The buddy plug

[jelmore]

We'll be meeting up with a buddy in a few weeks and there's one 50 amp service available. On our coach, there is a 50 amp outlet in the electrical bay that they call a buddy plug. Not sure how that works.

When the other coach is plugged in to it, I know that both coaches share the same 50 amp service. I'm wondering if the load from the other coach will show up on my control panel. And is it wired so that it will get service from either shore power or generator power? The house circuits are protected by two 70 amp breakers. I wonder if those are before or after the buddy plug.

Curious to know before the event.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Clarify you say there is only 1 50 amp service? Are you saying that source is a plug in some where or that source is YOUR gen and plug?

[jelmore]

There's only one 50 amp service where we'll both be at the same time. This is the guy with the 1991 Country Coach that might need your air system help. I was thinking I could plug into the 50 amp service and he could plug into my buddy plug.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Well does that thing have a propane fridge and a propane hot water heater?

If so and you limit him to 1 a/c he will only need 20amp continuous.

It will be interesting to find out if it shows up on your display. We could have tested that here, oh well.

You could give him the plug and run your gen yourself. What is the matter with his.

[jelmore]

Well, it's his family's place and he offered me the plug. Thought I should share. Yes we could run the generator, but that week of dry camping used a BUNCH of fuel. Not that there's anything wrong with it. And I'm not complaining, I was just surprised to see a quarter tank of fuel gone! I hadn't done that before.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

I think if his is a propane coach it will work very comfortably. If it is all electric you will both really have to share.

[garyde]

I will have to re read about the buddy plug, my first guess would be it is not connected to your Gen or panels but instead T's off of the incoming shore power.

[jack14r]

The buddy plug only works off the generator,I do not know if it shows up on the amp panel.

[jelmore]

Thanks Jack. I confirmed that by reading my manual! It only provides power from the generator. It's interesting going back and re-reading the instructions. Everything makes a lot more sense now than it did two years ago.

[jimshoen]

My buddy plug works off the generator only, too. Any power being drawn through the buddy plug does show up on the monitoring system.