The wires to the site box would have 80 amps on them if both are used to to max. So the question is if the wiring can handle 80 amps.Can you physically plug both a 50amp cord (for RV) and also a 30amp (for other electrical device that needs 20amps) in at the same time at the site box (shore)? Like is there physically enough room for both plugs?
In most cases the answer is yes, but it will depend on the configuration of the power pedestal used.Like is there physically enough room for both plugs?
Yea I think so. Basically I need to ask what the amperage is coming in at my pedestal? So I can determine if both the RV and electrical device has plenty of load so one doesn't fall out?Sort of and depends.
We plug our 50 amp coach and 30’amp electric car charger in at the same time. The receptacles are on their own breakers. But on our lot there is a main breaker (not on the site) that is still only 60 amps. So yes, but you need to monitor loads...and to some degree balance the loads as the 30 amp loads down only one side of the 50 amp 240 feed. Our electric vehicle charger draws 24 amps at 120 volts when on a TT30 receptacle.
Does that make sense? I’m not good at these explanations.
My motor home is 30 amp. I adapt to 50 then use 30 for other electric items.Can you physically plug both a 50amp cord (for RV) and also a 30amp (for other electrical device that needs 20amps) in at the same time at the site box (shore)? Like is there physically enough room for both plugs?
I can't do that because I'd over draw on the 50 alone.My motor home is 30 amp. I adapt to 50 then use 30 for other electric items.
If the pedestal is one that has a circuit breaker for each outlet in that box, you just look at the breakers as they will have the trip point on them. Using both at the same time could run into a limit of the circuit that is supplying the pedestal, but that isn't likely in a park with many pedestals as there would usually be one set of breakers for both legs of power to a larger group of RVs. Circuit breakers in these situations are sized based upon the wire size used to connect things and the breakers on the pedestal are sized to protect the internal wiring and outlets. I have many times been in a situation where I used both the 50A and the 15a outlets at the same time with our previous 50a RV and at times I also used a 30A to 20A dogbone adaptor and powered something from the 30a. We have volunteered a lot of places where we were provided a golf cart that we would use one of the pedestal plugs to recharge with no problems at all. There are limits to what you can use but it isn't likely that you would have a problem unless you were trying to run 2 RVs that each had air conditioners from the same pedestal. Being retired from electrical service work I watch such things closely and have never found any issues from what we have used.So I can determine if both the RV and electrical device has plenty of load so one doesn't fall out?
A 50a RV power supply is actually 50A for L1 and another 50A for L2, if the two are exactly balanced giving you a total of 100A. In practical application, you seldom are exactly balanced so 80A is more typically what you would max out at, but I don't recall ever hearing of an RV tripping the supply circuit breakers under normal circumstances. Connect your RV to the 50a outlet and it will allow you to use the 30a just fine in the majority of cases. But the entire answer is also dependent upon what the park that you are in has to plug into. Newer parks will be up to code and so you won't have any issues but very often older RV parks have been upgraded by the owner or some other person who doesn't know basic electricity and so connect in unapproved ways and they may not work.I can't do that because I'd over draw on the 50 alone.
Awesome awesomeIf the pedestal is one that has a circuit breaker for each outlet in that box, you just look at the breakers as they will have the trip point on them. Using both at the same time could run into a limit of the circuit that is supplying the pedestal, but that isn't likely in a park with many pedestals as there would usually be one set of breakers for both legs of power to a larger group of RVs. Circuit breakers in these situations are sized based upon the wire size used to connect things and the breakers on the pedestal are sized to protect the internal wiring and outlets. I have many times been in a situation where I used both the 50A and the 15a outlets at the same time with our previous 50a RV and at times I also used a 30A to 20A dogbone adaptor and powered something from the 30a. We have volunteered a lot of places where we were provided a golf cart that we would use one of the pedestal plugs to recharge with no problems at all. There are limits to what you can use but it isn't likely that you would have a problem unless you were trying to run 2 RVs that each had air conditioners from the same pedestal. Being retired from electrical service work I watch such things closely and have never found any issues from what we have used.
Awesome explanation! Last question on the topic, I think... my device is 20amp and I plug it into the 30amp, will the device just draw what is needed from the 30amp or will 30 amps be hammering my device and burn it up? My guess is that it draws what is needed otherwise there would be all kinds of burnt up things on the 50amp service correct? Again, thank you so much for the help!If the pedestal is one that has a circuit breaker for each outlet in that box, you just look at the breakers as they will have the trip point on them. Using both at the same time could run into a limit of the circuit that is supplying the pedestal, but that isn't likely in a park with many pedestals as there would usually be one set of breakers for both legs of power to a larger group of RVs. Circuit breakers in these situations are sized based upon the wire size used to connect things and the breakers on the pedestal are sized to protect the internal wiring and outlets. I have many times been in a situation where I used both the 50A and the 15a outlets at the same time with our previous 50a RV and at times I also used a 30A to 20A dogbone adaptor and powered something from the 30a. We have volunteered a lot of places where we were provided a golf cart that we would use one of the pedestal plugs to recharge with no problems at all. There are limits to what you can use but it isn't likely that you would have a problem unless you were trying to run 2 RVs that each had air conditioners from the same pedestal. Being retired from electrical service work I watch such things closely and have never found any issues from what we have used.
No, it will be just fine. The current rating for any outlet/circuit breaker is the maximum that it can supply and not the minimum. the tag on the device that you have only tells you what it requires or uses. The circuit limit is the most that it will supply. The outlet sends 120V to whatever you connect to it and the thing plugged into it uses what it needs up to that limit. As long as you do not increase the voltage to your device it will draw the amount of current it needs.. my device is 20amp and I plug it into the 30amp, will the device just draw what is needed from the 30amp or will 30 amps be hammering my device and burn it up?