30 amp vs 50 amp?

[Unclehat]

I have an 2007 Elite Suite that is rated for 50 amps of service. I have an adaptor for 30 amp service when it is all that is available. Are there any problems I need to be aware of when using 30 amp service? Obviously I can't run as many appliances? What about running one AC unit instead of two?

 

thanks for any feedback

[Dutch_12078]

That's about it. Just be aware of the loads you're using, and don't over do it. Running one A/C should not be a problem.

[Dennis M]

Our fiver is 50 amp. We have spent the last seven winters in Tucson on a 30 amp hook-up with no issues whatsoever. You are correct about not running two AC units on 30 amp.

 

I carry two 30 amp extension cords for times when the post is farther away. They are a lot easier to use compared to wrestling with the 50 amp cord.

 

If a park offers a discount for 30 amp we take it it.

[Kirk W]

Electrically there is no issue at all, other than the fact that you will have only about 1/3 as much power available. The reason that a 50A cord is so large compared to the 30A cord is that the 50A actually has two 50A hot leads while the 30A has one 30A lead. By using power judiciously you can get along fine as many RVs have managed with only 30A for years. Just some minor inconveniences.

[Pat & Pete]

Our MH is 50 amp . We use 30 amp sites , a lot . When on 30 amp , I also use a Hughes Autoformer RV2130 - 30 Amp voltage booster . It affords about 10% extra 'cushion' .

 

https://hughesautoformers.com/

[docj]

Our MH is 50 amp . We use 30 amp sites , a lot . When on 30 amp , I also use a Hughes Autoformer RV2130 - 30 Amp voltage booster . It affords about 10% extra 'cushion' .

 

https://hughesautoformers.com/

 

With all due respect, the autoformer (which we also own) doesn't routinely provide a "cushion" that helps you use more current on a 30A site. It is a completely automatic device and doesn't do anything at all unless the voltage at your pedestal drops below its threshold.

 

If that happens, it automatically will raise the voltage inside your RV by 10 volts which will reduce the current usage INSIDE your RV by roughly 10% as the result of Ohm's Law. But with respect to the park itself, you will never use more than 30A because that's when the circuit breaker on the pedestal will trip.

 

Where it sort of provides a cushion is that when a large appliance motor, such as an air conditioner compressor, is faced with a significantly reduced voltage it will draw more than the current it is rated at which means that the other devices that are plugged in will have less of the 30A available. With the autoformer, the voltage will be restored to roughly normal and the A/C will draw its rated current. But this is true only for large motors and would have absolutely no effect on other types of electrical loads.

 

But you should recognize that the vast majority of parks don't exhibit voltage drop to the point where an autoformer will even turn on. In those cases having it in the circuit may make you feel better but it's not really doing anything for you at all.

[RV fan]

You can add a monitoring system to help monitor the loads and provide some additional protections. Something like the Progressive EMS,

http://tweetys.com/electrical-management-system-hardwire-50.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQjwx7u5BRC1lePz2biJpIYBEiQA-ZeDmkykvTXYhhznrBk9VHxOjyNLmtBGcTAPNvShTd8t2TcaAl0t8P8HAQ

 

we routinely use 30 amp for our 50amp motorhome when 50 is not available and have the display mounted inside.

 

good luck

[Pat & Pete]

 

With all due respect, the autoformer (which we also own) doesn't routinely provide a "cushion" that helps you use more current on a 30A site. It is a completely automatic device and doesn't do anything at all unless the voltage at your pedestal drops below its threshold.

 

If that happens, it automatically will raise the voltage inside your RV by 10 volts which will reduce the current usage INSIDE your RV by roughly 10% as the result of Ohm's Law. But with respect to the park itself, you will never use more than 30A because that's when the circuit breaker on the pedestal will trip.

