30 Amp VS 50 Amp

All I can say is they were all turned to electricity. Whether they were all running, I never paid much attention to. But I don't go turn one off before turning another on, and I can't recall any issues. Believe what you want.

Samsonsworld wrote:
All I can say is they were all turned to electricity. Whether they were all running, I never paid much attention to. But I don't go turn one off before turning another on, and I can't recall any issues. Believe what you want.

While I can't dispute your experience. It is not the norm. Typically you cannot just let those items run together without tripping a breaker on a 30 amp circuit.

Lantley wrote:

Samsonsworld wrote:
All I can say is they were all turned to electricity. Whether they were all running, I never paid much attention to. But I don't go turn one off before turning another on, and I can't recall any issues. Believe what you want.

While I can't dispute your experience. It is not the norm. Typically you cannot just let those items run together without tripping a breaker on a 30 amp circuit.

Been going to the same state park for 25 years. The spots I like are 30amp. 5 different trailers, though only the last 3 had an electric water heater. Sounds normal enough to me.

Now throw in a hair dryer.....different outcome.

In my experience using a surge protector plugged into the camp pedestal and then the trailer power plugged into it, I can monitor the volts being supplied and the amps going out.

If you are actively using hot water and have it set to electric, that's when it's heating and drawing around the 12a load. If it's up to temp and still turned on, it's not drawing any load at that moment.

When the A/C is running, it's around 10a. When the fridge is on electric, I see it drawing around 3a.

Micro pulls around 10a when on HIGH.

The A/C, Micro and converter all have their own breakers in the trailer. The Fridge and all the plugs in the rig share the same breaker.

I can run the A/C, Micro and the fridge on electric at the same time when the A/C is actively cooling. It's drawing around 25a on the surge protector at that time.

I usually only turn on the electric water heater as needed or when the A/C is not running too.

If I do have the A/C on and the electric water heater is heating, it's drawing around the same as when it's off and the micro is on..

So..... I just make sure at least the Micro or the water heater is off when the A/C is also running.. It's just a matter of managing the load and just not switching everything "ON" and not monitoring.

I also run a coffee maker, electric space heater and other things drawing off the plugs in the rig. Since these share the fridge breaker, I can only run the coffee maker and unplug the space heater or vice-versa.. Not all at the same time.

I have been using an extension cord run too the pedistal in the 20a plug and run it in the trailer and plug the space heater into it, then I can run them all at once.. :)

Just my experience with it on my rig.

Mitch

Samsonsworld wrote:
All I can say is they were all turned to electricity. Whether they were all running, I never paid much attention to. But I don't go turn one off before turning another on, and I can't recall any issues. Believe what you want.

If what you say is true, you might want to have an electrician check it out. With those kinds of loads, the main breaker should be popping (either at the pedestal or on the RV's breaker panel).

Were you by chance plugged into a 50amp pedestal with an adapter to provide a connection to your 30amp trailer?

There is a reason breakers have amp limits and it's to protect against electrical damage up to and including fires. What you describe will have peak loads well above 40amps.

Samsonsworld wrote:

Lantley wrote:

Samsonsworld wrote:
All I can say is they were all turned to electricity. Whether they were all running, I never paid much attention to. But I don't go turn one off before turning another on, and I can't recall any issues. Believe what you want.

While I can't dispute your experience. It is not the norm. Typically you cannot just let those items run together without tripping a breaker on a 30 amp circuit.

Been going to the same state park for 25 years. The spots I like are 30amp. 5 different trailers, though only the last 3 had an electric water heater. Sounds normal enough to me.

Now throw in a hair dryer.....different outcome.

Sorry….the Geezer.net doesn’t believe you….lol.

valhalla360 wrote:
What you describe will have peak loads well above 40amps.

Not everything turns on or surges at the same time. Its just not as big a deal as some make it out to be.

Mitch, 12a shocks me on the water heater. (edit: Yep, 1400w/120 = 11.6...most inefficient thing on there.)

Samsonsworld wrote:


Not everything turns on or surges at the same time. Its just not as big a deal as some make it out to be.

Mitch, 12a shocks me on the water heater. (edit: Yep, 1400w/120 = 11.6...most inefficient thing on there.)

"inefficient" resistance heat uses 99.9% of the energy.

Where one needs to worry is motor operated devices such as the horribly inefficient roof air conditioners. Below 107 volts there is ongoing cumulative permanent damage to the device.

If I'm in that situation I connect the autoformer. I've used it at an input voltage of 97 on a 15 amp circuit successfully. I did have to move the fridge to propane there were no other 120 volt loads except for the inverter charger. The house batteries were fully charged.

I do limit energy input to 24 amps using the inverter/charger and often have the load support feature active.

The largest load is the microwave at 1570 watts. I don't "cook" in it but do thaw home made meals. 222 seconds and my knife and fork are active.

Dang, I think the microwave in my current unit is 700w. And I think my last two were 900w.

Might take 444 seconds for that meal.

Great discussion