30A panel on large trailer... too small?

[vlopddap]

My father-in-law just purchased a slightly used 26 feet long travel trailer, with as well, a 30A electrical panel. He have a 13.5K roof AC and a electric/DSI water heater, just like most of travel trailer in this size. When he run both the water heater in electric mode and the A/C, the first circuit breaker are triggering after a few minutes... his trailer have a full outside kitchen, but if he run both of the electric toaster outside and the electrical coffee maker inside, the second circuit breaker are also triggering after a few minutes. I am owning myself a 8 feet pop-up camper so this is not the kind of concern I have on it.

I am not that much a RV specialist, however in everyday's life, I am a skilled computer/electronic technician so I surely have a good skill in general electricity and at this point I can't understand why the hell somebody put a 30A service on that size of travel trailer with that kind of equipment. It's a non-sense to me! I don't think his camper have any defect anywhere, I just think it's overloaded from the factory.

If I take the 6 gallon electric water heater, it surely have something like a 1000W+ heating element, which is over 8A continuous. Then apparently it's connected to the same circuit as the AC, which is a 13.5K compressor AC, so obviously it's a lot of power for a single 15A circuit!!! I also suspect that the RV electrical pane itself also drain some power for 12V inverter, battery charger, interior lights, etc. I don't have the exact schematic of the panel. But anyway...

Then, apparently all the 120V outlet are connected together inside and outside the camper (outside kitchen) on a single 15A circuit (the second one). So even if my house, if I connect both of my coffer maker and the toaster on a single 15A outlet, the breaker will trig! This is why my modern house is equipped 4x separated 20A circuit in my kitchen!

So guys, could you please help me understand how you manage power in a middle size trailer with a 30A service? In the best of worlds, that size of trailer should be equipped with 50A service from factory, don't you think?

Thanks for lightning up my lantern 😉

[vlopddap]

SoundGuy wrote:
No different than in your house where most circuits are rated for 15 amp service ... ensure only one high draw device is running on any given 15 amp service.

Yes... but in my house I have a 400A service with 2 or more standalone 15A circuit in EACH ROOM... of in the kitchen where I have 4x 20A circuit for small appliances...

Plus... it's also easy to calculate power requirement when you are dealing with portable/removable devices connected to a 15A wall power outlet... but when you speak of built-in devices such as a recessed fridge, water heater, AC, etc. It's not that much easy to see where they are connected, plus, I don't know exactly how this trailer are wired, do you think that someone drunk puts all the built-in devices on a single circuit? :S

[vlopddap]

SoundGuy wrote:
The next step up from 30 amp service is 50 amp which in fact is 50 amps per leg across 2 legs - BIG difference, 3600 watts vs 12,000 watts. Here in Canada 50 amp service is much less common than in the US, usually only found in private parks and rarely in provincial parks, national parks, conservation areas, etc. In other words, much more limited choices when selecting a site if you insist on 50 amp service and at the end of the day one would often be limited to a maximum 30 amp draw anyway regardless of whether the rig itself is wired with 50 amp service.

Sure... I understand that, but my question is not exactly how to upgrade from 30A to 50A panel (and what are the consequences), but it's to understand how to manage all these equipments with only 30A of power for the entire trailer.

More important; I assume that if the trailer is equipped that way from the factory, it's because all things are supposed to work together? Isn't it?

[SoundGuy]

vlopddap wrote:
OMG, a 1440W restrictive heating element it's 12A continuous!! How could you run that king of power from a 15A circuit with something else running?

No different than in your house where most circuits are rated for 15 amp service ... ensure only one high draw device is running on any given 15 amp service.

[Bumpyroad]

my 25, 30, & 34 ft class As all had 30 amp service. I got along for 20 years with them. don't run so many high draw appliances on the same circuit at the same time.
bumpy

[SoundGuy]

vlopddap wrote:
I am not that much a RV specialist, however in everyday's life, I am a skilled computer/electronic technician so I surely have a good skill in general electricity and at this point I can't understand why the hell somebody put a 30A service on that size of travel trailer with that kind of equipment. It's a non-sense to me! I don't think his camper have any defect anywhere, I just think it's overloaded from the factory.

The next step up from 30 amp service is 50 amp which in fact is 50 amps per leg across 2 legs - BIG difference, 3600 watts vs 12,000 watts. Here in Canada 50 amp service is much less common than in the US, usually only found in private parks and rarely in provincial parks, national parks, conservation areas, etc. In other words, much more limited choices when selecting a site if you insist on 50 amp service and at the end of the day one would often be limited to a maximum 30 amp draw anyway regardless of whether the rig itself is wired with 50 amp service.

[watt100]

It depends how long rv has been sitting the inverter will draw current if disconnect is not turned off.

[vlopddap]

Lynnmor wrote:
You didn't say if it was the main 30 amp breaker or one of the other ones. What is the incoming voltage? You could upgrade to a 50 amp and then forgo a huge number of campsites that have only 30 amp. Your water heater heater has a 1,440 or 1,500 watt element.

No, it's not the main 30A who triggered, it's one of the small one.

OMG, a 1440W restrictive heating element it's 12A continuous!! How could you run that king of power from a 15A circuit with something else running?

[Lynnmor]

You didn't say if it was the main 30 amp breaker or one of the other ones. What is the incoming voltage? You could upgrade to a 50 amp and then forgo a huge number of campsites that have only 30 amp. Your water heater heater has a 1,440 or 1,500 watt element. Your compact fridge is about 1.5 amps.

[vlopddap]

Terryallan wrote:
I'm goona suggest. It is the outside fridge that is kicking your breaker. IF you can. When you setup. Run cord from the 20V on the electric box to the fridg.


and do know. When I turn on the hair dryer. I turn off the AC while I dry my hair.

Good point. His trailer come from factory with a very large 5 cu-ft 120V fridge in the outdoor kitchen. Very impressive exterior kitchen BTW!

Don't remember his exact trailer model, but it's a 25 or 26 feet Forest River Surveyor.

[vlopddap]

Trackrig wrote:
Also, if the batteries are low when you plug in, the charger will draw a good bit of the available amperage.

Bill

For the moment, his trailer is stationary, so I doubt that the battery is low. I just made all the power rating calculations and I just think that the power service is just overloaded from factory... except if other people have some explanation. 😉

[Terryallan]

I'm goona suggest. It is the outside fridge that is kicking your breaker. IF you can. When you setup. Run cord from the 20V on the electric box to the fridg.


and do know. When I turn on the hair dryer. I turn off the AC while I dry my hair.

[Trackrig]

Also, if the batteries are low when you plug in, the charger will draw a good bit of the available amperage.

Bill