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afidel's avatar
afidel
Explorer II
Jul 03, 2020

marginal park power on hot days

Well, our PD EMS started cutting power around 11am today due to undervoltage. I finally got it to stop by turning off the converter and the fridge circuit breakers and turning the AC from high to low. So, if you're in a park with very marginal power try shedding as much load as you can. We'll turn the converter back on tonight to charge up the battery, I'll probably leave the fridge on propane as that barely uses any even if left on all weekend.

30 Replies

  • dockmasterdave wrote:
    We have a Hughes autoformer. If the voltage drops it kicks on and boosts my voltage back up to @120. I might only get 28 amps instead of 30 but my appliances are safe and my whole TT works.


    That's our first line of defense...Even with the Hughes, we were dropping below 106v this afternoon, which implies the pedestal is running about 96v.

    About an hour ago, we switched over to the Yamaha 2400w. Air/Con is doing fine and we are running a steady 118v.

    There are probably 8-10 generators running around camp right now.
  • Afidel- sounds like you found a way to make it work. Low voltage will definitely kill a A/C unit. An RV repair center not to far from me replaces a bunch ever year for that very reason.
  • CA Traveler wrote:
    CGs like houses are usually wired to supply about 40-50% of the pedestals amp rating. Hence every summer low voltage is common with lots of A/Cs running.

    In my experienc 50A pedestals are not likely to have low voltage due to better wiring and 12000W rating vs 3600W for 30A.


    ????

    No, not true that CGs like "houses" are wired to supply 40%-50% of the service rating.

    If it was there would be many more service entrance wiring fires.

    I know myself when I personally rewired my entire house the wiring from the pole transformer IS much heavier than the 4/0 aluminum service entrance wire I used. My house originally had a 60A fuse box, I went with a 200A breaker panel.

    We experienced a few yrs later during summer, low voltage issues, POCO checked the voltage at my box, at my meter and at the pole. They found the problem was BEFORE the pole that the transformer which service my house was on.

    The explanation given was the POCO NEEDED to UPGRADE their high voltage lines feeding my neighborhood. The lines were not sufficient for the additional homes that been added since to lines were put in back in the 1930s.

    As a "temporary fix", they installed voltage boosting transformers about 3 miles from my home in between the local substation. That was 25 yrs ago and they have never upgraded the lines.

    As for campground pedestal posts, combo 50A/30A/20A boxes must be fed with heavy enough wire to be able to sustain 50A.

    30A/20A Pedestal posts must be fed with heavy enough wire to be able to sustain 30A.

    If the campground has a long loop or run then that wire must be able to sustain the total of all the pedestal posts on that run or loop. This often means high voltage pole or underground wiring with distribution transformers spaced as needed.

    What you are really seeing in campgrounds with low voltage is an issue BEFORE the campgrounds wiring, in other words, it is the POCOs lines which are not sufficient for the more modern heavy loads.

    Now, in some cases, you might find the 50A plug in socket a bit less problematic and that means the 30A socket (and perhaps breaker) is worn out and needs to be replaced and that is on the campground management to fix.

    You can connect a 30A RV to a 50A socket provided you use a 50A to 30A dog bone adapter and that is what I do to avoid the worn out 30A sockets. I started doing that after noticing my 30A plug starting to melt..
  • Lynnmor wrote:
    I have a Hughes autoformer for just this reason. It boosts 10% when voltage drops to 113 and provides some surge protection. Much better than an expensive EMS that shuts you down.

    The Hughes is about $150 more, not a huge deal but this solution works just fine for me and the PD did its job and kept the $900 AC from burning up, which is why I bought it =)
  • I have a Hughes autoformer for just this reason. It boosts 10% when voltage drops to 113 and provides some surge protection. Much better than an expensive EMS that shuts you down.
  • time2roll wrote:
    Yes and also set the water heater to propane only.


    Not a problem here, my cheap little trailer only has propane for the water heater =)
  • CGs like houses are usually wired to supply about 40-50% of the pedestals amp rating. Hence every summer low voltage is common with lots of A/Cs running.

    In my experienc 50A pedestals are not likely to have low voltage due to better wiring and 12000W rating vs 3600W for 30A.
  • Low voltage will kill your electrical devices day or night. Don’t assume voltage will be higher at night. You need an autoformer. If that’s too expensive for you Hughes makes a $18 voltage meter. Watch and if below 108 disconnect IMO. You paid for RV park electric...but they are supplying inadequate, damaging power. Ask for a partial refund.
  • We have a Hughes autoformer. If the voltage drops it kicks on and boosts my voltage back up to @120. I might only get 28 amps instead of 30 but my appliances are safe and my whole TT works.