Roof top ac require 50 amps?

[RetiredSquid]

Yesterday when I picked up my new fifth wheel, I had an orientation and the gentleman giving it was showing me the adapters from 50 amp 2 30 amp to standard household receptacle. He told me that if I didn't have it plugged up to 50 amp that I would burn up my AC unit????

I don't know what to think about that, I use a generator to provide power to my 25 year old Southwind Motorhome and it hasn't seemed to affect the air conditioners on it???

[Veebyes]

It is all about power management & knowing who the power hogs are & not trying to run them together when you have a limited power source.

Yes, I can run my air when all I have available is 20amp but I make sure that circuit breakers for the waterheater, the fridge, the built in electric heaters & the microwave are turned off.

A 30amp power source means everything stays turned on & available but one still needs to be aware of what is on with what. No microwave & coffeemaker on together, especially if the air is on.

[Mile_High]

This helps when at home plugged into a 20A

Farrion 50A - 20A

[jffnkrn]

50 amp rv for me, one 15K a/c and i use the large 50 amp cord hook up at home to a full rv 50 amp receptacle. When i travel, i use a 30 amp male with a 50 amp female to the trailer for an rv park. I can use all my stuff, except obviously the fireplace, or heater is not used when the a.c is use. When boon docking, i have a Honda EU 3000 inverter series generator that is tide into the unit via a generator switch. it runs the a/c, without all the other stuff. we run fridge water heater on gas. If i add an additional a/c of course i will not be able to run but only one with the generator and be limited on other items unless i upgrade the generator. So haveing said all that, the sales person obviously does not know what he is talking about. Good Luck & Be Safe ! ! !

[azrving]

The sales guy deals with a wide variety of people. He probably says use the 50 amp and not the 20 amp because he would have all sorts of goofballs using the 20 amp plug and then go turn on everything in the rig. As soon as breakers started tripping or something started smoking the goofball would be on the phone. In the end, goofball would be saying BUT you said it would work!!!

I have met fantastic sales people and I have also had a few who I was teaching and explaining things like gvwr, amps, charging voltage, roof sealing etc.
The guy who did the pdi may know next to nothing and just been hired or he could be a guy who if given a chance to sit around and chew the fat with may tell you just what many of us know and have done as far as running ac or other things as not intended.

I talked to one sales guy who said the big huge rip in the linoleum of one rig was from someone catching their toe on it. I went easy on him but explained what really happens to linoleum in an RV. He finally told me that he had retired and his wife was tired of him sitting at home while she was still working and got him the job at her sisters RV shop. 🙂 His default would be to parrot what his boss said about not adapting down to run the ac. 🙂

[Mile_High]

Agreed - I don't necessarily expect the salesman to know everything, just more than I do about his own brand. There is nothing wrong with the salesman just saying "I don't know", but that seems to be outside of a salesman's vocabulary.

[Onespeed405]

I would like to comment on the notion of the poor knowledge level of some sales people.

When I bought my 26 foot travel trailer (before my 5th wheel), this was the first & last rig that the salesman had "sold". He quit right after, but to get his commission, he had to return to do my walk through.

He had never owned an RV and had never spent a night in one. He was far from an expert. Be VERY careful listening to the sales force.

They are only there for ONE reason. SELLING !!! Some of them DON'T know squat about RV power.

[RetiredSquid]

Got a open frame 220 for my boondock property, headed up there monday, Michigans Deer Season opens for me Sept 19th (Liberty Hunt) two day hunt. I no longer have to sleep with the mice and snakes that inhabit my old motor home thats parked up there.

[pianotuna]

I would buy an open frame generator that will do 220 for the pump, and an inverter generator for the RV. I'd add a hybrid inverter to the RV to cover the surge from the air conditioner starting so that running the generator on the eco setting is possible.

[Mile_High]

I run 1 AC on 20A at home when loading. Just make sure you're extension cord is designed for 20A to carry the load. I burned up a few yard cords. You won't find one easily for 20A, but 15A or 12/3 is good.

[RetiredSquid]

rjxj wrote:
the guy has to do your pdi he has to keep it basic.

GOOD POINT!

[Dave_H_M]

I do not have a hard start kit on my 13500 ac. I have run it for years when in the drive off as 20 amp circuit plus the reefer on AC.

[azrving]

On the other hand maybe during the short amount of time the guy who has to do your pdi he has to keep it basic. Maybe they default to telling you that so that they dont have people plugging into a 20 amp plug and then go in and turn everything on and start popping breakers and having low voltage issues. Just maybe.

[laknox]

And to muddle things even more... IMO, you can run a 13.5k A/C on a 20A plug PROVIDED you have 1) quality adapters, 2) as short of cords as humanly possible and 3) any extension cords are as heavy gauge as you can find, as well as short. A 15k A/C =might= run on a 50>30>20 gang, but it's iffy, IMO. I might even pull a battery cable so the battery charger isn't working, in that situation. Either that, or put an external battery charger on the batteries that's plugged into a totally separate circuit to take that load off the coach's system.

Lyle

[Onespeed405]

I have a 50amp service on my rig. Only 1 A/C unit.

The reason it is wired for 50amp is to accommodate the optional washer/dryer that I chose not to install.

I only plug in to 30 amp service on the road.

I plug into a 20amp at home. I am okay at home running the A/C as long as I do not go crazy with other high draw appliances.

All is well since 2008.