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05-24-2006, 02:42 PM
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#1
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Established Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Wyalusing N E
Posts: 31
M.O.C. #5548
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Realistic current requirements
We just brought our 3500RL home. I am curious if the 50 amp is required at a campground. We have the electric fireplace and only AC and no W/D. I am also going to run a servce out to the area we park the unit and I am trying to decide if 30 Amp is enough. Thanks for all your help.
Roadster '06 Ram 3500 CTD & Montana 3500RL
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05-24-2006, 03:03 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Castle Rock
Posts: 1,338
M.O.C. #4624
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Roadster,
30 amp should be enough if you only have one a/c unit or are only running one at a time. I'm not sure how the W/D fits in but I imagine you couldn't run it on 30 while running the a/c too, but I may be wrong. Someone will correct me, I'm sure.
mac
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05-24-2006, 03:16 PM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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You will do Ok with 30amp service.You will not be able to run ALL of your high current appliances at the same time. A/C Fireplace/ Microwave oven but I would guess that any 2 out of those three with normal lighting and a Tv would be OK. If you are installing a service at home check out your distribution panel you may have room for 50 amp service. Example we had a breaker for a electric stove that we were no longer using and a electric hot water tank that we no longer used so we ran 50 amp service out to the camper.. and..a lot of campgrounds do not have 50 amp service so you will be using 30amp most of the time I would say....
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05-24-2006, 03:18 PM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Leona
Posts: 6,382
M.O.C. #2059
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What are your future plans? Do you ever plan for a washer/dryer and/or a second A/C? If they are in your plans, then I would install to my plan. If not, then 30 amps should service you. In the long run, it is cheaper to install 50 amps than to install 30 amp service and later switch to 50. In my mind, it all depends of what you intend to do.
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05-24-2006, 04:42 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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We also have 50 amp service in our Montana but 95% of the time connect to 30 amp. We can easily run 2 high draw appliances plus several lesser draw items simultaneously. But a third high draw requires shutting something off. For example, we can run the washer, dryer, AC, two TV's, two laptop computers, and some lights all at the same time on 30 amp. In the winter, we'll have two electric heaters going, one on low and one on high, instead of the AC. To run the microwave we'll shut off one of the heaters or the AC.
Suggest you connect to 30 amp and experiment. Worst case is you pop a breaker and have to reset it. But then you'll know. Just shut off the AC before you reset so it doesn't get a surge of power at startup.
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05-24-2006, 04:59 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cooper
Posts: 1,230
M.O.C. #3029
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I have the fireplace, no w/d and only one A/C. Unless you rewire the Montana you can not use the fireplace and microwave at the same time. I am wired here at home for 30 amp with #8 on about a 50' run and have plenty of supply.
As far as the 50A, it is stored in the garage. I invested in a 30-50A adapter and that is all I use with a 25' 30amp cord. So far not a problem.
Most of the CG's will charge extra if you tell them you are using 50Amps.
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05-24-2006, 10:33 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Down the Road
Posts: 5,627
M.O.C. #889
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My old campground had 30 amp service only. I ran my a/c, fireplace, and the microwave all at the same time on 30 amps over the past 2 years. My new campground has 50amp service and now I can run both of my a/c's, microwave, and central vac all at the same time.
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05-25-2006, 02:57 AM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: King George
Posts: 688
M.O.C. #345
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We also run on 30 amp most of the time. We carry a 25ft and 50ft 30 amp chord along with the standard 50 amp chord. Everything stated from the other members so far is true. You can run a couple of high amp appliances at a time but trial and error will tell you when you have overdone it. A great item to buy is an analog voltage meter that plugs into an outlet. Ours is visable between the kitchen chairs and sofa. When the needle is in the green, I know I have enough power on 30 amp to run things. We got ours from Campers World. A lot of camp grounds have low voltage and on 30 amp it is important to watch your voltage. ACs, microwaves, and ref do not like low voltage and can burn out the electronics boards. That can be expensive. Another item that we purchased was a Hughes Autoformer that can raise the 30 amp voltage about 10-12%. When the voltage is low and there is no 50 amp service, out goes the autoformer for more power. 
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08-13-2006, 04:06 PM
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#9
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Woodland
Posts: 476
M.O.C. #3890
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Montana Sky
I ran my a/c, fireplace, and the microwave all at the same time on 30 amps over the past 2 years.
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 I'm trying to imagine this: the fireplace has gotten the coach too hot, turn on the A/C, now that's just right...
Bill and Mariana McCamy
'05 F-250 Lariat 6L PSD
'05 2955RL
Woodland, CA
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08-13-2006, 05:34 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: K.C.
Posts: 11,731
M.O.C. #5980
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Roadster,
Concerning Your question about running power out to your parking area, 30 amp service is great, most of have no more than that, if that.
A/C=16 to maybe 18 amps, converter, 5-8 amps, for 'sittin and dreamin, that's all we need.
Ozz
'07 3400RL 2nd RTU
2 Golf Cart batteries 3,000 watt inverter, automatic transfer switch
Honda 2000 Generator, 2nd one and twinning kit coming
Maytag's with 220 Dryer
Stationary domed Sat. dish
LCD 12 Volt Amp gauge
LCD Tank Monitor
3 added 120 volt outlets
On Board Air; 12 Volt Viair 450C compressor
2006 Ford PSD 4x4 Off Road Lariat
Hadley Air Horns
Truck inverter with 110 volts for laptop
Color Backup Camera
Awning lock
  
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08-14-2006, 06:55 AM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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Just a note on the analog voltmeter. CW has one for something like $13 or maybe more. Walmart has the same thing for 3 or 4 bucks. Hardware department.
See another Montana or Mountaineer on the road? Flash lights twice, it might be one of us!
Steve Reigle (pronounced Regal)
Fulltiming since 3/21/03
'03 3295RK
'05 Ford F250 SD Lariat CC SB 6.0L PSD/TS FX4 4x4
Our RV Travels (now Firefox-compatible)
 
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10-08-2006, 09:44 AM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 1,042
M.O.C. #5329
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I find 30 amp service adequate, and I really hate handling the 50 amp cord. If it's the least bit cold, it stiffens up like a stick of rebar!
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10-09-2006, 10:54 AM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
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Hey Bill! Montana Sky is a young single guy. I bet the fireplace with a/c running is for ambience, not heat!
Ted, you only need to connect to 50 amp service if you want to run more power hungry items than you can run on 30 amp. We frequently connect to 30 amp service. I agree about the monster cord.
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10-09-2006, 09:08 PM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Down the Road
Posts: 5,627
M.O.C. #889
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Ha ha!
I will explain, at night I like to watch movies. And of course that means the fireplace is on for "the effect", and then what is a movie w/o popcorn, thus I run the microwave. Last but not least I use my coach from April 1 - Mid October and summer nights can be pretty warm, which is why the a/c is running. Hope that clears everything up. =)
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11-08-2006, 08:17 AM
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#15
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Established Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Oak Forest
Posts: 23
M.O.C. #6021
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Dont know if Im in the right area?????????Last time on I was scanning and saw something about a 50 amp surge protector. Any help out there...I remember something about power supplies at camp grounds. Where and what.... any info appreciated. John
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