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15 amp service

Yahoo Message Number: 13948
I plan to spend a night or two at a friend's home. They have regular household electric service and have offered to let us "plug in" our coach to their 15 amp service.
We have an all electric Magna. Obviously, we won't be able to use much power when plugged in only to 15 amp service, but other than using the special 50 to 30 adapter and then a 30 to 15 amp (normal household 3 prong plug) to plug into their garage power, do we need to take any other precautions or do anything else to atleast allow the frig to run, toilet to flush, and have an occasional light bulb?
We're prefer to dry camp there, but don't want to use the generator in their neighborhood.

Thanks.

Tom

05 Magna #6479

Re: 15 amp service

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13949
I'll be interested to see how many "do not do this" you get...
Lindsey

Intrique 10379

Re: 15 amp service

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13952
tom,

Before you plug into 15 amps run your generator to charge your batteries and that will take away the initial charger surge then when the amp usage comes down turn off the generator. Then you can run some lights, TV, heater and frig. Make sure you do not turn on the hot water heater or heat pumps and watch you amps when using any power. You should be ok on 15 amps if you manage your power demands carefully. You can also reset the charger amp loads on the silver leaf to a lower limit but that could still draw to many amps when you initially plug in so run the generator till the amps come down.

Bill G

Re: 15 amp service

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13954
Hi Tom,

Ask for the outlet with the 20 amp circuit breaker. Most newer homes have the higher size. You can program your converter(inverter/charger) for a lesser initial amp charge rate).
Fred Kovol

Re: 15 amp service

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13958
tom,

We do 50 - 30 - household 3 prong transition whenever we have to coach at the house, but plug in to a 20 amp receptacle. Keeps the refrig running. We can even run one A/C unit (not both at once).

Dave Fagen
1989 32' SE

St. Petersburg, FL

At 14:06 -0800 12/27/04, Tom wrote:
Quote
>I plan to spend a night or two at a friend's home. They have >regular household electric service and have offered to let us "plug >in" our coach to their 15 amp service.

We have an all electric Magna. Obviously, we won't be able to use >much power when plugged in only to 15 amp service, but other than >using the special 50 to 30 adapter and then a 30 to 15 amp (normal >household 3 prong plug) to plug into their garage power, do we need >to take any other precautions or do anything else to atleast allow >the frig to run, toilet to flush, and have an occasional light bulb? >

We're prefer to dry camp there, but don't want to use the generator >in their neighborhood.

Thanks.

Tom

05 Magna #6479

--

Re: 15 amp service

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13969
With our 96 Intrigue we were able to run one air off a 15 or 20 amp service and it didn't appear to cause any problems. Once we got our 99 Magna we found the Heart Link didn't like it. When we discussed it with our mechanic he said "DON'T DO THAT" because it causes stress on the air conditioner when it starts. So we don't do that any more. We use it to charge the batteries and run the fridge. If we need to start something else (air, microwave, hair dryer) we use the genset. Fortunately, have the Wabasso hydronic heat so we stayed nice and warm with out running the generator for the past 6 weeks in Missouri and Texas.

Anyway I won't say don't but I won't.

Tammy

Magna 5605

was Intrigue 10250

Now on our way home to Florida!

15 amp service

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13981
For what it's worth, there is a duel electrical adaptor that can be bought that has a 30 and a 20 amp input, which tie together to make a 50 amp output (assuming that you have two separate circuit feeds to the adaptor. It will also work with two 15-20 amp circuits, again if each input is from a separate circuit. I have one that I used on a previous motorhome, and it seemed to work ok. I don't know what the final output is from 2 15 amp lines, but it was enough to run my coffee put, an air conditioner and fridge.

I am not recommending this because I don't know what the downside might be, just that it worked for us.

Ray, Doris and Klondike

04 Inspire 51023
02 Liberty

Re: 15 amp service

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13982
The dual electrical adapter will take two circuits (from the home or shore power box) and feed the two separate legs of the 50A coach service. If it is a 20A and a 30A circuit you are connected to, you will end up with 20A on one coach leg and 30A on the other coach leg. If plugged into two 15A circuits, the dual electrical adapter will provide 15A to each coach leg.
The ground of the two legs are tied together. If either shore power circuit has a GFI (as is most often the case for outdoor 20A outlets in newer (since 1970 ?) homes or parks, the dual electrical adapter will not work.

While the two circuits do not need to be on separate legs of the shore power, be aware that if the two circuits are on the same shore power leg (i.e., the voltage between the hot wire of each circuit is zero), the the current on the neutral will be additive. Connect two 30A services together with the dual electrical adapter, and you could have up to 60A on the neutral.

I am sometimes able to use the dual adapter, but I always check the voltages between the two hot legs (220-240V) and each lot leg & ground (110-120V) (and that neither supplies are protected on the shore by a Ground Fault Interupter).

Herb

Allure 2002 #30690

p.s. Why do we call it shore power, when our RVs are not boats and don't travel on water !!!!!!

Quote from: rayreeves2
For what it's worth, there is a duel electrical adaptor that can

be

Quote
bought that has a 30 and a 20 amp input, which tie together to

make

Quote
a 50 amp output (assuming that you have two separate circuit feeds > to the adaptor. It will also work with two 15-20 amp circuits,

again

Re: 15 amp service

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13993
This what the "Power Share" feature is useful for on many Xantrex inverter/chargers. It allows you to set the maximum current that the charger will draw. I set mine to 5amps under such conditions so the it works fine when connected to the typical 15amp hosehold circuit.

I have a Heart Freedom 2500 model.
Read your manual about the Power Share setting.
Tom Fisher
Dallas, TX