Hi guys, I have a 12’ trailer I want to put electric in. I have a pretty good grasp but I need a couple things answered.
I plan on staying away from RV parks and just using campsite electric (15/20amps).
My plan is to run 2 extension cords to inlets with circuit breakers, then run outlets from there on 2 separate circuits.
I have calculated the amps and watts of what I might run and theres no issue really except my induction cooker and heater.
My questions are:
1: If the campsite has 15amp plug in, can I run that 15amp extension power into a 20amp circuit breaker box?? I want to spec them at 20amp just in case the campsite does have 20amps so i can have a little extra power
2: If the answer to above is yes, what if the pedestal is offering 15amps and I start pulling 17-18amps…the breaker wont pop and thats unsafe right??
Thanks in advance!
Sorry I forgot to mention everything would be rated at 20 A so all of the wiring including the extension cords from the campsite pedestal to my electrical inlets, the breakers and all of the receptacles.
In my experience most campsites (if there even is electric) are normally 20/30/50 amps
1.) Yes, but you want might want to make sure you have a really heavy duty outdoor cord as it may get hot. We used to take a 15amp to 30amp adapter and plug that into our old conversion van and run our AC unit. That cord would get hot, but not near enough to be dangerous. You couldn’t plug much else into the standard outlet though or it would pop the breaker for the outlet, not the one in our van.
2.) I guess I sort of answered that in number one. There should be a breaker on the other side to protect the outlet. That is the breaker that would pop.
1 Like
Greetings!
Heating, cooling, cooking, refrigeration, and hot water are all best accomplished with fuel. Perhaps that fuel is for a generator to give you more power than the campground has available.
Being comfortable and self sustainable off the grid is priceless, and non-electric tent sites are also much cheaper and often more available.
Cheers!
"Be creative & recycle, reuse, & repurpose." ~ The Camper Van Man
2 Likes
Thanks for the reply! Ill probably go ahead and do that then. It would be worth it to have that adapter as well if needed.
Greetings!
Adapters are always good, I have 20, 30, & 50 amp adapters. They take up very little space, and it is best to be prepared. Also pick up an electrical connection tester, many of the outlets at campgrounds are wired wrong, and can cause you lots of problems. That’s just one of the reasons why I rarely use them.
I can go 2 full weeks on battery power alone, and that includes running my air conditioner (swamp cooler) full time. Another trick is to add an inverter close to your starting battery, then run an extension cord back to your trailer, so you can plug a battery charger in to charge your trailer’s batteries while you drive. AC can have a smaller line, and not suffer the losses that running 12v that far would.
Cheers!
"Be creative & recycle, reuse, & repurpose." ~ The Camper Van Man
1 Like
Thanks Van Dweller. My next trailer I plan on going the full 9 yds and adding solar, battery power with inverter. Might be back here asking in a couple years 
Thanks
1 Like