Extension cord or not?

ga993

Member
I have a 34BHDS, which is 30 amp. I am about to park behind my M-I-L's house for a week while we visit. She has a 220v outlet in a room somewhat near where I will be parked, but I will still need to buy a 220v extension cord. All I am really concerned about running is the A/C. Can I just use my 110 adapter and run my normal extension cord to a 110 outlet, or will the A/C overrun the circuit? Thanks in advance.

brandon
 

danemayer

Well-known member
I've been able to run A/C in front of the house plugged into a 110V 20Amp circuit. However, there are other things in the house that use that circuit. It won't take much to pop the breaker.

I'm pretty sure you CANNOT use the 220 line without damaging your appliances. Your cord may fit, but your RV uses 110V. Plug into 220V and I'm pretty sure you'll fry everything in your rig.
 

ga993

Member
Thanks Dan, glad I asked. So, then, these outlets at RV sites are 110v and not like the one that say the dryer in my house uses?
 

recumbent615

Founding MA Chapter Leader-retired
I have a 34BHDS, which is 30 amp. I am about to park behind my M-I-L's house for a week while we visit. She has a 220v outlet in a room somewhat near where I will be parked, but I will still need to buy a 220v extension cord. All I am really concerned about running is the A/C. Can I just use my 110 adapter and run my normal extension cord to a 110 outlet, or will the A/C overrun the circuit? Thanks in advance.

brandon


I would not hook up to 220! You can safely hook up to a 110v outlet but chances are the AC will over load most standard 15 amp household outlets and trip the breaker in the house.
 

MTPockets

Well-known member
I run my A/C with no trouble plugging into house outlet.... Plug it in and see if it runs... It won't hurt anything .... You may pop a breaker if you try to run other than a couple lights.
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
I run my A/C with no trouble plugging into house outlet.... Plug it in and see if it runs... It won't hurt anything .... You may pop a breaker if you try to run other than a couple lights.

Sometimes a 20 amp circuit will run the AC, but not much else. A 15 amp circuit is maxed out on one AC. I've never been able to get one to stay on.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
You could use a 220 circuit but you would need to build a plug to adapt your 30 amp RV cord. Just find out which specific type 220 outlet configuration it is and only use one 110 leg and the common and the ground. I've done it before on both a dryer outlet and an electric range outlet.
 

porthole

Retired
If the house isn't more then 20 years old there is a good chance the garage will have 20 amp circuits, that will run one AC, maybe even the hot water heater at the same time if you run the heater first to get the water hot.
 

John_F

Member
I'd avoid using the dryer outlet making an adapter. Dryer outlets are (typically) only three prong, so while you would get a hot and neutral, you would not have a ground. Bad idea, especially if you don't have a good grounding (pun intended) in electrical wiring.

I agree with the "look for a 20 amp outlet in the garage" or even a utility room.
 

sjs731

Well-known member
I leave my rig plugged into a 110v outlet on a 20 amp circuit while it sits in my driveway. I use a standard 14/3 extension cord. This past weekend we had people over and some stayed in the 5er in the driveway. I turned the air on for them and after a while I grabbed the cord and it was HOT. I grabbed the 50 amp cord and the adapters to get it down to the standard home outlet and it was fine. 12 gauge would probably be better.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
I'd avoid using the dryer outlet making an adapter. Dryer outlets are (typically) only three prong, so while you would get a hot and neutral, you would not have a ground. Bad idea, especially if you don't have a good grounding (pun intended) in electrical wiring.

I agree with the "look for a 20 amp outlet in the garage" or even a utility room.

John,

A 3-wire 220V dryer outlet is 2 hots and NO neutral. It would be absolute disaster to plug your RV into that.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
You could use a 220 circuit but you would need to build a plug to adapt your 30 amp RV cord. Just find out which specific type 220 outlet configuration it is and only use one 110 leg and the common and the ground. I've done it before on both a dryer outlet and an electric range outlet.
Done the same as well as used a welder outlet in the shop with the proper adapter hand wired. All of mine have had the ground but not the safety ground at the outlet.
 

lwmcguir

Well-known member
If the house isn't more then 20 years old there is a good chance the garage will have 20 amp circuits, that will run one AC, maybe even the hot water heater at the same time if you run the heater first to get the water hot.
Ours has the 20 amp circuits in the garage and for visitors that seems to work fine.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
The Dryer cord I adapted looked like the one on the left side of this LINK. I would certainly not advise anyone to incorrectly wire their RV. A little common sense OK? That's not to say some folks might try it. Just sayin...
 

porthole

Retired
The Dryer cord I adapted looked like the one on the left side of this LINK. I would certainly not advise anyone to incorrectly wire their RV. A little common sense OK? That's not to say some folks might try it. Just sayin...


3-Prong-And-4-Prong-Electric-Dryer-Cords-400.jpg

The 4 prong is now the code required connection.
The 3 prong used to be for residential only and the 4 was for trailers and mobile homes.
Now all are required to have the 4 prong.

3 wire did not have a ground
 

ga993

Member
Hi, I am the original poster to this thread. I just parked my TT in the driveway to test the matter. I used a 110v outlet adapter on my trailer plug, and plugged into my garage outlet. I used a normal extension cord that I use for my blower, etc. and it blew my circuit breaker within minutes. My house is only 6 years old. Am I doing something incorrect, like wrong extension cord?
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Hi, I am the original poster to this thread. I just parked my TT in the driveway to test the matter. I used a 110v outlet adapter on my trailer plug, and plugged into my garage outlet. I used a normal extension cord that I use for my blower, etc. and it blew my circuit breaker within minutes. My house is only 6 years old. Am I doing something incorrect, like wrong extension cord?

You can check your breaker box for the house to see what amperage is used for the garage circuit. It may be just 15 amps. If it's 20, then make sure nothing else is plugged into that circuit drawing power. Also, it could be that your AC unit pulls a large load when it's cyclying on.
 

ga993

Member
Thanks Gus, I looked and the breaker that is blowing is 15 amps. So, does it need to be 20a or higher?
brandon
 
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