Using the truck bed 240v outlet to power an RV

[IWIRE]

Should work fine

Should work fine, but oulet in the cabin/frunk will deliver 2400 watts maximum, but if you need the 3600 watts of one leg you an buy an adapter that will do just that.

Amazon.com: MECMO NEMA L14-30P to TT-30R 30 Amp RV Generator Adapter, 4 Prong 30A L14-30P Locking Male 125/250 Generator Plug to TT-30R Female 30A RV Outlet Heavy Duty 30 Amp RV Generator Power Adapter ETL Listed : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Sponsored

 

[chl]

I'm considering using the 240v 30 amp outlet, i.e. the NEMA L14-30R, in the Lightning truck bed to power my travel trailer. The trailer has a 120v 30 amp plug, i.e. NEMA TT-30P. I would make an adapter wired like this:

I wonder there is any problem using only 1/2 of a 240v outlet with nothing on the other 1/2 of this outlet. Apparently if this is done in a residential system, the power available would be less than if the current draw on both sides were more balanced.

From other posts I have read that is one way to do it.

They didn't mention any issues/problems.

I think it might have been a YouTube video.

 

[hturnerfamily]

many camper owners think that just because they have a '30 amp' camper, that they 'must' use a 30amp outlet: that's not the case. You can use ANY size or type outlet, with an adapter, to bring in power to your camper.

Of course, if the power outlet is MORE amperage than you need, then your camper can use up to it's own 30 amp maximum input...

if the power outlet is LESS amperage, then you need to MANAGE your camper's power usage, making sure to keep things at a minimum, below whatever threshold of the outlet's breaker size, such as 20 amp or 15 amp... most campers can EASILY make use of these smaller outlets, even if needing to run the overhead air conditioner on a lower 20 amp outlet, but you'll also need to limit other items, at the same time, such as the microwave, the water heater, or even the camper's Converter. All of these can be turned off in this situation, when necessary.

the reality is that POWER is POWER, no matter 'what' outlet it is coming from.
It's just up to the USER to manage it for their situation.

For a simple 30 amp camper, which is 120v, there's really NO NEED to make use of the truck's 240v outlet... the simple 'houshold' outlets in the bed do EXACTLY the same thing, and are ALREADY 120v output.
Yes, they do provide up to 30amps of output, regardless of the 'size' of these outlets, because the 240v inverter is a 30amp type. Ford using what is normally considered '20amp' outlets does not change this, or somehow make it 'unsafe'. The outlet does not care, and almost no one would ever use this amount of power from one of these outlets for very long, regardless.

 

[chl]

To answer your question about current, each leg of the 240V split-phase circuit can carry the 30A.

If the split phase output is connected to a 240V circuit, the 30A flows through Hot-1 and Hot-2.

If the split phase output is connected to one 120V circuit only, to Hot-1 and neutral, like with the RV dog-leg, then the 30A flows through the Hot-1 and neutral.

If there were two equally balanced 120V circuits on each leg of the split phase output, one between the Hot-1 and neutral and the other between Hot-2 and neutral, then no net current flows in the neutral because the currents are out of phase.

Because of the split phase, the current in the neutral will not exceed 30A.

The double pole 30A breaker will open if either leg exceeds the rated current.

 

[1Jetpilot]

Anyone recommend an adapter to plug into a 30 Amp 3 prong (common in camp grounds) Lightning to 30 Amp adapter? I want to charge the Lightning at a camp ground and since my RV uses the 50 Amp all that is left is the 30 amp female plug in

 

[mrau]

I want to charge the Lightning at a camp ground and since my RV uses the 50 Amp all that is left is the 30 amp female plug in

If you charge on the 30 amp campground plug it will only be at 120 volts. You won't get much charge into your truck at that rate.... maybe 1.4 kw per hour. May just as well plug a 120V EVSE into a regular outlet.

If possible, I would charge truck from the 50 amp outlet (240 volts) for a few hours then switch plug back to the RV. That should get you about 9.6 kW per hour with a 40 amp EVSE unit.

 

[Ragman]

many camper owners think that just because they have a '30 amp' camper, that they 'must' use a 30amp outlet: that's not the case. You can use ANY size or type outlet, with an adapter, to bring in power to your camper.

