30 vs 50 amp electricity
What can you do without trouble with only a 30 amp connection? Run a Splendide washer/dryer? If you have a 15000BTU a/c unit, can you use it at all with a 30 amp connection? Other considerations?
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17 Replies
RVcrazy wrote:
What can you do without trouble with only a 30 amp connection? Run a Splendide washer/dryer? If you have a 15000BTU a/c unit, can you use it at all with a 30 amp connection? Other considerations?
...........If , you want to get maximum usage out of a 30 amp plug , use a 50 amp power cord with a short adapter on each end of the 50 amp cord . This way you have virtually , NO voltage drop from the outside plug to the connection on your RV .
...........Voltage and amperage move in Opposite directions , i.e. , IF you use a regular 30 amp RV extension cord , the voltage will start dropping under heavy usage , which makes the amperage climb , your plugs get VERY hot and cause more problems , thus popping the 30 amp breaker ! , jf- It is all about available power management. Have a good idea of what the power hogs are & don't run them together.
- I will never buy another with only 30amp service. The wife is awful with managing loads so we got tripped breakers all the time in our previous units. Also i hate being hot in the summer so having 2 A/C's is always a requirement for me as well. Pretty much everywhere that i camp anymore has 50amp service.
As stated the huge cord does suck, but to me it is worth it to have far less to worry about. - The one bad thing about 50amp is that @#$% cord.
fla-gypsy wrote:
The difference is this;
30 amp= 3600 watts of available power
50 amp= 12,000 watts of available power
The above info sums it up. In layman's terms 50 amp service provides lot more power.
With 30 amps you are basically limited to 1 or 2 high draw appliances at a time. The good thing is you can pick or choose what you want to use.:h The bad thing is you have to remember to pick and choose.:S .
With 30 amp service you need to practice energy management techniques.
With 50 amp you have power for everything all at the same time without worry about what else is being used.- The difference is this;
30 amp= 3600 watts of available power
50 amp= 12,000 watts of available power - 30 amp service required that we turn things off so we can turn things on. I helped take care of that by adding a second service. 20 amp cord to an added junction box with two 15 amp breakers. Two receptacles added, one in kitchen and one in living room. Kitchen for appliances and living room for oil filled radiator. No more stopping what I was doing because of a hair dryer!
I suspect the largest overlooked electric consumer is the water heater. - Granted you can run more with 50 Amp but we can run everything we want 15,000 AC, Micro Wave, Coffee maker...........& have never once tripped a breaker while camping..................................... been camping for 30+ years......
Never considered 30 - 50 AMP campers a deal breaker - Granted you can run more with 50 Amp but we can run everything we want 15,000 AC, Micro Wave, Coffee maker...........& have never once tripped a breaker while camping..................................... been camping for 30+ years......
Never considered 30 - 50 AMP campers a deal breaker - We've never popped a breaker with 50 amp, can't say that about 30 amp.
