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Old 04-14-2011, 09:46 AM   #1
LarryL
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20 amp to trailer

when we go camping I always run a line out the back window
to the 20amp camp supply,I would like to do some kind of plug
on the outside of the trailer that runs to the inside.
has anybody done this?
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Old 04-14-2011, 03:58 PM   #2
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LarryL, Lots of folks have done this. I was fortunate to be able to run my 20a cord right along with my 30a. I installed an outlet and tied the microwave to this circuit. Helps a whole lot, especially in cool weather. We run a 1500w space heater on this circuit. Keeps from tripping the main when the wife wants to run everything at the same time.
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Old 04-14-2011, 05:45 PM   #3
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Hey Larry
As we speak I'm sitting in front of my father-in-laws house in middle America with an Adapter that goes from my 50 Amp cord to a 50 to 30 Amp adapter to a 120 volt adapter which is plugged into a 20 Amp recepticle in his work shop. I can run my microwave, A/C unit and even a 120 volt heater if needed, just not all at once. Have no problems unless I have the electric Hot Water switch on and am running the heater at the same time, it will kick the breaker in the house.
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Old 04-15-2011, 02:55 AM   #4
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On our old unit I put a surface mount outlet in the back and ran a heavy cord from it through the floor to a plug that I can plug an extension cord into when I need the extra power for te heater. that camper was only 30 amp. Now I have an extra plug in the basement the same way to plug an extra heater and heat tape into without having to worry about drawing off the camper circut.
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Old 04-15-2011, 07:57 AM   #5
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Hi Mikell so what I was thinking of doing, was putting a flush mount box
that went through the slideout up into the area where the tv cabinet is,
run a 12/2 line to a receptacl that I cut into the bottom of the cabinet.
to plug my heater into.
and plug an extenion cord to shore power I have 14/2 cord but I think
I would buy a12/2 cord, to the flush mount box under the slideout.
what do you think?
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Old 04-15-2011, 08:22 AM   #6
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Thats pretty much what I did. If I traveled with it I would cover the plug but I'm a fulltimer so I didn't worry about it. I used 12-2 because I had lots of it around
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Old 04-15-2011, 08:50 AM   #7
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well thats what I will do go over to storage and do that mod,
and bring the gen to try it out after.
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Old 04-15-2011, 05:07 PM   #8
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I mounted a box on the access door of a storage compartment on our last TT. Worked great.
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Old 04-16-2011, 05:10 AM   #9
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No one has mentioned circuit breaker protection for the 20A coming into the trailer. The converter provides it for the 30A. 20A needs it also even though there is a breaker on the pedestal.
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Old 04-16-2011, 09:10 AM   #10
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I was thinking of using a gfci receptacl in side on the cabinet.
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Old 04-16-2011, 01:36 PM   #11
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A GFCI only trips with a hot to GND leakage, it won't trip under high current. That's wha you depend on circuit breakers for. I've run AC compressors drawing 15A on a GFCI with no issues. My personl opinion is that you need C/B protection on anything coming into the trailer, just as you have that protection on your converter which is fed by the shore power pedestal. I'll admit the pedestal has C/Bs but where there is any possibility of a fire from circuit overload, more is better.
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Old 04-16-2011, 06:33 PM   #12
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The circuit will be protected by the breaker in the pedistal. Adding an additional circuit breaker will be of no advantage. You need to use #12 wire for a 20A circuit in most cases.
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Old 04-17-2011, 05:43 AM   #13
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If that were entirely the case, the converter manufacturers would save money by not breaking the circuit with a 30A breaker.
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Old 04-17-2011, 10:57 AM   #14
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the only reason I am doing this is so I don't have to run a extenion cord
through the back window for the space heater.
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Old 04-21-2011, 07:06 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Landry View Post
If that were entirely the case, the converter manufacturers would save money by not breaking the circuit with a 30A breaker.
That's not totally true, Imagine a 30Amp trailer circuit. Put a 50 amp adapter on the end of the 30amp cable and plug it into a 50 amp pedastle. The only protection in that situation would be a 50amp breaker. That's why there's a breaker in the converter. Of course one could use that argument about a 20amp cable with a 30 amp adapter plugged into the pedastle.

I agree with everyone, it would be best to have breakers on the incoming 20amp service, but the pedastle "should" protect the outlet.
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Old 04-22-2011, 02:34 AM   #16
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Our campground we have 20 amp GFI in all the lots wether they are 50 or 30 amp. Our north side has 55 spots with 30 amps 20 amp and water. our south side is set for year round with 30 and 50 amp and several 20 amp for heat tape and all 50 sites have sewer , water phone and I think cable.
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Old 04-23-2011, 01:13 AM   #17
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Smile

I have just done that. Used an outside box mounted under the baggage door. Ran 12-2 wire from that into the basement and into the side of a cabinet under the TV area. Made an extension cord that has 2 male ends on it....one end for the pedestel and the other end to my outside box. pretty simple.
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Old 04-23-2011, 06:17 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaulsen View Post
I have just done that. Used an outside box mounted under the baggage door. Ran 12-2 wire from that into the basement and into the side of a cabinet under the TV area. Made an extension cord that has 2 male ends on it....one end for the pedestel and the other end to my outside box. pretty simple.
YIKES !!!!!!!!!!!!! That's "pretty simple" until your grandkid unplugs the trailer end of your "double male plug" and touches one of the connectors. PLEASE PLEASE don't use that setup in a "family campground" You'd never live with yourself if the worst happens.
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Old 04-23-2011, 07:03 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
YIKES !!!!!!!!!!!!! That's "pretty simple" until your grandkid unplugs the trailer end of your "double male plug" and touches one of the connectors. PLEASE PLEASE don't use that setup in a "family campground" You'd never live with yourself if the worst happens.
That raised an eyebrow with me too. Having been in the marine repair business for 15 years, I'm concious of anything that can be a potential hazard, AKA liability lawsuit, and exposed, hot electrical prongs are an absolute No-no, especially since there is subject to be water on the ground anywhere around the trailer and pedestals off no GFCI protection. That's a disaster waiting to happen. Electrical components are not the place to go cheap.

Marinco makes a 20A inlet designed for outdoor applications and I believe also a box with cover for not much more than you pay at HD, and it's made to do the job.

I also recommend that any electrical source coming into the trailer be protected by a double pole breaker. Your converter offers that protection for 30A shore power, so there must be a good argument for that. I realize that trailers come under the control of the NEC, but my background is in marine work and the Coast Guard regulations are a bit more stringent than the electrical code, and while some of the procedures I suggest may be overkill, can you really be too safe?

BTW, for those who are inclined to do their own electrical mods, you will never go wrong with Marinco or Blue Sea products.
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Old 04-23-2011, 05:58 PM   #20
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The first thing I did with my new Springdale was replace the "push it through the mousehole" 30 Amp cable with a Marinco 30 Amp detachable replacement kit. It may not be any safer, but not having to push a wet muddy cable into a box inside my living room just makes sense. Besides, this way, there's less potential for water, dirt daubers, wasps and other critters to enter the trailer through that open hole. I may install an additional 20 Amp service later if we find we would use it. If I do, it'll be the same type Marinco detachable setup with a simple 20 Amp GFI breaker inside the trailer. I remember all to vividly touching the skin on our Holiday Rambler and feeling a tingle while standing on wet grass in South Texas. After cleaning my underwear, I unplugged the trailer and broke out my trusty VOM. That was spooky enough for me, electricity is something to be completely respected and cautiously worked on or used.
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