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Don_Parrish's avatar
Don_Parrish
Explorer
Oct 15, 2020

Coachmen Santara, '94. 50 amps or 30 amps ?

Older gentleman comes to our mobile home park with his Coachmen coach. Thinks it's 50 amps. My coach experience is only 50 amps and
I doubt his suggestion of 50 amps. Electric cord for hook-up had been cut and poorly reattached. Turns out cord is three wire. Black-hot,
White-common, and Green-I assume to be a ground for "bonding".
Looks like 30 amps to me. I don't mind a quick rewire of our post box or I could "rent" him my short 50 amp to 30 amp "reducing" cord.
Am I missing something here or does my plan sound electrically correct? This person has intentions of remaining in place for some time. Worth it to me if he stays. (We do have a couple of other RV units in our park and I did accommodate another 30 amp but we did not have a wiring issue.)
Thanks for any thoughts. Don Parrish
Class A
  • Horsedoc's avatar
    Horsedoc
    Explorer II
    Oct 16, 2020
    I forget the year, maybe 96 or 95 (no slides) but we had a diesel Santara that was 50 amp. bought it used from a dealer, John Bleakly in Douglasville, Ga. Biggest Wanderlodge dealer in the nation.
    Had tons of fun in that old coach, but it wouldn't pull a greased string from a cat's backside but it was fun.
    All that is gone now, John and Wanderlodge and youth

    Sorry guys, just an old man reminiscing.
  • time2roll's avatar
    time2roll
    Nomad
    Oct 16, 2020
    Put the correct 30 amp connector on the cord and use the adapter.
    No more worries.
  • enblethen's avatar
    enblethen
    Nomad
    Oct 16, 2020
    Don Parish:
    I would be careful about any modifications of pedestal that does not follow NEC.
    Shore power "modifications" on a rig could potentially damage your system.
    I have seen coaches where a RV repair facility attached a 50 amp cord to a three conductor shore power cord.
  • Don_Parrish's avatar
    Don_Parrish
    Explorer
    Oct 16, 2020
    rlw999
    Reading your response, I see the reasonable answer to my question/problem. You are most correct...I was making his problem, my problem. My problem solved. Thank you. Don Parrish
  • rlw999's avatar
    rlw999
    Explorer
    Oct 16, 2020
    I don't understand why you're asking - the end of his power cable should either have a 3 pin 30A plug (one round pin, two angled flat blades), or a 4 pin 50A plug (one round pin plus 3 parallel blades).

    That alone should tell you what service he needs. If he has a 30A plug but tells you he needs the receptacle to have a 50A breaker, don't do it since you're on the hook for any damage it causes. Let him put a 50A plug on his own power cable if he's sure he needs 50A.
  • cavie's avatar
    cavie
    Explorer
    Oct 16, 2020
    3 wires is 30 mamps. Do not let him hook to 50 amps. Sombody will get hurt!!!

    4 wires is 50 amps.
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Oct 16, 2020
    Sanatara was not a single model of RV, but a somewhat diverse line that Coachmen produced. My '98 Coachman Santara 315QB (a class C model) has a 30A AC electric system.

    I'd look at the electric panel in the RV. If the main breaker is a single pole 30A breaker, it's a 30A RV. If the main breaker is a 50A two pole breaker, it's a 50A RV. A 30A electric system would not be at all surprising.

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