Crack Down on 50 Amp Rigs Using 30 Amp Sites
I don't know how long this has been going on but I learned today that some RV parks including the Washington/Pittsbugh KOA I had booked has a policy that if your rig has 50 amp service, you can't use ...
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I looked it up. The National Electrical Code (NEC) uses a load factor (.50) that allows up to 13 30 amp pedestals per line in a 200 amp service. That means up to 26 30 amp pedestals can be on a single 200 service since 30 amp services only use one service line, unlike 50 amp services which use both service lines with a maximum capacity of 50 amps per line. This means a 30 amp campground wiring system, designed and built to code assumes that the average 30 amp rig will draw less than 15 amps on average since there is a built in cushion in the NEC specifications.
Like another poster mentioned, 50 amp rigs have many more potential items items drawing electrical power than 30 amp rigs. They almost always have two or more air conditioners, often with higher BTU ratings. They often have heat pumps for heat and not propane. Plus they have larger interior spaces meaning those heaters and air conditioners must run for longer periods of time to achieve their set temperatures. They often have washers and dryers, residential refrigerators and larger entertainment systems. They have more house batteries, more lighting and other 12 volt systems requiring a larger converter and battery charger. Finally, many have energy management systems designed to allow the RV to maximize the power available, meaning they draw the available 30 amps over a sustained period of time. Just because you have a dog bone connector that lets you connect them to 30 amp services doesn't mean that the rig acts like a normal 30 amp rig.
Like another poster mentioned, 50 amp rigs have many more potential items items drawing electrical power than 30 amp rigs. They almost always have two or more air conditioners, often with higher BTU ratings. They often have heat pumps for heat and not propane. Plus they have larger interior spaces meaning those heaters and air conditioners must run for longer periods of time to achieve their set temperatures. They often have washers and dryers, residential refrigerators and larger entertainment systems. They have more house batteries, more lighting and other 12 volt systems requiring a larger converter and battery charger. Finally, many have energy management systems designed to allow the RV to maximize the power available, meaning they draw the available 30 amps over a sustained period of time. Just because you have a dog bone connector that lets you connect them to 30 amp services doesn't mean that the rig acts like a normal 30 amp rig.
