KOA-Installing charging stations?

campersam9 · 11-20-2021, 06:11 PM

I just read all KOA campgrounds are putting charging stations in this year. I have never seen a electric car in a campground. Do people pull electric cars behind there motor coach? Many I never noticed any before.

NewBlackDak · 11-20-2021, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by campersam9

I just read all KOA campgrounds are putting charging stations in this year. I have never seen a electric car in a campground. Do people pull electric cars behind there motor coach? Many I never noticed any before.

I haven’t noticed it either, but there has been an explosion of electric cars in our area in the last couple years.

Lake Huron · 11-20-2021, 06:49 PM

What'll be more interesting is these charging stations. Are they gonna be a pay for what you use or is KOA gonna pass on all that expense to ALL campers in their site price increase(s)??
Things that make you go hmmmm.... lol!

**norty1** · 11-20-2021, 07:16 PM

I have not seen one in a KOA but the ones I have seen take credit cards just like the gas pump.

campersam9 · 11-20-2021, 07:18 PM

I don’t know. Koa is not cheap to stay at now but if they charge the campers for the stations we will have to change our campgrounds to be cost effective.

Marine71-76 · 11-20-2021, 08:24 PM

We have seen several MH pulling smart cars. Maybe they are getting ready for the big trucks that will be electric.

LuckyDuck · 11-20-2021, 09:01 PM

Sounds like it is “select” KOAs but all campgrounds will have access to them if they want to install them. They apparently replace the existing pedestal and still provide 30a/50a as well. My guess it is in anticipation of electric trucks like the F-150 as much as for electric toads. https://www.rvtravel.com/koas-progra...grounds-1027b/

NewBlackDak · 11-21-2021, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

Sounds like it is “select” KOAs but all campgrounds will have access to them if they want to install them. They apparently replace the existing pedestal and still provide 30a/50a as well. My guess it is in anticipation of electric trucks like the F-150 as much as for electric toads. https://www.rvtravel.com/koas-progra...grounds-1027b/

Nothing says camping like being stuck in a 50 miles radius and only being able to stay in KOAs.

**norty1** · 11-21-2021, 05:49 AM

Could they be taking advantage of some type incentives from the government like tax breaks?

https://clippercreek.com/evse-rebate...dits-by-state/

https://rvbusiness.com/koa-announces...t-campgrounds/

Lasttruck · 11-21-2021, 08:23 AM

The Escapee Co-op park in Chimacum, WA regularly sees a couple of plug in electrics per month. Level 1 charging is allowable and foreseen is the installation of Level 3 charging in the near future.

The Level 3 charging area would be separate from the RV lot as the underground wiring would not support very many Level 3 stations per circuit.

Lake Huron · 11-21-2021, 08:34 AM

Campground infrastructure can't handle level 3 charging, just like the grid and power generation is taxed to the max now.
IF these ev's take off at a blistering pace like they are starting off now, powerlines will be glowing so bright red you wont need a flashlight to walk around at nite. Lol!

deepsea5 · 11-21-2021, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lake Huron

Campground infrastructure can't handle level 3 charging, just like the grid and power generation is taxed to the max now.
IF these ev's take off at a blistering pace like they are starting off now, powerlines will be glowing so bright red you wont need a flashlight to walk around at nite. Lol!

Lake Huron: you nailed it! I'm an engineer for our local electric utility. Between the new marijuana grow operations, bitcoin "mining" servers, campground power upgrades and many other projects; our utility's electric transmission and distribution grids are seeing large load increases.
I'm currently working on a project for one of the campgrounds in this area. They are doing a major upgrade to the campground. More 50 Amp services and adding EV charging stations. The total cost on just our end of this project is approaching a million dollars. The campground is only served with single phase power. The upgrades will require 3 phase power, which will involve re-conductoring the local electric distribution network, from single phase to 3 phase, all the way back to the distribution substation. Will also involve a transformer upgrade in the substation.
Just to make matters worse, we were just notified that a marijuana growing operation is looking to install a large facility on that same circuit.
Fun factoid with the bitcoin mining servers: some of their electric load is equivalent to a small city; but with steady 24/7 loading vs the cyclic daily load of a small city.
Fun times!

Lake Huron · 11-21-2021, 09:28 AM

Thank you!!
My dad worked as a welder for our power company for nearly 40 years, my uncle the same. My good buddy is a power plant operator for the same company. The things he tells me doesn't surprise me because I've been around it and see what's going on. These same things would absolutely HORRIFY the general public.
Our local state park had a severe brown out a couple years ago. Power company came out and "worked their magic" on the lines so to speak to get things back up and running. However, park rangers went to everyone and asked them to turn off the second A/C units on their trailers to help reduce the load in the park and a couple sections had to "share" power with each other. Fortunately that didnt last long and at the end of the season the state granted some funds to get parts of the park upgraded with 50a power and were able to get the power company out and get more power into the park.
Quick funny story about marijuana grow operstions.
Working in the co.communications industry we had a subdivision lose communication services. We worked out butts off for weeks trying to figure out what was happening. Long and short of it we found a home that had the power meter removed and lock tagged for non payment. That person broke the lock off and installed 2 screwdrivers into the meter socket. He had a grow operation going and had some defective grow bulbs, he never knew it, that were throwing interference back into the power wires in the house and was being sent backward thru the power lines. The power transformer acted as an amplifier and had that interference amplified so much it was being induced into the communications lines and knocked out everyone's service. When I got it isolated to the defective lamps he agreed to remove them and seconds later everyone's service came back.

hammer55 · 11-21-2021, 09:28 AM

unless they are totally off the electrical grid, their still defeating the purpose of electric vehicle, and are they carrying a portable generator incase they get stranded and run out of juice

**norty1** · 11-21-2021, 12:52 PM

Maybe they could declare 4 or more hours of daylight savings time!!

Lake Huron · 11-21-2021, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norty1

Maybe they could declare 4 or more hours of daylight savings time!!

Now, I like that idea. Gives me time to hunting after I get out of work.
Right now, I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. 6pm and I'm out cutting grass in the dark. My neighbors think I'm insane, which really isn't a bad thing, they leave me alone. Lol!

Scott · 11-21-2021, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by campersam9

I just read all KOA campgrounds are putting charging stations in this year. I have never seen a electric car in a campground. Do people pull electric cars behind there motor coach? Many I never noticed any before.

I saw an EV as a toad for a Class A motorhome at KOA St Ignace, MI this summer.

Would also make a lot of sense having these by their camping cabins.

I'm sure there is a demand or they wouldn't be doing it.

**norty1** · 11-21-2021, 07:56 PM

I do remember seeing a class C with a electric toad being charged in a CG in the last 6 months. Not a KOA and there was no charging station. I don't know enough about it to comment but there was a cord going to the pedestal.

campersam9 · 11-21-2021, 09:08 PM

We have never experienced a brown out before. We were in Florida last winter. Our surge protector kicked off. We had a reading low voltage. The people at the campground told us the island experience this all the time. Fort Myers koa told us that’s life on the island. We will never go back.
I was thinking what if 200 electric cars are plugged in after work. I better get a surge protector for my 200 amp service.

billcf7 · 11-22-2021, 10:43 AM

Is there an EV that can be flat towed?
In short, no, you cannot flat tow any electric vehicle (EV) available in the market today. Electric vehicles work differently from their internal combustion counterparts. ... Basically, you can't shift an EV into neutral the same you would do with a gasoline Ford F-150, for example.
https://fourwheeltrends.com/can-you-...electric-cars/

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