Wire size on 30 amp RV cables
Do the commercial 30 amp RV cables you purchase from Camping World, Walmart, etc use #10 gage wire or larger? I have 2 of these, both 25 feet long and noticed a 10 volt drop when running the heat pump...
Forum Discussion
RoyB wrote:
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When we are using our setup in the cold weather we try to use the 20AMP PEDESTAL service at the camp grounds using a second HD Extension cord running into the trailer to just run our portable electric heaters. This 20AMP service doesn't pull power from the same leg the 30A source is using to feed the trailer.
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Be mindful of 20 amp outlets on 30/20 pedestals - especially in older parks. Unless you know the park in question and how the sites are wired, that 20 amp outlet may not have its own path to the bus bar.
If you're at an older "30 amp only" park, don't be so sure about the 'separate leg' thing. I was on a crew that pulled the 20 amp outlets from pedestals in an older park - because the 20 amp outlet and its 20 amp breaker were daisy-chained off of the 30 amp socket.
Don't get me wrong. There is a convenience factor to having the 20 amp outlet, but when folks started heavily using the 20 amp outlet for supplemental power on pedestals that I described above they were robbing power from their own coaches. It tripped breakers, caused phone calls to the office to complain about the power, etc.
Since no amount of explaining can fix "stupid", the solution was to rip out the 20 amp outlets and install cover plates over the opening for the breaker and the outlet.
