rondeb
Pacific Northwest
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It seems like I have read somewhere that you can not have the RV plugged in if you are running the generator. We are in New Jersey and the power has gone out in the campground. Temps are still 90 so we have to have AC. I unplugged the RV and started the generator, but does anyone know if you can leave the RV plugged in.
Also, does anyone have a good suggestion as to how you can tell when the power comes back on. We keep going outside and looking around, but most everyone has their generators on so it is hard to tell if the power is back on.
Thanks for the info.
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hotpepperkid
Chino Hills CA
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If your talking about an RV that has a built in generator it most likely has an automatic transfer switch. So if there is shore power the gen is disconnected.
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rv2go
Fulltime (Knoxville, TN).... or someplace else
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On RV's with an auto transfer switch, the generator will have priority over shore power when it is running. Some may disagree, but I do not like to shift from one to the other without shedding a heavy load such as an air conditioner.
Maybe the CG has some lights that will come on when the power is restored.
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Dutch_12078
Great Sacandaga Lake, NY
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I had a similar situation a couple of years ago, when lightening knocked out the CG power. The repair estimate was 6-8 hours, so we cranked up the generator to run the AC's. To let us know when shorepower was restored, I hung a lead light I carry in my tool bin outside a window, and plugged it into a 20 amp outlet in the CG panel.
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The Texan
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I run mine that way all the time. No harm done to either coach generator or the shore power system over the last 8 years.
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rondeb
Pacific Northwest
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The generator is built in. Is there an auto transfer switch somewhere or how do I know if there is an auto transfer capability. This is the first time that we have had to actually use the generator other than just exercising it so not quite sure how to deal with this. I unplugged the RV from the electrical post and started the generator. Do I have to unplug from shore power? We just discovered the power has come back on so I turned the genset off and then plugged the RV back in.
In the future I would love to be able to go to bed with the RV plugged in with the genset running and then if the power came back on, it would shut down the genset and start running on shore power. Is this how the transfer would work? What shuts down the generator.
While I have your attention LOL another quick question regarding shore power. Is there an issue at all when using a 50 amp plug with a pigtail to 30 amp. We had to use this setup a few days ago. Didn't seem to make any difference, but I really don't know if this can create a problem or not
Thanks for any and all your inputs.
* This post was
edited 07/23/10 09:16pm by rondeb *
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rlking
Ojai, CA
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With my 2005 Hurricane, in order to run both AC's, I have to start the generator. I have 30 amp service which will not furnish enough power for both. In an earlier, 1976 Pace Arrow, I had to unplug the generator to plug in the shore power line. There was no auto transfer sw.
Bob
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Golden_HVAC
Fulltime, CA, USA
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rondeb wrote:The generator is built in. Is there an auto transfer switch somewhere or how do I know if there is an auto transfer capability. This is the first time that we have had to actually use the generator other than just exercising it so not quite sure how to deal with this. I unplugged the RV from the electrical post and started the generator. Do I have to unplug from shore power? You do not need to unplug IF the automatic transfer switch is working right. We just discovered the power has come back on so I turned the genset off and then plugged the RV back in.
In the future I would love to be able to go to bed with the RV plugged in with the genset running and then if the power came back on, it would shut down the genset and start running on shore power. Is this how the transfer would work? What shuts down the generator. The generator will be shut off by you - hopefully when the campground manager comes around to tell everyone that the power is back on, or that it is 10 pm, shut off the generator and suffer until morning when you can restart it at 8 am.
While I have your attention LOL another quick question regarding shore power. Is there an issue at all when using a 50 amp plug with a pigtail to 30 amp. We had to use this setup a few days ago. Didn't seem to make any difference, but I really don't know if this can create a problem or not
Thanks for any and all your inputs.
The 50 to 30 amp adaper is a good idea when you can use it, as the 50 amp receptical at the campground is normally never overloaded, while the 30 amp is frequently overloaded.
When overloaded, the brass contacts start to lose their grip, and this leads to a greater than normal voltage loss across the receptical. I measured 15 volts once - that was about 150 watts heating the receptical - it was very hot, and the voltage returned to normal when I plugged into the 50 amp service and used my 50 to 30 amp adapter.
Your power cord is protected by a 30 amp main breaker inside the RV.
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alid
Newfield, NJ
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If you have an Onan genny you can get a Cummins Onan Energy Command. It plugs right into a later model genny and will automatically start and stop the generator depending on power need and can monitor the outside park power. Onan Energy Command
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rondeb
Pacific Northwest
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Golden_HVAC wrote:rondeb wrote:The generator is built in. Is there an auto transfer switch somewhere or how do I know if there is an auto transfer capability. This is the first time that we have had to actually use the generator other than just exercising it so not quite sure how to deal with this. I unplugged the RV from the electrical post and started the generator. Do I have to unplug from shore power? You do not need to unplug IF the automatic transfer switch is working right. We just discovered the power has come back on so I turned the genset off and then plugged the RV back in.
In the future I would love to be able to go to bed with the RV plugged in with the genset running and then if the power came back on, it would shut down the genset and start running on shore power. Is this how the transfer would work? What shuts down the generator. The generator will be shut off by you - hopefully when the campground manager comes around to tell everyone that the power is back on, or that it is 10 pm, shut off the generator and suffer until morning when you can restart it at 8 am.
While I have your attention LOL another quick question regarding shore power. Is there an issue at all when using a 50 amp plug with a pigtail to 30 amp. We had to use this setup a few days ago. Didn't seem to make any difference, but I really don't know if this can create a problem or not
Thanks for any and all your inputs.
The 50 to 30 amp adaper is a good idea when you can use it, as the 50 amp receptical at the campground is normally never overloaded, while the 30 amp is frequently overloaded.
When overloaded, the brass contacts start to lose their grip, and this leads to a greater than normal voltage loss across the receptical. I measured 15 volts once - that was about 150 watts heating the receptical - it was very hot, and the voltage returned to normal when I plugged into the 50 amp service and used my 50 to 30 amp adapter.
Your power cord is protected by a 30 amp main breaker inside the RV.
Thanks. You made it very clear for us non electrical people. LOL
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