50 or 30 amp

Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic

   That may be the simplest solution yet.  One plug, a little rewiring between a 50A exterior plug and the breaker box, a new cord, and the dogbone to be able to connect to 30A power sources.

Author	Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic
lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587	Topic: 50 or 30 amp Posted: 06 Feb 2019 at 7:27am
	That may be the simplest solution yet. One plug, a little rewiring between a 50A exterior plug and the breaker box, a new cord, and the dogbone to be able to connect to 30A power sources.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 06 Feb 2019 at 7:01am
	There are 30 to 50A adapter dogbones so you could convert your trailer permanently to 50A and just use one of those at home or at pedestals without 50A service. Perfectly safe. Its pretty common for folks to update an older RV to 50A when they modernize them. You have to if you put dual a/c's on it and want to run them both at the same time. Gotta do a bit of surgery and wire routing though.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587	Posted: 06 Feb 2019 at 6:34am
	As I laid awake in bed last night with the noise of an urban environment keeping John of Dreams well away, I thought why not just put a 50A RV plug next to the existing 30A, set up a little transfer switch in which you connect the existing 30A and the 50A conductors such that you can choose between the two amperages (kinda like the marine battery switch on a boat). Wire from the transfer switch to the main electric panel with 6awg wire to connect to the 30A main breaker. Then you'd never have an undersized conductor all the way to the 30A distribution point. No additional breakers needed. Just carry two cables. Once again, I have proven beyond a "reasonable" doubt that I should not quit my day job.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 06 Feb 2019 at 6:25am
	Well lostagain, no math involved here really so not to worry. The drawback with my suggestion is cost and weight, long 50A RV cords are not cheap or light. Your suggestion uses only a short inexpensive input cord. Best would still probably be a NEMA 4X or IP55/IP65 style enclosure with a breaker in it, your 50A pigtail and male plug, and another short 30A pigtail with 30A female out. Basically you're creating a dog bone with a breaker in it, with the breaker in a nice solid enclosure that you wouldn't have to worry too much about getting rain in or mechanically damaging. There are some reasonably priced ones on Amazon. Like these. You'd need to pick one that fit the breaker you've selected and have enough room for terminating and routing the conductors. https://www.amazon.com/Ogrmar-Plastic-Dustproof-Junction-Enclosure/dp/B07871XT6F/ref=sr_1_2?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1549455539&sr=1-2&keywords=ip65%2Benclosure&th=1
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587	Posted: 05 Feb 2019 at 8:21pm
	It's the math. Ever since 2d grade I've panicked when I had to do math. I'm a bit dyslexic and the numbers get jumbled up when I see them. I shouldn't be allowed to use a telephone. I would have dearly loved to be an civil engineer building bridges to nowhere and tunnels under obstructions. But, alas, I had to enhance my naturally argumentative nature instead. Your idea makes more sense. It would be easy to mount the box in the pod and get the long 50A cord. Why even a lawyer, properly supervised, might be able to install it. And it would alleviate the moisture issue almost entirely.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 05 Feb 2019 at 5:33pm
	lostagain, you're doing fine. Have you considered a new career in electrical power system engineering? I think that is electrically the same thing I was suggesting except that instead of the velcro attachment of the breaker box to the pedestal, attach it to the pod and run a longer 50A cable. That would address StephenH's issue with lugging around a bulky box, and any potential concerns a park operator might have with velcroing something to his pedestal. Electrically they are identical solutions so either would work, your preference. Just one other thing, I wouldn't modify the male plug connector which would compromise its UL listing. Instead, just terminate one of the hots inside the breaker box using a closed end crimp connector which is intended for that purpose. That way everything is fully listed and code compliant.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587	Posted: 05 Feb 2019 at 3:54pm
	Here is what I was thinking: Get this cord https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Cable-4-Foot-50-Amp-4-Wire/dp/B002RL9JAW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1549402905&sr=8-4&keywords=4+prong+electric+range+power+cord Cut off one of the hot spades and the corresponding other end on the pigtail. Hard wire it into the box I previously mentioned with the link. You basically have, if the Colombian altitude hasn't affected my brain too much, a hot, ground, and neutral that draws from a 50A breaker. Since the cord is a 50A cord, you're not undersized. [I'm assuming the plug configuration is compatible for the pedestal and the pigtail, but haven't confirmed it.} On the back of the box with the 30A plug and breaker, fasten a length or a couple lengths of 2 sided velcro to wrap a couple times around the pedestal. The pigtail would enter from below with an outdoor knockout connector. After velcroing the box to the pedestal securely, plug in the pigtail to the 50A plug such that it drops down, creating a drip point, then back up to the 30A box. I think the whole thing would fit into the box my Double H boots came in and would be easy to store. The advantage, you have no splices, no cut cable to waterproof, and the 2nd hot never makes it into the system because the spade doesn't go into the 220VAC plug. Total cost about $60 tax, lic., dealer prep. and doc fees included. Ok, offgrid, and GlueGuy, tear me a new one. ;--) and tell me I should stick with the legal biz.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 05 Feb 2019 at 3:35pm
	One other thought. Get lostagain’s lowcost listed RV outlet and breaker box. Hardwire a 6awg 50A rated cord and 50A plug to it. Permanently mount it on a convenient place onthe trailer tongue or bumper. If you want to use a 50A RV service plug the 50A cord to it then your existing 30A cord from the new box to the trailer connector. When not in use wrap up the 50A cord and clip it to the trailer. Dispense with the dogbone. Should be a pretty inexpensive solution and straightforward installation. Just a thought.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 05 Feb 2019 at 2:39pm
	StephenH is correct, a 12Vdc fuse isn’t designed to clear a fault in a 120vac circuit. It would most likely arc and the arc would not extinguish. Not good. Since it’s an ac circuit the voltage alternates from polarity. So what you have is a hot line, a neutral and a ground. The neutral will be white. Typically the hot will be black. The ground will be bare copper. For a 120Vac circuit you’ll get 120V between black and neutral. For a 240Vac circuit you will see both red and black as well as white and ground. You’ll get 120Vac between black and neural and between red and neutral and 240Vac between red and black. The neutral and ground should stay connected at all times the circuit is live. Only the hot line(s) should get a circuit breaker or fuse.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6289	Posted: 05 Feb 2019 at 2:11pm
	No, 30A DC is not the same as 30A AC from what I was reading of the specs when I was looking at breakers.For example, the specs for the push button breaker I cited was: Interrupt Capacity:3000A @ 120V AC , 5000A @ 32V DC So a 12V 30A fuse would not support 120V 30A the way I read it.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS