I'm months away from delivery of my Scamp 13 and have many questions. Hopefully this is easy and inexpensive. What type of electrical outlet do I need to have to power my Scamp at home? The outlets on camp pedestals look different.
Sun, 04/17/2016 - 20:27
#1
Electrical plug question
A 15 amp outlet will work with the proper adaptor. A 30 amp RV outlet is what the pedestals have.
On 15 amps, you have to watch your power usage.
Currently a 32 foot Winnebago Class C
2010 Subaru Forester
2 fur kids
Thanks for information. I'll give my electrician a call.
Joe
Central Wisconsin
No need to call your electrician unless you want full 30 amp service at home, and that is usually not needed. Just get a 15 amp male to 30 amp Female (RV) adapter at Walmart or most anywhere. (In fact Scamp might give one to you with a new trailer, most RV dealers do). And then make sure you keep your power draw under 15 amps. IMHO that means no Air conditioning but most everything else will run fine, just maybe not all at once. I.E. dont run a electric heater, and microwave at the same time for example.
If you house has a handy 20 amp outlet then you can get an similar adapter that is also rated 20 amps. IMHO you could then run the AC but should not run anything else at the same time.
The 15 amp version will work fine for keeping your battery charged, using lights, the vent fan and the like.
The 30 amp RV outlet is 120v only! However, it looks a LOT like a 220v 3 prong dryer outlet! Many, many professional electricians have mistakenly wired this outlet up as 220v and burned up the electronics in RVs. That is a very easy mistake for them to make. They see a lot of the 220v outlets and almost never see the 120v outlet. When the electrician has finished, have him plug a voltage tester into the outlet and SHOW YOU that it is reading ONLY 120v!
Currently a 32 foot Winnebago Class C
2010 Subaru Forester
2 fur kids
If my Scamp is plugged into a 30 amp outlet will that charge the battery also?
Joe
Central Wisconsin
As long as you have the standard converter (aka charger) or the equivalent, then yes, anytime you are plugged into "shore power" (15, 20, 30 or even 50 amp service with the right adapter). No worries,, it will be clear once you get hands on.
Unless you have a need to run your Air Conditioner and/or Microwave, you won't need to have an Electrician install a 30 Amp ( 120 Volt) outlet. Whenever we park our camper at the house we run a heavy duty "Contractors" extension cord to the camper to get the battery fully charged up and to power the Fantastic Fan and lights while we are loading the camper.
Whenever you have your trailer plugged into a 120 Volt outlet your Converter will automatically charge your battery and supply all the power you will need to operate your 12 volt systems (lights, water pump, fans, etc.).
If you want to run your high power appliances (Microwave, Air Conditioner, Hair Dryer, etc.) then you need to be plugged into the higher 30 Amp Service.
I would suggest you wait to determine if you really need the 30 Amp outlet before you get one installed.
If you decide to go ahead with the 30 Amp outlet MAKE CERTAIN IT IS WIRED AS 120 VOLTS and NOT 240 VOLTS !!!
Many an RVer has had a "Know-It-All" Electrician wire their outlet as 240 Volts and had all their electrical systems blown out in the RV.
As Always,
Happy Scamping !!!
And, code requires garage and exterior fixtures to be GFCI. Unless it's a nice new one, preferably a 20 amp GFCI (from Lowes for $15 - DIY), it'll trip all the time. If you're going to have a 2nd 'fridge in the garage, don't have it "downstream" of a GFCI: Lots of spoiled food from that set up.
30 amp and 50 amp outlets are exempt from that requirement.
Also, I don't know why you say a GFCI outlet will trip all the time. If there is no wiring problem in the trailer, it won't trip a GFCI outlet.
Currently a 32 foot Winnebago Class C
2010 Subaru Forester
2 fur kids
There's a handy device available for about $30 called a "Kill A Watt". Put it between your power source and trailer to see exactly what you're using. The meter will also show if there's a voltage drop (not a good thing). Try your lights and appliances singly and in combination and make a usage chart. With this information, you'll know exactly what you can safely use while plugged in to a 100 foot cord in your relative's back yard. Additionally, if the cord gets warm, you're drawing too much. I found that the AC in our 16' only draws 750 watts. Many GFCIs will trip with the morning dew. You're not apt to need a 30 amp plug while parked at home keeping the battery charged and the refrigerator cold. Hope this helps.
Lynn
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