Electric Cars and Campgrounds

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by youroo

Our Power Co.reads our Meter "Doing a Drive By" technology is Great! Youroo!!

Ours doesn't even have to drive by. Using some kind of broadband connection they get constant updates from us multiple times per day, allows them to charge different rates throughout the day so you pay less to use more power in the off hours (so they say, reality is you just pay more during the high demand hours.) But, that's at the house, back on the campground topic:

Some of the campgrounds we've stayed at you wouldn't even have the option of doing this, without taking away available power to your rig. These are the kinds of places where there's a single 30A outlet on a pole, no 50, no 20, no breakers, just a piece of conduit, a box and an outlet. At a place like that, your only choice would be to plug your rig into the 30, and then plug your EV into your rig. And with only 30 available before you trip a breaker who knows where that you'd have to contact the camp office to reset, you'd have to really monitor your own usage to keep yourself under the 30. I wouldn't want to be relying on having the ability to plug in, and then end up in a campground like that. If you have a gas/electric hybrid, that's one thing, but a pure EV you could find yourself running out of charge and being stuck.

On the other hand though, there's a local company around here that makes solar panels and have a few 'charge your EV here for free' sites outside their building. The concept of using solar to recharge an EV has always made me wonder if you could install a sufficient enough solar setup on top of a class A to keep an EV topped off. For me it's just been idle daydreams for retirement one day, but it might be something to look into.

[Witch Doctor]

Just a question, most people would use that car as a toad correct. So why couldn't they use there on board ginny to supply power, most class a have one and now I guess a lot of class c to. How long does it take to charge them or top them off

[5picker]

Originally Posted by nomad297

You both will have a hard time finding a campground in Upstate New York if you stick with this sentiment. Just about every campground I have been to there doesn’t “allow” electric heaters.

Bruce

Originally Posted by youroo

This falls under "Pay to Play" if you use More Power than others "You Pay" Nobody Rides Free! Youroo!!

I don't understand the 'no electric heater' rule or 'if you use more power you have to pay' deals.

When you pay for a campsite, you are agreeing to pay for whatever power comes with that site. You cant 'suck' more power out of the pedestal than what it is intended to produce so what's the problem?

As someone eluded to earlier... if it happens to be a cool summer weekend and I don't use my A/C the entire weekend, I don't pay any differently than if it turned out to be a sweltering hot summer weekend and I had to run the A/C the whole time. If I book and pay for a 30 amp site, I should be able to draw 30 amps, 24/7, the entire time I'm registered there. Doesn't matter what you plug into the pedestal, it's yours to use.

We've been a few places that charged an extra fee on top of the 30 amp site rate for A/C or heaters... we never went back.

I don't mind paying the few extra bucks most places charge for a 50a site because the campground had to upgrade to accommodate that and you have more power available. I wouldn't pay 'extra' to use my A/C or heater on one of those sites either.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by nomad297

You both will have a hard time finding a campground in Upstate New York if you stick with this sentiment. Just about every campground I have been to there doesn’t “allow” electric heaters.

Bruce

The problem I have with rules like 'no electric heaters' is that it is completely unenforceable unless the cg meters every site. And we all know that some folks will not follow the rules. So the cg should either update it's inadequate infrastructure, or limit its population. I realize back east that there are too many RVs crowding into too few aging RV parks. Just one reason we rarely venture that far east in our RV

I have no problem paying separately for metered electric, but signs expecting users to limit their use of RV facilities, tells me the park has not kept up with modern demand, and thus goofy rules like these are born. I would rather boondock, and usually do

[18CrewDually]

Originally Posted by Witch Doctor

Just a question, most people would use that car as a toad correct. So why couldn't they use there on board ginny to supply power, most class a have one and now I guess a lot of class c to. How long does it take to charge them or top them off

I got an idea! Why don't manufacturers of these cars have a "Towed Mode" so if flat towing it will re-generate it's own regulated power to keep it charged.
Should I file for a patent?
Then you wouldn't have to worry about having a good charge when you arrive to the campground.

[ResQfrog]

I can only speak for our Ford C-Max Energi plug in hybrid, but the Chevy volt and other gas-electric plug in's should be similar. This does not include plug in only vehicles like the Tesla's.

On 110 vac it takes 6-10 hours to charge. Variables are temperature and incoming voltage. On the 220 vac charger it takes 2 hours or less.

