50amp on RV, how to plug in at home?

[nole_trainer]

I have a 50amp Wildcat, just pulled into driveway for first time. Was going to sleep in tonight with boys, but the AC keeps breaking the house breaker. I have the 50amp plugged into 3 prong dog bone, do I need to step it down to a 30amp dog bone first, then plug the 30amp into the 3 prong house plug dog bone?

I realize I can only run one AC (have two), but just have some lights and tv on and the circuit pops?

I will not store at house, so this is just a every-know and then kind of thing. Not sure I can justify installing a 50amp service?

[nole_trainer]

Golden_HVAC wrote:
Hi,

The breaker is tripping at home. You are resetting it. Does the number on it say 15 or 20? I know I am getting pretty simple here, but you are asking for help, and not giving to much information.

What else in your home is off when the circuit breaker that you plugged the RV into is off? Does it shut off some lights, or all the bedroom circuits and the desktop computer, and other stuff with 5-8 amps running on it? That combined with it being a 15 amp circuit breaker, you only need the RV to use 7 amps to trip it.

If you can plug the RV into where the washing machine is plugged in, then it should be on it's very own 20 amp circuit breaker (NEC Code).

If your laundry room is really close to the driveway, and your dryer is electric, then it you could plug the RV into the 4 wire dryer receptacle. You would need to buy a 4 wire dryer cord (it will be 4 feet long) and a 50 amp flush mount stove range receptacle. It will look just like your RV cord end, and wire them together, you will have up to 30 amps 120/240 just like when plugged into a 50 amp service, except only 7,000 watts available, still you can run both A/C's with that adapter.

Fred.

No, I appreciate any/all help. I believe all my plugs in my garage are 15amp, so that sounds like the prob?


I'm done for the night, going to sweat it out with the boys!

If I have an electrician come out and add a plug, what do I need them to install? Do I just show him the sticker on the RV?

[Golden_HVAC]

Another thing.

If your RV battery is pretty low, then plug in the RV charger at least to recharge the battery before your trip, so that you will have power once you get there. It might be the battery charger using 5 amps and tripping the already loaded house circuit breaker.

Some new code requires that ark interrupting circuit breakers are used. These might trip due to the RV being plugged in. it is sort of like a GFI circuit breaker, however it detects arks, such as when a extension cord is sparking, and trips instantly, even at less than the amperage rating on the circuit breaker.

Fred.

[DutchmenSport]

garysol wrote:
I am still waiting for summer to get here. I NEED to move back south. This is nuts

We're having the same weather here in Central Indiana. It makes for absolutely GREAT sleeping in the camper! We've been driveway camping every night for weeks now (when not on the road), and the last couple nights we turned on our electric blanket. OH! That was so cozy! Wonderful sleeping weather ... awful if you have a swimming pool, but wonderful camping and sleeping weather!

[Golden_HVAC]

Hi,

The breaker is tripping at home. You are resetting it. Does the number on it say 15 or 20? I know I am getting pretty simple here, but you are asking for help, and not giving to much information.

What else in your home is off when the circuit breaker that you plugged the RV into is off? Does it shut off some lights, or all the bedroom circuits and the desktop computer, and other stuff with 5-8 amps running on it? That combined with it being a 15 amp circuit breaker, you only need the RV to use 7 amps to trip it.

If you can plug the RV into where the washing machine is plugged in, then it should be on it's very own 20 amp circuit breaker (NEC Code).

If your laundry room is really close to the driveway, and your dryer is electric, then it you could plug the RV into the 4 wire dryer receptacle. You would need to buy a 4 wire dryer cord (it will be 4 feet long) and a 50 amp flush mount stove range receptacle. It will look just like your RV cord end, and wire them together, you will have up to 30 amps 120/240 just like when plugged into a 50 amp service, except only 7,000 watts available, still you can run both A/C's with that adapter.

Fred.

[DutchmenSport]

You may get a little more "zing" from your 20 amp home plug if you make sure everything inside the house is turned off that's attached to that circuit breaker ... all clock radios, night lights, appliances, lights... everything. Unplug it all. Although some electronics, like DVD players and Satellite receivers may appear to be turned off, they are really not truly "off" unless they are unplugged. Although the electric draw may be tiny, if you add up all those "tiny's" they can account for a few amps. That is included with everything on the one circuit breaker you are attempting to run your camper on. Unplug everything on that circuit inside the house (and outside), and see if that helps.

[ReneeG]

We had a 30amp outlet installed so that we could plug our TT's in. Then we bought a 50amp fifth wheel, but with the 30amp connector and an RV specific heavy duty extension cord, no problem. You may want to do the same - have an electrician add one for you. We checked on the cost of replacing the 30am with a 50, but he would have to punch in a new line and because of that it would be close to $2k. We'll wait.

[garysol]

I am still waiting for summer to get here. I NEED to move back south. This is nuts

[nole_trainer]

garysol wrote:
Keep in mind that many of the inside lights may be running off of 12v not 120 so don't go by that. Thats why I asked about the TV. If all else fails come on up here to Ohio. Mid 50's tonight.

I just left there! Wife was FREEZING, we were in Lakeview picking unit up. Very nice State Park, it was 60 something in the morning!

[garysol]

nole_trainer wrote:

garysol wrote:
is this what your 50a to 3 prong plug looks like?

Yes, pretty close

I would say your doing it right.....

[iawoody2]

It really makes no difference what you use to plug in the outlet. The outlet is what it is you can't change the amps coming out.

[garysol]

Keep in mind that many of the inside lights may be running off of 12v not 120 so don't go by that. Thats why I asked about the TV. If all else fails come on up here to Ohio. Mid 50's tonight.

[nole_trainer]

garysol wrote:
is this what your 50a to 3 prong plug looks like?

Yes, pretty close

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HRHWHNW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[nole_trainer]

garysol wrote:
If you have a 50amp to 3 prong adapter that should be all that you need to plug into your 20a home electrical. If your extension cord is this or very long that could be causing issues. With the A/C off can you run your TV? Since you have 2 A/C units I assume one may be a smaller unit. Have you tried to fire up the small one only?

AC off, everything runs fine. I think garage circuit I'm on is not 20amp, that is probably the prob. Thanks! To top this off, my home AC is not working when we got to the house, so I thought "No problem, will sleep in RV with the boys". ugghh!

[garysol]

is this what your 50a to 3 prong plug looks like?

[garysol]

If you have a 50amp to 3 prong adapter that should be all that you need to plug into your 20a home electrical. If your extension cord is this or very long that could be causing issues. With the A/C off can you run your TV? Since you have 2 A/C units I assume one may be a smaller unit. Have you tried to fire up the small one only?