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Old 08-06-2015, 01:29 AM   #1
flhartman
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Camping with 30amp hookup

We are new to the camping game and we are wondering if anyone has created a list of what can be run on a 30 amp hookup vs 50 amp hookup.

It appears that many campsites have primarily 30amp so we want to be prepared.

Appreciate any information you can share.
 
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Old 08-06-2015, 01:52 AM   #2
trustymopars
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We've found out that the only items you can't run in conjunction with each other are the A/C, microwave, more than 2 ceramic heaters, and the wife's jet-propelled hair dryer. I also recommend a good surge protector and a Hughes autoformer. So far we've not experienced low voltage on a 50 amp service, but seems all too common on a 30 amp.
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Old 08-06-2015, 02:19 AM   #3
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Biggest item is ability to run two ACs at the same time.
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Old 08-06-2015, 02:20 AM   #4
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If you run your air, we would shut it off for a few minutes if you turn on the coffee,run the hair dryer, microwave. I use a plug in volt meter at 30 amp sites to check how the park voltage is also. Some parks during heavy use times,voltage could drop to 100-105 volts. That also has an effect on equipment. We haven't tripped anything, but a quick look at that meter tells me to be careful. You will learn thru time what you can and cannot do. I know the meter does not give you amps, but it does show when there is heavy use
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Old 08-06-2015, 04:26 AM   #5
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A little trial and error will tell you. Worse case you will trip the park breaker and have to reset it. No harm done. And you have learned what not to run simultaneously.

And it will depend a lot on where and when you travel. In the south in the summer of course A/C is critical. You MIGHT be able to run both A/Cs if you do not have anything else running at the time. But best to limit it to only one A/C. If you are in cooler temps, then running one A/C, or none, would of course free up a lot of power. Also I would run the water heater on propane if running the A/C. And just be aware of how many different high current AC devices you are running at any given time, such as microwave, toaster/oven, coffee pot, hair dryer, clothes dryer, etc.
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Old 08-06-2015, 04:41 AM   #6
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At home on 30amp I can run both AC units and watch a movie on the dvd player and 46in led tv. I have not tried at a campground. My power at home is alot more reliable than most campgrounds I would suspect. At home I have a dedicated 30amp breaker connected to less than 50ft. of 10 guage wire with an RV30 plug at the power pole I put in. then a 30 to 50 dogbone adapter to a TRC 50amp surge protector w/ overvoltage, undervoltage and thermal protection. Then finally the trailer is pluged into that.
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Old 08-06-2015, 07:14 AM   #7
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We learned by trial and error. You need to remember that the hot water heater and the refrigerator are running in the background so sometimes you can get away with something and other times they come on at the same time and something else will cause an issue. For us it was basically cooking. Running one AC we would shut off the water heater if the convection oven and or fry pan were in use especially if the coffee pot was on.
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Old 08-06-2015, 08:24 AM   #8
jcurtis934
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There are enough parks with 50 amp service that we don't do the 30 game. Okay, did it twice and was constantly popping breaker at one park and ac at another park made some real vocal protests and lights got dim... john
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Old 08-06-2015, 08:48 AM   #9
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We go to the lakes alot ... 30 amp is the norm ... occasionally we get spoiled on 50 amp. Corps Parks and many State Parks here in the midwest have drastically cut back on funding, so utility updating is way out of budget. Like mentioned earlier ... you just adjust what you have going on. Most RVs today have so much stuff drawing power ... why I can remember when lotsa campsites had a 20 amp household outlet proudly hanging ... and I can also remember hunting buffalo ... and then maybe arguing with Chris Columbus about whether the worls was flat or round.
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Old 08-06-2015, 09:29 AM   #10
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We run only on 30 amp if using service. Our trailer is wired for 50 amp but I only carry a 30 amp cable and only use that if running AC most of the time. We have our trailer wired so all of our outlets ect. run off the inverter and the AC will only run when on shore power. So we get along fine without using 50 amp service.
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Old 08-06-2015, 09:47 AM   #11
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You must stay out of the parts of the country we stay in. As Diesel Guy mentioned, there are a lot of wonderful lakes here in Kansas, but most don't offer 50amps. Mother nature on the other hand is a 50amp kind of girl, particularly this year.
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Old 08-06-2015, 10:16 AM   #12
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We often stay at an older RV park near South Fork, CO at over 8,500'. At most they have 30 amps with many sites with only 20 amps. But with temps of 40's in the morning and 70's to maybe low 80's even in July and August even 20 amps works ok. Have even run one A/C on 20 amps on the rare day temp got a little warm.
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Old 08-06-2015, 12:24 PM   #13
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That is the nice thing about the Progressive surge protector. You can be outside and direct the DW to start up various items (1 air, then 2 air, fire up the microwave, then go in and fire off the hair dryer). You'll get an idea of what you are using. And you can, by firing off all of the above, along with the water heater and fridge, trip a 50 amp pedestal.
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Old 08-07-2015, 07:29 AM   #14
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by RonD

On the reply at home I can run 2 ac units, please remember at home is not in your RV, 30 am at home is a pair of 30 amp breakers, thats twice what you get in the RV
I meant I run both my RV air conditioners when pluged into the 30amp receptical I installed at my house. I also stated my wireing is probably much better than your average campground
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