Amps!!

[mikell]

Is 50 amps not enough for some rigs?? We have a convention at the campground with about 25 big rigs. A couple are complaining because the 50 amp main keeps tripping. One has 3 AC units another has 4 and an underneath fridge and freezer and who knows how many TV inside and out.

I haven't sat down and done the math but what are the manufacturers thinking.

Are we looking at 100 amp rigs next?

[SAD]

Originally Posted by mikell

Is 50 amps not enough for some rigs?? We have a convention at the campground with about 25 big rigs. A couple are complaining because the 50 amp main keeps tripping. One has 3 AC units another has 4 and an underneath fridge and freezer and who knows how many TV inside and out.

I haven't sat down and done the math but what are the manufacturers thinking.

Are we looking at 100 amp rigs next?

50 amps is plenty provided the load is properly balanced between the L1 and L2.

50 amp service for an RV is really 100 amps @ 110/125V.

What is likely the problem is poor wiring in the campground, or insufficient wiring for the distance from the transformer.

[SteveC7010]

My Cougar is wired to receive one leg only off a 50 amp 220vac plug so it is truly limited to 50 amps at 110vac. At that rating, 3 or 4 air conditioners AND multiple TV's AND additional fridges and freezers could be too much for 50 amps 110vac.

But, if the rig is actually wired to receive both legs, then SAD's numbers hold true. Provided the load is reasonably equally distributed between the two legs, then I'd be looking elsewhere for the problem. Low voltage would be the first thing to investigate. I'd also check the CG's wiring for true 220vac distributed via L1 and L2.

Is it the 50 amp main in the rig or on the CG power post that is tripping?

[SAD]

Originally Posted by SteveC7010

My Cougar is wired to receive one leg only off a 50 amp 220vac plug so it is truly limited to 50 amps at 110vac..

Wow...! I've never seen that. If I ran across something like that, I would have assumed it was a mistake.

Are you the original owner of the Cougar? Perhaps someone 'converted' it to 50 amp from 30 and never changed the distribution panel?

[SAD]

Well.. Now that I see your sig and Steve's is an 2011 model, I'd just guess he's the original owner. Still not right in my mind!

[geo]

Originally Posted by mikell

Is 50 amps not enough for some rigs?? We have a convention at the campground with about 25 big rigs. A couple are complaining because the 50 amp main keeps tripping. One has 3 AC units another has 4 and an underneath fridge and freezer and who knows how many TV inside and out.

I haven't sat down and done the math but what are the manufacturers thinking.

Are we looking at 100 amp rigs next?

Mike -

Do they have a15000 & 13000 (or higher) AC on the same leg? My Alpine came with both ACs on the same leg. If nothing else was on, it was barely OK. Turn the TV on and - trip!

Ron

[mikell]

Their rig had 3 and another had 4 the beast are getting too power hungry

[azlee56]

all for our comfort and pocket books :-)

[smiller]

Originally Posted by SteveC7010

My Cougar is wired to receive one leg only off a 50 amp 220vac plug so it is truly limited to 50 amps at 110vac.

I gotta ask... are you sure? My Cougar certainly isn't wired that way. Do you have two slaved 50-amp breakers in your panel? If so the panel is intended for split-phase service and I would have to guess (or at least hope!) that someone made a major mistake at the factory...

[campingcpl]

Originally Posted by mikell

Their rig had 3 and another had 4 the beast are getting too power hungry

I have seen at a couple of shows some of these big units actually had 2 50 amp power centers or a 50 amp and a 30 amp power center. Personally I'm not sure on how they would be able to power them at a normal campground with most of them only having a single 50amp/30amp/15amp connection at the post.

[geo]

Originally Posted by mikell

Their rig had 3 and another had 4 the beast are getting too power hungry

Mike -

There's always the out of a disclaimer line on the site rental. Maybe something like "Electrical service limited to 120VAC, 50 amps per power lead. If your unit is a huge amp-hog, please adjust your usage power requirements."

Besides, you are in Michigan! Are these people outfitting their units to camp in Big Bend Texas or Las Vegas, maybe Phoenix, in August? Even I'm not that crazy! Kinda reminds me of "Mad Dogs and Englishmen . . .(Noel Coward)" (Apologies to member Englishman!)

Ron

[x96mnn]

The KOA I go to has about 20 sites that have a 50A and a 30A service on the same sites. I was wondering why would they have that and thought it was to make the sites capable of taking either kind of rig but they service a lot of big rigs heading to NFL and I bet this is why they have the two.

[geo]

Originally Posted by x96mnn

The KOA I go to has about 20 sites that have a 50A and a 30A service on the same sites. I was wondering why would they have that and thought it was to make the sites capable of taking either kind of rig but they service a lot of big rigs heading to NFL and I bet this is why they have the two.

x96mnn -

Though I would not recommend removing the cover . . . if you did, what you would find would be one of the hot leads from the 120VAC - 50 amp pair is linked to the 30 amp service. (Note: in other threads, we have discussed that this is 240VAC service when measured across both hot leads.) This means that one hot lead supplies both one side of the 50 amp 120VAC service to the RV OR the 30 amp 120VAC service. Hooking up the RV up to both the 50 amp service plus the 30 amp service, then turning EVERYTHING on would probably melt one lead in wire to the pedistal!

These "RV Hook-up Boxes" can be purchased most everywhere, even Home Depot in some areas. I bought one and connected it at my daughter's ranch so we can camp right outside the back door while visiting.

The reason there is both 50 amp and 30 amp service . . . well, makes sense. Some RVs have 120VAC, 30 amp, single phase, three-wire requirements while others (like mine) have 120VAC, 50 amp, dual phase, four-wire requirements. Usually, when you find a 50 amp space at an RV park, it will have both 50 amp and 30 amp connections (not always, but most times). However, the 30 amp spaces will not have 50 amp connections.

Ron