Using the 110 vac charger I can plug it into my Yamaha 2000 watt inverter generator and it will not even bump the auto throttle off of idle speed. The draw is like turning on a couple of light bulbs.

We like staying at several NY State camp grounds during the summer months. When we had the Wildwood XL with 13,500 AC, refrigerator on electric and used the electric heater mode on the hot water tank and tried to run the coffee maker we would trip the 30 amp breaker at this one State Park. With the motorhome at the same site. With the 15,000 AC, refrigerator on electric, car charging and coffee maker working we do not trip the breaker.

The charger for the car on 110 volts draws less power than the water heater element would.

Last year at a camp ground in Seminole FL the campground read the power meter before and after we were there. They said they would bill us for over the normal use per day based on one AC unit and stuff. At the end of the 11 days we were still under their normal usage. This was with the AC, refrigerator, coffee maker and car charging each day. Sometimes charging twice a day. All done with the 110 charger.

[FFred]

Massive "free " electric use is coming to an end at campgrounds and marinas.

The old hassle was someone would have to read the meter on arrival and before departure.

Today there is tech that allows the office to do this with the a wi fi.

To pay for what you use for sounds just fine to me.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by FFred

Massive "free " electric use is coming to an end at campgrounds and marinas.

The old hassle was someone would have to read the meter on arrival and before departure.

Today there is tech that allows the office to do this with the a wi fi.

To pay for what you use for sounds just fine to me.

Not sure I've ever stayed anywhere that didn't charge for the hook-up so it isn't 'free'.

And it can't be 'massive' when you can't use more than what is available.

Paying for what you use is perfectly fine.
The only correct way to do that is by metering it. Not with silly signs and limitation/restriction rules.

If a campground went into their business plan with the thought of 30a site infrastructure costing x-amount and the electricity for that site costs xyz and they
'hope' what they are charging per night covers those costs but only if the customer uses 2/3 of the electricity available, they have made a HUGE miscalculation.

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by ResQfrog

I can only speak for our Ford C-Max Energi plug in hybrid, but the Chevy volt and other gas-electric plug in's should be similar. This does not include plug in only vehicles like the Tesla's.

On 110 vac it takes 6-10 hours to charge. Variables are temperature and incoming voltage. On the 220 vac charger it takes 2 hours or less.

Using the 110 vac charger I can plug it into my Yamaha 2000 watt inverter generator and it will not even bump the auto throttle off of idle speed. The draw is like turning on a couple of light bulbs.

We like staying at several NY State camp grounds during the summer months. When we had the Wildwood XL with 13,500 AC, refrigerator on electric and used the electric heater mode on the hot water tank and tried to run the coffee maker we would trip the 30 amp breaker at this one State Park. With the motorhome at the same site. With the 15,000 AC, refrigerator on electric, car charging and coffee maker working we do not trip the breaker.

The charger for the car on 110 volts draws less power than the water heater element would.

Last year at a camp ground in Seminole FL the campground read the power meter before and after we were there. They said they would bill us for over the normal use per day based on one AC unit and stuff. At the end of the 11 days we were still under their normal usage. This was with the AC, refrigerator, coffee maker and car charging each day. Sometimes charging twice a day. All done with the 110 charger.

Thanks for that, so this thread is a lot to do about nothing, so who really cares if you use your a lotted power to run your a.c. or charge your car, you rented the spot and that is up to you.

[nomad297]

First, this thread has nothing to do with campground infrastructure. Those who brought this topic into the thread have completely missed the point of it, or are trying to deflect from the real topic.

Many posts here make me think of those people who go to an all-you-can-eat buffet, load their plate up with way too much food and then don’t eat it all, then slide ithat plate aside and go back to the buffet line to get another plate of food that they won’t finish. Why not? They paid for it, right? Why shouldn’t they take more than they really should have? While you’re at it, how about throwing a few of those “free” condiment packages into your purse before you leave.

Bruce

[rockfordroo]

I don't have an answer for the OPs question, but I've been in campgrounds that charge you if you want to run your AC. They didn't seem to have anyway to monitor you, though; seemed to run the honor system.

