Community Forums

JohnITG · 06-28-2011, 09:29 AM

A Newbie here (2000 Itasca 35U)...

The current shore line cable is a 30Amp cable, it has a 50Amp Generator which means it has a 50Amp bus and inverter. The transfer switch is rated at 50Amp's. Is there any reason not to change the shore line to a 50Amp cable? ... Or is there more to this than I think?

Any ideas!

Thanks!

John

preston56 · 06-28-2011, 12:22 PM

there are big differences between the two systems,a 30 apm system is the minium needed to operate the components of the unit,just because the generator is rated at 50 amps,doesnt mean the unit has 50 amp wiring or circuit breakers,it can be changed,but if your shore power line is of the 30 amp type,even if you change the power line it will not change the system from 30 to 50 amps.a 30 amp system has a maxium of 6000 volts,all the power it receives from shore power is designated to certain components,if you overload the system a circuit breaker will activate and shut it down for safety,you switch it back on after it cools and it will stay on,on a 50 amp system you actually have two legs of 110volt power and a maxium of 12000 volts,things wont flip off so much,but rvs manufactures dont use all the available power thats there,it just lets you run more stuff,another thing campsites have all been installed by different installers,maybe good ones,maybe not,so get a volt tester and check where youll be plugging in your shore power,its really a matter of choice,you could ghange it over to 50 amp,but what would it cost,probably not worth it.also many people have been hurt badly and killed when the tried to modify things they didnt understand,plesae be careful

bluepill · 06-28-2011, 12:38 PM

Not quite as simple as it might seem. 50 amp service is actually TWO 50 amp lines for a total of 100 amps. The 30 amp service that you now have is an actual 30 amps total.

It should not be too difficult to upgrade your present line into a non-standard system with only one leg for a total of 50 amps. Hope this makes sense.

You also have the possibly simpler method of running an additional dedicated 20 amp line that you can connect to the 20 amp recipticle at the power pedestal. Because it goes to a GFCI circuit it has to be connected directly to a load (such as air conditioner or microwave) that does not share a neutral connection with the current 30 amp service. It's not rocket science, but you have to know exactly what you are doing. Any wiring fault in an RV is much more dangerious than in a home because there are so many metal parts that can cause electrocution.

BTW, is there a particular situation that makes you want to upgrade? Such as not being able to use the microwave oven at the same time as the A/C is cooling?

ronspradley · 06-29-2011, 03:03 PM

I bought a 50amp extension cord today for my 30amp motorhome. Need to upgrade because want to run both roof air conditioners at once. It is a Texas summer kind of thing........ron

Wizard · 06-29-2011, 03:34 PM

John, I changed my 2000 Journey from 30 amp t0 50 amp service and it was really easy. 50 amp was an option on my rig, yours could be the same.

I don't know how to insert a link to a previous topic but if tou search for "50 amp" you should find a post where I helped RJ Smith with his change over.

Moderator: if you read this, can you post a link for me.

Jerry

Billieg · 06-29-2011, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronspradley

I bought a 50amp extension cord today for my 30amp motorhome. Need to upgrade because want to run both roof air conditioners at once. It is a Texas summer kind of thing........ron

I just put in a separate circuit for my rear air conditioner. See how it's done here:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/30-am...its-94187.html

I connected it to the 3 way switch in the rear with a dual pole switch and a 30 amp extension cord. I then bought a 50 amp splitter with 2 30 amp outlets to hook up my main cord and the new 30 amp air cord. As I sit here writing this both air conditioners are on and I'm all chilled out all for under $100. With the 2 pole switch I can use the house 30 amp as usual or switch it to the extension cord. Took me about 2 hrs work and well worth it.

mrschwarz · 06-29-2011, 07:22 PM

I can be done. If you know wiring and electricity it's not difficult. It is much more involved that switching out the 30 amp cable with the 50 amp cable.

blackf3504dr · 06-30-2011, 05:56 AM

Okay, which is it ? Some of y'all are saying it's not as simple as it seems, and others are saying no big deal.... Or is somewhere in the middle?

Wizard · 06-30-2011, 06:35 AM

Look at this thread 50 AMP, from my previous post.

Billieg · 06-30-2011, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackf3504dr

Okay, which is it ? Some of y'all are saying it's not as simple as it seems, and others are saying no big deal.... Or is somewhere in the middle?

If all you need is to run 2 air conditioners then adding another circuit like I did is simple and a much better way to go than trying to convert your whole coach to 50 amp. 50 amp is 220 volts which takes a larger wire, breakers and added lines. The newer coaches have 50 amp because they have washers/dryers, dishwashers etc. Running those lines and getting it right takes a lot of experience. If you have to ask then you probably can't do it right.

preston56 · 07-01-2011, 10:06 AM

go to rvcruzer electrical tutorial @rvcruzer.com,excellent info source

JBDISCOVERY · 12-06-2011, 05:43 PM

Hello,
I have been reading the posts on this site and have a question. I understand the different between 30amp and 50amp circuits. In my case I will need a new transfer switch and a new circuit breaker panel (a/c and d/c). The question I have is how to handle the power sharing controls that are now part of the 30amp circuit. Are these controls to be killed or will they provide a good service after a 50amp upgrade?
Your comments are appreciated.
JimB.

Billieg · 12-06-2011, 06:32 PM

If all you want is to run both A/C units or have an extra outlet to run a heater then just add another 30amp circuit like I did. (see post above) Converting your whole coach to 50 amp is Insane...

Wizard · 12-06-2011, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBDISCOVERY

Hello,
I have been reading the posts on this site and have a question. I understand the different between 30amp and 50amp circuits. In my case I will need a new transfer switch and a new circuit breaker panel (a/c and d/c). The question I have is how to handle the power sharing controls that are now part of the 30amp circuit. Are these controls to be killed or will they provide a good service after a 50amp upgrade?
Your comments are appreciated.
JimB.

Depends a lot on what type of controls you have. On my Winnebago, I have the Intelletec panel with load sheading capabilities. When I connect my 50 amp cable to a 30 amp shore power, the panel will reconize to 30 amp and shed loads to keep the current under 30 amp. When on 50 amp, I can't use enough power to overload it.