Will my camper run on 20 amp?

[scottraycraft]

ugh
my camper is in my sig

just booked a site at Alcona st park in MI
was told That two campers share ONE power statntion
there is ONE 30 amp service and ONE 20 amp service per station, first come first serve

stupid

chances are 50/50 that I might not get the 30 amp
so, I am assuming 20amp is NOT the same as 120 and that I can get an adapter to go from 30 to 20 so I have power

will the camper electrically function normally with this 30amp to 20amp adapter
will the a/c work??

weird and unusual problem...you would think a lot of travel trailer campers would be mad at this

[Vicr]

You'll be fine on 20 amps, you will however be limited on the number of appliances you'll be able to use simultaneously. And yes you can get an adapter for your 30amp cord.

[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

[Packerbacker_TX]

Originally Posted by scottraycraft

just booked a site at Alcona st park in MI
was told That two campers share ONE power statntion
there is ONE 30 amp service and ONE 20 amp service per station, first come first serve

stupid

chances are 50/50 that I might not get the 30 amp so, I am assuming 20 amp is NOT the same as 120 and that I can get an adapter to go from 30 to 20 so I have power. will the camper electrically function normally with this 30 amp to 20 amp adapter. will the a/c work?? weird and unusual problem...you would think a lot of travel trailer campers would be mad at this

Scott - When we were purchasing our 5th wheel, the default configuration was 30A service with a single AC unit. Since we plan on camping where it's hot, we opted for 50A service and a second AC unit. When we got the unit, we pulled it up to the house and plugged it into a 110V outlet by the garage. It requires a heavy duty extension cord and a dog bone adapter. Once connected, I was able to run the primary AC, lights and radio. The 110V plug ties into the garage electrical panel which uses a 20A circuit.

If your camping spot only offers 20A, you can still plug in and run off that as long as you have the necessary connection to use it. Perhaps the campsite is suggesting their 20A connection is a typical 110V plug. I've seen 50A, 30A and 110 type connections available on the post, so this seems likely.

When it's all said and done, it'll come down to what you plan on using once plugged in. If you have dual AC's and need to run them both simultaneously, you'll need 50A to deal with the power draw. If you only have a single AC then a 20/30A connection should meet your needs. If you have the AC going and decide to blow dry your hair with a 1500W hair dryer, you might trip a circuit. I think you get the idea.

[DocBrown]

I'll suggest you run your fridge off of propane and refrain from running much more than lights when the AC is on. End of August can still get quite hot in the north and that AC may kick in a lot.

And you will need a Dogbone Adaptor made to handle the amperage without melting.

Get there early and get that 30 amp connection!

[Jagiven]

I have seen that before! But not often. You need a plug adaptor. I would also recommend getting one for a 50a to 30a.

The 15 amp adaptor still allows 120V power through it, it just adapts the outlet configuration. I use one at home to keep my TT plugged in.

You will be limited in what you can run at any moment. I would run the water heater on gas. If your frig will let you, run it on gas. Mine has an auto/electric select switch. If I want to force it to gas, I have to go outside remove the access panel and unplug the 120v plug. It still gets 12v control power from the battery.

AC will be questionable. Sometimes the cheap 15-30 amp adaptors can overheat and melt with a heavy power draw for a long period of time. I would keep an eye on the plug and feel it occasionally, and maybe turn off the ac once and while to let the plug cool down. I have run my AC on a 15 amp outlet while at home, but I limit the duration.

[namusmc65]

That is the reason I check out a campground before making a reservation and ask pertinent questions. Would not even reserve a spot there.

[DocBrown]

Originally Posted by namusmc65

That is the reason I check out a campground before making a reservation and ask pertinent questions. Would not even reserve a spot there.

What's bad about this is that one even has to be concerned. I thought they stopped using shared pedestals by the '90s. At least they did in WI.

[Les7h]

I would be concerned about low voltage possibilities- a Progressive EMS would be a very good investment but if another campground is available- I would go elsewhere Les

[us71na]

It sounds to me like your camper normally needs 20 Amp service. You will be fine on a 30 amp connection, but you will need an adapter to connect to your 20 amp cable.

