Dry Camping with 110ac with 100ft extension cord?

[Larry Geese]

2005 Windsor. How can I plug in a 110ac extension cord into my 50amp service connector? I don't think it is possible. If possible...what could I run with the 100ft extension cord?? What damage could it do? Would it even be enough to pass the relay box, the one that switches to 50amp shore power to generator. Have friend that won't give up on the idea I can run on 118vac.
I think this is real BAD idea. He won't give up wanting be to park at his place and use an extension cord. Rv parks in the So Cal area run from $24.50 to $31.oo a day. It's hot now and need AC's running. If I use a gallon of diesel and hour and run my generator 8 hours a day @4.15 per gal per hour = $33.20 per day. I would have no sewer, no TV. I would have water through a garden hose.
I just can't see how this works financially.
I need your help to convince this friend that his kind offer just won't work.
Please help me. I am now in The Golden Palms RV Resort on Pass Port 50% for $31.15 per daly. 2005 Windsor coach
Larry

[Gocoffeer]

Larry... They make WELDING extension cords that are sized to handle 50AMP loads at 110V and you can have 50 amp ends placed on them. I made a 30AMP extension cord in 75ft for myself using #10 extension cord wire. It was available at the welding supply in a UV resistant type cable.

[Skip426]

You would not be able to run 1 a/c on a 100' extension cord from a standard household 15amp circuit. Too much power drop over the length of the cord.
I have a 100' contractor grade extension cord, out to my coach on a 20 amp circuit from my garage , but only for battery charging and fridge cool down, prior to departure.

[menoble]

Originally Posted by Larry Geese

2005 Windsor. How can I plug in a 110ac extension cord into my 50amp service connector? I don't think it is possible. If possible...what could I run with the 100ft extension cord?? What damage could it do? Would it even be enough to pass the relay box, the one that switches to 50amp shore power to generator. Have friend that won't give up on the idea I can run on 118vac.
I think this is real BAD idea. He won't give up wanting be to park at his place and use an extension cord. Rv parks in the So Cal area run from $24.50 to $31.oo a day. It's hot now and need AC's running. If I use a gallon of diesel and hour and run my generator 8 hours a day @4.15 per gal per hour = $33.20 per day. I would have no sewer, no TV. I would have water through a garden hose.
I just can't see how this works financially.
I need your help to convince this friend that his kind offer just won't work.
Please help me. I am now in The Golden Palms RV Resort on Pass Port 50% for $31.15 per daly. 2005 Windsor coach
Larry

Sure, you can adapt your 50A down to a 30A and the 30A down to 15A and get 110V to you rig through a 100' cord, until you try to run something. Think of it as trying to fill a swimming pool with a garden hose, yes it might work, but the hose (cord) isn't big enough to carry the volume necessary (amps) and the friction of the hose (resistance) causes a big drop in the pressure (volts) at the end of the hose.

[Gocoffeer]

Larry: I just looked at a wiring calculator... a #6 100ft extension cord....would be most ideal for carrying that load. A #8 100ft extension cord has a bit too much drop in voltage but will easily handle 30 amp load. So if you are not cooking the current and trying to pull a full load on that 50 amp circuit.....you can run an AC unit ...the frig....the TV and lighting on an extension cord that you can have made up for you.

[Larry Geese]

Originally Posted by menoble

Sure, you can adapt your 50A down to a 30A and the 30A down to 15A and get 110V to you rig through a 100' cord, until you try to run something. Think of it as trying to fill a swimming pool with a garden hose, yes it might work, but the hose (cord) isn't big enough to carry the volume necessary (amps) and the friction of the hose (resistance) causes a big drop in the pressure (volts) at the end of the hose.

GUYS...Thanks for your input. I am mechanical but a real dufus when when I comes to electrical circuits. I think the coach is wired for 50amp service to keep all the electrical circuit, computer controlled programs and other devices that must have 50amp power. One thing I don't want to damage any device due to a low voltage issue I don't know about. Seems every time I wanted to run and AC, microwave, TV, washer dryer this setup with 110ac would be torture to start with an possible damage. How this would pencil out to a savings over and RV park with 50amp power I just can't see the advantage. If I went to a welders supply and bought a 100ft cable to run 110av..seems the cost of the cable would not be a cost saver to this whole idea.
Thanks Guys...I'm still listening.
Larry

[Dutch Star Don]

Larry Geese......What your friend wants you to do won't work, unless he has a suitable outlet and about a $300.00 extension cord. He's right that an extension cord, even a 15 amp would work, but at that length of run, it would only power your refer or maybe charge your batteries.

Just so you know, you can adapt your 50 amp system all the way down to 15 amps. It's no different than a park that only has 30 amps and you put an adapter on your 50 amp plug. You can put the 30 amp adapter on and then add another adapter down to a 3 prong plug onto that.

