Community Forums

wa8yxm · 07-13-2015, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dupdyke

Buy a friend who is a good electrician a beer and have him look at wires and see if it will take the loads. A 50 is really two 30s split and each runs part of the buss in the breaker panel in my rig. Careful or you could burn it to the ground with overheated service.

Uh, Wrong..100% wrong So wrong I won't try to correct it.

wa8yxm · 07-13-2015, 01:39 PM

It is possible to upgrade to 50 amps but it is not easy or cheap.. Well.. Easier on trailers

IF you have a trailer you need

A new power center and a new power cord..THAT IS ALL (oh and a 30-50 dogbone adapter for those parks without 50 amp)

But if you have a motor home you will need to re-wire the generator, Replace the Transfer switch (if you have one) or generator outlet (Manual transfer) in addition to the trailer version.

Here is a thought. (Did this)

Identify the power wire that goes up to one of the A/Cs (I choose rear) and at the last possible junction disconnect it

Connect a new 12ga (12/2 with ground or 12/3) to the spot you disconnected from and run to a 15/20 amp outlet located someplace handy (Basement compartment or add-a-side compartment)

In same compartment put one end of a 12 ga line (Same type) with a PLUG,,this runs back to the A/C power lead and is connected to it.

NOTE: I do not like wire nutted stranded wire to solid wire connections.. had two (Which is too many) fail. I soldered 'em the 2nd time.

Recommended option.. put a20amp breaker in the PLUG side of this mix

Old
Stuff-------A/C
New

Stuff-----Outlet/Plug--20 amp breaker---A/C

Now...Plugged into the added outlet You have what you have now, Works as originally designed and delivered.

Pull plug and using a 12 GA extension cord (I like the ones from Sears/K-Mart with the push button on the outlet end) plug into the Park 20 amp outlet...

Works great

Side note..If the extension cord is too long you can lay it out in a long U or Z but do not coil it up

They get real warm when coiled.

SteveLevin · 07-13-2015, 03:33 PM

When we added a 2nd a/c to our 1991 Rockwood we had it wired with its own 20amp cord as well as into the genset. So on generator, we could run both, and if we had access to 50amp (via one of those breakout deals that gives you a 30 am and 20 amp) we could run both, or from a 30 and a 20, etc. It shouldn't be very hard or many hours to get a shop to wire it up for you and it'll be well worth it.

Steve

Okiedoke · 07-13-2015, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salmon Run

We have a 98 Discovery with 30 amp service which runs both ac units on shore or gen power. Maybe have smaller as units, we have never kicked a breaker, even when running the microwave at the same time.

Now that is a fine EMS. I am happy to run both ACs with 30 amp service, but adding a microwave would push it over 35 amps.

Gary RVRoamer · 07-14-2015, 01:39 PM

In most rigs the EMS prevents two a/c compressors from running at the same time, so you get two sets of fans going but alternating compressors. In theory two can run (about 23 amps needed), but the start-up surge of the second compressor usually kicks the amps high enough and long enough to cause a "load shed" and one a/c compressor gets shut down. A few, though, manage to get the second a/c started and when they do, the two run nicely.

Okiedoke · 07-15-2015, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

In most rigs the EMS prevents two a/c compressors from running at the same time, so you get two sets of fans going but alternating compressors. In theory two can run (about 23 amps needed), but the start-up surge of the second compressor usually kicks the amps high enough and long enough to cause a "load shed" and one a/c compressor gets shut down. A few, though, manage to get the second a/c started and when they do, the two run nicely.

Yes, we are one of the lucky few. In fact, when watching the amp readout while starting the 2nd ac you can sometimes see it spike momentarily to more than 30 amps. We have yet to trip a shore pedestal breaker though.

