Upgrading from 30 amp to 50 amp service

That's a lot of work for 1 little heater.

Here's what I did:

I found the wiring going to my A/C behind a removable wall panel that covers the shower plumbing. The wire was long enough that I could cut it and still wire nut it together so (after turning off the breaker) I put in a junction box and tapped in with another 12/2 (with ground) wire. I ran that new wire to a 20 Amp outlet that I put in the wall. I plug the heater in there. If you use the heat and the A/C at the same time, you're going to trip the breaker but why in the world would you run them at the same time! All done it cost me about twenty bucks to do. No extra cords to plug in because it all runs off my 30 Amp cord. Problem solved
;)

We do exactly that when wintering in Florida. See my post here for details on how I did it.
Barney

If using an extension cord, how would it be possible for the two different hots to come together? Are folks using a cheater cable and back feeding the panel somehow?

There are hidden dangers playing with these things as if two HOT wires are being used at the campground pedestals you can have a 240VAC potential source to deal with between the two HOT WIRES...

Perhaps "playing" is the key word.

Every 50A RV and every house is 120/240V service so except for the second cord being ad hock they all have 240V.

Lots of people do something similar
But to be precise you have a Max of 50 amps at 120v

A 50 amp RV service
Is (2) legs of 50 amps at 120v
A total possessible of 100 amps at 120v

Your adaption allows a max possible 6000w
50 amp RV have max possible 12000w
30 amp RV max possible 3600w
Adding the 20amp feed is a 66 percent increase, a big help

What is your RV set up for,30 or 50 Amp?
Just conn. To the 20 on the power post. Use that for your electric heater.

We use E.Heater when on 30 Amp no problem.

This may not always work for you at the camp ground pedestals... In order to get 50AMPS you have be using both HOT wiring from the pedestal source. Some pedestals especially those that does not have a 50A Service may be using the same hot wire that is feeding both the 30A and 20A pedestals receptacles.

Keep in mind the 30A service is wired the same as the 20A service except for the two different size circuit breakers.

A 50A Pedestal service is actually giving you two 50A circuits feeding your 50A trailer for a total of 100AMPS total...

Here is a typical pictorial showing a camp ground 50A and 30A service provider...



There are hidden dangers playing with these things as if two HOT wires are being used at the campground pedestals you can have a 240VAC potential source to deal with between the two HOT WIRES...

Having said all of this we too will use the 30A service for our trailer power source shore power connector and use a 20AMP extension cord plugged into the campground pedestal 20A service. I like to run all of the outside 120VAC items from this 20AMP service as it does not take anything from their 30A service connection. It has its own separate 20AMP circuit breaker. This is also very useful when we run a portable electric heater in the trailer. Do this alot as we can't stand the noise the propane furnace blower makes. Wakes me up every time it kicks on in the middle of the night...

Roy Ken

GordonThree wrote:
How messed up is the weather that you need electric heat this time of the year in AZ? :)

Serious question, how many loads are you running that you can't afford 12 amps for an electric heater on the 30 amp service? Winter camping here in the North, I usually run two electric heaters on my 30 amp service, turning one off if I need to run the microwave.

Am on the coast of Washington State and I did not want to mess with nagging Gladys to turn off the heater before using whatever. Keeps Tyrone much happier.

We have a 50A RV but camping in Florida in the summer on 30A is a challenge. I have EMS which will run two ACs on 30A but that is about all.

I ran an extension cord up under the bed in the bedroom and added a receptacle near the bath room. I plug in into the 20A pedestal when camping at a 30A spot.

Wife uses it for her hair dryer and we plug our electric water boiler into it too.

Another fix I have seen if you dont have EMS is to separate the 2nd AC off the main panel and wire it up to a dedicated cord that you plug into the pedestal.

How messed up is the weather that you need electric heat this time of the year in AZ? :)

Serious question, how many loads are you running that you can't afford 12 amps for an electric heater on the 30 amp service? Winter camping here in the North, I usually run two electric heaters on my 30 amp service, turning one off if I need to run the microwave.