13.5 to 15KBTU worth it?

Sled208 wrote:
Thank you all for responding. I'm sorry if I'm not responding to each suggestion but I value everybody's input. Here's a big issue that I discovered this weekend. The electrical hookup at my spot only has a 30amp plug. Nothing else. I was sure there would be a separate 15 amp outlet but there is not. I think that limits me specifically to replacing the existing unit only?? I don't know if I can run one of those portable units even?

The NEC has required a 15 amp receptacle at EVERY pedestal (30 & 50) for a long time. If there isn't one, a permit wasn't taken out originally or they've been removed. We were at a CG with 300+ sites that had removed every single 15 amp recept in their pedestals to prevent people from drawing more current and worsening the already bad voltage.

Refer to the manufacturer's AC unit manual for min. wire size and breaker size. Pay close attention to min. wire size vs. length and don't use a 15 amp ext. cord to the pedestal. Trying to run two AC units on 30 amps is not a good idea. Converting your camper to 50 amps would be a solution but the NEC only requires 20% of CGs to have 50 amp pedestal (increased to 40% in 2017 edition) and finding 50 amps in a CG can be very difficult unless you look for CGs/RV parks that built above min. code.

Be wary of using the 15 amp recept in a pedestal in older CGs to get more power than you can get from just 30 amps. Because of the way older CGs were wired, the increased current can significantly drag the voltage down. Low voltage will damage AC units. Installing a permanent LED voltmeter inside is always a good idea to monitor the voltage. When it gets down to 105 and below you need to turn AC units off, or if you have an EMS it will do it for you. An autoformer can be used to boost voltage.

I'd opt for a 15K unit and live with the minimal improvement.