Interestingly, our 5500 watt generator has the 30 and 20 amp circuits, but only the 30 amp circuit current reads on the EMS display when both are providing current. The total amp output rating of the generator is only 46 amps.

dalerussel · 07-16-2015, 06:18 PM

Our 30 amp rig was built with 2 ACs and an EMS that allow them to run simultaneously. When we do that, not much else can run since these high efficiency ACs take up about 25 amps. We also have an Onan 5500 generator that allows the second AC to run on a second, dedicated circuit that does not require current from the main, 30 amp circuit. When tied to shore power, we have two power cords. The second power cord allows us to connect the back AC to a 15/20 amp source (just like the generator) and have both ACs running with the 30 amp connection available on the primary circuit for the front AC and other items. It works well.

dfhensley · 07-20-2015, 11:01 AM

I have converted 2 MH. The first was a Holiday Rambler. It came with the ability to run the second ac only on the generator for some reason. I replaced the 30 amp cord with a 4 wire 8 gauge with a 50 amp plug. I put a small breaker panel where the power cord enters the coach with a main. I attached a manual transfer switch to the cord and the cord from the generator since the generator was already wired to run 120/240 plugs. From there I branched off to the installed panel with a GFI 30 Amp. To the second panel I ran the other leg of the 50 amp on a GFI 30. I installed a outlet out of the second panel to the coffee pot and toaster. This actually gave me dual 30 service.

2. On the Southwind the generator was very different in that it was max 35 amp on 2 different circuits with 2 auto switches. I removed the junction box that connected the land line to the coach. I installed a small breaker panel with main and 4 circuits. I installed a 30 amp GFI in one and connected the coach panel to it. I ran a circuit with a 20 to the second transfer switch. Be sure it is fed from the same leg if the input power as the first because it feeds one of the ac units and main box will feed the other but they are controlled by a common controller. The other side(leg) was then connected to the water heater on a 20 amp circuit. A 20 amp GFI circuit was also run to power the coffee pot, toaster or whatever else my wife came up with. Now we can run the microwave, coffee pot, hot water and acs all at the same time. If you are lucky enough to have the acs on separate controls, wire the second one on leg and you have it made.

HSnyder · 07-31-2015, 05:39 AM

Just did my 2004 Pace Arrow, and I should have done this years ago! Put in a new 50amp box, pulled the old box to this new box with one AC, and took one Ac out of the old 30amp box to its own breaker in the new box. New 50amp transfer switch. EVERYTHING works better! AC units not working near as hard as they did on the old 30amp connection. It was worth the money(&1500.00) and the guys at Rays RV in Banning Ca. did a great professional job. This first year of the new Pace Arrow body style was 30 amp. The next year they came out with 50amp.

mhbell · 07-31-2015, 05:27 PM

I just converted my 2006 Hurricane 30 amp system to a poor mans 50 amp system. I just finished it yesterday. I did it for less than $200 of course I already had a 50 amp power cord from a previous motor home $109 on Ebay so yes you can convert to a partial 50 amp service to run a second air conditioner when hooked to shore power. With all of the parts needed even a power cord it would be less than $300 if you can do the work your self. below is a link to my blog and how I done it with pictures.
Mel

CLICK HERE

tropical36 · 07-31-2015, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lsbees

I have a 92 Bounder with dual air conditioners and a 30 amp plug. I can run one ac at a time when using shore power or both ac units on the generator. Does anyone have any experience or ideas on how I can wire this to a 50 amp plug and run both at the same time? I have considered putting in a separate transfer switch to the one unit and a separate plug however there has to be a better way and some places only have a single plug anyway.

Thanks for any ideas or suggestions.

My advice is to forget the 50amp conversion and just split the rear air circuit with what's called a dual power adapter. This way you can plug into the pedestal on a separate circuit, such as the 20amp usually provided and for the rear ac alone, thus reserve-ring the 30amp circuit for the rest of the coach and pretty much doing it, as your genset does, with it's 30 and 20 amp breakers. Once in awhile, you won't have an extra of some sort, but mostly you will.
I went a step further and installed a 50amp plug on my 30amp cord to stop the burning problems and have used the 30amp outlet with a cord adapter for the rear ac.