Using 30a

[Jeff Miller]

You should have a 30a cord that plugs into the 50a connection on the
coach. ONLY the 50a connection on the coach powers both legs.

On older birds with two 30a connections on the coach (yellow tape),
you need two cords, each powers one leg, and the manual transfer
switch needs to be set to SHORE 30.

50a is 50a 220v. It has two 110v 50a legs, opposite poles, sharing a
neutral. 30a is one 30a 110v leg. It can be run to both sides, but
you have 30a available instead of the effective 100a of the 50a X 2
setup of the 50a setup.

One way around this is to buy a "cheater cord", which has a 50a
receptacle, and two 30a plugs. DO NOT buy the cheaper version with
one 30a and one 15a plug, you can always adapt down to 15a if you
want, BUY THE ONE WITH TWO 30a PLUGS!!!!. This will allow you to plug
into two 30a, two 15a, one of each, ... you get the idea, so that you
will have twice the available power.

Also useful to carry is a MAXIMIZER, which I've found at RV stores,
it is a molded 30a receptacle which plugs into both sides of a 110v
duplex outlet. Mine is bright orange, easy to spot. The idea is that
most 110v duplex outlets are 15a, will overheat if you try to pull
20a (or even 15 in an older one), will damage the cord and give you
low voltage. Still, it is usually hooked to a 20a breaker, this will
allow you to best use the 20a.

Note that you cannot use the "cheater cord" to plug into a GFCI
receptacle or receptacle powered by a GFCI breaker. Combining the
neutrals will cause it to trip.

- Jeff Miller
in Holland, MI


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "jwasnewski"
wrote:
>
> Recently I stopped overnight and had to use 30amp park power. I
carry
> a cable for that purpose but have never used it. 30amp gave me leg
two
> in the coach but did not go through the Trace inverter to charge
the
> batteries. Looked at my diagrams with no luck. I may need to get
a
> 50amp female recepticle for the end of my 30amp cord, plug it into
the
> normal 50amp line and see what happens. Doesn't make sense that
the
> factory 30amp bus connection does not charge the batteries. Is this
> normal?
>
> Leroy Eckert
> 1990WB40
> Niceville, FL
>