Electrical Question in Campgrounds
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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3609
Printed Date: 18 May 2024 at 10:49pm
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Topic: Electrical Question in Campgrounds
Posted By: TRICERA-POD
Subject: Electrical Question in Campgrounds
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 10:28am
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Tricera-Pod came with the standard electrical cord that is used to hook up during campground stays, 25ft. I was wondering if anyone knows what the standard amperage these electrical cords are rated for? 30amps, 50amps?
I know one has to have at least 30amps to run the A/C unit, but if there is only 50amps available at a campground does this mean I will burn out my cord and/or Pod is I use 50 amps to run my power? Last year while tent camping in Keweenaw P. we were at a camp site with power. I had a extension cord that we used to power our computers. This was fine as we were not drawing allot of power to run a computer. However, if we had our Pod then the electrical cord that came with the pod would have never reached the outlet, I needed at least 50ft to each the outlet. With that being said, does anyone use an extension cord with the standard issue power cord that came with their pod? If so, should I get a heavy duty extension cord rated for 30 or 50 amps? Electrical items always scare me a bit so I want to ensure I do not burn anything down when I hook up. I know a standard extension cord is not something one wants to use when powering the Pod in a campground. SO any advise would be great. ------------- Carl & Sandee 2013 R 177 2012 Titan |
Replies:
Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 11:14am
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My 174 has a extension cord. Came with from previous owner. Check with your local rv, or boat stores Moe ------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150 
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |
Posted By: TerryM
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 11:53am
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Your power cord is rated as 30amps. When you use an adapter to use a 50amp power post you are only tapping 30amps of the 50amps that are there. That is why you need the adapter. I always carry an extra 30amp cord and an extension cord for 15amp (regular 115v AC outlet). Terry ------------- RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4 Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 11:55am
Hi, The cord that comes with the Pod is a 25 foot 30 amp cord. It will only plug into a 30 amp plug at the campground unless you have an adaptor. You can get a 15 amp adapter for the 30 amp plug that will allow you to plug the pod into a standard 15 amp household plug. When you do this you cannot run everything in the pod or it will blow a fuse or breaker. There are 50 amp plugs at some campgrounds for the big rigs but they have a different plug. As for extention cords I have a 25 foot 30 amp extension cord that I use because campsites don't always put their plugs in the right place. You should not have any issue with a 25 foot extention. This is a link to a cord on amazon like the one that I have. http://www.amazon.com/NU-CORD-94579-25-Feet-30-Amp-Extension/dp/B000IPAK9S/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1371138835&sr=8-9&keywords=thirty+amp+extention+cord+rv - http://www.amazon.com/NU-CORD-94579-25-Feet-30-Amp-Extension/dp/B000IPAK9S/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1371138835&sr=8-9&keywords=thirty+amp+extention+cord+rv ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition 
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Posted By: TRICERA-POD
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 12:04pm
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Now I see said the blind man. Thank you so very much. I did get the 15 amp adapter from my dealer so I am set there. I figured the 50 amp was for those big rigs. But better to ask those whom have gone before me to be safe ------------- Carl & Sandee 2013 R 177 2012 Titan |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 1:02pm
One minor point. All that has been said is true, but with one additional thought. I have seen it reported that some of the campground 30 Amp connectors are worn out or non-functional whereas the 50 Amp connectors are working. Probably due to heavier use of the 30 Amp service. For those cases I carry a short 50 Amp to 30 Amp "Dog Bone" adapter. I've never used it but I love to solve problems before I have them. Quote the Boy Scouts. 
------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: TerryM
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 1:56pm
I have 1 of those also and have used it. Terry ------------- RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4 Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
Posted By: Thinker
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 2:59pm
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Please note and remember 30 Amp RV service is 110/120 Volt service. 50 amp RV service is 220 Volt service.
It is the nature of 220 that one hot leg plus the neutral will give 110/120. Using a dog bone to convert 50A to 30A is only using half the power of the 50A connection. I know, I know... too much information. ------------- Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171 
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Posted By: bhamster
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 4:39pm
Everything you said is right, but I'm afraid some people will read "half the power of 50A" and think only 25A and therefore not enough for 30A service. This is not the case. The 50A service is really TWO 50A 110V lines (out of phase), so you could theoretically pull 100A at 110V if you used both legs. So pulling 30A from one leg at 110V is well below the 50A limit of each leg.
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Posted By: Thinker
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 5:07pm
Thanks for making that clear. I totally agree. The 50A is 50@220v. or 100A@110v. I should have said "only using less than half the available power from the 50A circuit" ------------- Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171
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Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 6:22pm
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As everyone else has answered the amperage question, I thought that I'd mention that the air conditioner pulls just under 12 amps running and the startup surge isn't that outrageous that it'll trip a 15 amp breaker. As long as the campground is delivering (at least) 110 volts, you can run the A/C using a 15-30 adapter. Note: that doesn't leave many amps for other loads, so if you're doing this, run the water heater on propane and don't run the micro/convection, coffee pot or hair dryer (or any other significant draws) while the A/C is turned on.
Oh, one more thing: here in Ontario in the provincial parks, a 60 or 70 foot run to the power post is common, so most of us carry at least 50' of 30 amp extension cord. ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: TRICERA-POD
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 7:33pm
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Thank you all for the great information. We will use the A/C only at night when we are sleeping and cook with LP on the stove. If using the microwave/convection oven we will do so but not run the A/C at the same time.
