30 amp is really 20amp

Dont ask the question if you cant stand the answer.

,the mathematical volts times amps = wats is familiar to me. Evidently I have a problem with my coach. I was wrong about my suggestion that I was only getting 20 amps. Will have to have it serviced when I return home, if it holds out till then. Just turning on the tv drops the volts from 118 intoI the red at 109.. Will keep my questions to myself in the future and continue to just read q&a on the site. Thanks Royb for your info. It was helpful

Debbie, maybe it is the way you worded your initial post. Obviously you were not looking for an arguement, but maybe asking why you are getting the same voltage reading from your 30 amp plug you would get from your 20 amp plug. The answer is simple. Pretty much every appliance in the US uses 110-120 volt current. If you look at how the 50 amp plug is wired in the above diagram you will notice that even that only provides 120 volts from line to load. The 120 volts is there but not doing anything until you provide a path for it to "move". Now amps is a totally different measurement. The thickness or gauge of the wire determins how large of a circuit breaker and how much current (amps) can safely flow through it. Basically the current coming in to the box is limited by large circuit breakers up the line. And the current available at the box is much more than any one item in your camper can use. So as you start turning things on they They allow current to pass. 5 amps here, 10 amps there, 15 more when you run pretty much anything with a heating element. When these add up to more than the designed electrical system the breaker will kick to protect the system and prevent an unsafe condition. I know others here have more electrical knowledge than I do but that should somewhat correctly cover the basics.

debbiep63 wrote:
Boy howdy, I really opened a can of worms With all appliances off or unplugged my volt meter is readin 118.The only item I can't turn off (because I don't know how) is my converter. Suffice it to say I am cured of asking any further questions, but will continue to read all q&a for all sights..

Please don't be scared off, while some of the questions were curt, they were only seeking information to help you.

Some of these guys annoy me, too, but most know their stuff.

Ask away.

debbiep63 wrote:
Boy howdy, I really opened a can of worms With all appliances off or unplugged my volt meter is readin 118.The only item I can't turn off (because I don't know how) is my converter. Suffice it to say I am cured of asking any further questions, but will continue to read all q&a for all sights..

Sorry, but the above answer reinforces the assumption that you don't understand the question you are asking.

There is nothing wrong with the line voltage reading 118V, it might be lower then 120v, but for the reading off some uncalibrated meter, at the end of a run, it's not bad.

If the line sags more then that, say with the A/C running, then maybe you have a line-sag issue.

NOTE: This is NOT the same thing as saying you don't have a 30 amp service. Line-sag can be caused by a number of issues, including the entire park being poorly wired.

Boy howdy, I really opened a can of worms With all appliances off or unplugged my volt meter is readin 118.The only item I can't turn off (because I don't know how) is my converter. Suffice it to say I am cured of asking any further questions, but will continue to read all q&a for all sights..

I, too, wonder what lead you to conclude you only got 20 power. Was the plug connected to a 20 amp breaker?

This is a typical camp ground diagram of the 50AMP and 30AMP service...

The only difference between the 30A service and a 20AMP service would be the type of receptacle used and the rating of the circuit breaker.

If you have a standard RV30 amp connector along with a 30AMP Circuit breaker then you should have 30AMP service.



Roy Ken

So there is a 20 amp breaker supplying the 30 amp connector?
Never seen it. To my limited knowledge this does not meet NEC standards.

:h