Question about the distribution of the electrical load in our 5er.We have a 50 amp service and I have a surge protector that shows the voltage and amperage fir each leg. It seems that every time I look at this as it scans through that leg one is drawing about 3 amps and leg 2 is much higher depending on what is on and whats not on. Yesterday when I first plugged in to the pedestal L 1 was 0A and L2 was 25 A, After a bit L2 dropped a little to 23A. It seems like there isn't much of anything on L1 and L2 is carrying the bulk of the load. Is this typical or is the 5er wired such to cause this bias?Thanks in advance for any insights.

On our TT, about the only thing on the second leg is the second AC and an outlet I installed to run a second space heater.That's OK, it doesn't need to be balanced.

Easy to isolate the load......After plugging in and power is available open each individual branch circuit breaker one at a time as someone watches the AMP Load on each leg (surge guard display)When AMP Load drops on L2 then you know WHICH circuit is pulling all the amps....what is on that circuit?Unless L2 AMP Load drops a little each time a circuit breaker is opened....WHat I find interesting........WHAT do you already have ON when arriving and getting set up at camp site???Converter is only thing that we would Normally have ON and batteries should not be that low

flyfishing48 wrote:Question about the distribution of the electrical load in our 5er.We have a 50 amp service and I have a surge protector that shows the voltage and amperage fir each leg. It seems that every time I look at this as it scans through that leg one is drawing about 3 amps and leg 2 is much higher depending on what is on and whats not on. Yesterday when I first plugged in to the pedestal L 1 was 0A and L2 was 25 A, After a bit L2 dropped a little to 23A. It seems like there isn't much of anything on L1 and L2 is carrying the bulk of the load. Is this typical or is the 5er wired such to cause this bias?Thanks in advance for any insights.Very common and almost exactly how our 5th wheel is wired too. The main air conditioner runs on one leg, so it shows relatively high amps on one leg while the other shows almost nothing.

The Refig is set to auto and it could kick into electric mode as soon as shore power is on. Also the water heater is on so it can draw to.There could also be some drain on the batteries from opening slides and leveling while on battery. ( because surge protector hasn't timed out yet.). So the recharging could add to the load, though I suspect it is the 3 A on L1.

No need for concern as the loads don't have to be balanced. Best not to draw over 40A sustained on one leg.Do you ever check your home for balanced loads? It's the exact same circuit type but with a 100A, 200A, etc capacity. OK I know you're unlikely to unplug your house very often. :BAgree with Biscuit - I turn off all loads when plugging/unplugging except charger. It reduces electrical transients, arcing, etc. Ditto for DC loads.

Electric Load Distribution | Good Sam Community

dougrainer
Nomad
Nov 02, 2019
Old-Biscuit wrote:
flyfishing48 wrote:
The Refig is set to auto and it could kick into electric mode as soon as shore power is on. Also the water heater is on so it can draw to.
There could also be some drain on the batteries from opening slides and leveling while on battery. ( because surge protector hasn't timed out yet.). So the recharging could add to the load, though I suspect it is the 3 A on L1.

Fridge....3.5A
Water heater.....11.5A (but why you would have the electric on before setting up????)
Converter.....could be at full amp rating (45A, 55A etc) if batteries are drawn way down

We always plugged in electric prior to doing any setting up....just n case problem with incoming power
Fridge and minimal converter would be only AC loads when plugging in.

A CONVERTER will NOT draw in excess of 12 amps AC current in full charge mode(A 75 amp Converter may draw up to 17 amps). Same with a LARGE Inverter/Charger. The AMP rating of a Converter is the DC total amp capability. Doug
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Nov 02, 2019
flyfishing48 wrote:
The Refig is set to auto and it could kick into electric mode as soon as shore power is on. Also the water heater is on so it can draw to.
There could also be some drain on the batteries from opening slides and leveling while on battery. ( because surge protector hasn't timed out yet.). So the recharging could add to the load, though I suspect it is the 3 A on L1.

Fridge....3.5A
Water heater.....11.5A (but why you would have the electric on before setting up????)
Converter.....could be at full amp rating (45A, 55A etc) if batteries are drawn way down

We always plugged in electric prior to doing any setting up....just n case problem with incoming power
Fridge and minimal converter would be only AC loads when plugging in.
Chris_Bryant
Explorer II
Nov 02, 2019
I’ve run across them with both air conditioners on the same leg. Brand new trailer, I was installing an lp Onan 7kw. Had to balance the loads to run both a/c’s of the genset.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Nov 02, 2019
No need for concern as the loads don't have to be balanced. Best not to draw over 40A sustained on one leg.

Do you ever check your home for balanced loads? It's the exact same circuit type but with a 100A, 200A, etc capacity. OK I know you're unlikely to unplug your house very often. :B

Agree with Biscuit - I turn off all loads when plugging/unplugging except charger. It reduces electrical transients, arcing, etc. Ditto for DC loads.
flyfishing48
Explorer
Nov 02, 2019
The Refig is set to auto and it could kick into electric mode as soon as shore power is on. Also the water heater is on so it can draw to.
There could also be some drain on the batteries from opening slides and leveling while on battery. ( because surge protector hasn't timed out yet.). So the recharging could add to the load, though I suspect it is the 3 A on L1.
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Nov 02, 2019
flyfishing48 wrote:
Question about the distribution of the electrical load in our 5er.
We have a 50 amp service and I have a surge protector that shows the voltage and amperage fir each leg.
It seems that every time I look at this as it scans through that leg one is drawing about 3 amps and leg 2 is much higher depending on what is on and whats not on.

Yesterday when I first plugged in to the pedestal L 1 was 0A and L2 was 25 A, After a bit L2 dropped a little to 23A. It seems like there isn't much of anything on L1 and L2 is carrying the bulk of the load.

Is this typical or is the 5er wired such to cause this bias?

Thanks in advance for any insights.
Very common and almost exactly how our 5th wheel is wired too. The main air conditioner runs on one leg, so it shows relatively high amps on one leg while the other shows almost nothing.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Nov 02, 2019
Easy to isolate the load......
After plugging in and power is available open each individual branch circuit breaker one at a time as someone watches the AMP Load on each leg (surge guard display)

When AMP Load drops on L2 then you know WHICH circuit is pulling all the amps....what is on that circuit?
Unless L2 AMP Load drops a little each time a circuit breaker is opened....

WHat I find interesting........WHAT do you already have ON when arriving and getting set up at camp site???

Converter is only thing that we would Normally have ON and batteries should not be that low
ScottG
Nomad
Nov 02, 2019
On our TT, about the only thing on the second leg is the second AC and an outlet I installed to run a second space heater.
That's OK, it doesn't need to be balanced.

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