Hi folks I have lived in my 2017 Dutchman Coleman 31.5 ft TT about 6 months now and love it. However, we were 5 degrees warmer than the surface of the sun here in Cedar Creek Texas yesterday and it is only going to get worse. My trailer is 30 amp and thus has only 1 Duo Therm II roof a/c. I need more A/C.If I get a portable A/C I won't have any amps left if I use the trailers normal electrical outlets. Right now I have small portable A/C running on a heavy gauge extension cord I fished in from the pedestal's 110 plug, but it is too small. If I get a bigger portable A/C, say 10,000 BTU, it is going to pull 10 to 12 amps. Is that too much load on the pedestal's 110 plug?Would an alternative be to upgrade the trailer to 50 amp? The pedestal has plugs for 50 amp, 30 amp, and 110.Advice welcome.RonFSomewhere near Bastrop, TX

If the 110 outlet is 20 amp it should be fine.

bamaboy wrote:If I get a bigger portable A/C, say 10,000 BTU, it is going to pull 10 to 12 amps. Is that too much load on the pedestal's 110 plug?I'd check with management. It may be too much for the service as a whole. I take it you're stuck in this hell hole.

if the pedestal that you plug into has a 50 amp receptacle along with the 30, you can do what I did. first find out what is feeding your pedestal. If it is a 100 amp and wired for that, you are good to go. I installed a 100 amp panel in one of my compartments. Then I changed the 100 amp main breaker out to a 50 amp one. I installed a new cable port and bought a 50 amp extension one. I cut the female plug off and used that end to connect to the new panel. Now I have both a 30 amp, 120 volt supply and a 50 amp, 220 volt one. You can connect your new A/C unit to a 20 amp single pole breaker on the new panel and have plenty of extra capacity for a washer and dryer or what ever else you want. You can only do this if you own the power pole and are paying the electric bill like I am.jack L

The problem with those portable A/C units is they exhaust air out. An equal amount of air has to come in to the RV to replace the exhausted air. That incoming air is HOT... so the A/C units are fighting a loosing battle.

Yep the breaker on the 110 is 20 amp, and I will double check with management to be sure. Thanks to both of you. Just what I needed to know.

How to power portable a/c | Good Sam Community

19 Replies

sonora
Explorer II
Jul 02, 2017
If you decide on a portable unit, check out the De'Longhi Pinguino Portable Air Conditioner 12,000 btu unit @ Sam's Club. Only $299. I just bought one for my 350 sqare foot bedroom and it is doing a very good job. My new landlord is a dumb **** and won't let us use a window unit any longer.
nickdarr
Explorer
Jul 02, 2017
Portable units are very inefficient in cooling compared to a window unit. Use a 6000 to 6500 btu window A.C. unit. Plug the holes in the window around it with some Styrofoam board insulation. Heck, put some of that in several other windows as well. Between the TT A.C. and the window unit, it should help. Also, use a couple of fans to move air.
TomG2
Explorer
Jul 02, 2017
My experience with portable air conditioners is that a window unit is much more effective and efficient. On the site where I spend a lot of Summer, I put up a carport which made the original single AC take good care of my cooling needs.

Is that really a hell hole as someone said? I love Texas all year around.
rexlion
Explorer
Jul 02, 2017
Some but not all of the wheeled portable AC units have a 2nd hose to suck fresh air from outside. You MUST get one with both intake hose and exhaust hose, or you are wasting your money. Without an intake hose through the window, the unit will create a vacuum in the trailer that draws outside heat in via cracks as fast as the AC pumps hot exhaust out the hose.

A properly mounted window unit will work fine, too. They make some 12k btu.
bamaboy
Explorer
Jul 02, 2017
Yep the breaker on the 110 is 20 amp, and I will double check with management to be sure. Thanks to both of you. Just what I needed to know.
trail-explorer
Explorer
Jul 02, 2017
The problem with those portable A/C units is they exhaust air out. An equal amount of air has to come in to the RV to replace the exhausted air. That incoming air is HOT... so the A/C units are fighting a loosing battle.
NanciL
Explorer II
Jul 02, 2017
if the pedestal that you plug into has a 50 amp receptacle along with the 30, you can do what I did.
first find out what is feeding your pedestal. If it is a 100 amp and wired for that, you are good to go.
I installed a 100 amp panel in one of my compartments. Then I changed the 100 amp main breaker out to a 50 amp one. I installed a new cable port and bought a 50 amp extension one. I cut the female plug off and used that end to connect to the new panel.
Now I have both a 30 amp, 120 volt supply and a 50 amp, 220 volt one. You can connect your new A/C unit to a 20 amp single pole breaker on the new panel and have plenty of extra capacity for a washer and dryer or what ever else you want.

You can only do this if you own the power pole and are paying the electric bill like I am.

jack L
2oldman
Explorer II
Jul 02, 2017
bamaboy wrote:
If I get a bigger portable A/C, say 10,000 BTU, it is going to pull 10 to 12 amps. Is that too much load on the pedestal's 110 plug?
I'd check with management. It may be too much for the service as a whole. I take it you're stuck in this hell hole.
stickdog
Explorer
Jul 02, 2017
If the 110 outlet is 20 amp it should be fine.

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How to power portable a/c

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