charging an EV at a campground

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.

Ah ok. I don’t know though. We drove a pusher for 18 years. On hot days with the various systems running that sucker gobbled up the electrons.

When we charge in a campground we are almost always on a 30 amp site. Our car can’t pull more than 24 amps. Literally can’t trip the breaker. But our little trailer can. Between AC, hot water, fridge, converter, microwave etc etc. Easy to pop the breaker. And if the voltage drops the trailer just pulls harder. The car automatically current limits to 18 or 12 amps if the voltage drops to 111 ish volts.

Jmho. Not an expert.

John

PButler96 said, “The vast majority of places I have been have had issues such as low voltage on crowded weekends etc.”

Exactly, this is one reason why folks are forced to buy EMS system managers, Autoformers, Surge Guards and Soft-starts…I wouldn’t be looking forward to a campground even with just 10% EV’s..Admittedly, JMHO…

3 tons

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.

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 electrical systems in many CG’s are already running at their upper amperage delivery limits during the summer heat (due to widespread air conditioner operation), now add to this EV’s with their high charging amperage rates - not a part of the original system design factor…You might then simply assume a costly upgrade is in order (true enough - $$, but guess who subsidizes the bill - ugg…….), though quite naturally, this not so simple fix woefully dismisses the ability of rural grids…Just another unintended consequence…

3 tons

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.

Time2roll,

Thanks for the overhead figures--that is useful information.

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..)

Tvov wrote:
Wow... FIVE days to charge on a 120 outlet?? I knew they took awhile, but not that long. Then they switched to the 50amp, and the charging time dropped to 14 hours... yikes, still I did not know they took that long.

For some reason I thought a 120 outlet would be like an overnight charge, not 5 days.

My wife's electric car will charge overnight. But then again it's a PIHB and only has a 30 mile range. I believe it charges around 1.25kwh/hour. In any event she plugs it in when she gets home from work and it's at 100% charge when she gets up to go to work the next morning. This is on a typical 110 circuit.

Tvov wrote:
For some reason I thought a 120 outlet would be like an overnight charge, not 5 days.

L1 is good for about 50 miles per day for overnight charging in a car. Maybe 30 miles in a truck as the economy is lower just like gasoline vehicles.

Trouble with L1 (120v) is the power is limited to about 1400 watts and the computer running, cooling pumps, etc. will use about 300 watts or 20% of the power. Charge at 7000 watts and the overhead is only 4%.

I originally ran my LEAF on L1 for the first six months (22 mile commute) because Nissan wanted a crazy $4200 to install a home L2 connector. Eventually got a Schneider for $800 and still using it 10 years later.

Tvov wrote:
Wow... FIVE days to charge on a 120 outlet?? I knew they took awhile, but not that long. Then they switched to the 50amp, and the charging time dropped to 14 hours... yikes, still I did not know they took that long.

For some reason I thought a 120 outlet would be like an overnight charge, not 5 days.

It is in some commuter cars but not on a truck. Big batteries in a truck.

We are rarely on a 50 amp site but for our SUV to charge on a 50 amp site is typically 7 or 8 hours. Almost always we are on a 30 amp site so much longer. Having said that we rarely arrive at a campground below 50 percent on the battery so it’s usually not that bad.

Cheers.