How to plug in at storage facility?

[Piggy Bank]

We recently changed our storage facility for our Airstream. (Finally got covered storage!!) We now have access to a standard wall plug there.

Our trailer is 50 amp.

I often hear people talking on the forum about plugging in at their storage place. I don't really understand exactly, specifically, how to do this.

If we want to be able to run the refrigerator a couple of days before we go on a trip to cool it down, what exactly do we need to do?

I am not sure how to "plug in" to either charge up the batteries to run the fridge on the propane, or to run the fridge on electric.

If we want to charge the batteries during storage, how exactly is this done?

In the past at our old place we just let the batteries sit between trips, which during the season is about every 2 weeks, and didn't have much trouble with this. We pull them and keep them at home over the winter on a charger.

Please tell me how all of this works. Thanks in advance.

[GMFL]

50A to 15A dogbone
https://www.amazon.com/Trek-Power-Do...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

[BayouBiker]

Use the dogbone to power your 50A circuits, just keep in mind the wall plug is likely protected with a 15A breaker possibly a 20A but not likely.

Here are some rough amperage draws:

The Converter/Charger 4.5 Max
Water Heater 11A suggest you keep the water heater off
Refrigerator 3 A
A/C-Heat Pump 12 A each ~ 15-18 A inrush suggest you keep these off
Furnace 3.5 A fan + the propane


If it is going to be cold, you may want to get a mini ceramic heater with a 750-1000 watt setting and use it to prevent freezing. Set it to about 52 F


So run the refrigerator, the convertor and a ceramic heater and you are good to go! Maybe set the furnace to kick on at 45 in case shore power is cut off.
The furnace and the refrigerator won't function with the battery relay in "Store" mode since they need 12V for control power. The converter should (if wired per the manual) but since you want to ruleave the relay in "Use" mode.

[Daquenzer]

I’m not sure how yours works. Our switch has to be “in use” to charge batteries. However I put a battery tender on the batteries. I did plug mine in with a “dog bone” last year with a 20 AMP service in my pole barn. By the way you should always carry one. Some campsites only have 20 AMP service. It worked fine to keep batteries charged. But felt the tender would be better for batteries. We do plug in before we leave to test all the LP systems. We also start up the refrigerator so that we can put things in next morning. We do have windows in our Pole Barn we open so we don’t get a CO problem. Can’t run the AC on 20 AMP. Never tried running refrigerator on 20AMP electric. But I don’t see why you couldn’t.

[LilPeanut]

We have kept ours in covered storage and had to comply with 2 issues the fire marshall made the owner comply with. First, had to have a surge protector plugged into the wall. We then plugged in a battery tender and used that to connect to the pig tail connected directly to our positive and negative leads on the batteries. Thus we were only charging the batteries and could keep the 'use' switch to store and avoid any unintentional electrical use.

Second, we could not turn on propane while inside. That was a fire 'no-no'. We just turned on the propane when we picked it up and the fridge was cold that night.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Another option for long(er) term storage:

Get a dirt cheap plug in timer. Set it to power up the trailer for a few hours a week. That way "most of the time" the trailer is disconnected from any problems. Running the converter for a couple hours should be plenty to keep the batteries topped off. This *assumes* your batteries charge in the "store" position of the use/store switch. Some do and some don't .....

One of about a billion equally good examples:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Defiant-...9809/203678107

No idea how well that one works, it's just the first one I found in a quick search.

Bob

[Piggy Bank]

Thanks for the replies. We are allowed to plug in for a couple of days but not apparently 24/7/365.
Will get an adapter like GMFL mentioned.

This should let us use the fridge to pre-cool before trips.

Ours is a pole-barn type of storage so not "inside", so propane would not be a problem. But good thought on that to mention for others.

[link2dks]

A little more expensive option but you don't have to use your 50 amp power cord at your storage facility. You can use a much less expensive 15 amp extension cord just in case anyone wants to "borrow" your 50 amp cord set.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dave S

[ROBERT CROSS]

I removed and charged in the basement for 10yrs. Worked well with Lifeline AGM's
I left in and charged when needed, worked well with AGM's
I left the AGM's in and disconnected, also worked well. They lasted for 15 Seasons,👍
I now just isolate from the distribution panel and leave the Battleborn lithiums in and monitor.

If you can't be at the trailer storage to check, you could just charge up & disconnect.

Bob
🇺🇸

[Piggy Bank]

Thanks Dave S--that is exactly what my husband thought we needed.

[Mikebrady62]

Originally Posted by link2dks

A little more expensive option but you don't have to use your 50 amp power cord at your storage facility. You can use a much less expensive 15 amp extension cord just in case anyone wants to "borrow" your 50 amp cord set.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dave S

I use this same adaptor along with the time Uncle Bob mentioned. Then I leave the power on.

[james.mileur]

GoWISE Power RVA4016 RV Twist Lock Adapter - 15A Male to 50A Female https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K0MBYDE..._2SSsEbBAK3774

What I use and like. My orange one has done well.

[link2dks]

Originally Posted by james.mileur

GoWISE Power RVA4016 RV Twist Lock Adapter - 15A Male to 50A Female https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K0MBYDE..._2SSsEbBAK3774

What I use and like. My orange one has done well.

^^

Had not seen this before. Nice, less expensive alternative to the Mighty Cord pigtail.

Dave S

[jaybauman]

Originally Posted by james.mileur

GoWISE Power RVA4016 RV Twist Lock Adapter - 15A Male to 50A Female https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K0MBYDE..._2SSsEbBAK3774

What I use and like. My orange one has done well.

I use this one, which has a flexible portion so my 15A extension cord can hang down instead of hanging straight out.

[Phantom98]

Originally Posted by jaybauman

I use this one, which has a flexible portion so my 15A extension cord can hang down instead of hanging straight out.

Me Too.

[ttrout]

Remember you won't have sufficient power for AC or heat pump, furnace will be fine.