50A RV in a 30A spot

[AbdRahim]

You cannot get 50A to the RV with a 30A service. You just cannot run everything. I am plugged in at home with 30. I can only run one A/C unit.

If you want to run both you can install SoftStarts, but you won’t be able to use much else at the same time.

[amosnandy]

A pedestal with a 30 amp breaker will not supply 50 amps. The 30 is the main and the 20 is in series. So if you draw the full 20 amps you can only draw 20 more before popping the 30.

Your only option is to put one of these in line with 2 30 amp extension cords and hope nobody wants to use the 30 amp next to you.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by amosnandy

A pedestal with a 30 amp breaker will not supply 50 amps. The 30 is the main and the 20 is in series. So if you draw the full 20 amps you can only draw 20 more before popping the 30.



Your only option is to put one of these in line with 2 30 amp extension cords and hope nobody wants to use the 30 amp next to you.

Panel breakers are not wired in series. Show me one that is.

If you have a 30 amp breaker and a 20 amp breaker, that pedestal is wired for a minimum of 50 amps. How else can I use everything in my RV and an electric grill on the 20 amp outlet ?

The main breaker is somewhere up the system.

[CamperLifer]

Originally Posted by AbdRahim

You cannot get 50A to the RV with a 30A service. You just cannot run everything. I am plugged in at home with 30. I can only run one A/C unit.

If you want to run both you can install SoftStarts, but you won’t be able to use much else at the same time.

This.

[CamperLifer]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Panel breakers are not wired in series. Show me one that is.

If you have a 30 amp breaker and a 20 amp breaker, that pedestal is wired for a minimum of 50 amps. How else can I use everything in my RV and an electric grill on the 20 amp outlet ?

The main breaker is somewhere up the system.

Test a few 30 amp outlets. Some you will get 32 amps. Some you will get 28 amps. Not many so called 20 amp outlets supply 20 amps. Most are closer to 15.

[SCforG]

For the most part Cali’s state parks are old and antiquated with little to no desire to upgrade them to accommodate large rigs, ie the were designed for tents and small rigs w/o slide outs.

In regards to 30/50 amp pedestals and rv service panels:

https://www.rvtravel.com/hooking-up-...at-campground/

and

https://www.outdoorsiness.com/RV-Pedestals

[Bigd9]

I don't believe anyone mentioned load shedding. In my old mature coach, the Energy Management System will automatically shed loads to keep the draw under 30 amps or 20 amps if that is all I've got. If the total load approaches 30 amps, the EMC will first shed the Water Heater, then the refrigerator, then AC #2 then washer dryer etc.

Do I keep a check on it? Sure, but I don't need to do anything if I don't want to.

[Vrydr1550]

Originally Posted by baraff

I'm thinking this is where that SoftStartRV for the a/c units would come in handy.

I use an easy start on my 15000 btu a/c and I am a 30 amp unit. I would strongly recommend using these on your a/c units or the new plug in unit that does it for you

[Cordodge]

I installed a Soft start in one of our ACs and it works great. We are on 30 amp and never had an issue yet.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by CamperLifer

Test a few 30 amp outlets. Some you will get 32 amps. Some you will get 28 amps. Not many so called 20 amp outlets supply 20 amps. Most are closer to 15.

That may be the case, but they are not wired in series.
The 30 amp breaker does not feed to the 20 amp breaker. If it did, you would need the 30 breaker on and the 20 amp breaker on, to use the 20 amp outlet.

[Surf Fisher]

50-amp RV service is really 50 amps on each Leg which gives you 100 amps total or 12,000 Watts of power to use.

30-amp RV service is only 3,600 Watts available to use which is a significant difference.

If you are using a properly wired 50-to-30-amp dog-bone all of your circuits should be powered up.

If your coach has an Intellitec EMS System, it will manage your power when on 30 amp or less. It will do the thinking for you otherwise it is left up to you to manage how much power you are using when hooked to less than 50 RV service.

[raboud]

I'm assuming this is a "hey, hold my beer while..." moment.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by baraff

I'm thinking this is where that SoftStartRV for the a/c units would come in handy.

Once a motor has started a SoftStart or any other such device is disabled, it makes no difference with anything after it is running. The motor will require xx amps @ 120V as stated on the nameplate.
This means you spent over $300 just to start the motor each time.

[MechEngrSGH]

This is a terrible idea.

Not arguing that it does provide a workaround for the 30A limitation but it does so in a very unsafe manner, almost assuring damage to the cable to the pedestal.....

That 20/30A pedestal is designed to only serve one receptacle at a time and is going to be wired with a cable capable of supplying 30A (max). Furthermore, a circuit designed for 30A, is only able to supply 80% of the 30A 'continuously' meaning more than 3 hours per day. The effect is that for the purpose of running appliances such as air conditioners, which run more than 3 hours per day, only 24A can be drawn. By 'bypassing' (paralleling) the breakers, this will be seen as a willful overload of the system and I would imagine that the very expensive bill for repair is going to fall on the RV'er, not to mention the shame of intentionally (ignorantly) damaging the park equipment.

By using both receptacles, the circuit is being overloaded (likely catastrophically) and will likely burn up the wiring.