We are going to the IL's for Thanksgiving, staying at their local city park for several days. The lows for two nights will be 26 degrees or so and I plan on using two 1500W space heaters while connected to 50A using my 50A-30A dog bone. Should I be concerned using other items such as the microwave or is it life as normal? I'm questioning the 30A main panel connection. The house power cable will be on the cold ground so it should handle a little overloading without concern. I hope to have the heaters on separate breakers so I'm good there. Is there anything I should be worried about?

I would still run the furnace as that is the only way to keep the plumbing in the basement from freezing.

I'll have the furnace running to warm things up and while we are up. At bed time I plan on backing the furnace down a little, leave the gray valve open, placing the shower head on the shower deck and drip the cold water there. The HW side should be OK. Yes/No?I'm treading new territory here!

When at a 30 amp supply and running electric heat.... I run one space heater on high, and another on low (check wattage of your specific heater - they vary)....When it's time to make coffee or run the microwave, I temporarily shut off the heater that is set on high.I set the furnace at 50 or so as a backup.

I would have the propane heater setup for backup - set to a low 40-50 Degree setting.We can get away with using two 1500WATT OIL-FILLED heaters on our 30AMP setup but never set high than than 3 on the heat setting. Running high setting ends up tripping our breaker.Your RV30A to 50A dogbone Adapter will feed both legs of the RV Trailer Power Distribution ok but just be aware there you will not have 50AMPs of service available. You will have to watch what is turned on at the same time...NOTE the two HOT LEGS are strapped together using the standard RV30A-50A Dogbone Adapter providing 120VAC to your two zones in your 50AMP Distribution panel... Typical two zone 50AMP Trailer 120VAC Distribution Photos from GOOGLE searchAnother thing we do that works out great for us is to run an additional extension cord out the 20AMP Pedstal COnnection just for our space heaters. These will be on the 20AMP Pedestal Breaker and NOT be affected by anything you are doing on the trailer breaker panels. AS always - be sure to check for heat build-up when using adapters.Roy Ken

RoyB >> As always, I love your illustrations. However, I have a 30A distribution panel. I was planning to connect to the 50A service at the pedestal to give me that little extra. Am I seeing this correctly? Will I have 50A available using my 50A-30A dog bone feeding a 30A distribution panel? Basically drawing off of one side of the 50A breaker at the pedestal?

Two Space Heaters on 30A FW | Good Sam Community

64 Replies

CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Dec 02, 2013
pnichols wrote:
Bob,

That's a very clever way to conveniently get more power out of a 30 amp pedestal!

It appears that you have a pretty good sized rig. Is it built for a 50A service ... such that in a 30 amp campsite you merely use a 30A to 50A adapter for your main hookup cable and then use the additional 20A pedestal outlet as you describe?
Sometimes to big! Yes it's a 50A rig and I use the 30/50A adapter as needed.
austinjenna
Explorer
Dec 02, 2013
I run 2 electric heaters. I have a heavy duty extension cord that I run the slide about 3/4 the way out and stick it through to the inside of the fiver. Finish running the slide out, plug into the extra 20 amp at the post and use one heater off that. That one I usually run on high. The other I just plug into the rv wall outlet.
pnichols
Explorer II
Nov 30, 2013
Bob,

That's a very clever way to conveniently get more power out of a 30 amp pedestal!

It appears that you have a pretty good sized rig. Is it built for a 50A service ... such that in a 30 amp campsite you merely use a 30A to 50A adapter for your main hookup cable and then use the additional 20A pedestal outlet as you describe?
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Nov 30, 2013
I added a second 20A circuit to the RV which by default plugs into a storage locker plug. When needed for a 30A pedestal I can connect this circuit to a 20A pedestal plug which then gives me 30+20A. Electrically equivalent to running an extension cord through a window but a much cleaner method.

This has proven to be worth the effort at a number of 30A CGs. I normally run ceramic heaters on this circuit but it's there for coffee maker, etc.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Nov 30, 2013
Hi 2112,

I'm glad the trip was a success! Better to have planned and not needed the plans than to have just winged it.
2112
Explorer II
Nov 30, 2013
senior-cit wrote:
In a few of the older parks that haven't upgraded there 30-50 amp towers, the socket is most always wore out and/or loose.
Funny you bring this up. All that planning was mute. The available sites when I arrived were all 30A so in the end it didn't matter. The one I selected has a fairly new receptacle so I felt good about that.

We did survive without indecent. Last night dropped to only 30° so it wasn't a threat. The previous night was freezing for 9 hours and dropped to 28. I am impressed with how well 1200W will heat this camper.
senior-cit
Explorer
Nov 29, 2013
In a few of the older parks that haven't upgraded there 30-50 amp towers, the socket is most always wore out and/or loose. A loose plug will generate heat even when not using the full 30 or 50 amp rating.It sounds like, in my opinion, that you are gambling and you may have the loosing hand. Run the propane furnace. Propane doesn't cost as much as a destroyed by fire RV, or the loss of your lives.
Pogoil
Explorer
Nov 27, 2013
Many of you folks are asking for a fire and a RV. can burn faster than you can get out.

I guarantee some of the configurations listed here are getting warm or hot somewhere. May not be at the plug you are using hot somewhere down the line at your RV breakers or in the wall.
The wise have upgraded their electric, as some RV. electric is at best questionable.

No wonder campground service are often times burnt up, no fault of the campground but some of the users.

Pogoil.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Nov 27, 2013
Hi Paul,

You are almost certainly overloading the 30 amp shore power cord. I'd suggest you increase the size of the conductors to #6 from #10.

paulm999 wrote:
All electic-math aside, real like experience is....I have 1 1500w heater going in the front room of my trailer, one 1500w in the bath, heat coil/fan going on the ceiling A/C, use the microwave, have 2 TVs and 1 laptop on, plus the fridge on, a bunch of misc lights on, and misc chargers for the cell, battery, ect. All on 30a connected to a 50a pedestal.
paulm999
Explorer
Nov 27, 2013
All electic-math aside, real like experience is....I have 1 1500w heater going in the front room of my trailer, one 1500w in the bath, heat coil/fan going on the ceiling A/C, use the microwave, have 2 TVs and 1 laptop on, plus the fridge on, a bunch of misc lights on, and misc chargers for the cell, battery, ect. All on 30a connected to a 50a pedestal.