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tjdonahoe · 01-14-2015, 05:29 PM

I would try it before I did anything,one thing about it you might be able to stay in the house if it gets too cold!!!

Rolland · 01-14-2015, 09:28 PM

You can make or have made a adapter to plug into and "Y" off of a existing 220 v outlet either 30 or 50 amp. (Dryer, stove, or A/C) You will draw off of one leg and have 110v. It is how I plug into a variety of places, including my shop to keep the batteries charged or to use as a guest room. This will allow you to make no changes in the house wiring and take the adaptor with you when you leave. Those of us who travel a lot carry many adapters. The only expense is the cost of a variety of plugs, receptacles, and power cable. Good luck. Rolland

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Arcticfox · 01-14-2015, 10:43 PM

Rolland would it be possible to articulate this "Y" idea a bit more. I have a 220 plug for my welder in my shop and was in the process of trying to find an electrician who could come to wire me in a plug for the trailer. Now with your comments, I'm wondering if I have to
Where could one get one of these "Y" plugs?

Thanks

Doug

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rmkrum · 01-15-2015, 12:19 AM

Be careful here. 220 volt outlets usually have the two hot legs, and a single safety earth. No neutral. The correct 30 amp trailer plug has a 115 volt hot lead, a neutral, and a safety earth (ground). It's NOT a good idea to use a 220 outlet with only one ground to power an AS. The neutral and safety earth are separate for a good reason-- the safety earth (green ground in US) is there to keep the trailer frame and body safely grounded. It's also an electrical code thing.

Tying trailer neutral and safety earth anywhere besides the house electrical panel (with its ground rod to earth) is a good way to get killed if something goes wrong.

Please do it right, per the NEC (US) or Canada code, or don't do it at all. Your life is not worth the "easy" jury-rigged power outlet connection.

I've worked with power systems all my life, and I can tell you the easiest way to get hurt is fooling with 'big standard' 115 volt circuits. One darn near got me when I had a 480 volt 3-phase monster tagged out. The 115 volt pilot circuit damn near got me.

Be safe, be double careful, and if it isn't to code, you should not and must not do it that way. Life is precious.

And electrical cooking is a bad way to die. 'Nuff said.

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mandolindave · 01-15-2015, 05:23 AM

Are you staying in Colorado????????? The water will freeze before it gets to your trailer

gcasson · 01-15-2015, 07:14 AM

Thanks again everyone! this is by far the most useful forum I've been a part of!

Mandolindave,
Yes I live in Colorado. Right in the heart of the Roaring Fork Valley north of Aspen! The only problem I've had with frozen lines has been when I wasn't there for a few days. I have a heated water hose that works surprisingly well! I don't even have it wrapped in insulation or anything...I'd highly recommend one for winter use!

TG Twinkie · 01-15-2015, 07:28 AM

All 240 volt outlets that I am aware of, are wired with a neutral and 2 hot legs as well as a ground. Some (3 prong old work) have the neutral and ground on one lug. The newer outlets are 4 wire. The neutral and ground are on separate prongs.
Your system should be wired to the latter. But only using one of the hot legs along with the neutral and a separate ground.
Your coach is wired for 120 volts. NOT 240.
BE SURE WHOM EVER WIRES THE OUTLET UNDERSTANDS THIS!!!!!
There are specific receptacles for RV service. They are clearly marked and identify where the hot leg and neutral connect.

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BAB · 01-15-2015, 08:15 AM

I ran two separate 50amp panels for my trailer. First one is next to the parking shed (also have water and sewer here). Second panel is in my driveway. I "stage" departures from the driveway and like to park there for a day before a trip as it's closer and easier to load/unload. Will admit that it was a project to wire these two boxes, but once they are done, they are done! Oh, the driveway panel includes separate plug-ins for 50/30/20 amp. Nice if I have company and they only need 30.

Rolland · 01-15-2015, 09:39 PM

A adaptor is easy to make. You use a male 220 plug that fits your welder or whatever outlet. You need at least a couple feet of electrical wire, preferably 10/2 w/ground. (3 wire) Use a female receptacle that your trailer plugs into. The welding plug uses 4 wires, usually. The two flat male blades side by side are each 110 v hot. You only use one of them, don't connect the other to your adaptor cable. By doing this you can only have 110 v. Connect this wire to one of the flat female connections in your 110 v receptacle. The second wire is a neutral wire, that will be the other male flat or angled blade on the plug. Connect this to the other flat female connection in the receptacle. The last male blade on the plug connects to the 3rd wire and is a ground wire. Connect this to the round female connector in the 110v receptacle. After connecting everything, plug it into the welder receptacle and use a voltmeter to test before plugging your trailer to it. It should have 110v between the two flat blade holes. You will also have 110v between the round hole and one of the flat holes, and no reading between the round hole and the other flat hole. This is really not very complicated, and if you need help or more information, just send me a private message. Rolland

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Arcticfox · 01-15-2015, 09:55 PM

Thanks for your articulation here Rolland!

