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Old 07-31-2012, 01:27 PM   #21
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Thanks Doug. I got a PM on this too. Good idea, poor quality in the ATS is what I have been told. A simpler solution would be to have the shore power receptacle in the center of the trailer—closer to the truck bed and closer to many shore power pedestals.

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Old 07-31-2012, 02:38 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by CrawfordGene View Post
Thanks Doug. I got a PM on this too. Good idea, poor quality in the ATS is what I have been told. A simpler solution would be to have the shore power receptacle in the center of the trailer—closer to the truck bed and closer to many shore power pedestals.
...but still not practical for running a generator on the road, which was the point of the front hookup, I thought.
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Old 07-31-2012, 03:18 PM   #23
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No, the point is not to lift a heavy generator in and out of the pickup at each camping stop, or to reach some shore power pedestals without an extension cord. While on the roadway your tow vehicle provides the trailer with some battery charging power.

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Old 07-31-2012, 03:44 PM   #24
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"I carry a 50 to 30 amp adapter dog bone whenever I travel to unknown area. I got stuck in a campground five years ago where they only had 50 amp sites still available at 7:00PM and I had to buy one for $20. "

Good deal. I think mine was $40 or more and too late and remote to look for another campground. At one campground they would lend you one if you put up a 25 deposit. I have been in several campgrounds with just 50 amp. Never thought of it as a safety issue. I think one was a newer forest service campground with a few electric sites. Do they really run both hot wires to the outlet? Looks like they would save wire and just run the 3 necessary leads, and avoid the possibility of getting 220 also. Or do they think there will be 220 volt campers down the line? Or are there some now?
Thought about putting in a 30 amp, but we do not stay in it or run the air at home so we plug it into a 20 amp. I have run the air on that circut for an hour or so.

My guess is that if you get a short between the ATS and the breaker box you are pretty much out of luck whaterver amp service it is on.
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Old 08-09-2012, 08:11 PM   #25
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I asked about when Airstream switched to 50A service, and was quite surprised to find that only those coaches with dual air conditioners have 50A service from the factory. Most have 30A service.

I'm not an electrician, but I've done quite a bit of electrical work, so maybe I can explain what's happening when someone (like most of us) with a coach wired for 30A is confronted with an electrical pedestal with only 50A service.

As has been previously mentioned, the 50A plug has four prongs, whereas the 30A one has only three. On the 30A plug those three are a hot, a neutral, and a ground. On a 50A plug there is an additional hot line, for a total of two hot prongs, a neutral, and a ground. If one measured the voltage between one hot wire and the neutral wire, one would find somewhere between 115 and 125 VAC. Measuring between the two hot lines would show approximately double that, 230 to 250 VAC.

When one is plugged into a 30A outlet, the maximum current that will be passed through the breaker is 30 amps, which is 3600 Watts (at 120 volts). The 50A outlet provides two circuits, each of 50 amps, or 6000 Watts each, for a total possible draw of 12,000 Watts. That's why the motor homes, with two, three, or even four air conditioners need the 50 A outlet.

So what happens when we need to plug into a 50A outlet, but our coach is wired for only 30A? We simply use only one side of the available service. The dog-bone adapter has the ground wire running from the ground prong to the ground slot, the neutral wire runs from the neutral prong to the neutral slot, and a hot wire runs from one hot prong to the hot slot. The second hot prong is not used.

At this point there is a possible 50 amps available to the coach, but the main breaker is only 30 amps. That means that if the coach attempts to draw more than 30 A, the coach's main breaker will trip. The breaker on the pedestal will NOT trip, because you haven't asked it to pass more than 50 A. A short in the dog-bone will trip the pedestal breaker, though.

Bill M, yes, there are some all-electric motor homes that have 220 V appliances. I haven't seen many Airstreams with washers and dryers in them, but they are pretty common in 5'ers and motor homes. Most of the dryers are 120 V units, and by all accounts take forever to dry a small load of clothes. The newest coaches are putting in small 220 V dryers.

BTW, last summer when we spent a night at the factory, we plugged into the 30A outlet, so our neighbor had to use a dog-bone to plug into the 50A one. That opened our eyes, and when we got home I bought a 50A to 30A dog-bone. We haven't needed it (yet) but I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
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Old 08-09-2012, 09:17 PM   #26
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I'm uncomfortable with adapting my trailer to 50 amps (my background includes aircraft electrical systems and constr electrician) so I wouldn't do it. The power cable, trailer receptacle, auto transfer switch (new to 2012), and wiring to breaker panel are designed to carry 30 amps but protected by well-worn campground 50 amp breaker.

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Old 08-10-2012, 06:39 AM   #27
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One could build their own 50 to 30 amp adaptor that would protect all if the trailer wiring. Get a water tight box large enough for a 30 amp circuit breaker. Wire in a 50 amp cord (electric stove cord) to provide the power to the box. Install a 30 amp receptacle and wire it to the 30 amp circuit breaker. Plug the trailer into that receptacle.
It would be one more thing to carry. But if you are concerned about the proper protection, this would do it.
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Old 08-10-2012, 07:27 AM   #28
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I was using the dog bone 30 to 50 amp adapter. Noticed when unpluging that the adapter and the end plug on our cord had melted some. This was in the winter time with 2 electric heaters going I took it apart and noticed how small the adapter pieces where. Decided it would be best to go with a 50 amp plug wired to my cord and when needed, I now use a 50 to 30 amp adapter. This has worked out really good with no more problems.
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Old 08-14-2012, 09:05 AM   #29
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In almost 5 years of camping with our Airstream, we have never run into a situation where there was only 50 amp service. But, figuring it has to happen someday, we bought a dogbone adapter several years ago. It has worked—we still haven't had to use it, though if we lose it, then we may have to deal with a 50 amp receptacle.

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