Power pedestal wiring question

[capacitor]

When camping in our travel trailer, we usually camp at spots that have a power pedestal that has both 30 amp outlet as well as a 20 amp GFCI protected outlet net to it. If I plug the trailer into the 30 amp and run an extension cord from the 20 amp outlet for coffee maker and ice machine, do I have 50 amps total or is the wiring in the pedestal for the 20 amp through the 30 amp breaker? Lets say coffee maker pulling 13 amps and micro in the trailer pull 10-12 amps along with a electric fry pan at say 12 amps, will it trip the 30 amp breaker or just the twenty? Not sure if this makes sense.
I kinda figure they have a 50 amp main at the main distribution hub which goes to each site and then split to 20-30 amp breakers. Sounds to good to be true.

[dedmiston]

Grit dog wrote:

dedmiston wrote:

I also think that a lot of our worst trolls are just bad communicators.

True statement and even harder to discern a persons intent through the written word only.
But some people are just professional pessimists or antagonists. Combine that with a liberal dose of, umm, maturity of most of the members here and you get more of the
Clint Eastwood Gran Torino mindset than average.
I’m at fault sometimes about not keeping my mouth shut (or fingers in this case) but generally try to recognize both sides of a coin in my responses.
Difference is, I HAVE to consider all sides of an argument or situation and peoples’ motivations all day, every day, in my job. It’s also my job to be critical of dang near everything.
If I don’t do both and do them consistently, we lose money, lose relationships and contracts and very potentially get people hurt. Could be all 3 in one fell swoop.

And anything I put in writing could also cause the exact same outcome. Therefore I have to think like an engineer, act like a contractor and talk and write like a lawyer, most all the time! FML! Lol

Others don’t have that level of responsibility or didn’t in life and while I admire a much simpler route taken, it leads to poor communication or ill formed opinions.

All good points.

There's also no intelligence screening to join these forums. I think you've experienced that the curse of a high IQ is not always being allowed to say what you're really thinking.

There are ways though...

[Grit_dog]

dedmiston wrote:

I also think that a lot of our worst trolls are just bad communicators.

True statement and even harder to discern a persons intent through the written word only.
But some people are just professional pessimists or antagonists. Combine that with a liberal dose of, umm, maturity of most of the members here and you get more of the
Clint Eastwood Gran Torino mindset than average.
I’m at fault sometimes about not keeping my mouth shut (or fingers in this case) but generally try to recognize both sides of a coin in my responses.
Difference is, I HAVE to consider all sides of an argument or situation and peoples’ motivations all day, every day, in my job. It’s also my job to be critical of dang near everything.
If I don’t do both and do them consistently, we lose money, lose relationships and contracts and very potentially get people hurt. Could be all 3 in one fell swoop.

And anything I put in writing could also cause the exact same outcome. Therefore I have to think like an engineer, act like a contractor and talk and write like a lawyer, most all the time! FML! Lol

Others don’t have that level of responsibility or didn’t in life and while I admire a much simpler route taken, it leads to poor communication or ill formed opinions.

[dedmiston]

MFL wrote:
Some may think I'm not always the nicest person. Just an example, that people can be wrong! 😉

:B

I've seen an ad for a t-shirt making the rounds that says "If I agreed with you, then we'd both be wrong."

Personally, I don't even care about agreement. It's more about attitude and behavior. I also think that a lot of our worst trolls are just bad communicators.

[ronharmless]

dedmiston wrote:

pitch wrote:

Lwiddis wrote:
If the rate you paid allowed 30 amp service, to use both the 30 amp and 20 amp plugs isn’t right IMO.

What is wrong with you? Every single response you have ever made is critical,or authoritative.
Who appointed you arbiter of which outlet to use.
Some parks charge a premium for 50AMP. Sometimes I'll plug my 50 to 30 dogbane in because the 30 outlet is whipped. Should I pay the overage?
Stayed in Ely Nevada in the fall. Campground owner told me to plug my heat tape into the twenty.

IMO your opinion sucks!

You totally nailed it. That's the wisdom of Solomon right there.

He ain't the only one, there are a few others rowing that boat also.

[MFL]

IAMICHABOD wrote:

pitch wrote:

Lwiddis wrote:
If the rate you paid allowed 30 amp service, to use both the 30 amp and 20 amp plugs isn’t right IMO.

What is wrong with you? Every single response you have ever made is critical,or authoritative.
Who appointed you arbiter of which outlet to use.
IMO your opinion sucks!

Gosh I wish no one would quote Lwiddis,it is the only way I see his nonsense.