My coach is parked at my house. I have a 20 amp circuit wired to a box by the coach. I always keep mine plugged in with just a 3 prong standard plug. It keeps my batteries charged and can run my A/C because there is not a lot of length involved. In your friend's situation, the length of the cord is what's killing the idea and you would be limited to running to running a few minor things.

Has he ever seen your coach, sometimes they are picturing 1960 travel trailers, not a small house on wheels. Send him a photo!

[Larry Geese]

Originally Posted by menoble

Sure, you can adapt your 50A down to a 30A and the 30A down to 15A and get 110V to you rig through a 100' cord, until you try to run something. Think of it as trying to fill a swimming pool with a garden hose, yes it might work, but the hose (cord) isn't big enough to carry the volume necessary (amps) and the friction of the hose (resistance) causes a big drop in the pressure (volts) at the end of the hose.

Wonder what a so called "Brown Out" would damage on this loss of full 50amp power to all devices and computer controllers and CPU's.
If the 110ac was a common requirement for motor homes park in storage, seems maybe a 110 plug in would be available on most coaches for storage and dry camping...just wondering???

[Larry Geese]

Don and Mary..thanks for your reply. My friend had an Ambassador and every trip was a night mare, either engine, plumbing or electrical. He sold it because of this...I think he probably was his own worst enemy. He sold the Ambassador and will never buy another motor home. My friend means well I know...but is never short on telling others what needs to done, even if he has not a clue...we all know folks like that...don't we. Still gotta love em.
Larry

[mel s]

Originally Posted by Skip426

You would not be able to run 1 a/c on a 100' extension cord from a standard household 15amp circuit. Too much power drop over the length of the cord.
I have a 100' contractor grade extension cord, out to my coach on a 20 amp circuit from my garage , but only for battery charging and fridge cool down, prior to departure.

I have often run one air, the inverter/charger, one/two 120V lights as well as my DirecTV receiver and a 19" LED, on the 120VAC using a 50', (not 100'), 12 ga Harbor Freight cord plugged into a 20A, (not 15A), garage receptacle....(with no problems)!

With all that running the voltage does drop from 120V down to 110V.

BTW, for 12 years, I've stored my coach, connected 24/7, for months at a time, (with only the inverter/charger operating), while connected to the same cord/receptacle.

Mel
'96 Safari

[Larry Geese]

Originally Posted by mel stuplich

I have often run one air, the inverter/charger, one/two 120V lights as well as my DirecTV receiver and a 19" LED, on the 120VAC using a 50', (not 100'), 12 ga Harbor Freight cord plugged into a 20A, (not 15A), garage receptacle....(with no problems)!

With all that running the voltage does drop from 120V down to 110V.

BTW, for 12 years, I've stored my coach, connected 24/7, for months at a time, (with only the inverter/charger operating), while connected to the same cord/receptacle.

Mel
'96 Safari

Mel thanks for your input. I just think tooooo much about it. Did you install adapters from 50amp to 30amp to 110 volt ac adapter to get all the above to run. I would have set a training class for the folks living with me so they would understand the limits and NOT blow the breakers. Our coach is a 2005 a little newer than yours..wonder what has changed. I'm more concerned about permanent damage than the inconvenience. We usually have a desktop computer running also at the same time as other things. Oh yeh. Aqua Hot on electric to save diesel fuel.
Larry

[Gocoffeer]

Larry: I can easily answer the BROWN OUT concern.... I over drew my 15amp adapter and melted it...trying to run an AC unit off a 12 gauge regular extension cord. Now I have a dedicated 30AMP receptacle at the exterior house and run a big phat cord as described with a 30amp female / male ends on my cord. This works fine to run up the entire MH.

[BFlinn181]

I get the feeling you need some info on electricity. 50 amps is the MAXIMUM your coach can draw from an outlet. That would be 2 'legs' of 50 amps at 120 volts. Since W= V X A, that means you can use 12,000 watts = 2 ( 120 X 50) If you hooked up to 30 amp service with an adaptor, you would have available 3,600 watts = 120 X 30. If you used an adaptor down to 15 amps, you would be able to draw 1,800 watts = 120 X 15. Quite a big difference from 12,000 to 1,800 watts. Remember this is all before you add the resistance of 100' of extension cord. Keep that in mind as you decide where to park.

[JohnBoyToo]

Agree with what most have said....
having a father in law that wired nuclear reactors back in the day - you HAVE to learn something by osmosis at least

Just on the face of it - it's a concern to get too small a gauge wire too long ---
I've seen cords get HOT and melt - so a fire is not out of the question...
those little electrons are like water going thru a tube - it likes room of a large channel (wire) that allows easy flow, squeeze those electrons (or water) into a smaller channel and what happens ?!? It speeds up the flow drastically and speed of flow makes for more power in water and amps in those lil electrons and heat...

then there's the cost of the cord - the adapters - etc... I spent roughly $100 on my adapters for just in case.... it's way false economy ----


(and didn't you ask this a while back ? or was that on another thread / forum ?)