30 amp or 50 amp?

[Gardnpondr]

If I post a pic of the end of the electric cord on my Bigfoot will someone tell me what amp it is? I can't remember if it's 30 or 50! Someone told me but now I can't remember. I need to buy the adapter to be able to plug it up to our house amp is that 120 not even sure about that. Anyway got an electrician friend that is going to come by when we do this so he can check everything out for us since it hasn't been plugged in for 4 plus years. So I need to have the right connection do dad to hook it up with to the house. Thank you guys!!!!

[mszabo]

30 amp

[Darral T.]

Here's a 30 Amp socket. The camper side will be male of course.

[Casita Greg]

A 50 Amp plug will be larger, and have 4 prongs on it. Neither will fit into the other, so there's no getting them mixed up.

[Darwin Maring]

We run everything off a 15 Amp outlet with a 12 gauge cord. The only thing we can not do is run the microwave and air conditioner at the same time. Have done this for years. Beats carrying around a really heavy cord.

[gordon2]

But be warned that some AC units can be damaged by running off a 15 amp circuit. I had one that used under 10 amps when running but at startup it needed to be on a 20 amp circuit to avoid damage to the compressor. The higher draw is only for a split second but thats when compressors get damaged. So to the general audience, CHECK YOU MANUAL to see if your AC can run safely on 15 amp circuit.

[Gardnpondr]

Thank you all! We don't have an AC on it yet so that wont be a problem.

Again thank you all very much!!!

[Gardnpondr]

Well she got plugged in this evening and all the lights inside and out worked. The light on the stove hood and the fan as well worked. The fan on the heater worked, the inverter worked and he flipped the switch on the pump and you could hear it as well. We left it on to see if the fridge was working and when I came back later the power was off. Hit the reset button and reset it and when hubby went back later it was off again. Not sure what's going on there. She hasn't been plugged in for years now so I was tickled we had lights. :-) When our friend comes back from offshore they will see if the AC works that he has on an old camper so we can put it on ours if it does. The fridge is the same one that came in the camper when it was bought I guess. It's an 85 Bigfoot camper.

[Daniel A.]

Originally Posted by gordon2

But be warned that some AC units can be damaged by running off a 15 amp circuit. I had one that used under 10 amps when running but at startup it needed to be on a 20 amp circuit to avoid damage to the compressor. The higher draw is only for a split second but thats when compressors get damaged. So to the general audience, CHECK YOU MANUAL to see if your AC can run safely on 15 amp circuit.

True when I added air conditioning I needed to go to 30 amp service to meet code and have a 20 amp circuit for the air conditioner.

I consider it important to meet code as I carry fire insurance and if something went wrong I know my electrical system is going to stand up to inspection.

[Darral T.]

Gordon2;

Just for the record. I see you're purchasing a Scamp. Unless yours is different from my 2010 setup, Scamp chose to use a 15A breaker on my A/C unit WITH Heat Strip! Mine is a Coleman unit and CLEARLY states in the documentation to not use less than 12ga wire and a 20A breaker. I called Kent Eveland's hand on it and like so many other issues, he just blew it off. But it's still wrong. Just to prove my point, I've checked the amperage pull and it's 14A with the heat strip!! Even if you dont have a heat strip, I would demand the 12ga/20A breaker.

Originally Posted by gordon2

But be warned that some AC units can be damaged by running off a 15 amp circuit. I had one that used under 10 amps when running but at startup it needed to be on a 20 amp circuit to avoid damage to the compressor. The higher draw is only for a split second but thats when compressors get damaged. So to the general audience, CHECK YOU MANUAL to see if your AC can run safely on 15 amp circuit.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

Gordon2;

... Scamp chose to use a 15A breaker on my A/C unit WITH Heat Strip! ....

Well thats not good to hear. Even my cheap pop-up had a 20 amp circuit dedicated to the AC only. My biggest concern is the warrantee on the AC unit. If the install is not according to the manufacture's instructions then that could be a problem. The manual that I found, that seems to be for the units that Scamp installs, does specify a 20 amp circuit and breaker, as you stated.

I have a 20 amp outlet in my garage (need to get a 20 amp cord straight to the AC however). I would think as long as the 15 amp breaker does not trip it will be OK. The "locked" or inrush spike in current draw when the compressor comes on is actually like 70 amps, but it for such a short period of time that the 20 amp breaker is good, and hopefully the 15 too.

BTW, if you are using the heat strip then the compressor is not in use so if the breaker trips or the current is insufficient the only concern would be the low power to the fan (assuming otherwise adequate wiring).

[Gardnpondr]

Does anyone know what we need to check to see why we have to keep resetting the switch? I figured I would unplug the fridge to see IF that is what's doing it and that way I would know at least which it is, the lights or the fridge. OHHHH then we also have the inverter, I forgot about that. It could be that as well huh?

[Darwin Maring]

What switch R U talking about? Where is it?

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Darwin Maring

What switch R U talking about? Where is it?

Maybe he means the circuit breaker? Me thinks he needs some in-person attention to this issue.

[Gardnpondr]

The switch is in the box where all the fuses are. It's a reset switch. :-)

[Darwin Maring]

That is a circuit breaker and when it trips it means you are pulling more amps than the breaker will allow.

Now there be more than one switch in that box. The MAIN one that turns off everything and a secondary one that goes only to the device.

If it is the MAIN breaker then you are running to many devices.
If it is the one that only powere a certain device, let's say the air conditioner, then that device is pulling to many amps for that breaker.

If you have adequate wiring that by code will pass the amps required to run that device then you can install a stronger circuit breaker that meets code. You must never install a breaker that is to large for the amp capacity of the wiring.

[Gardnpondr]

Only the fridge was on. No lights or anything else. It doesn't have a AC yet.

Thank you!

[Steve Outlaw]

If you're not overloading the circuit (based on its rated capacity), then it could be a weak breaker thereby making its rated capacity actually lower than is stated on the breaker.

[steve dunham]

The A/C compressor is damaged by voltage drop across the circuit conductors during startup /run mode not by the size of the circuit breaker. Often #12 or #10 AWG wire is used for a 15 amp circuit to compensate for voltage drop . Parking lot lights often use #6 or #4 AWG wire for home runs but the circuit is still fused at 20 amps and considered a 20 circuit. A circuits ampacity is determined by the size of the overcurrent device not by the size of the conductors

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Gardnpondr

If I post a pic of the end of the electric cord on my Bigfoot will someone tell me what amp it is? I can't remember if it's 30 or 50! Someone told me but now I can't remember. I need to buy the adapter to be able to plug it up to our house amp is that 120 not even sure about that. Anyway got an electrician friend that is going to come by when we do this so he can check everything out for us since it hasn't been plugged in for 4 plus years. So I need to have the right connection do dad to hook it up with to the house. Thank you guys!!!!

You need to give a bit more detail as to what exactly was left running - all the items you mentioned? or just the fridge BTW real bad idea to run the water pump if no water in the tanks.

If you were running everything how about turning everything off but the fridge to see if its what is trigger it. Depending on what fridge you have - again details - there will be switch for it - either on the top of the door or on the outside hatch that you can shut it off. If not the fridge then try the other items one at a time......