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Old 07-06-2017, 09:24 AM   #1
Dixie Flyer
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A/C struggling in 90* heat

Not all parks and campground here in the Deep South have 50amp service so we have to rely on 30amp sometimes. In our 2012 Montana which was a foot shorter we had a vent at the bottom of the A/C where the filter was located that you could open and allow the air to flow into the room without channeling it through the overhead vents which made a huge difference in cooling the living and kitchen area.

The inside temperature yesterday was 87* using the 30amp service. The four vents for the A/C that are in the living/kitchen area isn't enough to keep it cool. Any suggestions from folks who may have overcome this problem?

I turned on the ceiling fan and put a standup rotating floor fan at the rear next to the back of the camper trying to help circulate the air. Any thing else can be dome. We have Dometic A/C with a digital thermostat.
 
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:27 AM   #2
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Let me add we have a 3611rl which is close to 38 feet in length.
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:44 AM   #3
jeff_banning
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Fellow camper recently showed me these 15A/30A combo to 50A female so he could run front and rear air when at a 30A campground. Here is a eBay link I found to show design, but sold at many camper stores. http://www.ebay.com/itm/RV-Cord-Adap...-/232195152653

Now, another guy tried this next to me and the 20A breaker was a GFI in the box... it kept tripping. We had to pull the GFI breaker and replace with a straight 20A to fix the issue (even when camper not plugged in) don't know why the GFI tripped. We metered the 15A plug and it is wired to second pole on the 50A plug. I have now seen this twice where GFI breakers trip when this adapter is used... somehow the common neutral and common ground causes a GFI to trip.

I made my own at using home depot parts, it is a dual 30A's and a 15A converting to a 50A because the spot had dual 30's in box BUT make sure any unused plug is covered with a blank female as the prongs are hot if exposed.
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Old 07-06-2017, 11:02 AM   #4
kdeiss
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I would first take temperature of air coming out of the vent that is the nearest thhe AC unit should be 20 degrees lower or better then air entering the return.
If you are not getting the 20 degree differential you have a bad AC Unit!
Confirm you are getting 115 Volt at the pedestal and inside the unit.

I have ran our 2955RL on 30Amp and even 20Amp service for years
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Old 07-06-2017, 12:38 PM   #5
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I posted earlier but it had a link to eBay and got whacked until approved by moderator (didn't know not to post links). Anyways, look for a Camco 55025 Y adapter that lets you use the 30A and 20A feeds at the power pedestal to power both units IF both units will help keep it cool, mine do not and in shop now only two weeks old. Many threads on the cooing issue I see now as a member.

Also note if power box has a GFI breaker it will trip when plugging in the Camco, seen two do this. It is fixed by replacing with a regular breaker or removing the GFI Wire (I didn't do this ;o) anywhere..) and making breaker a standard 20A.
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Old 07-06-2017, 01:28 PM   #6
Dixie Flyer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kdeiss View Post
I would first take temperature of air coming out of the vent that is the nearest thhe AC unit should be 20 degrees lower or better then air entering the return.
If you are not getting the 20 degree differential you have a bad AC Unit!
Confirm you are getting 115 Volt at the pedestal and inside the unit.

I have ran our 2955RL on 30Amp and even 20Amp service for years
The air coming out the roof vents is 42 degrees. I have an infrared temperature gun that reads the temp coming out of the vents.
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Old 07-06-2017, 01:44 PM   #7
Dixie Flyer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff_banning View Post
I posted earlier but it had a link to eBay and got whacked until approved by moderator (didn't know not to post links). Anyways, look for a Camco 55025 Y adapter that lets you use the 30A and 20A feeds at the power pedestal to power both units IF both units will help keep it cool, mine do not and in shop now only two weeks old. Many threads on the cooing issue I see now as a member.

Also note if power box has a GFI breaker it will trip when plugging in the Camco, seen two do this. It is fixed by replacing with a regular breaker or removing the GFI Wire (I didn't do this ;o) anywhere..) and making breaker a standard 20A.

Just ordered the Camco adapter from Amazon, Will have it by Saturday. Thanks, This is a life saver.
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Old 07-06-2017, 02:02 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Dixie Flyer View Post
Just ordered the Camco adapter from Amazon, Will have it by Saturday. Thanks, This is a life saver.
Hope it works, a fellow camper showed me his and how it fixed the problem so I am just paying it forward. Good luck!
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Old 07-06-2017, 02:10 PM   #9
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Sadly these things, particularly the new ones with high ceilings and new AC units can't make it on 30amps in the summer. Even with our 2010 we had to leave a great campsite because we couldn't deal with the issues and heat associated with 30 amps.
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Old 07-06-2017, 02:20 PM   #10
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Sadly these things, particularly the new ones with high ceilings and new AC units can't make it on 30amps in the summer. Even with our 2010 we had to leave a great campsite because we couldn't deal with the issues and heat associated with 30 amps.
Not to hijack the thread but has anyone ever heard a salesman say or saw documentation with their Montana camper, "Please note - This camper will not be usable or comfortable to use when operating only one A/C unit and the temperature exceeds 80 degrees" ?