Of course, if the power outlet is MORE amperage than you need, then your camper can use up to it's own 30 amp maximum input...

if the power outlet is LESS amperage, then you need to MANAGE your camper's power usage, making sure to keep things at a minimum, below whatever threshold of the outlet's breaker size, such as 20 amp or 15 amp... most campers can EASILY make use of these smaller outlets, even if needing to run the overhead air conditioner on a lower 20 amp outlet, but you'll also need to limit other items, at the same time, such as the microwave, the water heater, or even the camper's Converter. All of these can be turned off in this situation, when necessary.

the reality is that POWER is POWER, no matter 'what' outlet it is coming from.
It's just up to the USER to manage it for their situation.

For a simple 30 amp camper, which is 120v, there's really NO NEED to make use of the truck's 240v outlet... the simple 'houshold' outlets in the bed do EXACTLY the same thing, and are ALREADY 120v output.
Yes, they do provide up to 30amps of output, regardless of the 'size' of these outlets, because the 240v inverter is a 30amp type. Ford using what is normally considered '20amp' outlets does not change this, or somehow make it 'unsafe'. The outlet does not care, and almost no one would ever use this amount of power from one of these outlets for very long, regardless.

While technically you can pull 30 amps via the 120 this is bad advise - 99.99% of 120v cords are not rated for that load especially the ends/sockets.

Try putting your standard 120v store bought cord and run your RV AC for 5 minutes. It will run however your cord ends will be melted.

If you want 30 amp use a proper 30 amp RV cord and the 240/30 plug - yes it’s only 120/30 at camper but nothing will burn down.

 

[climateguy]

"many camper owners think that just because they have a '30 amp' camper, that they 'must' use a 30amp outlet: that's not the case. You can use ANY size or type outlet, with an adapter, to bring in power to your camper...."

"...you need to MANAGE your camper's power usage, making sure to keep things at a minimum"

I just like to put in a few extra bucks and bit more effort to build any electrical system that I work on so that it doesn't require knowledgeable management.

Lets say I think I'm an expert manger. I leave my wife in the camper while I go for a walk. The fridge starts up while she is using the microwave. Then the A/C kicks on. That's 26 amps in my camper.

If I didn't want this situation to ever happen when I am in the camper, I would have to go over to the A/C control and turn it off so the A/C could not start while the microwave was on, then turn the A/C control back on.

Why would I want to manually have to manage my system when I could build it with components that could handle anything the system could normally do?

The Lightning has a 240v 30 amp outlet. I added small extension cord fed by one 120v leg of this outlet, to a 120v 30 amp receptacle near the trailer hitch so I could plug my trailer in easily when hooking it up.

I don't claim to know more than the testing laboratories who rate components, or the people who create the electrical codes.

 

[chl]

Anyone recommend an adapter to plug into a 30 Amp 3 prong (common in camp grounds) Lightning to 30 Amp adapter? I want to charge the Lightning at a camp ground and since my RV uses the 50 Amp all that is left is the 30 amp female plug in

The output is 120V at an RV 3 prong 30A outlet from everything I have read, so Level 1.
Neutral Hot and Ground are the three wires in the female plug-in.

If you could put a 240V outlet on your RV to plug the Lightning mobile charger into, powered by the 50A/240V service you are getting at the camp ground to your RV breaker box, that would give you L2.

The Mobile Power cord draws a max 32A. It's 4-prong dongle uses three of the blades as Hot-1, Hot-2 and Ground:

I drew this after testing the dongle. The Neutral is not connected through the plug (of course the neutral is grounded at the service panel in any split phase system).

Because the three-wire 30A camper outlets are only 120V (TT-30R), you cannot use a simple adapter and get the Mobile Power cord to work at L2 which needs 240V.

However, if there are two TT-30R outlets next to each other that are on different phases of a split phase feed, which I am told is sometimes the case, you can use a dual TT-30 to 14-50 adapter:

Then you will have 240V/30A to power the mobile power cord.

However, if the Mobile Power cord draws 32A (or some say 30A), then the RV 30A outlets will be overloaded.

Also, for continuous loads. like any EVSE, you need to derate to 80% so the source must be 125% of the amperage drawn. So 30A/32A draw requires a 40A source (breaker and wire).

So what you really need is another 50A 240V outlet to charge at L2.

Or just L1 charge at 120V x 20A = 2.4kW

 

[1Jetpilot]

The output is 120V at an RV 3 prong 30A outlet from everything I have read, so Level 1.
Neutral Hot and Ground are the three wires in the female plug-in.

If you could put a 240V outlet on your RV to plug the Lightning mobile charger into, powered by the 50A/240V service you are getting at the camp ground to your RV breaker box, that would give you L2.

