Camper hook up to house. Help please

work2play2

Banned again & will band again soon
I'm buying a camper for my kids for Christmas. I want to be able to plug it up to my house. I have absolutely 0 know how or electrician skills. Any ideas of what I need or how to start this process. Is it in death? Thanks
 

transfixer

Senior Member
What size camper are we talking about ? New ? or older model ?


Depending one what appliances are in the camper, you will need to plug into either a 50amp circuit, or probably a 30amp, houses don't usually have plugins with that many amps, you'll probably need to call an electrician and have him add a breaker to your box and run a line and outlet for the camper,
 

WayneB

Senior Member
Most important is the camper 30 Amp or 50 Amp?

30Amp you can use a cord end adapter and convert to a regular household 20 amp receptacle and a drop cord to the house. Short term, no wiring needed. It will run the AC or microwave, not both at once.
50 Amp models use a dryer or range type plug, which is a 220v hookup.

Are you looking for a long term or temporary hookup?
 

T-N-T

Senior Member
20 amp plugs will be the death of the AC.
Might run for a little while. But will likely result in changing parts as a result
 

WayneB

Senior Member
20 amp plugs will be the death of the AC.
Might run for a little while. But will likely result in changing parts as a result

Been running mine this way for years when at home, only replaced the filters.
 

NE GA Pappy

Mr. Pappy
Most important is the camper 30 Amp or 50 Amp?

30Amp you can use a cord end adapter and convert to a regular household 20 amp receptacle and a drop cord to the house. Short term, no wiring needed. It will run the AC or microwave, not both at once.
50 Amp models use a dryer or range type plug, which is a 220v hookup.

Are you looking for a long term or temporary hookup?


Wrong.. No RV is a 220v hookup. they are all 110 v

Get someone who knows RVs to come and wire it up.

You can fry a lot of expensive parts quickly
 

T-N-T

Senior Member
Been running mine this way for years when at home, only replaced the filters.

You are a lucky feller. It kills the solenoid to the compressor for most people.
 

WayneB

Senior Member
Wrong.. No RV is a 220v hookup. they are all 110 v

Get someone who knows RVs to come and wire it up.

You can fry a lot of expensive parts quickly

no sir, the 50 Amp plugs are 220v.
Please research this further.
Two legs of 110v to the bus (220v), however there are few actual dual breakers resulting in a handful of 110v circuits.
Notably, driers come in 110v and 220v for RV use, 2 A/C units are generally one per leg 110v x2 circuits.
End result; the panel is 220v, breaker and circuit choice define the end voltage.
 

WayneB

Senior Member
You are a lucky feller. It kills the solenoid to the compressor for most people.

I've had the A/C fail to start due to something else drawing load; inverter charger, electric side of water heater, microwave.
Worst case the start capacitor fails to start the compressor, usually trips the 20 circuit feeding the camper.

Now I won't tell you I've roasted a few cord end adapters pulling more than I shoulda..:biggrin2:
 

Big7

The Oracle
Wire a 50 amp circuit using one of these on the house ... http://www.homedepot.com/p/Connecti...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CNKoiKLqvdYCFSVmwQodDZsClg

If the camper is 30 amp use one of these ... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014A0IR...t=&hvlocphy=9011297&hvtargid=pla-360040550520

You can always down size a 50 amp ...but you cannot up size a 30 amp circuit to get 50 amps ...

There you go.

I had a 30 footer not long ago.
Ran on 30 as long as the AC and microwave were not going at the same time. One or the other is fine.
NOT BOTH.

50 will run it all.

The trick is to get the heaviest cord you can find.
10 or even 8 ga. wire.

Been there, done that! ;)
 

fndrbndr

Member
If you plug a 50 amp camper cord into your dryer plug in be sure to take a video because it will let all the smoke out of everything that's plugged in.
 

WayneB

Senior Member
If you plug a 50 amp camper cord into your dryer plug in be sure to take a video because it will let all the smoke out of everything that's plugged in.

negative sir.
As stated earlier, research this and you will find the wiring is the same as a dryer or range, 220V.
the house panel in the camper and the type of breakers determine the end voltage at the receptacles.

You will never be able to connect 220V on one leg from a residential panel.
You 'could' connect two legs of 208V from a 3 phase service, any 1st year apprentice electrician would know the difference in an instant.
3 phase is not commonly utilized in anything residential or campgrounds...
 

fndrbndr

Member
negative sir.
As stated earlier, research this and you will find the wiring is the same as a dryer or range, 220V.
the house panel in the camper and the type of breakers determine the end voltage at the receptacles.

You will never be able to connect 220V on one leg from a residential panel.
You 'could' connect two legs of 208V from a 3 phase service, any 1st year apprentice electrician would know the difference in an instant.
3 phase is not commonly utilized in anything residential or campgrounds...

His camper. Don't really care. Just trying to save him some money. Had an electrician wire up for my 50 amp camper. I asked him if I could just plug it into dryer circuit and he told me no. Said it would fry everything in the camper. I'm not going to take a chance. I have too much money in this one.
 
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