We need to realize, that all forums have some folks that don't add a lot. I'm going to stick up for Larry and say, there are worse members on these forums. Some may think I'm not always the nicest person. Just an example, that people can be wrong! 😉

Jerry

[IAMICHABOD]

pitch wrote:

Lwiddis wrote:
If the rate you paid allowed 30 amp service, to use both the 30 amp and 20 amp plugs isn’t right IMO.

What is wrong with you? Every single response you have ever made is critical,or authoritative.
Who appointed you arbiter of which outlet to use.
IMO your opinion sucks!

Gosh I wish no one would quote Lwiddis,it is the only way I see his nonsense.

[Lynnmor]

nickthehunter wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:

wnjj wrote:

ken56 wrote:
I'm sure there are pedestals out there wired like you described but there is no way of knowing without looking at how it's wired inside and that does not happen without opening up the pedestal and no one does that.

I suppose one could just turn off the 30A breaker and then check if the 20A receptacle still has power.

Just like BB_TX wrote on page 1.

you got to ask yourself just one question - how do you run the wire off the back end of the 30 amp breaker to the front end of the 20 amp breaker?
And what would the electrical inspector say?
Not to mention, Why would you do that?

Some pedestal boxes have room for additional breakers, so simply add another 50 amp double breaker and use it as a main. That will limit the draw to 50 amps total if one wants to have control over excessive use.

[ford_truck_guy]

So....

When I reserve my 50 amp site, when I arrive at the campground I am supposed to ASK the front desk if I can use the 20 amp outlet to run my outdoor coffee pot or whatever??

They would look at me like I had 2 heads....

[dedmiston]

pitch wrote:

Lwiddis wrote:
If the rate you paid allowed 30 amp service, to use both the 30 amp and 20 amp plugs isn’t right IMO.

What is wrong with you? Every single response you have ever made is critical,or authoritative.
Who appointed you arbiter of which outlet to use.
Some parks charge a premium for 50AMP. Sometimes I'll plug my 50 to 30 dogbane in because the 30 outlet is whipped. Should I pay the overage?
Stayed in Ely Nevada in the fall. Campground owner told me to plug my heat tape into the twenty.

IMO your opinion sucks!

You totally nailed it. That's the wisdom of Solomon right there.

[pitch]

Lwiddis wrote:
If the rate you paid allowed 30 amp service, to use both the 30 amp and 20 amp plugs isn’t right IMO.

What is wrong with you? Every single response you have ever made is critical,or authoritative.
Who appointed you arbiter of which outlet to use.
Some parks charge a premium for 50AMP. Sometimes I'll plug my 50 to 30 dogbane in because the 30 outlet is whipped. Should I pay the overage?
Stayed in Ely Nevada in the fall. Campground owner told me to plug my heat tape into the twenty.

IMO your opinion sucks!

[enblethen]

Have to have one in crawl space, close to AC units, whether it is on roof or on the ground and in pumphouses. This started around 1993, As stated older homes do not have to be upgraded.

[DrewE]

Bobbo wrote:
A house doesn't have to have an outside outlet. My sister's house didn't until she hired an electrician to install one for her own use. (Of course, that house was built in 1957.)

Yeah, there have been at least one or two changes to the NEC since 1957. New houses are required to have at least two: one in front and one in the back. (As always, subject to local adoption and/or modification of the NEC....) New houses must meet the current codes; existing ones are grandfathered in, as usual, and generally need only meet the codes in place at the time of their construction until renovations or updates bring newer requirements into play for the new work.

[Bobbo]

A house doesn't have to have an outside outlet. My sister's house didn't until she hired an electrician to install one for her own use. (Of course, that house was built in 1957.)

[NJRVer]

DrewE wrote:

dedmiston wrote:

If they wanted to limit you to the 30A receptacle, then they wouldn't also provide a 20A receptacle.

Actually, the National Electric Code requires that every site with electricity have the 20A receptacle (even when there is also a 30A and/or 50A receptacle). I assume this is at least partly to cut down on people using 30A to 15/20A or 50A to 15/20A adapters which frequently do not have proper overcurrent protection--and, presumably for that reason, are also frequently not UL listed.

I agree that it is perfectly within one's rights and reasonable use to plug things into both the 30A and the 20A receptacle, unless the campground specifically requests otherwise. Using the amenities that are included with your campground fees is perfectly reasonable--I don't see where it's any different than using the playground or swimming pool or nature walk, even if not everybody who camps makes use of them; it's part of the package deal for getting the site.

I believe they require the 20 amp outlet as a "service outlet" in order to have electricity available to to do work as needed for maintenance and repairs.
Just like you have to have an outside service outlet on a house so workman have electric available to them.