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Old 05-01-2008, 05:18 PM   #1
Nell
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Is 30 amp electrical adequate for camping in 36'

Hello...we just bought our 2005 Montana 3650RL last fall, and haven't used it much as yet...our concern is this...we are going to two state parks next week, and the parks only have 30 amp service. We have two air conditioners, and as we are taking our daughter and grandkids along, will need to run both airs, plus our microwave at times, and TV, etc. My husband thinks we will have problems with the 30 amps.
Can someone who has had experience with this let me know just how big a problem the 30 amps might be for us? Many thanks.
 
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Old 05-01-2008, 06:09 PM   #2
HamRad
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Nell,

There are others who actually have some real electrical experience that I hope will stop by and help answer your question. My thought is that the two AC units will be pushing the 30 amps. I think you would be very close to the "edge"! If you were running much of anything else at the same time then you'd probably pop the fuses.

If you can get by with one AC then you'll probably be OK.

We generally use only 30 amp hookups. We used to carry the 50 amp cord with us but now just leave it home and use only the 30.

Where will you be staying where you'll need 2 ACs? Just curious. I know it is starting to warm up but you must be going to a hot part of the country.

HamRad
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Old 05-01-2008, 06:18 PM   #3
Mudchief
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Your husband is right. You will need to watch what you have on. Run everything you can on propane rather than electric. You will not have any problems until you try and run both air conditioners and other things at the same time.
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Old 05-01-2008, 06:55 PM   #4
rogue
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Remember your hot water heater, refrigerator, lights, microwave, TV, Stereo/DVD, hair dryers, toaster, Coffee Pot, all run on the 30amp or 50amp AC, as do both air conditioners. Its my understanding that to be able to run both air conditioners you DO need 50amp service. With only 30amp service you will need to be careful running one air conditioner and all the rest. One air conditioner, hot water heater, refrigerator, and one of the others (Coffee pot, toaster, hair dryer, Microwave) should be OK on 30amp. So be careful as to what you are using. If you want to switch the Hot Water heater to propane you could then add one of the others (but not the second air conditioner), as the hot water heater uses more power than the refrigerator.
This is only my opinion, as I only have one air conditioner.
Bob
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Old 05-01-2008, 06:57 PM   #5
MAMalody
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I have to A/Cs and have been on 30A before. What I recommend is that unless you need the bedroom on, to close the bedroom door and use the main unit until just before bedtime. About 30 minutes before, open the door turn the main unit to fan and turn the bedroom on. You should cool the bedroom down pretty quick. If you try to run the microwave while an A/C is running you will probably trip a breaker. The same will probably happen if you have both A/Cs running and cycle at the same time.
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Old 05-02-2008, 03:53 AM   #6
BB_TX
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We only have one AC, but last Aug. at both an OK state park and a TX state park while running the AC, the microwave, and the washer, it would trip the parks' 30A breakers. By being careful with what we were running simultaneously, we managed to avoid tripping it again. Two ACs plus anything else may be a problem.
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Old 05-02-2008, 04:17 AM   #7
stiles watson
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Yeah, it can be done, but it will take some planning and power management as has been stated above. Occasionally, we will trip breakers with the use of too many devices in the kitchen even with a 50 AMP hookup.
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Old 05-02-2008, 04:45 AM   #8
Tinka N Rick
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On 30 AMP we make a practice of running only one AC and we don't run the washer/dryer at the same time. We don't want to take the chance of smoking any motors. The central AC unit will keep the place cool enough even when the temp rises above 100 degrees. Be sure to keep the filter clean.
Be sure to monitor your voltage and amperage draw.
We recently found that adding some vent covers and traveling with the ceiling vents open really keeps the rig much cooler when traveling. They are cheap.
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Old 05-02-2008, 05:28 AM   #9
ols1932
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Absolutely! Just do some electrical management: Refrigerator and water heater on propane; be careful how you use your small appliances; turn off air conditioner if wife is going to use hair dryer. It's very manageable. There was a time when no rv parks or campgrounds had 50-amp power; in fact many of them only had 20-amp power. We used to run our air conditioner in the old campgrounds where only 20-amp power was available. You can do it!

Orv
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Old 05-02-2008, 06:28 AM   #10
Nell
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We thank all of you who took the time to respond to my question regarding the 30 amp service. Your advice and experience was most helpful. This is a nice group of folks....Nell
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Old 05-02-2008, 07:35 AM   #11
Waynem
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Neil,
One more comment. When I'm hooked up here in the driveway of the stick house I run the LR air conditioner on one 12 AWG into a 20 Amp house circuit breaker. I run the refrigerator on that same circuit and I can watch television. On occasion I trip the breaker when I turn on something in the house on the same circuit. We have to move the coffee pot in the stick house to another breaker because it will definitely trip when the heater to the pot comes on.

With all that being said, and previous posts on electrical management, you should do fine on 30 AMP. Worse case scenario is you have to step outside to reset the breaker and then try to figure what tripped it and turn that item off. I'd wait until bedtime until turning on the second AC. It is a little cooler at that time of the evening. THE biggest problem you may have is if both AC compressors kick on at the same time.

As previously posted in another thread, you could try putting a fan in or near the doorway to the BR and circulate the cooler LR air.

Good luck. Give it a try - nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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