How do I plug it in and where?easy q.

[truebebeblue]

So I get the AS home (77 excella)
and I wanna plug it in.... looks like a 220 dryer plug... is it? three prong triangular in arrangement...
Do I plug it in my dryer plug is there an adapter for 110?
Help?!
Yes I am green,, also I couldnt post this in electrical sub forum for some mystery reason...
Thanks, True

[davidh]

You need to go to a RV dealer and get a adapter plug from 110 to your 30 amp plug, you might just as well get the 30 amp to 50 amp also, you will need one or the other in some situations, they call them a dog bone.

[wkerfoot]

The plug on your Airstream is a 30 amp 110V plug, do not plug into your 220V dryer plug with an adapter unless you are absolutely sure that the adapter will take 1/2 of the voltage out. You can buy a 15 amp to 30 amp adapter which will allow you to plug the Airstream into a regular house outlet, but you probably won't be able to run the air conditioner. I installed a 30 amp outlet in my garage to be able to plug in my Safari without an adapter.

Bill

[truebebeblue]

Originally Posted by davidh

You need to go to a RV dealer and get a adapter plug from 110 to your 30 amp plug, you might just as well get the 30 amp to 50 amp also, you will need one or the other in some situations, they call them a dog bone.

Thank you VERY much

[truebebeblue]

Originally Posted by wkerfoot

The plug on your Airstream is a 30 amp 110V plug, do not plug into your 220V dryer plug with an adapter unless you are absolutely sure that the adapter will take 1/2 of the voltage out. You can buy a 15 amp to 30 amp adapter which will allow you to plug the Airstream into a regular house outlet, but you probably won't be able to run the air conditioner. I installed a 30 amp outlet in my garage to be able to plug in my Safari without an adapter.

Bill

Thanks bill I was half joking about the dryer thing... So adapters it is until I get somewhere with 30 amp...
I wasn't planning on running the a/c its brand new and not full installed,, I really just wanna check out the lights ect...Thanks alot.

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by truebebeblue

So I get the AS home (77 excella)
and I wanna plug it in.... looks like a 220 dryer plug... is it? three prong triangular in arrangement...
Do I plug it in my dryer plug is there an adapter for 110?
Help?!
Yes I am green,, also I couldnt post this in electrical sub forum for some mystery reason...
Thanks, True

You can not use the 220 dryer oulet. The three prongs in that are hot - hot - ground. The two hots are phased diffently to create the 220 volts. The 30 amp trailer plug uses hot - nuetral - ground. You can not adapt the dryer plug to run your trailer due to the lack of a nuetral wire. The adapter plug mentioned in the other post is to plug into a regular 15 amp outlet. You will not be able to run your air conditioner if you use this type of adapter. I have installed an outdoor box with a 30 amp RV socket just for my trailer. It is mounted just below my fuse box and the trailer plugs right into it. With the 30 amp service I can run the air and everything else.

[FiveGreers]

I was surprised when I was reading through our "stuff" regarding our Safari that it's A/C is less than the one I had in our Pop Up camper (I guess we needed more BTU's due to having vinyl walls). But I always plugged into the house and was able to run the A/C-although maybe I was just lucky nothing ever happened to it (?). We plan on bringing ours home next Thrusday to get ready for our FIRST trip-it will be okay to plug it in to our house and turn on the frig-right? Wow, didn't realize our trip was so close, now I'm getting excited!!

[davidh]

I was able to run my ac unit and fridge as long as there was no extension cord needed, my trailer cord reached to the house outlet and used 110 to 30 amp and had no issues at all. outlet had a 30 amp breaker.

[steelbird312]

Please guys, be careful with your electrics, unless you have plenty of moola.
Most all of your electrically operated items will do well between 105 and 123 volts. Now it is unusual to have a sustained supply of greater than 123, however, it is not unusual at all to have less than 105 at home, campgrounds or anywhere you might plug up. DIRTY PLUG PRONGS OR CORRODED ATTACHMENTS ARE THE GREATEST CULPRITS. These can be found at the tower or outlet you've plugged into, or where your electrical cord attaches to your fuse box. etc.
The safest way to protect these things is to have a protector that breaks the current when it drops to 104, although they can be expensive. The next best thing is to have a digital volt meter plugged into an outlet all the time, where you can see it. Also, temperature effects this as well, especially in campgrounds where there is naturally more demand on the system, and the transformers providing this voltage may not be sufficient.
Anyway, with all that said, check your voltage before you start to trust it, and if it will be a long term hook-up, check it several times during the first day.
ABOVE ALL, CLEAN THE THREE PRONGS AT THE END OF YOUR ELECTRICAL CORD! THAT WILL PREVENT RESISTANCE WHICH LOWERS VOLTAGE, AND CAUSES PLUGS TO MELT.

[Chaplain Kent]

We camp with a friend who has a vintage Bluebird. One of the many features of that beast is a built in voltage meter which warns him of low campground voltage. One day we set up and he came running to say the voltage was low, sure enough the campgrounds voltage was not up to par. I immediately invested in a voltage meter of my own, one that plugs into an outlet and registers red, yellow and green. I find it very helpful, even when starting up the gen-set and will check it each time I walk by when set up in a camp ground.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by FiveGreers

I was surprised when I was reading through our "stuff" regarding our Safari that it's A/C is less than the one I had in our Pop Up camper (I guess we needed more BTU's due to having vinyl walls). But I always plugged into the house and was able to run the A/C-although maybe I was just lucky nothing ever happened to it (?). We plan on bringing ours home next Thrusday to get ready for our FIRST trip-it will be okay to plug it in to our house and turn on the frig-right? Wow, didn't realize our trip was so close, now I'm getting excited!!

Minya,
The electric system on the Safari (name that thing yet ) is very similar to the one on the popup, just more stuff. Yes you can plug the fridge in using the 110 volt 15amp/30amp adaptor. Just don't crank the Airconditoner, it is hard on the unit to try and pull that much current down a small circuit.

Aaron

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by FiveGreers

We plan on bringing ours home next Thrusday to get ready for our FIRST trip-it will be okay to plug it in to our house and turn on the frig-right? Wow, didn't realize our trip was so close, now I'm getting excited!!

You might want to check the specs on your A/C unit to determine the amperage draw. Then check the same spec on the refrigerator. You might find that the combined draw will push the limits of your plug adapter (assuming you will be plugging the 30 amp power cord into the adapter so you can plug into a standard wall outlet). Those adapters usually are rated to handle from 15-20 amps, dependent upon the manufacturer.

Years ago I made an ill advised move on my SOB, and melted down the adapter plug when I had the trailer in the driveway preparing for a trip. I put the A/C unit on low fan (figuring I save some amperage). Problem was at low fan the compressor ran longer and the heat generated in the adapter plug became excessive. If you decide to run the air at all, at least put the fridge on the LP setting to minimize the amperage draw and check the temperature of that adapter plug. If it starts getting hot, turn off the air.

I don't run the air anymore at home since the melt down incident. I was lucky I didn't start a fire.

Jack

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by Chaplain Kent

I immediately invested in a voltage meter of my own, one that plugs into an outlet and registers red, yellow and green.

Yep, I've had one for several years also. It's interesting to see what you find sometimes. My lowest reading in a campground was 94 volts. Obviously we couldn't run the A/C.

Jack

[FiveGreers]

Thanks for the tips and advice! It's gotten down right chilly in our parts this week so I won't be turning on the A/C. Points all well taken and noted-sure don't want to mess up our baby-and no, Aaron, we haven't named her yet-lol! Still looking for the "right" one! I still like Margo....Margo Rita-lol!!