The Mobile Power cord draws a max 32A. It's 4-prong dongle uses three of the blades as Hot-1, Hot-2 and Ground:

I drew this after testing the dongle. The Neutral is not connected through the plug (of course the neutral is grounded at the service panel in any split phase system).

Because the three-wire 30A camper outlets are only 120V (TT-30R), you cannot use a simple adapter and get the Mobile Power cord to work at L2 which needs 240V.

However, if there are two TT-30R outlets next to each other that are on different phases of a split phase feed, which I am told is sometimes the case, you can use a dual TT-30 to 14-50 adapter:

Then you will have 240V/30A to power the mobile power cord.

However, if the Mobile Power cord draws 32A (or some say 30A), then the RV 30A outlets will be overloaded.

Also, for continuous loads. like any EVSE, you need to derate to 80% so the source must be 125% of the amperage drawn. So 30A/32A draw requires a 40A source (breaker and wire).

So what you really need is another 50A 240V outlet to charge at L2.

Or just L1 charge at 120V x 20A = 2.4kW

Sounds like I am better off just robbing a 50 Amp at another spot just for the Lightning and just not say anything

 

[hturnerfamily]

there's no reason not to charge your Lightning from your RV's own 120v exterior outlet if you are going to go thru the motions of trying to adapter your EVSE to a 120v 30amp campground outlet - the results are the same: 8-12 amps, at most, of 120v charging, which will take forever, but is feasible if that's what you wish.

In my camping experience, I would use the 50 amp 240v outlet for the LIGHTNING, and use an adapter for the RV to the 30amp 120v outlet, as the RV uses MUCH LESS power than the LIGHTNING, for sure... most ANY camper or RV can survive very easily on 'only' 30 amps, and most campgrounds ONLY have 30 amps.

 

[hturnerfamily]

also, here's a conundrum I just experienced:

While my LIGHTNING's ProPowerOnboard worked easily and perfectly for my last camper, a typical 30amp 120v model, my new camper causes the truck to 'detect' a possible GROUND FAULT and shuts it off. Strange. But, probably not uncommon, as the WIRING for certain GFCI outlet circuits can 'fight' with the truck's own GFCI internal Ground Fault detection.

So, in the end, no matter how I tried to provide power to the camper, whether thru the 30amp 240v Twist-Lock with an adapter, or via one of the bed 20amp 120v outlets, the system just would NOT accept the power, and would fault... EXCEPT when I completely REMOVED the GFCI circuit from the camper's main panel, including the ground AND the neutral wires, after shutting off the breaker.

The GFCI circuit was causing the Ground Fault interruption.
Interestingly, this single GFCI circuit provides power for ALL of the camper's outlets, both inside and out, with the main outlet RESET unit being in the bathroom.

Although replacing the GFCI outlet with a standard outlet is the answer to allow ProPower to work, I suspect the RV industry would frown on such modifications. This is not an uncommon problem, though, as trying to use my home's exterior GFCI outlet to power the camper was also defeated when the home's GFCI outlet tripped. Using one of my home's 'regular' outlets worked just FINE.
GFCI outlets tend to 'fight' each other, at times. It could be the outlet, or it's internal wiring, or it may just be the wiring scheme within the camper's own Main Breaker panel, too.

Hard to know. and aggravating.

 

[Texas Dan]

It’s legal in Texas to ride in a travel trailer being pulled by a truck. I don’t know about people traveling in a travel trailer but I understand that some people let their pets ride in the trailer. Pets or people, in Texas in the summer you’re going to need air conditioning in the trailer if someone/something is going to ride back there.

Has anyone tried to run the the air conditioning in the trailer with Lightning power while driving down the road?

 

[chl]

Sounds like I am better off just robbing a 50 Amp at another spot just for the Lightning and just not say anything

Yes, I think so, or swapping them from one to the other, trailer/Lightning, when convenient.

 

[chl]

It’s legal in Texas to ride in a travel trailer being pulled by a truck. I don’t know about people traveling in a travel trailer but I understand that some people let their pets ride in the trailer. Pets or people, in Texas in the summer you’re going to need air conditioning in the trailer if someone/something is going to ride back there.

Has anyone tried to run the the air conditioning in the trailer with Lightning power while driving down the road?

I read someone who said they did that, don't remember if it was a 240 or a 120 though.

But a word of caution (WARNING) from the owner's manual page 183:

WARNING: Do not use the onboard generator to power a towable item when
your vehicle is in motion unless you are using Ford approved accessories.

Not sure exactly what it means "unless..." no further explanation in the manual, or what would happen if it wasn't.

Obviously a lot could go wrong if the electrical cable came off.

Sponsored