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50 amp coach on 30 amp power

Grey_Mountain
Explorer
Explorer
We are currently in a 30amp site. As we use various electrical components, the "brain" will show us how many amps are being used. What happens if we exceed the 30 amps available? Say, two small heaters that will use 15 amps each all by themselves. The fridge, of course, is always on and pulls a few amps.
We are very inexperienced in using 30amp only in this coach, although our former gasser was a 30 amp rig.

Thanks.

GM
2006 Discovery 39S Tin Teepee
Honda CR-V Toad
Enrolled member of the Comanche Tribe
English Bride
Bichon Frise bear killers:
Lord Shonefeld von Reginald-Friese IV.
Lady Annabelle von Lichenstein-Friese III.
25 REPLIES 25

Grey_Mountain
Explorer
Explorer
I have several dogbones and use them when necessary. We have been able knock the morning chill off using one small heater and being judicious when using other items - coffee pot, tea pot...
Switched to propane for the water heater yesterday.
Temperature is dropping (3pm Thursday afternoon) so I've switched to propane furnace. Warm and toasty here. Supposed to be below freezing tonight and tomorrow night, then go back up. We'll be heading south for Oklahoma Sunday or Monday.
Thanks for all the input and suggestions.

GM
2006 Discovery 39S Tin Teepee
Honda CR-V Toad
Enrolled member of the Comanche Tribe
English Bride
Bichon Frise bear killers:
Lord Shonefeld von Reginald-Friese IV.
Lady Annabelle von Lichenstein-Friese III.

hypoxia
Explorer
Explorer
Grey Mountain wrote:
Being Comanche, I'm just gonna start a campfire in the middle of the front area.

My people, the original full timers, have been doing that for generations.

GM

That's funny! Seems like we all started out as full timers way back when.
Jim

2007 Monaco Signature Noble III ISX 600HP

hypoxia
Explorer
Explorer
Sam Spade wrote:

The adapter might overheat.
The 30 amp receptacle might overheat.

It is really NOT good to exceed a 25 amp draw on a 30 amp service because you don't know how good the feed really is.

Excellent advice. Grab the 30 amp adapter after using high amperage for a while. It will almost certainly be hot to the touch. That is going to start melting the adapter as well as overheating the receptacle. Campground electrical get a lot of use and abuse, the connections are usually well worn and not making the best connection. Poor connections = heat. Their circuit breakers are also well worn.

I carry spare 30 and 50 amp plugs for that very reason. We were parked on a farm plugged into a grain elevator this summer. DW called and said we lost power. Turns out she tripped the 90 amp breaker on the grain elevator! Lets see; 3 A/C units, AquaHot 4000 watts, microwave & electric skillet etc. all at the same time!
We had an impromptu class on electrical consumption....:S
Jim

2007 Monaco Signature Noble III ISX 600HP

accsys
Explorer
Explorer
Grey Mountain wrote:
Being Comanche, I'm just gonna strt a campfire in the middle of the front area.

My people, the original full timers, have been doing that for generations.

GM

I have seen a towable with a potbelly stove installed. Your way may work but I think a chimney flue would control the smoke better than a blanket! :W
John & Doris
Doris and Robbies Blogs
2017 Cedar Creek Cottage 40 CCK
FMCA F380583, PA, Good Sams

Grey_Mountain
Explorer
Explorer
Being Comanche, I'm just gonna strt a campfire in the middle of the front area.

My people, the original full timers, have been doing that for generations.

GM
2006 Discovery 39S Tin Teepee
Honda CR-V Toad
Enrolled member of the Comanche Tribe
English Bride
Bichon Frise bear killers:
Lord Shonefeld von Reginald-Friese IV.
Lady Annabelle von Lichenstein-Friese III.

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
I really LOVE our CheapHeat!!!

Itโ€™s keeping me warm right now.
2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

rhagfo
Explorer
Explorer
When I read these post, and the use of electric space heaters all kinds of bad thoughts pass through my head. Dad was a Firefighter and strongly disliked electric space heaters, saw too many fires started by their use.
I prefer my Cheap Heat System, it will automatically switch from 220v 50 amp down to 120v 30 amp system. On 50 amp I get 5,000 watts of heat on 30 amp I get 1,800 watts over correctly sized cables. on the 30 amp 1,800 watt setting it will maintain 65 degrees in our 32' 5er down to the low 30's outside temp. If I need to raise the temp, I simply switch to gas and raise the temp, then go back to electric. I will say I have very seldom needed to use gas.
Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"

Sam_Spade
Explorer
Explorer
Grey Mountain wrote:
It is not cold enough to use either the propane-driven furnace of the electric heat pumps.


