ClassAGeek
NYS
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ClassAGeek wrote:Great thread. And so wrong. Come on already.
I park my RV in my driveway year round. It is always plugged to a 20A circuit. I have a Progressive Industries EMS, so know how much current I am drawing.
1. Battery charging: 1A
2. All lights on: 2A
3. TV on: 2A
4. Microwave: 10A
5. A/C 15A
6. Wife's hair dryer 17A (!!!)
Sure, you cannot turn on everything at once - but it's not rocket science.
Never overloaded the circuit in 3 years. I even use a simple 10 gauge contractor extension cord (rated @ 25A) to preserve my 30A cords.
And BTW: I have a 240V 60A outlet in my garage for my table saw. It is wired the same as a dryer plug with a proper ground terminal. I could easily make a 120V 30A plug. I haven't even bothered. A 120V 20A connection works fine. I don't understand why the OP needs a 50A connection for a short term visit.
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Johnny Hurryup
Tafton Pa.
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You should have no problem. At my house I've got a 12 gauge wire running 200 ft down to where i keep my motorhome. It's running off a 20 amp circuit breaker (by itself) I can run the A/C down there with no problem.
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wa_desert_rat
Central Washington State
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ClassAGeek wrote:
And BTW: I have a 240V 60A outlet in my garage for my table saw. It is wired the same as a dryer plug with a proper ground terminal. I could easily make a 120V 30A plug. I haven't even bothered. A 120V 20A connection works fine. I don't understand why the OP needs a 50A connection for a short term visit.
So many variables... I can tell you that I wouldn't do it. I don't even have a way to connect my coach to 20A so no one can mistakenly make the connection by finding the pigtail or adapter. I'll use my solar panels or my generator first when I'm visiting. For storage I installed an outside, wired-to-code to the breaker panel, 50A circuit for my RV.
I certainly would not connect my motor home to a dryer plug or a table saw receptacle. A 50-Amp RV circuit is not 240V... it is two separate 120V circuits with a common ground. Your table saw connection (and most dryers) is almost certainly one 240V circuit.
Connecting to a 20A circuit can be fine one time and not so fine the next. Variables include where you are located, what time of year, whether anyone is going to be living in the RV and how well they manage (and understand) their power usage. Park alongside your home in Tucson for storage and it's probably not a big deal. Park next to a house in Wisconsin for a two-week visit over Christmas with grandma and grandpa living in and it could be a completely different matter.
Turn on one 1500watt portable heater (or pop something into the microwave) and all bets are off!
The biggest danger is the cable and plug leading to your RV. If these are undersize for the load they can quickly heat up enough to start a fire while the circuit breaker happily continues to supply 20-Amps. This is especially true if you have a nice long extension cord with parts of it still coiled up on itself.
Craig
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ClassAGeek
NYS
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wa_desert_rat wrote:
So many variables... I can tell you that I wouldn't do it. I don't even have a way to connect my coach to 20A so no one can mistakenly make the connection by finding the pigtail or adapter. I'll use my solar panels or my generator first when I'm visiting. For storage I installed an outside, wired-to-code to the breaker panel, 50A circuit for my RV.
I certainly would not connect my motor home to a dryer plug or a table saw receptacle. A 50-Amp RV circuit is not 240V... it is two separate 120V circuits with a common ground. Your table saw connection (and most dryers) is almost certainly one 240V circuit.
Connecting to a 20A circuit can be fine one time and not so fine the next. Variables include where you are located, what time of year, whether anyone is going to be living in the RV and how well they manage (and understand) their power usage. Park alongside your home in Tucson for storage and it's probably not a big deal. Park next to a house in Wisconsin for a two-week visit over Christmas with grandma and grandpa living in and it could be a completely different matter.
Turn on one 1500watt portable heater (or pop something into the microwave) and all bets are off!
The biggest danger is the cable and plug leading to your RV. If these are undersize for the load they can quickly heat up enough to start a fire while the circuit breaker happily continues to supply 20-Amps. This is especially true if you have a nice long extension cord with parts of it still coiled up on itself.
Craig
You are kidding right?
A 25' 10/3 extension cord can handle a 120V 20A load. With a properly sized extension cord, you have no appreciable resistance or voltage drop and therefore no heat. If you have problems with fried connectors something else is wrong. Sorry, but 20A extension cords pulling 15A of current does not spontaneously combust.
We routinely look at our EMS display to see how much power we are using. We do that when connected to a 30A or even a 50A post. Same rules apply with a 20A extension cord.
If you really think someone will suddenly turn everything on in the coach, flip a few breakers in the MH to prevent it.
The scare talk is beginning to frighten me.
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smkettner
Southern California
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wa_desert_rat wrote:I certainly would not connect my motor home to a dryer plug or a table saw receptacle. A 50-Amp RV circuit is not 240V... it is two separate 120V circuits with a common ground. Your table saw connection (and most dryers) is almost certainly one 240V circuit.
50 amp RV is supplied with a very common NEMA 14-50 connector and is 240/120 service. Very common house connector to supply power to a 240v range or oven. The RV may not use 240 volts but it is most certainly available at the outlet.
http://www.myrv.us/electric/Pg/50amp_Service.htm
A dryer plug on NEMA 14-30 is basically the same on a 30amp breaker and would supply most RV use just fine through an adapter. Again an old 10-30 connector has no neutral and will not work.
* This post was
edited 05/08/12 09:51am by smkettner *
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wa_desert_rat
Central Washington State
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smkettner wrote:
50 amp RV is supplied with a very common NEMA 14-50 connector and is 240/120 service. Very common house connector to supply power to a 240v range or oven. The RV may not use 240 volts but it is most certainly available at the outlet.
http://www.myrv.us/electric/Pg/50amp_Service.htm
A dryer plug on NEMA 14-30 is basically the same on a 30amp breaker and would supply most RV use just fine through an adapter. Again an old 10-30 connector has no neutral and will not work.
Yes... if it's a 4-wire receptacle (14-30 or 14-50) then it's not at all difficult to make a safe connection and get either 240V or 120V. Many homes and shops are still using the older 10-30 connectors and that was what I was thinking of.
Craig
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wa_desert_rat
Central Washington State
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ClassAGeek wrote:
The scare talk is beginning to frighten me.
I am just thinking that there could be RVers out there who aren't as diligent as you are about monitoring their power usage and have qualms about a blanket approval to go ahead and connect up to a 20-amp service. I don't even think that everyone buys the correct cable for the intended purpose.
Match the cable to the load and keep that load under control and there should not be a problem. I was trying to emphasize that a circuit breaker will not always pop if too much power is demanded from an extension cord that is undersize for the load.
Craig
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ClassAGeek
NYS
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wa_desert_rat wrote:
Match the cable to the load and keep that load under control and there should not be a problem. I was trying to emphasize that a circuit breaker will not always pop if too much power is demanded from an extension cord that is undersize for the load.
Craig
Agreed.
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Ductape Dave
New Jersey, USA
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While we are on the subject of electrical adapters, is it possible to make a pigtail (30 amp female X 2-120 volt plugs) plugged into 2 separate breaker 120 volt house outlets to supply a single 30 amp outlet and plug the MH into that?
Would there be any back feed problems at the house having 2 separate breaker outlets connected together at the 03 amp pigtail?
I would also use a surge protector at the pigtail in case one leg of the pigtail 120 volt breaker tripped.
Dave
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smkettner
Southern California
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Parallel connectors are not allowed.
An electrician can pull the circuit you need. Probably not as expensive as you think. Especially around an unfinished garage or easy attic access.
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