This is personally my issue and the reason it is in the shop, the A/C is blowing 50 degrees but only scrubs 3 degrees difference inside from outside temp. We would have never bought the camper if this was known or stated.

We have had 3 dual air 50A campers and only stayed once at a campground that has 50A and never really needed the front air anyways until temps hit closer to 100 degrees.

I know
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Old 06-05-2018, 02:12 PM   #11
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Resurrecting this older thread. I bought the Camco 55025 Y adapter mentioned above in order to get 50 amps from a 30 amp and 20amp outlet b/c place we love to stay only has 30 amp service. I have not tried it yet, but wanted to get more input incase anyone else has more to add to the above. I'm really hoping to not have to change the GFI outlet at the campground if I don't have to.
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Old 06-05-2018, 02:37 PM   #12
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Adapter for fifty amp

You will have to replace the GFI, it trips ever time. If you have a small generator take it with you and plug the
20 amp into that.
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Old 06-05-2018, 03:16 PM   #13
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fred1fred2 … if the Camco adaptor is wired like the "cheater boxes" some of us used to have ... it will trip the GFI every time. Per code, most any campground by now has incorporated the GFI on the 15 amp receptacle. This is why many of the adaptors are on sale … can't use them unless you remove the GFI which can get you in some trouble at most any campground if you get caught. By now many camp hosts know what the Y adaptor is up to. You can run a separate extension cord off the 15 amp outlet to your fiver up thru some hole and plug a few things in to it.
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Old 06-05-2018, 03:54 PM   #14
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Welcome to the world of reality. In 107 degree temps under a hot sun beating on the roof and sides of this Montana and the inside walls reading over 90 degrees because of this pretty dark colored Big Sky.With both A/C s running full blast they struggle to hold 85 degrees and the A/C system is operating normally. Shawnee, Ok Fairgrounds last summer.
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Old 06-05-2018, 07:05 PM   #15
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Adding 3rd AC

There is a current thread over on the keystone forum about 3rd AC. One guy stated that the big motorhomes have 3 15k units and they run off a single 50 amp source like our Montes...and I guess I had never thought about. If that is correct would our units similarly support 3 units with the single 50 amp plug? Or does this have more to do with working 3 units off of 2 thermostats? How do the motorhomes do it?
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Old 06-05-2018, 07:07 PM   #16
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We have reflective bubble wrap on windows in direct sunlight and insulation in the outside walls of all closets. Also, keep your return air filters clean. They get dirty much faster than you expect. In addition to that we have sun screens on the outside of all windows.
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Old 06-05-2018, 08:05 PM   #17
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Dixie Flyer, When we were full timers we learned how to run both AC on 30 amps. What you do is switch everything to gas. Then set the rear AC to 60 after the compressor kicks on go to the second AC and turn it on and set it to the temperature you would like. The rear AC will never get to 60 therefore the compressor will never cycle. The front will cycle. However if you need to run the microwave, hair dryer etc you will have to turn off the front AC.
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Old 08-28-2018, 02:34 PM   #18
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Back to the Camco 55025 Y adapter. I used multiple times on same pedestal at a campground with 30amp service in the past this year and no problems (i swapped out GFCI outlet with regular 20 amp outlet). However, this past weekend when I installed, the the 20amp outlet breaker would eventually trip.. Any ideas? It is an old breaker in the box.
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Old 08-28-2018, 02:52 PM   #19
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Sooooooo .... how do you get by with altering a campground electrical pedestal and not be asked by management to hook up your truck to your camper and find your way back to the road?
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Old 08-28-2018, 03:01 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by fre1fred2 View Post
Back to the Camco 55025 Y adapter. I used multiple times on same pedestal at a campground with 30amp service in the past this year and no problems (i swapped out GFCI outlet with regular 20 amp outlet). However, this past weekend when I installed, the the 20amp outlet breaker would eventually trip.. Any ideas? It is an old breaker in the box.
Low voltage on the 15 amp breaker could be the problem. Depends on the demand in the campground during high useage
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