survival for a week on 30amp plug on all elect coach

[robertglines1]

possible? 3 air conditioners  - electric cook top---electric hot water heater--hair dryer---- 50 amp shore cord but only a 30 amp receptacle and a 20 amp at pedestal.   First of all I have a split system with one air and hot water heater on it.Primary system is on main 50 amp shore line. Primary I simply have adapter to 30 amp plug and power manage loads: no elect toaster with two ac on or no cook top with two ac on--you have major power eaters  hair dryers ,air cond,toasters,toaster ovens,cook tops=no more than 2 on at one time!  You say how about other ac and hot water heater. I have them on a separate system and run a separate power/shore cord to the 20 amp outlet on the pedestal to supply them. When on generator power I have a 20 amp dedicated outlet in utility bay to plug 2ND diary shore power(20amp) into.

[David Anderson]

Sure it's possible.   We do it often.  We once had to manage on a 20 amp plug.  Just shed loads.  My Trace SW2512 tells us our amp draw and I just shed loads to use the appliance that I want.  I've got my wife trained really well to do this.   It's part of the RV living experience.  However, we don't have an electric cooktop, so you experience will be different with that.  You may just have to use your microwave only.

David

[TomC]

If I had an all electric bus (the only propane I have is the stove and furnace), I would build a generator compartment that was double walled insulated with roof top exhaust stack.  I once walked by a 4905 Buffalo and suddenly felt warm air on my leg.  It was the generator exhaust that was completely silent!  I couldn't hear a generator running until I put my ear on the bus-then it sounded like something running in the distance.  Then you can just simply run your generator when you want to cook.

Other ways is to have a load sharing inverter.  Then when you're over power pole output, the inverter kicks in for the overload.  Good Luck, TomC

[rv_safetyman]

David, it sounds like you are using the ammeter in the Trace to do your shedding.  If it  is a full sine wave, you can set the input amperage and it will make up the difference when you need the current.  I do this a bunch at the relatives and set the input current for 12 amps. 

You have to be careful, if you do this,  as you can quickly run the batteries down if you go crazy.  We do not have the ACs on the inverter, but we would not want to run them on that small of a circuit anyway.  The batteries build back up at night when there is no significant current draw.

Be aware that not all 30 amp circuits are 30 amp.  We have been in a couple of campgrounds, where the breakers must have been very old and tripped well below 30 amps.

Jim

[David Anderson]

Jim,

You read me well.  I have used the amp setting to keep the loads from tripping the park pedestal.  I'll use the batteries just a bit to maybe run 2 air conditioners for a while to cool the front of the coach on a hot day, but I only do it for a while and never leave it unattended. 

My AC's pull 16 amps each while running, so two will pull 32 amps.  I'll let the batts provide 4~5 amps for a few minutes then kill one AC after the coach is cooled down.  It has worked well for 10 years for me.

David