I understand your question.

If you are asking if you can use a 30 amp surge guard on a 50 amp wired camper, the answer is no.

There are two circuits the each have to be protected not one as in the 30 amp camper.

You could use a 50 amp surge guard (with appropriate adapters) on a 30 amp camper (only one leg would be used); but not the other way round.

[Avenger61]

Sorry, to be more specific, I'm asking if I use a 50 amp adapter with my 30 amp trailer supplied cord will my TRC 30 amp surge guard still function normally? If I understand you correctly, the answer is "no"

[DAPYES]

Why in this age of technology ,why can they not make a smaller 50 amp cable instead of the un-yielding logs we have to use now?

[AprilFool]

This does not answer your question but - I would gladly have paid more for my Forester 3051S to be wired for 50AMP service. Or at least a power management system like most coaches with 50 amp service have. I get sick and tired of turning off the fridge/hot water heater/ac to run the microwave, coffee maker, induction cooktop, hair dryer, and on and on. If you have ever had 50 amp and go to 30 - believe me - you will miss the 50.

Shelley

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Avenger61

Sorry, to be more specific, I'm asking if I use a 50 amp adapter with my 30 amp trailer supplied cord will my TRC 30 amp surge guard still function normally? If I understand you correctly, the answer is "no"

The answer to that question is yes!

Since the 50->30 adapter is only using one leg of the 50 amp service, your 30 amp surge guard will work just great. Your surge guard and your camper's main will still prevent you from pulling more than 30 amps from the available service.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by DAPYES

Why in this age of technology ,why can they not make a smaller 50 amp cable instead of the un-yielding logs we have to use now?

I suppose if you soaked a 30 amp gauge cable in Liquid Nitrogen you could get it to carry 50 amps without melting.

[Dezldog]

Amen to the 50amp unforgiving log

[schrederman]

Yes, the plugs are big... but they need to be to stay cool and still carry that much current. Perhaps technology will give us cooling, microwaves, etc that use less current, someday and the current-carrying hardware can be smaller.


The easiest way to describe the 2 different plugs is to compare them to the old style dryer plug and the new style. The old has 3 prongs... 120V - 30A hot... neutral... and ground. But for the old dryer, it was 2 hot prongs, and a neutral, no ground. The new has 4 prongs... 120V - 30A hot... neutral... 120V - 30A hot... and ground. The adaptor just drops a hot leg and you're still hooked up as normal with a 30A trailer. The second hot is usually just for a second A/C, fireplace, or both. That's the case for TTs and probably 5ers. Larger 5ers may share more of the load for other things on the second leg. I have no experience with motor homes, so I don't know if they're the same, but suspect they are.


Is something is wired incorrectly in the coach, with the 50A plugged in, you could end up with 240V across something designed for 120... But this will not happen to a coach using a 30A plug and a 50A adaptor... since one leg is dropped.

[Lon]

Because I didn't properly winterize my outside shower it sprays a small stream of cool water on my 30 amp plug at the power pole keeping it from over heating. You can tell its working from the steam that comes off the plug. ;-)

In all seriousness I am always amazed by the level of expertise present in this forum. Many thanks for your knowlegible help and for the time you spent answering my inane question as well as keeping me in the know on CURRENT events!

[maxjr758]

Guess that can be filed under a newbie question we all needed to know, but were afraid to ask! Lol