Adding 20 amps to my 30 amp coach

[Wanabee FTer]

I received my Dual Power adapter a couple weeks ago and decided I will be installing it tomorrow. I read the instructions tonight and it looks pretty straight forward. It works by adding an extension cord into the generator junction box and tapping into the unused 20 amp a/c line. The DP adapter then can be set to pass through mode (for generator charging) or shore power mode by connecting a 20 amp line to the power pole. Sounds simple enough but I am a bit nervous when it comes to opening and working on the electrical system.
Yes I will be disconnected from shore power and I will hit the battery disconnect, just hope everything goes well.

[RJay]

Don't forget to turn off the inverter if you have one.

[RickO]

Good luck John. Keep us posted and stay on your toes!

Rick

[Wanabee FTer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJay Don't forget to turn off the inverter if you have one.

Thanks RJay,
Adding an inverter will be on one of my future projects. Making an older RV useful reminds me of my younger days of building erector sets.

[Midniteoyl]

Converting the Rig to 50 amp service

[Wanabee FTer]

Converting to 50 amp service looks like way too much work and extra money to me. I will only have a little over $100 invested for this upgrade, and hopefully just a hour or two of my time.

[Midniteoyl]

Just a thought

[ChrisNiemann]

pictures and details please! i need to do something like this! especially using it in cold months, 2 electric heaters and my fresh water pump use up 29 of my 30 amps.... could definately go for another 20 amps anyday!

[TQ60]

It can be assumed that everyone knows better but I will advise again just in case.

Just because there is another cord that can be used to connect to the pedestal it does not mean that it will work.

The additional 20 amp connection needs to be on a seperate breaker, prefered to be on opposite phase as it can be assumed the pedestal will have a 240 VAC feed for the 50 amp connections AND that the neutral (white) wire will be the same size as the 2 mains (red and black).

This is easy to test with a volt meter do not trust "word of mouth" from anyone, test and confirm that the 30 amp main is not the same circuit as the 20 amp, best to measure 120 VAC from the hot side of each connector to ground, and 240 VAC between them.

This will confirm that both can be used as desired and be within code.

With the 2 connections being connected to a L1/L2 240 VAC source it is very important to insure that everything in the MH is wired correctly and that any switches that are in place disconnect completey before connecting to other side, the switch that shitches the AC units are one example, this switch needs to be removed, or an additional switch added to help insure everything is as needed.

If this does not make sense then find a local party that has a good undestanding of home electrical requirements and prefered someone who is licensed or employed in this trade to review your plans and help you do the work.

If you do it wrong and have things in a certian position you could damage your equipment and possibly get hurt, this risk is minimal but real.

Correctly designed and wired (additional cost id only a few dollars) removes almost all risk of injury or damage, only thing that remains if is a switch is not in correct position something is not connected and no damage.

Last point, verify the types of interfaces or connectors you are likely to see at the places where you will be using this configuration.

You can collect a handfull of parts and create your own adaptors for very little money that will allow different connections at different configurations.

One would be a 50 amp RV Male connector that is fanned out to the 30 and 20 amp connectors from your MH. This would allow you to connect to a 50 amp pedestal and have the correct source connections, you could use a long cable and have it fan out inside your MH so all looks factory on the outside, and the connections are inside your utility panel, twist-loc or other connectors could be used depending on what is available where your are connecting.

If you are creating something for use at home while parked then use whatever is available, only requirement here is make sure it is up to code to stay alive.

[Wizard]

Also keep in mind that some campgrounds frown on this set up after you pay them for a 30 amp site.

[wa8yxm]

I have the same setup on my 50 amp rig.. Installation is a tad different.

I "Broke" (disconnected from the breaker box) the line to my bedroom A/C.. Using proper junction boxes and extension cables I ran it to the dual power adapter (home made in my case) location.. I then ran a brand new line from the breaker out to the adapter's location.

Verified everything using meters, and ... When I'm on a 30 amp site, (Depending on the site) I can power my bedroom A/C totaly independent of the rest of the house.

Winter time if I'm using electric heat I installed a "port" (Door) in the bedroom wardrobe slide out area.. This port passes several things. the CAT-5 line for when I need to park the Linksys WGA-54G outside the motor home for internetting (Not to mention power to the WGA) and a heavy duty extension cord for the bedroom electric heater.

Just a thought. If I were doing it today I'd find a better place for the port though.

[Wanabee FTer]

Woohoo!
Just finished and hooked up to complete testing, works great.

wa8yxm, My setup sounds very similar to yours. Now with the added 20 amps I can run both a/c's or I can run one heater on the main 30 amp line and one heater on the 20 amp line.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Just don't be surprised if you trip the breaker that feeds the power pole when you use it. That's not any fault with your installation - just the way the power pole is wired, feeding both the 20A and 30A outlets from the same 30A source. If its wired that way, you can't get more than 30A total with your dual adapter.

I have a similar set-up for my 50A rig.

[Wanabee FTer]

If I stay at a 50 amp site, I can get a Y adapter to tap into 50 the legit way.