There is a device that allows both those pieces of heating equipment to be used no matter what the temperature.

It is called a THERMOSTAT. ๐Ÿ™‚

AND if it really is not THAT cold, ONE of the heaters would probably be plenty.
'07 Damon Outlaw 3611
CanAm Spyder in the "trunk"

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Explorer III
Grey Mountain wrote:
What happens if we exceed the 30 amps available? Say, two small heaters that will use 15 amps each all by themselves.
GM

The two heaters use 25 amps total. the fridg about 3-4.. The converter may be enough to do you in and for sure the water heater will

What happens.. Well if you are outside on the service side you might hear a CLICK.

If you are inside. and of course it's 3 am. and raining...

You get dressed and go out and reset the park pedestal breaker.

Seriously that is the worst (Short term) that will happen.

NOTE I have both 30 and 50 amp cords for my Rig (The 30 amp cord has a 50 amp outlet with a jumper wire).. I keep a spare 30 amp plug cause those can burn up.. in your case keep a spare dogbone adapter.

And "Burn up" is a bit dramatic (they melt. no fire).

I also have the ability to "Split" power to two park outlets

Oh.. I mentioned the water heater.. Mine is 375 Watts. not 1500 but 375.

Suggestion.. On those two space heaters.. Put one on LOW.

Better suggestion: PUt both of 'em on LOW..

The worst that can happen using a 1500 Watt space heater on an RV outlet is a fire.. the outlets are not all that good when the amps hit double digits.. I've had one fail.. Seen two more that failed Due to the design of the outlet.. (I have special 15/20 amp rated outlets 12 ga wire bent around a screw.. one to a circuit breaker)
Home was where I park it. but alas the.
2005 Damon Intruder 377 Alas declared a total loss
after a semi "nicked" it. Still have the radios
Kenwood TS-2000, ICOM ID-5100, ID-51A+2, ID-880 REF030C most times

Lwiddis
Explorer
Explorer
You should be able to "live" quite nicely on 30 amps.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
Grey Mountain wrote:
We are in Bellevue, Nebraska, and the temps are expected to drop to freezing tomorrow night. I will run propane heat then.
Excellent. That's the way to do it!
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
If you exceed 30 amps, the breaker at the campground pedestal trips. That's all. Figure out what you can turn off inside your camper to be under the 30 amps, and flip the breaker back on. That's the worst that will happen.

It's called, "power management" ... being aware of how much electricity each item in the camper draws. Never run the air-conditioner and microwave at the same time. Together alone, they are fine. But combined, more than likely the breaker will pop.

Use your water heater on gas. If you use stand alone electric appliances, like space heaters, toasters, hair dryers, it's best to run a separate extension cord from the campground post inside the camper, plugged into the 20 amp plug (household plug), so those high energy items won't pull from the 30 amps available for your camper.

Just this last week-end we popped a breaker inside the camper, and we are 50 amp. We had 1 crock pot, 1 electric griddle, a coffee pot, and a toaster all on one circuit. All that happened was one of the 15 amp breakers inside the camper popped. We didn't realize all those plugs were on the same circuit. Now we know, and will never plug in that much at one time again.

Simple... easy-peasy, no damage, just learn from it.

Grey_Mountain
Explorer
Explorer
It is not cold enough to use either the propane-driven furnace of the electric heat pumps. I use the small electric heater to break the morning chill, then turn it off. We are in Bellevue, Nebraska, and the temps are expected to drop to freezing tomorrow night. I will run propane heat then.
Only draw we have is the coffee pot and my wife's tea kettle.
OUrs is a 2006 Fleetwood Discovery, as my signature line states.

GM
2006 Discovery 39S Tin Teepee
Honda CR-V Toad
Enrolled member of the Comanche Tribe
English Bride
Bichon Frise bear killers:
Lord Shonefeld von Reginald-Friese IV.
Lady Annabelle von Lichenstein-Friese III.

Johno02
Explorer
Explorer
Just think back to when you had a 30A rig, and do the same as you did then.
Noel and Betty Johnson (and Harry)

2005 GulfStream Ultra Supreme, 1 Old grouch, 1 wonderful wife, and two silly poodles.