Actually, they travel throughout the US, as we have. I haven't noticed a regional pattern. Usually if the site has a 50 amp plug it has 50 amp power. In many cases only a limited number of sites will have 50 amp power. Often these cost a few dollars more. The only time I'll pay more for 50 amps is when it is hot and muggy and I want to be able to run the back AC.
__________________
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion - The Dalai Lama
1984 310 Limited Motorhome
Courtesy Parking (W/S/E/Wi-Fi) on I-5 in Northern California, 70 miles from Oregon border
50 vs. 100 amps is confusing if you are talking about single phase loads vs. 2 phase loads.
imagine this, a single phase load of 30 amps runs thru a breaker to the load and returns on the neutral wire. 30 amps each way phase and neutral.
now lets think about a 50 amp load on a 240 volt circuit, 50 amps travels thru a breaker and returns on the other phase wire thru the other breaker NOT the neutral.
a pure 240 load at 50 amps will have zero amps on the neutral wire.
can you pull 100 amps of single phase load thru a 50 amp rv connector? in theory you could, in reality no. (that is what they taught me at lineman school)
so, the manufacturers of rv pedestals will set them up for two 50 amp circuits because they are in fact actually a 240 volt outlet capible of providing 50 amps on each phase in and out, not on the neutral.
you can run 50 amps thru one single phase without tripping the breaker phase to ground.
if it was set up to be one 30 and one 20 amp breaker on 2 different poles you would blow the breaker in the above scenario.
simple? perhaps not!
john
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you call them ferrets, i call them weasels.
To simplify:For 30 amp service:A 30 amp campground pedestal is wired for 120vac with a 30 amp circuit breaker. You plug your RV 3 prong electrical connector into the panel and you have 30 amp 120vac service. If you try to pull more than 30 amps the breaker will trip so you are limited to 30 amps by the breaker.
Inside the 30 amp RV you have a distribution box with a 30 amp main breaker and several 15 or 20 amp breakers that feed different loads in the RV all of which are 120vac. The main breaker in the RV also will protect you from pulling more than 30 amps by tripping.
For 50 amp service:A 50 amp campground pedestal is wired for 240vac with two 50 amp breakers (100 amps). You plug in your RV four prong electrical connector and you are protected by two 50 amp circuit breakers. 50 amps on each leg.
Inside the 50amp RV the distribution panel is wired so the 240vac is divided into two 120vac legs protected by 50 amp breakers. These legs (L1 & L2) feed the 120vac through 15 to 30 amp circuit breakers to power the 120vac appliance loads. You might have a washer/ dryer and 2nd AC on one leg and everything else of the other leg. Each leg is 180 degrees out of phase and 120vac
I have used 50 amp service to run both AC's on many occasions.
So, when we are parked and have access to a 50 amp rv plug and I want to run the rear AC I use a special pig-tail which I wired myself. One end is a 4 wire male 50 amp plug, this branches into two 30 amp female plugs. One of the female plugs is wired to the A leg, the neutral, and the ground from the 50 amp plug. The other female plug is wired to the B leg, the neutral, and the ground from the 50 amp plug.
I plug the main coach 30 amp plug to one of the female plugs. I run a 30 amp extension cord from the other female plug to the generator compartment where I unplug the rear AC from the socket from the generator and plug it into the extension cord.
This seems like a simple solution but I am concerned about one issue. When on shore power what happens if the selector switch above the kitchen is switched to "rear A/C"? Does that send both legs (and therefore 2 out of phase 120V circuits i.e. 208 volts) to the rear A/C?
This seems like a simple solution but I am concerned about one issue. When on shore power what happens if the selector switch above the kitchen is switched to "rear A/C"? Does that send both legs (and therefore 2 out of phase 120V circuits i.e. 208 volts) to the rear A/C?
Jeff:
Please do not confuse 3 phase circuitry (208 volt nominal) with single phase 240.
You MUST have an isolator circuit installed if you plan to run the rear AC sometimes off of the kitchen selector switch, and sometimes off of the secondary 20 amp shore base line.
As far as the rear AC operation and secondary shore base line installation (with the kitchen selector switch), you might find this thread helpful.
If you could borrow or purchase the wiring diagram for your MH it explains a lot about how the whole system operates - if you have specific questions about exactly where the various switches and electrical boxes are located several of us here in the Forums could help you.
__________________
Dennis
"Suck it up, spend the bucks, do it right the first time."
My 310 doesn't have a selector switch to allow you to run the rear ac. My switch just switches from the front ac to the microwave and back.
But, in my case it wouldn't matter since the plug that the rear ac plugs into would act as an isolator. Either the ac is plugged into that plug which is powered by the generator, or, it is plugged into the separate power cord that I run from the power source. It could never be connected to both simultaneously.
__________________
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion - The Dalai Lama
1984 310 Limited Motorhome
Courtesy Parking (W/S/E/Wi-Fi) on I-5 in Northern California, 70 miles from Oregon border
87MH has a nice write up here http://www.airforums.com/forum...tch-17351.html
Based on this and a review of my wiring diagram I am going to go with the guy99 methodology. I have not checked to see how the rear A/C is connected to the genset so I may have to wire in disconnect or a receptacle to prevent the shore power from backfeeding the generator .
Will let you all know how it works out when I get to this, hopefully will get this done before spring break which seems to be getting here faster and faster.
I wired my '86 345 with a second 30A pigtail so I can run both A/C's. Hooked a 30A male plug into a breaker box in the back, then ran wire up and under the front dinette seat and split off the output from the generator relay box to the rear A/C with a double pole double throw 30A switch. Flip it one way and it works with the panel, the other way and I got two shores lines. Usually use a double 15A plug adapter to hook the second 30A plug to.
Makes all the difference in the world when it’s 100+ out, or when the wife want to use the oven.
A new 15K A/C is on my list of things to do.
Sounds to me like someone is going to light themselves up. Seen it once, real ugly. I'm confident in any 110 ac or 12v wiring. It can bite you, even kill you under the right conditons. But this 220 stuff I don't go near. It takes knowledge, skill, and experience to be safe. Hire a pro. You also have the issue of floating the ground. I wonder how many have put standard panels in their trailers with a common neutral and ground connection.
__________________ Let those who can play, let those who cann't rule.
. . . I wonder how many have put standard panels in their trailers with a common neutral and ground connection.
Don't know, but it's always worth another mention.
A nice feature of the Progressive Dynamics breaker panel is it comes with separate neutral and ground bars, and mounted in a plastic non-conductive box.
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