30 amp service
Sitting here on a 30 amp site with a 50 amp coach having to do the power shuffle to prevent a tripped breaker. The guy on the next site tells me he doesn't have the same issue because of a pig tail he...
Forum Discussion
Generally those "Cheater Boxes" and cords are a waste of money.
YOu see. the 20 amp outlet in MOST Rv parks is a GFCI and when you use the cheater it trips.. now it is possible to make it so it wont' trip but then you have like a 100 pound box costing a couple hundred dollars.
A better way is covered in a thread about running both air conditioners that is aroudn here somewhere. Here is one way to do it (2 in fact)
There is a device made by a company "Safe RV' or some such.. that does this using a somewhat complex method, I am not convinced it is better than what I will describe,,
Two line drawings:
Currently your Air Conditorners are wired like this:
{bunch of stuff}===================={A/C}
(Bunch of stuff is circuit breakers, Distribution panels, on some RV's a management system (load shedder) and so on)
New system
{Bunch of stuff}===========Socket/Plug==========={A/C}
How I did mine: On mine there is no management system so the line ran direct from teh breaker panel to the A/C. nothing else in line.
I removed that line from teh Power panel to a junction box (Added) and using 12ga cord extended it to OUTSIDE (A compartment accessable from outside) That is the PLUG end.
I ran a 2nd cord (Actually half (the other half, with the outlet, of a 12GA extension cord) from teh power distribution panel to the same compartment.
On a 50 amp site, I plug the two half cords together and the RV operates as designed.
On a 30 amp site I pull the plug and using a 12GA extension cord (I have 3, different lengths) I plug into the 20 amp outlet in the box.. This avoids all GFCI issues because all 3 lines are dedicated to just that one device, the (in my case rear) A/C is no longer connected, electrically, to the RV, at all. Works great. Does not trip GFCI.
If I wished added safety I would do this
{bos}===========socket/plug-{20 amp breaker}=========={A/C} but in MY case I felt the park's breaker was protection enough... I really should add one though.
YOu see. the 20 amp outlet in MOST Rv parks is a GFCI and when you use the cheater it trips.. now it is possible to make it so it wont' trip but then you have like a 100 pound box costing a couple hundred dollars.
A better way is covered in a thread about running both air conditioners that is aroudn here somewhere. Here is one way to do it (2 in fact)
There is a device made by a company "Safe RV' or some such.. that does this using a somewhat complex method, I am not convinced it is better than what I will describe,,
Two line drawings:
Currently your Air Conditorners are wired like this:
{bunch of stuff}===================={A/C}
(Bunch of stuff is circuit breakers, Distribution panels, on some RV's a management system (load shedder) and so on)
New system
{Bunch of stuff}===========Socket/Plug==========={A/C}
How I did mine: On mine there is no management system so the line ran direct from teh breaker panel to the A/C. nothing else in line.
I removed that line from teh Power panel to a junction box (Added) and using 12ga cord extended it to OUTSIDE (A compartment accessable from outside) That is the PLUG end.
I ran a 2nd cord (Actually half (the other half, with the outlet, of a 12GA extension cord) from teh power distribution panel to the same compartment.
On a 50 amp site, I plug the two half cords together and the RV operates as designed.
On a 30 amp site I pull the plug and using a 12GA extension cord (I have 3, different lengths) I plug into the 20 amp outlet in the box.. This avoids all GFCI issues because all 3 lines are dedicated to just that one device, the (in my case rear) A/C is no longer connected, electrically, to the RV, at all. Works great. Does not trip GFCI.
If I wished added safety I would do this
{bos}===========socket/plug-{20 amp breaker}=========={A/C} but in MY case I felt the park's breaker was protection enough... I really should add one though.
