Went camping recently and my new to me camper kept blowing the main 30 amp breaker. I had my ac on high, hot water heater on electric, and 2 small refridgerators running. Is this too many amps for the camper? I moved to another box on another site and used an extension cord and it even melted them together. I would think 30 amps should handle those and if not why build the camper on a 30 amp circuit? I guess I could just run my heater on propane. Would having a dead battery cause this issue also?

You are overloading the 30 amp. Turn water heater to Propane.Verify 120 volt amperage for "small" refers.Normal refers are LP/electric. 120 volt AC should hold with AC running.Next check for loose connections in 120 volt AV power distribution panel. Make sure you check for melted wiring. Look at the neutrals.Measure your voltage. Lower the voltage the higher the amperage.

Your problem was likely the extension cord, try a 10 gauge cord next time. Underrated extension cords create excessive heat and trip breakers.

p.s buy a surge protector ,or some day you could have a major melt down.buddy did not cost him $2k to rewire his rv,

Yes a 30 amp RV will have limits. If running the air conditioner I recommend setting the water heater and fridge to propane only.The two small fridges probably are a small draw but start up surge each time it cycles on can be significant.Don't run your heater and air conditioner at the same time. Probably can't. Furnace runs on 12 volt power and propane. The converter will supply plenty of 12v power when plugged in. Off grid the furnace 12v draw on the battery can be significant.No reason your 12 volt battery should get low when you are plugged in. Some have a storage switch that must be in the "on" or "in-use" position or you will not get power to the battery for charging.Yes the converter can draw significant 120 volt power if charging a low battery. At 1 or 2 hours the battery will generally be charged enough that the converter will be operating at minimal power.The 12 Volt Side of Life

You need to know the voltage before anything else. Get a digital voltmeter that shows the voltage at all times. I use this one: Voltmeter

breaker keeps blowing | Good Sam Community

APT
Explorer
Jul 15, 2020
I was tripping my 30A main breaker one summer as well with similar loads as prior years. I ended up replacing that like afidel did which resolved the problem.
afidel
Explorer II
Jul 14, 2020
pbohart wrote:
Hey. I know this topic has been thoroughly discussed, but your load does not sound too large for a 30amp breaker.

I was having a similar problem with my 30amp breaker popping under reasonable load. I replaced the breaker and it fixed my problem.

I am not an expert, but seems as if the switches get worn and over time will pop under lighter and lighter loads.

FYI.

It'll depend on voltage, over the weekend of the 4th I could only run my AC on my 30A, any other load brought the voltage below the cutoff on my EMS. Had to turn off converter and fridge and couldn't us the microwave during the day. At home with 126V I can run the fridge, converter, and AC on a 15A plug.
enblethen
Nomad
Jul 14, 2020
pbohart: You are correct. The springs in the breakers running hot can loose their tension.
pbohart
Explorer
Jul 14, 2020
Hey. I know this topic has been thoroughly discussed, but your load does not sound too large for a 30amp breaker.

I was having a similar problem with my 30amp breaker popping under reasonable load. I replaced the breaker and it fixed my problem.

I am not an expert, but seems as if the switches get worn and over time will pop under lighter and lighter loads.

FYI.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Jul 07, 2020
BB_TX wrote:
pianotuna wrote:
Hi,........

24 amps continuous is what a 30 amp service can handle.
........

If you check manufacturer circuit breaker trip curves, you will see that circuit breakers are rated to run at full rated load indefinitely. Only after they exceed that current rating do they begin to trip. Slightly exceeding the printed rating they will trip after a few seconds or a few minutes. The more the printed current rating is exceeded, the faster they trip.

It is recommended that the expected design load on a circuit breaker to be less than the max rating. But that does not mean it will trip at less than the max rating.

breaker trip curves

In homes the electrical code is 80% of rated current. That's 12 amps for a 15 amp. But of course, since RV's are "plug in devices" they are exempt.

It is easy, in our power hungry RV's to exceed 30 amps.

Low voltage exacerbates the problem and is endemic in RV parks.

You can fix the problem with technology, or you can suffer in the mid summer heat by turning off the air conditioner, to protect if from damage. Probably best to not use the microwave--but those at least are no longer expensive.
panteramatt
Explorer
Jul 07, 2020
Thanx guys I learned a lot. Seems like my system is working just fine I just overloaded it which i suspected in the first place. If I'm bumping my a.c. I will run my water heater on propane from now on.
BB_TX
Nomad
Jul 07, 2020
pianotuna wrote:
Hi,........

24 amps continuous is what a 30 amp service can handle.
........

If you check manufacturer circuit breaker trip curves, you will see that circuit breakers are rated to run at full rated load indefinitely. Only after they exceed that current rating do they begin to trip. Slightly exceeding the printed rating they will trip after a few seconds or a few minutes. The more the printed current rating is exceeded, the faster they trip.

It is recommended that the expected design load on a circuit breaker to be less than the max rating. But that does not mean it will trip at less than the max rating.

breaker trip curves
pianotuna
Nomad III
Jul 07, 2020
Hi,

As the various items are turned on, voltage may become lower and lower. The air conditioner may draw more and more watts as the day gets hotter. I've measured mine at 1900 watts. (Dometic 13500 btu)

1900/107 =~ 17.76 amps at my comfort zone of 107 volts.

24 amps continuous is what a 30 amp service can handle.

24- 17.76 = 6.24 amps for all other continuous loads. (about 667 watts)

At campgrounds when every one is running their roof air, and other loads, there may be voltage drop. It behooves the owner to monitor voltage. As the voltage drops there is much more risk of melting plugs.

My comfort zone is no lower than 107. I keep in my comfort zone by added an autoformer.
Edd505
Explorer
Jul 07, 2020
panteramatt wrote:
Sjm9911 wrote:
What kind of camper do you have and what does it normally run at? Is it a 50 amp plugged into a 30 amp? My TT will run ac, fridge ( just one), ellectric water heater, and microwave etc just fine. Are the fridges built in or did you add them? You can always run a hevey duty extention cord for extras to your power pedistal. What type of cord did you use?

Its a 32ft COugar TT 30 amp. It has a built in refridge indoor and outdoor. The extension cord I used was very heavy duty.

The longer you go the heaver you need, here is a standard 30Amp RV extension.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CAMCO-PowerGrip-25-ft-10-3-3-Prong-Indoor-Outdoor-STW-Super-Heavy-Duty-General-Extension-Cord/3455554
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2020
Read about RV electric...the basics.