30 amp to 50 amp conversion

[87bob]

Hi all we have a 2014 Zinger Crossroads and we would like to up grade to 50 amp service. Have you done this up grade? We are tired of the breaker tripping every time the AC is on and we want to use a hair dryer, microwave, ice maker, ect. ect..

[CharlesinGA]

Given that many RV parks do not have 50 amp at all and some have it only at preferred sites that accommodate big rigs (extra $$$) you probably would be better off learning how to manage your power consumption.

A 1500 watt hair dryer or heater or anything else that has that kind of wattage will draw about 12-13 amps. The A/C unit also draws about 12 to 15 amps.

It all depends on how much you value convenience vs $$$ to do the work.

Charles

[CA_Traveler]

mbopp wrote:
You can add a 115v 20a inlet to the trailer just for the AC.

I added a 2 outlet circuit for space heaters that plugs into a rarely used 20A RV circuit or with an extension cord for 30A pedestals.

[mbopp]

You can add a 115v 20a inlet to the trailer just for the AC.

[DownTheAvenue]

I did the 30 amp to 50 amp conversion. You do have the expense of a 50 amp supply cord and detachable plug at the trailer as well as a new circuit box in the trailer. I installed a new circuit breaker box and kept the existing one as a sub panel. I moved the high load circuits (A/C, water heater, microwave, and electric heater) to the new panel, and left the other loads on the old panel that is now sub panel. Great and easy upgrade.

[CavemanCharlie]

Using power management would be a lot easier and cheaper then trying to replace things.

Just don't run everything at once.

[Boomerweps]

Air, motors and heating elements all eat a lot of power. When using my microwave, I turn off the small electric heater or air conditioner during that time.
I also added a stand-alone duplex outlet near the dinette fed from a 20 amp inlet I added to the outside wall for those various plug in items, coffee maker, toaster, etc.. I just run an extra supply line from the pedestal. If using an electric griddle or similar load outside on my cooking table, I shift that cable to there.

[time2roll]

Always set your water heater and fridge to propane only if you are using the air conditioner.
Generally this will allow you to use one additional high draw item at a time while the air is running.
Try running the hair dryer on medium or lower heat. Much faster when the power stays on. Lower heat is better for the hair anyway.

[valhalla360]

bukhrn wrote:
When we have electric hookup, I run ac, microwave, TV, water heater, and others, sometimes all at the same time on my 30amp, and rarely trip a breaker, in that rare case, it's usually an individual breaker, not a main.
You may be looking at doing something unnecessary.

If you are running the air/con, microwave, tv & water heater simultaneously and the 30amp breaker isn't tripping...something is seriously wrong and you need it to be checked out. That should be up around 35-40amps of continuous draw and should trip the breaker. You might get away with the air/con and one of those items (say air/con and microwave) but certainly not all of that. Normal solution is to switch the water heater to gas and turn off the air/con for a few minutes to run the microwave.

If you upgrade to 50amp service, even if you leave it all on 1 leg, it should be OK but really if you are doing that, I would split out the big loads onto separate legs as there would be no cost or complication in doing so and it keeps both legs at a relatively low percentage of max output.

Someone else mentioned that it is 50amp 120/240v, which is true but that means you have that coming into the panel. Leaving the panel, it's two legs of 50amp 120v. It is almost unheard of for even large rigs to have 240v appliances and obviously a 30amp 120v rig won't have any 240v appliances.

Of course, this all presumes, you are plugging into a 50amp pedestal. If you are plugging into a 30amp pedestal, a new panel won't do much of anything for you.

[wapiticountry]

naturist wrote:
If the breaker that trips is the one at the pedestal, the problem is not on your rig, and the expense of converting all that stuff will be unnecessary.

If the pedestal breaker trips, it is probably because it is worn out and needs to be replaced. Every time a breaker trips, it gets a wee bit weaker. Eventually it will trip at the drop of a hat. If this is the case, besides breaker replacement, a cheap fix is a 50 amp to 30 amp pigtail that’s will enable you to plug in your existing 30 amp cord to the 50 amp circuit.

Your AC draws about 15 amps. If you run a hair drier (5 amps) and a coffee maker (5 more amps) and the microwave (another 7amps) along with every light in the house, it it true you can exceed the 30 amp capacity of your electrical system. In which case, you might find that trading up to a rig already wired for 50 amps is cheaper than rewiring your current one.

A hair drier will draw much more than 5 amps. Usually around 12 (most are 1500 watt). Anything that creates heat is a big amperage draw. Another killer is a vacuum cleaner. Power management is key in these type of situations and many people forget things like the hot water heater (another heat source, hence big power user) and the battery charger/converter are drawing amps without anyone noticing they are on.
If he is tripping the breaker on the pedestal repeatedly, using an adapter to plug into the 50 amp receptacle is likely to be a very marginal improvement, at best. He will just stop tripping the breaker at the pedestal and start tripping the main breaker in the rig instead. Both will be rated at 30 amps and the variance between the two will likely only be an amp or two.

[GDS-3950BH]

bukhrn wrote:
When we have electric hookup, I run ac, microwave, TV, water heater, and others, sometimes all at the same time on my 30amp, and rarely trip a breaker, in that rare case, it's usually an individual breaker, not a main.
You may be looking at doing something unnecessary.

A super breaker installed?

AC is 11-14 amps, a lot more for a split second at start.

Microwave - 10 amps
TV-1
Water heater with element on- 10
Converter- 6

Thats 37amps at a minimum?

[87bob]

I would like to thank all of you for your great suggestions. Here are some answers to questions. On this trip it is the pedestal breaker that is flipping. However the trailer breaker has thrown before. as a short term fix I will try the 50 amp adapter cord, I have one and never thought to use it. A replacement panel is not to pricey about 165.00 but more than cost is I don’t want to cut up the wall where it is mounted.. That would be a possible winter project. I have found if your nice you can ask the experts or those who have the experience and work your way through about any problem. Thanks again all!

[midnightsadie]

first thing ,I,change your breaker ,they do go bad after some trips they weak,en easy try, and takes about ten minutes , take your old breaker to lowes and match.

[bukhrn]

When we have electric hookup, I run ac, microwave, TV, water heater, and others, sometimes all at the same time on my 30amp, and rarely trip a breaker, in that rare case, it's usually an individual breaker, not a main.
You may be looking at doing something unnecessary.

[CA_Traveler]

No need to change the existing panel. Install a new 50A panel with a 30A CB to the existing panel which becomes a subpanel. Move larger load existing circuits to the new panel as needed.

If the RV has a built in gen then additional changes may be needed.