 

Where it sort of provides a cushion is that when a large appliance motor, such as an air conditioner compressor, is faced with a significantly reduced voltage it will draw more than the current it is rated at which means that the other devices that are plugged in will have less of the 30A available. With the autoformer, the voltage will be restored to roughly normal and the A/C will draw its rated current. But this is true only for large motors and would have absolutely no effect on other types of electrical loads.

 

But you should recognize that the vast majority of parks don't exhibit voltage drop to the point where an autoformer will even turn on. In those cases having it in the circuit may make you feel better but it's not really doing anything for you at all.

 

Whatever logic you want to use . I won't be giving up our Autoformer .

[oscarvan]

Yes, reduce your load and you'll be fine.......

 

Here are the biggies:

 

AC

Electric Water Heater

Microwave

Electric Fireplace/Heater

The toaster and coffee maker can be counted as one.

 

I would not run any of those two at the same time, because you're also running fridge, charger/conditioner lighting and sundry phones and pads.

 

Also, if your battery is discharged, the charger will pull some juice when first plugged in. Give it some time (5 minutes) to settle down before firing up any of the big five.

 

AC ammeters are cheap and easy to install...... They will help you measure your load. And, what you can measure you can control.

 

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|328|2290000|2290009&id=145328

[Barbaraok]

On 30 amps we can run one air conditioner at a time. We always have the water heater and frig on electric, so with AC running, I don't use the microwave until I've turned the AC off (leave the fan running), use the microwave, then turn AC back on. Save the laundry for the evening when I don't need AC. If I am running a heater, obviously only not running AC, but run heater on low, only one at a time, turn off when using microwave or w/d. I just takes a little thinking about what you have going is all.

[GlennWest]

We done it once. In hot humid southern Louisiana. Didn't like it. Turn ac off to run microwave.

[wildmandmc]

mine is set up for 50amp, i have used both, prefer 50 as i have basement a/c . for while i had plugged into 30amp at friends house just to keep frig going.

if the 50 is available i would get/use that. then there is no worries about the load.

[Jimalberta]

When we are limited to 30 amp we keep the water heater and fridge on propane. This gives us a little more wiggle room on our other electrical needs.

[sclord2002]

The biggest breaker kicker in our camper is my wife's hairdryer. it has kicked the breaker more that everything else combined.......actually it is combined with a lot of other stuff on the same circuit. She is getting better about turning other stuff off before blow drying but it will remind us if the circuit is overloaded. Charlie

[Barbaraok]

One thing that everyone should pay attention to is that the new hairdryers all seem to be 1875 watts - on high with NOTHING ELSE ON THE CIRCUIT it will blow a 15 am circuit, which is what most RVs have. Bigger/more power isn't always better.

 

Barb

[Pat & Pete]

We have a blow drier , too . It lives in the box it came in . It gets used to dry the dog once in a while .

[aunut]

Our last coach was 30 amp and we ran two AC's most of the time. Just turned one off to use an appliance. Our present one is 50 amp and when 50 is not available, we run both AC's (heat pumps) on 30 amp with very little problem. They only draw about 18 amps when both are running. A blow dryer is a huge problem on 30.

[Kirk W]

 

Our last coach was 30 amp and we ran two AC's most of the time. Just turned one off to use an appliance.

The amount of power needed to operate the air conditioners varies quite a bit depending upon the size of each unit. I have seen them draw as little as 6a and as much as 14a under normal circumstances. In addition, an a/c with dirty coils will use more energy than one that is clean.

[oscarvan]

The amount of power needed to operate the air conditioners varies quite a bit depending upon the size of each unit. I have seen them draw as little as 6a and as much as 14a under normal circumstances. In addition, an a/c with dirty coils will use more energy than one that is clean.

In addition the newer AC's with "soft start" technology use a lot less juice to start and run. Additional capacitors, piston vs rotary compressors etc. etc.

 

The newer 10.000 BTU AC on my truck camper runs nicely powered by my Honda 2000eu. (1600W max continuous)