[NMWildcat]

So nomad, are you saying when you are at full hookups, and it's cold, that you don't run any electric heaters to save YOUR propane? Or that you don't run your a/c all day when it's hot? Or that you don't flush your tanks several times with the cgs water? Or that you don't use all the free WiFi/cable you need? Plugging in your electric car is no different than any of the above activities for a site you paid for. I find your post a tad hypocritical

[uhduh camping]

The reality is electric trucks are coming soon enough. It's a wonder they are not here now. I know Tesla is coming with a large truck, but 1\2, 3\4, and 1 tons will be here soon. CG's will need to charge them or get left behind. Many CG's that can't handle the extra electrical load will reduce the available campsites.

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

So nomad, are you saying when you are at full hookups, and it's cold, that you don't run any electric heaters to save YOUR propane? Or that you don't run your a/c all day when it's hot? Or that you don't flush your tanks several times with the cgs water? Or that you don't use all the free WiFi/cable you need? Plugging in your electric car is no different than any of the above activities for a site you paid for. I find your post a tad hypocritical

What I am saying is, I wouldn’t gas-up my vehicle at the expense of others. There’s no hypocrisy there.

Bruce

[26RR]

Originally Posted by bubbles

We plug the mobility scooter charger into the motorhome external TV receptacle.

M
I also plug our Cricket mini golf cart into the TT external TV receptacle. Keeps it charged for next days use. At home, leave Cricket inside TT, plugged in, and TT plugged in to 30A plug on side of house. Works for us!

[arter368rlbhk]

Originally Posted by nomad297

What I am saying is, I wouldn’t gas-up my vehicle at the expense of others. There’s no hypocrisy there.



Bruce

Hey Bruce would you like to make a small donation to the “Human Fund”? [emoji23] *seinfeld reference * lol

Honestly I don’t sweat the small stuff, I figure the rv park better have a business model that over estimates the amount of electricity used if they want to stay in business very long. Secondly my ? For everyone calling for metered campsites; do you really think any campground is going to lower their rates when they do in fact add meters? My guess is when and if all parks start to go to metered spots, it won’t be bc of ppl using too much electric. It will be bc they know they can make even more money. Also I don’t have an electric vehicle, but with that said: I have never been too concerned with my electric consumption at any rv park.....jmo

Now in my opinion; if a park employee stops and says , we don’t allow charging of electric vehicles in our park. I would kindly advise to unplug it and go about your day, or ask if you can pay extra to charge it. Or as a last resort to crank up the generator and charge it. IMO

[5picker]

The analogy of using electric at a campground to eating food at a buffet is silly.

With the exception of using electric to charge your battery and store some of that energy as 12v, I know of no device that allows you to take electric from the pedestal and 'throw away' unused portions or save any of it for later. Once you use it, you use it.... And, I don't see how that process is at the 'expense' of others unless you never paid for your site.

It's been stated here by those that own electric cars, to recharge takes about as much juice as running the water heater. If you pay for a full hook up site and choose not to run your water heater on electric because you believe you are doing so at the expense of others, then that is your decision. But please don't try to make this forum believe that those of us who do use that electricity, (for whatever purpose) are doing something immoral.

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by 5picker

The analogy of using electric at a campground to eating food at a buffet is silly.

With the exception of using electric to charge your battery and store some of that energy as 12v, I know of no device that allows you to take electric from the pedestal and 'throw away' unused portions or save any of it for later. Once you use it, you use it.... And, I don't see how that process is at the 'expense' of others unless you never paid for your site.

It's been stated here by those that own electric cars, to recharge takes about as much juice as running the water heater. If you pay for a full hook up site and choose not to run your water heater on electric because you believe you are doing so at the expense of others, then that is your decision. But please don't try to make this forum believe that those of us who do use that electricity, (for whatever purpose) are doing something immoral.

You just don’t get it. Or you do and you just want to be argumentative.

Bruce

[arter368rlbhk]

I don’t get it either, plz enlighten us

[str8t six]

it would cost $11.10 to run a 30amp outlet at maximum capacity for 24hrs at a rate of $00.13 cents per KWH.

most campgrounds charge atleast $20 a day. so you are already paying for all the energy you could use. if you use any less, then the campground is making a profit. the outlet is the limiting factory in how much power you can use. the campground should know this when charging people daily rates. thats why 50amp spots cost more, because they are able to use more electricity.

you are paying for 30amps of power per day, regardless of how much of the 30amps that you use.