There are many places to obtain an adapter. Every thing in your camper will work fine.

[Grumpy]

As has been mentioned just control what is on at one time. We attended many rallies at Fair Grounds and only had 20 amp service. Fridge on gas, water heater on gas and put the a/c on fan when you want to use the microwave, toaster or brew a pot of coffee.

[RedHorse1]

I was able to run the trailer (X23B) on a 20A plug at the house. Lights, fridge and A/C. The A/C would throw a breaker on a 15A circuit so 20A is marginal. If the CG breaker is “tired” it may not work.

[Midnightmoon]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

As has been mentioned just control what is on at one time. We attended many rallies at Fair Grounds and only had 20 amp service. Fridge on gas, water heater on gas and put the a/c on fan when you want to use the microwave, toaster or brew a pot of coffee.

This^^^^^^. Just to add, on my current trailer we can run both refrigerators on electric while running the AC with the water heater on gas. AC has to go off to run coffee pot, microwave, etc.

[scottraycraft]

exactly...we reserved because our group did
I wont go there again if I cant power my camper properly

[RoyBraddy]

This is something you can check out at home in your driveway... Hook up to your garage using the RV30A to 15A long Adapter and see what can run in your trailer... Got mine from WALMART


google image

We setup in our back yard all the time being plugged into the garage receptacle. Great for cleaning out the trailer and working on issues...

Sometimes just sleeping in the trailer watching a football game haha...

We can turn on just about everything we have in our POPUP trailer but you have to watch what is turned on at the same time... Cannot have the Air Conditioner going and fire up my small 600 watt manual controlled microwave. This will trip the house/garage breaker haha...

This is a great way for us to check new things to us before heading out on the trips...

Roy Ken

[ASTMedic]

Originally Posted by Les7h

I would be concerned about low voltage possibilities- a Progressive EMS would be a very good investment but if another campground is available- I would go elsewhere Les

This is also going to be a concern if the other rig is running on the same pedestal. You may have issues with low voltage and that can also damage your appliances. Might look into an EMS, not cheap but good insurance

[Nitehawk]

If your a/c has a soft start you should be able to run one unit . If the circuit breaker is relatively new should not be a problem . but I have found that if the breaker has been tripped many times before then chances are it will overload easier and need to be reset often

[jkkinder]

Originally Posted by scottraycraft

ugh
my camper is in my sig

just booked a site at Alcona st park in MI
was told That two campers share ONE power statntion
there is ONE 30 amp service and ONE 20 amp service per station, first come first serve

stupid

chances are 50/50 that I might not get the 30 amp
so, I am assuming 20amp is NOT the same as 120 and that I can get an adapter to go from 30 to 20 so I have power

will the camper electrically function normally with this 30amp to 20amp adapter
will the a/c work??

weird and unusual problem...you would think a lot of travel trailer campers would be mad at this

I've been researching this and have been told never to run A/C on 20A service! A/C draws 29A on startup. Along with the great advice you receive on JOF were included photos of burned plugs - the adapter & your RV electrical cord burned & fused together requiring cost to have that replaced plus the hassle of trying to get a maintenance appointment & the work done it's just not worth it to me! I would go elsewhere! Especially with a shared service just seems unreliable!

[22FB]

You'll be fine, probably want be able to run your microwave simultaneously with A/C & water heater. If you want to get technical on specifics, here's some OHM's Law calculations:
total wattage(P) divided by volts(E) = Amps(I)
So if you know your wattage on WtrHtr, A/C, Fridge total divide by 120 = amps
Keep in mind the service breaker probably little weak by an amp or two....
Happy Camping!

[Neo1130]

Originally Posted by us71na

It sounds to me like your camper normally needs 20 Amp service. You will be fine on a 30 amp connection, but you will need an adapter to connect to your 20 amp cable.

There are many places to obtain an adapter. Every thing in your camper will work fine.

That's backwards from what they will need to run 30A on a 20A circuit. What that one does it converts a 30A to a NEMA15... He needs to go the other way around. LOL