Will my camper run on 20 amp?

[Camping Grandpa]

Lots of good advice here....Dogbone is a must. Can't believe they're still using shared power post though. I invested in a surge protector a few years back and won't hook up anywhere without it. Saved my bacon once when a power pole at a campground malfunctioned. A few hundred $$ for the protector is money well spent.

[RoyBraddy]

I would try this out at your house first. Let you see for your self how it all works on 20AMPs... Of course your house may have only 15AMPS available...

The Air Conditioner should work ok with the 15AMP Service but that would most definitely be a problem if anything else is plugged in...

My garage has the 20AMPs service for the standard house type 120VAC receptacle. This receptacle used to have an air compressor plugged into it...

I plug my RV unit into it all time using one of those adapters along with a 50-foot extension cord as well sometimes when I am parked in the back yard and not the driveway... If you have too many items on it may trip the pedestal breaker...

Too bad the site pedestal didn't have 50A-30A-20A service like most of the other camp grounds have. You could use a different adapter tp plug your 30A Trailer in the 50A service side. The other guy would then just plug his trailer into the 30A service connector... Sounds like however your statement they only had a 30A and 20A service connectors was pretty firm information.

Most camp ground have a typical pedestal that looks something like this for the RV's to use. Each of the three different service connections are on a separate circuit breaker...


Google image

OOPS I didn't realize this was an older post. I have already answered the post haha... Said the same thing too... Oh well...

Roy Ken

[Jack N Janet]

Disclaimer - we have a 2018 Hummingbird 17 FD. The owners manual gives the below as approx load ratings:
A/C 18 amps, Coffee Maker 6-12, Converter 8, DVD 3, Hair Dryer 10-14, Microwave 12, Refrigerator 6, TV 2-4, Elec Water heater 12, Fan 1.5, Furnace 12, LP Detector .125, Lights 1.4 to 2.5, Power Awning 10, Power Vent 5, Small Fridge 3, Water Pump 7.

"If" your AC draws 18 amps and you are on a 20 amp circuit you only have room for a couple of interior lights. Extending your awning, for example, wouldn't work real well with the A/C on.

Hope this helps. Just be mindfull of what you have on at the same time. Hope you get there early and get the 30amp

[Jack N Janet]

Just a FYI, I had an electrician install a 30 amp circuit from my main panel in the garage to an outside wall of the garage. The cost for labor and material was less than $200. I park my trailer next to the garage and have all the comforts inside that I would if i were plugged in at a campground and i don't have to worry about fire or overloading the house circuits.

[anchorman]

You will have to manage your power carefully. I can run 1 AC on 20 but little else at the same time. I lock the fridge on propane and try not to use anything else unless I shut off the AC. Beware of high draw items like coffee pots, hail dryers , toasters, etc.

[rhouthoofd]

Alcona has a modern campground on the other side of the lake and it is full hookup and individual site 30/50 amps.

[wags999]

Bottom line your 30 amp service will provide up to 3600 watts of power at 120 volts. The 20 amp receptacle will offer 2400 watts of power at 120 volts (less voltage higher amp draw). As I sit here in 9 degree Texas, my 15,000 BTU AC is pulling 13 amps. Frig on electric and hot water on propane lights computer etc all working fine. If you watch other items you will be ok. Turn AC off if operating MW, Hair Dryer, coffee pot etc..


Enjoy your friends, spend your time outside rather than in AC anyways !!


Happy Camping.

[buzb]

You've had a lot of great advice here. We park our 29.5 BHOK at the house the night before camping and the 20 amp on the side of the house would pop about every other time the ac kicked on. I noticed that the extension cord that i was using was warm. Per advice from the forum I bought a 10/3 extension cord(heavier gauge wire) and kept the length under 50 ft. I haven't had it pop once since.
cord:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
camco dogbone:
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Dogbone...84&s=hi&sr=1-3

[norty1]

buzb: What you have done may make it acceptance and usable. If I were using that location on a regular basis, it would be almost be as cost effective to just install a 30a rv outlet and upgrade the wiring from a spare breaker.
I had 2 spare slots in my panel and ran 10ga. circuits, one to my rv pole shed and another on the side of my house to plug the camper in when we back it up there for ease of packing.

Neither are used at the same time but they could be.

[Boze]

Check the history of weather there for last week of August. It’s jacket weather. You’re more likely to use furnace than a/c. And you can always open windows in the am for cooling. I would leave the a/c off and enjoy nature. Have fun. Wish I was there now.

[RKHengst]

Originally Posted by scottraycraft

so a/c and fridge are probably it lol
we r going up Wednesday end of august we might get lucky and get the 30 amp

I don’t believe that you will be able to use A/C with 20amp service, even with the fridge and water heater on gas. Seems to me a shared electrical system may also have power delivery issues, and low or variable voltage could be an issue.

[Vicr]

Originally Posted by RKHengst

I don’t believe that you will be able to use A/C with 20amp service, even with the fridge and water heater on gas. Seems to me a shared electrical system may also have power delivery issues, and low or variable voltage could be an issue.

Max FLA of the AC is 13 amps, so yes it will work just fine on a 20a circuit.

[norty1]

Just be aware that you will get real good at power management of current drawing appliances, or you will be spending a lot of time resetting breakers.

[Scott_Trailer_Newbe]

I stored my trailer next to my house, and all that was available was a 20A circuit. Long term on 20A you will want to get a 10 gauge cord, nothing smaller or the plug with eventually overheat.

I ended up pulling a dedicated 30A, much better.