Shore Power for Dummies

[user 22017]

I bought a 2004 travel trailer and want to plug it into an extension cord that plugs into an outdoor receptacle on my porch. But when I tried doing this with my truck camper a couple years ago I read that you shouldn't plug directly into your house outlets.

I bought three adapters or dog bones. Will any of these work? And, if anyone has a link to trailer electrical systems for dummies, I'd appreciate it.

Camco PowerGrip 30AM/15AF Camper/RV Electrical Adapter | Features 30-Amp Male & 15-Amp Female Connections ​

Camco 12" PowerGrip Dogbone Electrical Adapter with Handle | 30 amp Male to 15 amp Female

Camco Heavy-Duty Electrical Dogbone Adapter, 50 Amp Male to 30 Amp Female, 18 Inches ​

 

[user 22017]

I found a page that explains things, but I have a question. Most houses have the ordinary 3 prong (that requires an adapter due to the ground)? And most trailers have 30 AMP? So I need a 30 to 15?

The trailer gets delivered tomorrow. Maybe it will make more sense seeing it. Next up: Batteries for Dummies

First off, if your outlet has 4 prongs- three flattened and a round prong on the top, making a diamond shape, chances are that the outlet you are looking at is a 50 AMP.

If it is a 30 AMP it will have three prongs that form more of a triangle in shape. The 15/20 AMP outlets look like regular household outlets and those are two-pronged.

 

[maki2]

I found a page that explains things, but I have a question. Most houses have the ordinary 3 prong (that requires an adapter due to the ground)? And most trailers have 30 AMP? So I need a 30 to 15?

The trailer gets delivered tomorrow. Maybe it will make more sense seeing it. Next up: Batteries for Dummies

First off, if your outlet has 4 prongs- three flattened and a round prong on the top, making a diamond shape, chances are that the outlet you are looking at is a 50 AMP.

If it is a 30 AMP it will have three prongs that form more of a triangle in shape. The 15/20 AMP outlets look like regular household outlets and those are two-pronged.

You did not say what kind of trailer it is. If it is a travel trailer that typically has an electrical input connection on the exterior., it could be 30 amp or possibly 50. If it is a cargo trailer it won’t have anything in the way of electrical except perhaps a battery on the trailer younger wired to a couple of 12v lights inside.

If it is a travel trailer the adapters for using an electrical extension cord from a home to a 30 amp inlet on the outside of the trailer are easy to find in Hardware Store and RV supply stores, sometimes in auto supply stores as well.

 

[mpruet]

If you trailer is wired for thirty amp, and your house outlet is wired 15/20 amp, you’ll need a 15 to 30 amp converter, not 30 to 15.

The risk is that you can trip a breaker in your house if you try to turn on too many electrical items in your rig and exceed 15 amp usage.

 

[Camper]

You need the one mpruet links above.

 

[Camper]

I prefer a more heavy duty dog bone though, here's the one I use.

The link works for me even with the message:

https://www.amazon.com/Camper-Adapt...ead-bf15-c990687dd92f&pd_rd_i=B06XV77WJ6&th=1

 

[bullfrog !]

Lol!!! If you plug in to shore power/ grid/ full hookups you will have a whole box full of different adapters. Also just because the plug fits doesn’t mean it is wired right! Get on of the cheap outlet testers and always check before you plug anything in! Get used to running one thing at a time and don’t leave things you are not using plugged in especially during lightening storms. When you start living on solar and batteries you will have already formed some of the needed good habits.

 

[user 22017]

You did not say what kind of trailer it is. If it is a travel trailer that typically has an electrical input connection on the exterior., it could be 30 amp or possibly 50. If it is a cargo trailer it won’t have anything in the way of electrical except perhaps a battery on the trailer younger wired to a couple of 12v lights inside.

If it is a travel trailer the adapters for using an electrical extension cord from a home to a 30 amp inlet on the outside of the trailer are easy to find in Hardware Store and RV supply stores, sometimes in auto supply stores as well.

I should have written down the model when I saw it last night. I bought it off marketplace and the man is delivering it today. It is a travel trailer. It says Coachman AND Shasta on the front and side. Plus Oasis. 2004. Middle dinette, front full bed, bunks and rear toilet/tub. 25-26 foot.

Thanks Maki.

 

[user 22017]

If you trailer is wired for thirty amp, and your house outlet is wired 15/20 amp, you’ll need a 15 to 30 amp converter, not 30 to 15.

The risk is that you can trip a breaker in your house if you try to turn on too many electrical items in your rig and exceed 15 amp usage.

Oh darn. Thank you!

 

[Camper]

You will be fine... no worries.

 

[user 22017]

Lol!!! If you plug in to shore power/ grid/ full hookups you will have a whole box full of different adapters. Also just because the plug fits doesn’t mean it is wired right! Get on of the cheap outlet testers and always check before you plug anything in! Get used to running one thing at a time and don’t leave things you are not using plugged in especially during lightening storms. When you start living on solar and batteries you will have already formed some of the needed good habits.

Thanks. What am I checking for? If it is live?

I don't use many appliances. Just lights, a TV, VCR and PC. No microwave, no blenders. Nothing that uses a lot of amps except the roof air conditioner. I can only use that with shore power. Found this chart last night:

• Coffee maker – 8.3 amps
• Converter – 8 amps
• Hairdryer – 9 to 12 amps
• Microwave – 13 amps
• Refrigerator – 2.8 amps
• Roof a/c 13.5 amps
• TV – 1.5 amps
• Toaster – 8 to 10 amps
• VCR – 2 amps
• Electric skillet- 6 to 12 amps

 

[bullfrog !]