We tend to spend most of our time outside digging for rocks, minerals, gems and/or visiting National Parks. Tricera-pod is just a place to lay our head down at night or a quick meal. This is how we have done things in the past when tent camping. ------------- Carl & Sandee 2013 R 177 2012 Titan |
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2013 at 9:23pm
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Very good info throughout this post. Just want to confirm that plugging into a 50 amp outlet with the 30 amp adapter is 100% safe for the pod.
------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2013 at 9:58pm
With the proper commercial "dog bone" adapter (with the molded connectors) it is safe for you and the pod. These adapters are available at camping stores. One end will only fit the 50A socket on the power box. The other end will fit the 30A plug from your Pod. No home brew adapters unless you REALLY know what you're doing. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: rpodcamper.com
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2013 at 3:23pm
I have a 50 amp pigtail i carry all the time and when I do use electric I will use the 50 amp circa as I have found them to be cleaner. |
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2013 at 4:39pm
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I'm ordering one as we speak as well as an extra 25 foot cord just in case. Thanks for the info. jpp ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2013 at 7:34pm
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Almost. The breaker on the pole is really there to protect the wiring between the outlet on the pole and the converter. A 30 amp outlet has a 30 amp circuit breaker, a 50 amp outlet has two 50 amp breakers (one on each 120 volt leg). When you use a dogbone you tap one of those two breakers. Now you have a 50 amp circuit breaker protecting wiring that is designed to only carry 30 amps. If that wiring becomes damaged allowing an arc fault it can start a fire without drawing enough amps to trip the circuit breaker. That said, I have seen higher-quality dogbones which include a 30 amp circuit breaker built-in. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 6:56am
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so not 100% safe is what I'm gathering, correct?
------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 7:10am
1 am with Techntrek on this. While you do have a 30amp breaker on the trailer that would not protect you from a short in the cord from the post to the trailer. So it is not 100% safe. ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 7:38am
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Good info. So what do you guys do? Or as techntrek stated, purchase the adapter(dogbone) that has the 30 amp breaker built in? ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 7:50am
I have always used the 30 amp plug at the campgrounds and I have never had any problems. At home I don't have a 30 amp so I use a 15 amp adaptor. this is safe because if I overload the circuit I just trip the breaker in the house. This has only happened once. ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 9:07am
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So are you saying that if a campsite has 50a service, it will also/always have 30a service in the same box? I guess I thought and was under the impression that there are campsites with just a 50a hookup(no 30a), and that's why one may need the adaptor. I think I'm confused now. hogone ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
Posted By: kymooses
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 9:25am
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I've seen campgrounds with any and all combos of service at their poles. 90% of the time there will be 50a and 30a connections both from my experience. 75% of the time there will also be a 15a 110 connection also at the pole. I've been to campgrounds where there is only 30a or a 50a at a pole. But those are sites that are usually sized for the type of camper that would use that connection. A large pull through site might sometimes only have the 50a connection, whereas a smaller campsite, something for Pods or Pop-ups and other sized campers might just have the 30a because a large rig could never park there. What I've had happen is sometimes there may only be a 50a site left at a campground. At times like that I'm glad to have my adapter and able to take the only remaining site. Also there have been times where some people describe that the 30a connection is just overused and loose at times. I like having my adapters at the ready. My 50a -> 30a, a 30a -> 15a, and an extra 25ft of RV extension cabling for when a pole is for some crazy reason miles away from your campsite. Just like having extra water hose. It's just a nice thing to be prepped for. ------------- https://calendar.google.com/calendar?cid=cnBvZC5zcG90dGVyQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ - RPod Rallies https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1W1foQXGtrjf8aYly1uh0b-bHPfI&hl=en_US - RPod Owner Map |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 9:31am
Some campgrounds have 30 amp and 50 amp sites I don't think I have ever seen a campground that only had 50 amp sites. The 50 amp sites are usually big sites as most 50 amp rigs are either Class A or 5th wheal rigs. ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 10:20am
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With all due respect to Tekntrek and Seanl, and I have a lot of respect for these gents, the risk of using the 50A connection with a 30A cord/trailer is really minimal. The trailer circuit breaker will protect almost all of the trailer wiring and all wiring downstream of the main breaker. That only leaves the actual external cord laying on the ground. The chance of a fault in this cord or its connectors that would be caught with a 30A breaker, but not caught with the 50A breaker is really minimal. You can't protect against everything. That said, if you can find an adapter with a built in 30A breaker, go for it. I didn't know they existed. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 2:43pm
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It is a minimal risk, yes. Not just from damage to the cord but also overload. I've had enough stuff on in the pod that the internal breakers didn't trip but the 30 amp breaker outside did. With a 50 amp breaker outside I could have caught the big cord on fire.
Just saying that in reply to the question "100% safe?", the answer is no. I do have a dogbone, and one without the extra breaker since I didn't fully understand the problem when I bought it. Would I still use it if the pole only had a 50 amp outlet? Yes. But knowledge is power.
No pun intended.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 3:12pm
Thanks Doug. I needed that.  ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: hogone
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 3:23pm
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me too!! thanks for all the info ------------- Jon & Pam 2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |