Is 30 Amp Electric Connection a Problem?

[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/eB...051363495&rd=1


http://www.tweetys.com/index.asp?Pag...OD&ProdID=6765



http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/r...ical-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.