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chaseav · 01-15-2015, 10:02 PM

20 amp is fine. Just don't exceed 20 amps, even for just a second when the heater or AC kicks on. I might even be running on 15 amp currently but I'm not living in it. Question though... how is sewer "easy?"

ROBERTSUNRUS · 01-15-2015, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaseav

20 amp is fine. Just don't exceed 20 amps, even for just a second when the heater or AC kicks on. I might even be running on 15 amp currently but I'm not living in it. Question though... how is sewer "easy?"

Hi, some houses have a sewer clean-out; You can connect your sewer hose to these. At a friends house, recently, I was able to do this, but needed fifty feet of sewer hose.

(1.) Sewer hose connected to trailer.

(2.) Sewer hose supported by a board.

(3.) Sewer hose running along planter and a board to cross the porch steps.

(4.) Sewer hose connected to house clean out with a potted plant holding the hose connection in place of non-threaded sewer pipe.

mefly2 · 01-15-2015, 10:51 PM

Have you considered since this is a friend's property, spending the $500+ for a dedicated 30 amp line ... just buy a generator for when your amperage needs approach 30 ...otherwise a 15 or 20 is good for most of the rest of the time ...

dznf0g · 01-16-2015, 08:33 AM

Unfortunately, my clean-out is in the basement. Perhaps after I get my planned pad poured this spring, I will have to get a macerator and run the hose through the basement window???? I do plan to use the AS for guest quarters occasionally.

chaseav · 01-17-2015, 04:08 AM

So the sewer clean out is not a pressurized thing? Cause I swear if open mine up and I wear it!!!! I assume I should make sure the wife isn't home to "accidentally" flush a toilet when this is happening. Mine is in my front yard but I'm not sure I could elevate enough to keep the flow going.

aquinob · 01-17-2015, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaseav

So the sewer clean out is not a pressurized thing? Cause I swear if open mine up and I wear it!!!! I assume I should make sure the wife isn't home to "accidentally" flush a toilet when this is happening. Mine is in my front yard but I'm not sure I could elevate enough to keep the flow going.

Sewers are all gravity, so even if there is a flush, the cleanout should be higher and water generally does not travel uphill.

I also put in an RV receptacle for the trailer after keeping it on a 20amp outlet for a couple of years. The little adapter plugs that you can buy in Walmart will keep things running, but eventually will develop some resistance and may start to burn on one of the legs and further reduce the current and raise the voltage drop. Maybe making one up yourself from a very HD 110v cord going into a box with the correct RV receptacle would be a better long term solution short of wiring in a 30amp RV outlet. But you would be spending about the same on parts but not spending the money or time to hardwire something in your friends house.

msmcv51 · 01-17-2015, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmkrum

The parts are cheap, but the knowledge to do it right is what you pay for.

Note: if you hire an electrician be very clear its a 30 amp 115 volt single phase connection. Others on the forum have had major issues when an RV 30 amp outlet was hooked to 220 volt incorrectly. Beware of electricians unfamiliar with what you need.

Me, I know what I'm doing and did it myself...just be careful.

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Some times I have to question their knowledge. When we had our house built I told the electrician we needed a 30 amp 110 RV outlet to plug in our trailer. When we moved in I looked the breaker box for the 30 amp 110 breaker and could only find a 30 amp 220 breaker. The electrician returned an made it a 110v outlet but they did not check the polarity of the outlet. When we got the airstream we had an energized body and 11ov outlets with all the breakers turned off. I checked the wires at the outlet, you got it, black wire on silver screw, white wire on gold screw.

paiceman · 01-17-2015, 08:02 AM

Posted our mishap previously with a licensed electrician wiring in a 30AMP box in our garage. This was a campground style box with a campground style female 30AMP end. BUT, he wired it 220 instead of 110. The local AS dealer did all the repairs and when I started to tell him about having it done, he interrupted and said that he wired it 220. He did, and also as stated fixed all.

TG Twinkie · 01-17-2015, 08:05 AM

Just because an electrician is licensed. It doesn't mean they know what they are doing when it comes to wiring an RV service pole or outlet.

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chaseav · 01-17-2015, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aquinob

Sewers are all gravity, so even if there is a flush, the cleanout should be higher and water generally does not travel uphill.

I have a three story house with three bathrooms on the third level. That's not possible in my case. I'm not at all familiar with this system so it may take a while to work up the courage to unscrew that cap!