camping in USA with European motorhome

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Our split phase is essentially 2 phases, 180 degrees apart, wired with two 'hot' legs and a neutral. The term 'split' comes from the center tap of the transformer. The European 220/240V system is a single phase, with one hot and a neutral.
 
This thread just got "hot" again.  The OP is about 1 1/2 years old so by now the OP may be either back home or in some jungle jail in Guatemala. LOL
 
I do understand that you can connect the mh neutral to one 120 and the hot to the other 120 and get 240 Vac (the center tap may be connected to the park neutral, and likely to other mh neutrals, and may well also go to ground) to the mh. I'll also grant that it's been a long time since I taught this stuff and I could be wrong, but you won't find me connecting my neutral 120Vac above ground. There is simply too much chance of winding up with the mh hot. Be very careful using any method except a transformer to power a 220/240 Vac mh in the US.

Ernie
 
Ernie n Tara said:
I do understand that you can connect the mh neutral to one 120 and the hot to the other 120 and get 240 Vac (the center tap may be connected to the park neutral, and likely to other mh neutrals, and may well also go to ground) to the mh. I'll also grant that it's been a long time since I taught this stuff and I could be wrong, but you won't find me connecting my neutral 120Vac above ground. There is simply too much chance of winding up with the mh hot. Be very careful using any method except a transformer to power a 220/240 Vac mh in the US.

Ernie
Yup - I reckon that is the safe way to go!

 
Tom said:
Our split phase is essentially 2 phases, 180 degrees apart, wired with two 'hot' legs and a neutral. The term 'split' comes from the center tap of the transformer. The European 220/240V system is a single phase, with one hot and a neutral.

At 240, there's nothing "split" at all. It's just one single cycle measured peak to peak. It's only when we "split" the phase with a tap at the zero crossing to get 120 zero to peak that it differs. That and designating one peak as the "neutral" versus the center tap. A 240 appliance from Europe works fine in the US on 240 aside from any frequency issues. Two phase power hasn't been used in the US since early last century, and then it used voltage phases differing by one-quarter of a cycle, or 90?.
 
This guy will solve most of the power conversion problems most RV'ers are likely to run into.

https://www.110220volts.com/ar-5000m.html

Or this more pricey option.

https://voltage-converter-transformers.com/products/vs-10000-10-000-watts-voltage-transformer-with-built-in-voltage-regulator?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&gclid=CjwKEAiA94nCBRDxismumrL83icSJAAeeETQv-qIhkAAihTm2xmwJd4q5RZtMRD9o4EulZwXku7BYRoC5_bw_wcB

I used the second one to when we were testing some networking switches we got back from a French customer and needed to test without changing the power supplies.


 
 
LarsMac said:
This guy will solve most of the power conversion problems most RV'ers are likely to run into.

https://www.110220volts.com/ar-5000m.html


I used the second one to when we were testing some networking switches we got back from a French customer and needed to test without changing the power supplies.

That does look ideal - will it operate outside?  I am guessing not.  That will be a problem - I need to plug my EHU from RV to transformer and then transformer to US EHU with transformer ideally being outside otherwise I will have to site it in a locker and leave the locker door open.

Thoughts?
 
Use this forum to learn about RVing in the U.S. and Canada. 

Central and South America  may be very intense.  Research "Overlanding" forums.  You might need extra fuel containers and stronger security. 

Consider starting in Halifax, Canada and going south down the Maine coastline or west to Quebec to Ottawa to Niagara Falls.
 
ceejayt said:
Coming from the UK you do need an International Driving Permit - easily obtained from a main post office - just turn up with your UK driving licence and fill out the form plus you will need a passport sized photo.  They will provide it there and then.

We have never been asked for this in the west, only ever asked for driving licence....
 
[quote author=NY_Dutch]At 240, there's nothing "split" at all. It's just one single cycle measured peak to peak. It's only when we "split" the phase with a tap at the zero crossing to get 120 zero to peak that it differs. [/quote]

Agreed, and I mis-spoke trying to draw an analogy with 2-phase. This article and diagram in our forum library better illustrate how our 240V domestic supply is configured. The two hot legs (120V each with respect to the center tap) are opposite in phase, although not "2-phase" per se.

A 240 appliance from Europe works fine in the US on 240 aside from any frequency issues.

As do the 240V appliances and a/c units on our boat.
 
ceejayt said:
That does look ideal - will it operate outside?  I am guessing not.  That will be a problem - I need to plug my EHU from RV to transformer and then transformer to US EHU with transformer ideally being outside otherwise I will have to site it in a locker and leave the locker door open.

Thoughts?

This may be a far more simple solution, and for the price you may be able to pick up a second, for that possibility that sticky fingers find the first one.
https://www.110220volts.com/sf500.html?gclid=CjwKEAiAmo_CBRC9qbGQssjqi28SJABYTgZxgeUGNEuirImbr4v1xO_YH-eeZR-WBGn2n8tFU9ExvBoC6yDw_wcB 
 

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