Lots of outlets don’t get grounded or wired properly. They often still work but cause problems. Real pain to have to move after setting up Tester just plugs in and lights up showing possible problems with a series of colored lights. I think I got my last one at Walmart for less than $10. Most newbies forget to turn off the AC and run the microwave when it comes on and blow the breaker, I did several times. Lol!!! If you use lights even though they are 12 volt or the propane heater it’s fan motor will keep the converter running so 8 amps get used up really quickly. While boondocking (not plugged in) in cold weather my batteries would run down below 50% because of the heater which is not good for them over night. I bought an Ecoflow Delta ll so I could charge it during the day with grid power/generator/solar. At night I would use the 12volt outlet on it connected to my house batteries to keep them above 75%.

 

[user 22017]

You will be fine... no worries.

So much to learn, though. I read something last night about not needing WD stabilizers or anti-sway bars, if the tow vehicle is much bigger than the trailer being towed. The guy said the trailer weighs 4,000 pounds. I can tow up to 10,000. So I thought maybe I could skip that stuff.

But just now I read that every trailer over 2000 pounds needs anti-sway bars (or whatever they are called).

 

[user 22017]

Lots of outlets don’t get grounded or wired properly. Tester just plugs in and lights up showing possible problems with a series of colored lights. I think I got my last one at Walmart for less than $10.

Thanks! I'll grab one today.

 

[bullfrog !]

I edited my post just making sure you saw it! Harbor Freight has cheap hitches that I use.

 

[user 22017]

Lots of outlets don’t get grounded or wired properly. They often still work but cause problems. Real pain to have to move after setting up Tester just plugs in and lights up showing possible problems with a series of colored lights. I think I got my last one at Walmart for less than $10. Most newbies forget to turn off the AC and run the microwave when it comes on and blow the breaker, I did several times. Lol!!! If you use lights even though they are 12 volt or the propane heater it’s fan motor will keep the converter running so 8 amps get used up really quickly. While boondocking (not plugged in) in cold weather my batteries would run down below 50% because of the heater which is not good for them over night. I bought an Ecoflow Delta ll so I could charge it during the day with grid power/generator/solar. At night I would use the 12volt outlet on it connected to my house batteries to keep them above 75%.

I forgot my biggest energy hog: a refrigerator. This trailer has a decent size frig. Can I use it as a food pantry? I can't afford to use it as a frig. Will it hurt the frig to not use it? Like how you can kill washing machines and dishwashers from not using them? Should I still try to always be level to protect the frig? Will it matter if I rarely ever use the frig?

I'm getting a small 12v alpicool for a frig. Maybe plug in the big frig when my kids visit.

Edit: I'm going to try to avoid using the furnace. For one thing, I don't want to blow up my trailer. Ugh. So much to learn. Maybe I need to go to Mexico in the winter? Do I really need heat in Arizona? Doesn't it usually warm up during the day ?

 

[bullfrog !]

If your fridge is an RV fridge it will most likely be cooled using multiple sources like propane/12 volt/120 volt. Some newer trailers and some older converted trailers may have regular 120 volt compressor fridges. You can unplug and not use it but being air tight condensation can build up inside it if you don’t open it often. It needs level ground to operate. You may find it isn’t that expensive to operate on propane but yes if you can get by on a small 12 volt compressor fridge why not as the more you can power on solar while boondocking the better. You will use the heater in Arizona at least early mornings and most likely several nights at least if you are anywhere above 2,000’ elevation. The desert gets cold at night and you can not let water lines freeze inside the trailer. RV propane refrigerators probably cause more problems than heaters in my experience. Your water heater is probably propane but can have a 120 volt “hot rod” heating element put in the drain location if you are mainly plugged into 120 volt grid power. In fact if you are plugged into 120 volt grid power furnished free by an employer a couple cheap 120 volt ceramic heaters will easily heat your trailer. Cooking with propane is pretty much a given again unless you are plugged into the 120 volt grid. Your trailer works pretty well as it came for vacation travel between full hookup sites. Boondocking requires much better solar power, a larger battery bank, a generator and propane, water and dump trips to town every few days/weeks. RV living can and is usually cheaper but requires a lot of figuring out the best way for you.

 

[maki2]

You do not have to have heat in Arizona but for sure there are nights in Quartzsite and Yuma that get into the 30s in late December, January and early February. So you will wish be you had a heat source. The old want versus need syndrome. Do you really want to get out of bed when it is in the 30s in the early morning hours?

Get someone to show you how not to blow up your RV. Here at Quartzsite, just last week at La Posa South LTVA a retired fireman held a free teaching session on that very subject. So if you want to learn how to use your heater and other propane appliances there are people here who teach it .. for free!!

 

[Tony's Dream]

I would add crunched up paper towels in your fridge to obsorb moisture in the air. I do this with ice chests, water bottles, and such.....and it works great. Wiring is strange.......you can always use too large of wire and be fine, but never use to small. Generally speaking......15 amp wire (14 gauge) is white and 20 amp wire (12 guage) is yellow. Most appliances like 12 gauge wire (20 amp). If your trailer has 14 guage wire and you plug into a 20 amp breaker....your wires could over heat before the breaker trips. That's why they advise no plugging into your house. Like stated above, use appliances with caution and you will be fine.

 

[Happy Camper]

I'm let everyone else handle your actual question.

Just wanted to say congrats on your new trailer! We'll need pictures and details ASAP lol. Make a new thread and show it off.