Is 30 Amp Electric Connection a Problem?

[dale farley]

We plan to go to Yellowstone for several weeks. The place we will be staying only has a 30 amp hookup. Will this setup have any adverse affect on our electric system other than not being able to run everything at one time? I don't think one of the cheater boxes would do me any good, but I've never tried to use one before.

[merle&louise]

Dale,

The cheater adaptor will work very well if you have 2 separate 30 amp connections. It will give you a total of 60 amps for your 50 amp system.

If you can not connect to separate 30 amp connections and you have to run on 30 amps, just watch your amp meters to see how much you are drawing and turn off accessories as needed. You will probably be able to run 1 AC unit off of CG electric; you could always run the other AC off of the inverter.

When we were in Yellowstone (June) it was very cold at night. Don't think you will be needing the AC units, but you never know. Enjoy your trip:D

[Jerry Winchester]

Dale,

We did the 30 amp at Fishing Bridge in Yellowstone with our coach and the only thing we couldn't do was run the electric cook top or run all the Cruisairs at once. But it was cool at night and we really only ran the heat at night then a vent fan with the windows open during the day. When we had to use the stove I fired up the generator. We mostly cooked outside.

I didn't have or use a cheater box but I have one now.

[dale farley]

Jerry,

Would a cheater box have done any good at Fishing Bridge? I obviously don't understand how the box works. I din't think many campground connections had two 30 amp connections that are on different legs so you could end up with 50-60 amps.

[dale farley]

I think I'll get a cheater box just in case I can use it while I'm in Yellowstone. I see one on eBay for $79 including shipping. Has anyone seen one cheaper?

[billbunch47]

Dale, its more simple than you think. Remember in the electrical box we had last week in Tn. it had a 50 amp plug with a breaker, it had an 30 amp plug with breaker, and it had a 15/20 amp plug with breaker. The cheater box uses the 30 amp plug and the 15/20 amp plug at the same time and combines the two to give you a total of 50 amps going into the bus. Bill

[merle&louise]

Dale,

Some CGs, not many, have the power pedestals about 6" apart. There is a municipal CG in Wichita Falls, TX on I-44 that is like this. For instance, site #1 & #2 are parallel but the MHs park in opposite directions, one heading north & the other heading south. If you are in #1 and #2 is unoccupied you can plug in your 30 amp cheater into #2 and hope that no one comes in to #2 during the night.

[dale farley]

Bill, That does sound simple enough.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Would one of you guys that has a Cheater Box, be a little more specific about the unit, please? Like mfg. or actual names of these little darlings?

I would like to find one as well.

Thanks

Gary S.

[gmcbuffalo]

Is there any way to determine if there is two separate circuits without taqking the front panel of the box?
GregM

[billbunch47]

Yes, It has two seperate breakers for the two plugs.Bill

[dale farley]

Gary,

The best deal I've found on one is from Dyer RV on eBay. I just bought one for $69.98 plus $8.98 shipping. Here are a couple other links for the box. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=022&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=350051363495&rd=1


http://www.tweetys.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6765



http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-power-cords/rv-electrical-plugs.htm

[garyde]

Ok, here's the answer to the question regarding 240 volt and cheater boxes. At a RV park, if they only have 30 amp, 120 volt recepticles at your site, odds are the 20 amp, 120 volt recepticle at your site is the same phase and will not give you 240 volt to your cheater box.
It is possible however, that the site next to you, may be on another circuit and phase, which would give you 240 volt to your cheater box when plugging into the two seperate site pedestals.
With a volt meter, which can measure up to 300 volts minimum, one can test the cheater box after plugging in your two cords to determine if you have 240 volts.
If you do not, you will still have two seperate 30 amp sources to your cheater box, but any 240 volt loads in your coach will not work, ie; stove, range, washer/dryer. Additionally, you may get a polarity warning, if your systems are configured to accept only 240 volt input.
As far as using just one 30 amp, 120 volt connection, my coach states to turn off one of my invertors while in use and to manage loads as needed.

[jonnie]

Just one question. Can you use the cheater box with a ground fault?

[Larry W]

With a cheater box wired correctly you will have two 30 amp legs. This is a total of 60 amps but is only 30 on each leg. When using the 50 amp box we use most of the time you have 50 amps on each leg. To use the idea of 60 amps would be the same as saying you have 100 amps with two 50 amp legs.
With a cheater box one can not run all the items that a 50 amp service will carry.

[dale farley]

John, You can't use the cheater box on a ground fault circuit.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Some coaches can use a cheater on a GFCI receptacle IF...the converter installed a transfer switch that establishes ground continuity before it accepts shore power.

Right now I only know of one converter's products that will do that and that is Thompson. It may not be on all his coaches, but I do know he used what he called "soft starts" so that anytime there was a change in the power source, such as from inverters to shore power, it not only powered down components to reduce or eliminate switching heavy loads, but it also provided continuity first.

His coaches had other features on the electrical system as well such as managing power based on what was available automatically so virtually no user input was required.

[dale farley]

My comment that "you can't use the cheater box on a GFI circuit" was based on the guidelines by the sellers of the box. I am sure Jon is right that there exceptions, but evidently there have been enough problems that they just say, "don't do it."

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Actually, to be more precise, we cannot plug the typical coach into a GFCI circuit without tripping it, with or with or without a cheater box. Our ground is established through the power outlet box, and by the time that happens it has tripped.