charging an EV at a campground

NamMedevac 70 wrote:
At some point campground owners will give up the ghost and chuck it if these outrageous demands on them continue for ever more power for electric sucking RVs and EVs. Expecting them to invest in expensive rewiring underground wires, pedestals is a form of arr

Of course, some will but many won't. I almost feel pity for the mom and pop owners but like other mom and pop business owners they are being squeezed out by the chain business and some of them are now losing profit due to consumer reduced demand due to new round of inflation. Happy camping to the egg

Before we sold and got the heck out of dealing with the public we had a firm no EV charging policy. Had more than a few EV zealots argue on and on why they should be allowed to charge. Usually had to end the conversation with mom’s tried and true “because I said so”.
Even though we made it abundantly clear to every guest with an EV that charging wasn’t allowed we would have a few that though they could sneak it in under the cover of darkness. But they didn’t realize we had nightly security patrols. When security saw an EV being charged their orders were to alert me or the on-site manager. We took great pleasure in waking the occupants at 2am and informing they they were to immediately disconnect and if they did it again leave immediately.
As others have pointed out, EV draw power on a much different demand cycle than RVs. They are not compatible with the electrical loops that are designed for RV usage. We were not willing to risk having entire loops of RV pedestals going down because a couple of EVs charging continuously created additional demand that tripped the main breakers.

As a customer I don’t worry about the infrastructure. When I ask at check in or when we call they let me know if I can charge. If the voltage is low the car automatically limits the current in 25 percent increments.

Just like WIFi or other services campground customers will make their decisions on campgrounds based on amenities provided and price. Those who want on site charging will stay at campgrounds that provide it. We are already seeing that play out. Nothing wrong with a campground owner putting a big sign at the gate saying “no EV charging”. EV RVers will spread the word on campgrounds that have charging as an amenity, the price, wether it’s on the site or in a parking lot etc etc.

It’ll all work itself out free market style. It already is.

Jmho.

Interestingly, no one has brought up electric space heaters.

Campgrounds often ask that you not use them. This is because of capacity and expenses.

Of course, saving on LP is nice...and don't forget electric water heaters.

Additionally, space heaters are a steadier load that will also peak at night.

I dislike absolute black and white thinking, but its fair to say that EVs present a new challenge to many underpowered RV parks, (and homes and power grids).

No such thing as a free lunch.

At some point campground owners will give up the ghost and chuck it if these outrageous demands on them continue for ever more power for electric sucking RVs and EVs. Expecting them to invest in expensive rewiring underground wires, pedestals is a form of arr

Of course, some will but many won't. I almost feel pity for the mom and pop owners but like other mom and pop business owners they are being squeezed out by the chain business and some of them are now losing profit due to consumer reduced demand due to new round of inflation. Happy camping to the egg

And again, an item overlooked in the discussion is how the EV draws power versus how an RV draws power.
An RV can need 30 or 50 amp power due to AC usage, but those AC units only draw the max amps for a few seconds on each startup cycle, then their energy consumption drops off by half.
Charging the EV will draw the maximum amps it can continuously for however many hours it is plugged in.
And from what the videos show from the Ford pickup charging, it can be the many hours at a rate similar to the rate an AC unit draws for only its first 10 seconds or so.
A positive on this is some campgrounds will be replacing old 30 and 50 amp plugs finally as EV's kill off the old and weak ones.

time2roll wrote:

3 tons wrote:
Maybe the real question is, when the heat wave hits, should CG pedestals be repurposed for charging EV’s??… Like it or not this will surely be the position of some affected others…Just saying…

3 tons

Actually the heat wave is upon us right now today. Plenty of reserves in CA. Feel free to plug in.
Although still best to conserve from 4 to 9 pm. However there will be NO enforcement.

No enforcement, but how did you like your latest Edison bill? Ours was 3x last years, but our usage was slightly down.

There are no free lunches.

PButler96 wrote:

Reisender wrote:

3 tons wrote:
Another summertime issue in many campgrounds is sure to be that EV charging may preempt the ability of others to operate their air conditioning… As temperatures rise to to 100’s (uh-o :( !!), this is sure to test the mental metal of otherwise friendly fee-paying for services campers…

3 tons - mostly (happily!) :) off-the-grid…

(full disclosure, 400a/hr LFP, 660w rooftop solar - newly added 360w of portable MPPT PV..)

I read this twice and I’m not sure I understand. Why would using an RV pedestal to charge a car pre-empt someone else on another site from running an AC? Maybe I misunderstood this.

Because there is a finite capacity in campground wiring, in most cases installed prior to today where everyone has to have a huge monster of an RV with 2 or 3 air conditioners, heat pumps, electric clothes dryers etc.

The vast majority of places I have been have had issues such as low voltage on crowded weekends etc.

Yep! Nowhere in the video did I see that these guys (in the video) actually checked the line voltage at the pedestal. (with or without the EV charging load) They assumed that it was 120V and 240V. My bet is that this was NOT the case. Dropping the pedestal voltage even a little bit below nominal greatly effects (decreases) the ultimate charging rate especially with the 120 V system.

Chum lee

Sooner or later all this conflict will come to an end and there will be a widespread power meltdown and widespread water shortage. Others will take the pain away. Good luck and cheers to those with common sense.

Once again, I truly enjoyed this spirited conversation, and grateful for all opposing points of view :) - I freely admit that I don’t have all the answers, but in the end (though change is underway…), we’re each hopeful for the elusive solutions that’ll make for a more well-rounded energy picture and help us achieve a better world for our kids, thus the need for a comprehensive community discussion…Thanks to the dutiful Moderator for allowing us this space!!

3 tons - with humility; no real axe to grind and with no intent to offend -

3 tons wrote:


So can we at least agree that the original ‘design intent’ of the CG pedestal was to power RV appliances, thus pre-dates EV charging, and is it reasonable to simultaneously charge an EV while also suppling an RV - Really?… And how many same-time incidences of this must occur before exceeding CG supply limits??… Are we to assume that this trend is sustainable without adding to ($$) CG infrastructure ??…Just some food for thought only, as for the most part I’ll be somewhat unaffected (I can almost hear, PLEASE SHUT UP, it’s not our problem!!)…

3 tons

My point is that the CAUSE of the excess power use is not the issue - whether it's an EV or a third AC or a clothes dryer, residential fridge, tvs, or whatever. Campground infrastructures need to be improved - regardless of whether EVs are allowed to plug in or not.

They don't have the ability to handle the current power usage. And every new RV sold puts more electrical demand on the parks as RVers aren't willing in general to forego any convenience to drop their electrical consumption.

So, we agree. The campgrounds need improved infrastructures. But they need it regardless of EVs. They need it to handle the power consumption of all RVers.

I just think it's unfair to put this all on the roof of the EV. Most all RVers are putting excessive demands on a campground's electrical infrastructure. Just look at ALL the threads on this forum about how to get more power. Those of us who can spend a week or more on a single battery charge are rare. And when folks plug in to an outlet, they are going to use even more power than they would unplugged - especially if there is no additional fee attached to the usage.