One of my sons bought a travel trailer to use as 'seasonal' for him and his family. Dealer will deliver and set it up. One a/c unit.Only NOW....does he tell me his site is 20 amp....with a "promise" by the campground to upgrade the electric (to his site and others) to 30amp by next spring.Question: can his 30 amp a/c unit run on 20 amps without damage?

His A/C alone does not draw 30 amps, but more like 12 or 13 while running, with a higher momentary starting load. As long as the voltage is adequate, it'll run fine on a 20 amp circuit, although the amount and type of other items that can be used at the same time will be limited. The A/C would have to be shut off to use a microwave for example, but it is doable and done by many RV'ers, most commonly when plugged in at home.

Depends.Most likely yes but if the park has old an electrical system in sorry shape it might not (a campground with 20amp outlets suggests it might be an older park with an older electrical system)

It is kind of "iffy". I burned a cord trying that (luckily the power management shut it down before any real damage occurred).

As said, the actual voltage supplied is more important than the labeled number of amps. 20 amps, 30 amps, etc. in this case are more indicators of system design than what you might actually get. If the AC runs without tripping any breakers and you have at least 108 volts you will likely be OK>

Hi,He will need to monitor the voltage under load. I suggest getting a kill-a-watt meter to do so.My comfort zone is 109 volts and up. At 107 volts I turn the air conditioner off, or move to my inverter.If his voltage is low, he can add an autoformer to correct it.

Can a 30amp A/C run on 20 amps? | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

viajante
Explorer
Aug 30, 2014
It is kind of "iffy". I burned a cord trying that (luckily the power management shut it down before any real damage occurred).
valhalla360
Navigator
Aug 30, 2014
Depends.

Most likely yes but if the park has old an electrical system in sorry shape it might not (a campground with 20amp outlets suggests it might be an older park with an older electrical system)
Dutch_12078
Explorer III
Aug 30, 2014
His A/C alone does not draw 30 amps, but more like 12 or 13 while running, with a higher momentary starting load. As long as the voltage is adequate, it'll run fine on a 20 amp circuit, although the amount and type of other items that can be used at the same time will be limited. The A/C would have to be shut off to use a microwave for example, but it is doable and done by many RV'ers, most commonly when plugged in at home.

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Can a 30amp A/C run on 20 amps?

13 Replies

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