Running an air conditioner

[Larrysnyder]

I am currently on 30A power. I have been trying to turn on 1 ac in the afternoon but it kicks out. I have to wait til the evening when it cools off a bit to turn it on and it stays on. With the 90+ degree temps, is it better to turn the AC on early. Would it stay running during the hottest part of the day?

[Rondo]

Larry, we need a little more information to be able to answer your questions on the A/C better. What model and year Montana do you have? Does it have a residential or rv refrigerator in it? Are you running the water heater on electric or gas? Are you running anything else on electric that has high amp draw? Answer these questions and I think we can help you out.

[rohrmann]

Even though you are on 30 amps, your voltage may be lower in the afternoon. You also should have your water heater and fridge, if it’s an RV unit, on gas only while on 30 amps, to reduce as much electric load as possible to help keep your voltage up. You also don’t say what rig you have or how old it is, but a loose connection, even in the panel where the wires are connected to the breakers can also cause a problem with voltage. If you are capable, with your shore cord disconnected, remove the panel cover and carefully tighten all the 120 volt breaker connections. The 12 volt DC connections to the fuses can also be tightened, even while hot, but they won’t help the air conditioner problem.
Welcome to the forum.

[Larrysnyder]

I have a model 3120 RL 2021 Montana. Water heater is on gas & RV fridge (gas/electric). The only other thing on is the TV. When the power trips, I think it is a slo-blow breaker - there is a clicking noise coming from under the stairs. The fridge, microwave, ATV and a bunch of outlets are out and the Shore Power indicator in the panel isn't lit. A circuit breaker usually does not trip. Power eventually comes back on and everything works.

[Carl n Susan]

You must have a Electrical Management System(EMS) installed. Likely one of the new transfer switches (ATS). It is shutting off the power when it drops to 104V AC or so. I don't know about the new EMS/ATS (I have an add-on Progressive), but that is my best guess. You need to check the incoming voltage. In a 30 amp park (which implies older), hot weather, and lots of campers, the power always seems to drop in the afternoon as the A/Cs are brought on.

[jcurtis934]

I agree with what carl is telling you. I usedb to visit some older parks, but got tired real quick of the poor power issues. The one high current draw not mentioned by anyone is the converter used to charge the batteries, which will be on a 20 amp breaker by itself. You may have to turn it off if you want to use an ac unit in that park.

[TWP723]

If you do have an EMS, check it for error codes.