Charging at Campgrounds and RV Parks

[TEG]

Yeah, and I think a fair amount of RVers and park owners may not even ever use the "NEMA14-50" name, but just say "50 amp service".
It is just a given that the NEMA14-50 plug is the 50 amp RV plug.

For instance, searching on eBay for "50 amp RV" returns all sorts of NEMA14-50 equipment that doesn't mention NEMA anywhere.

[kgb]

@dsm

In a pinch, you can charge up 50A at my place in Houston.

I am curious though... when you call the camp grounds, do you have to reserve a whole day? Or do you ask if you can come by for a picnic and a 4 hr charge?

[tomsax]

Most RV park operators are totally ignorant about the basic technical details of they electrical hook-ups. Chad shared some helpful insight after his road trip from Seattle to San Diego and back. RV park operators only talk about the amperage. If you ask about 240V, they may give you wrong info. They think the 120V/30A NEMA TT-30 outlets are 240V. They may not realize their 50A NEMA 14-50s are 240V. So, if you ask about voltage it can go wrong both ways: they might say they have it when the don't and they might say they don't when they do.

So, the vocabulary for talking to RV parks is: ask about 50A service to determine if they have NEMA 14-50. Ask the question any other way and you're likely to get a wrong answer.

30A service is trickier. On the west coast, 30A means 120V/30A NEMA TT-30. I'm not sure that's true in other regions of the country.

I got a 240V/30A NEMA 10-30 pig tail with my RFMC, but I've never seen one of those outlets. I assume they are available somewhere, but I have no idea how to ask about them.

[donauker]

On the west coast, 30A means 120V/30A NEMA TT-30. I'm not sure that's true in other regions of the country.

I got a 240V/30A NEMA 10-30 pig tail with my RFMC, but I've never seen one of those outlets. I assume they are available somewhere, but I have no idea how to ask about them.

The 120V/30A NEMA TT-30 is the only 30 amp connector used on RVs and in campgrounds in my 30+ years of camping experience.

NEMA 10-30 is old style electric dryer
NEMA 14-30 is new style electric dryer
NEMA 10-50 is old style electric range
NEMA 14-50 is new style electric range as well as RV

[TEG]

...They may not realize their 50A NEMA 14-50s are 240V...

Part of the reason is that a lot of the RVs just plug in a "dogbone adapter" and get 120V from the NEMA14-50.
The RV may not actually have any 240V equipment inside. Those dogbone adapters have NEMA14-50 on one side but are listed as 120V since they only connect to one leg of the split phase.

[dsm363]

@dsm

In a pinch, you can charge up 50A at my place in Houston.

I am curious though... when you call the camp grounds, do you have to reserve a whole day? Or do you ask if you can come by for a picnic and a 4 hr charge?

Thanks! One of the managers at The Four Seasons Hotel in Houston has been great and offered to install a NEMA 14-50 50Amp outlet for me and others so that's another option for people visiting Houston if they do it.

I'm more worried about making it to Houston on a single charge which is my I'm looking at taking an hour break somewhere. The people at the Columbus RV park in Texas didn't really have an answer for how much they'd charge since no one had ever asked before. I asked so they're looking into it. I'll let you know.

[vfx]

If they don't know it's best to put it in their head. "The other campground just charged me a flat $5 fee". That may slow down ignorantly outrageous numbers like $40 for an hour of plugging in.

[dsm363]

They asked if $2 an hour sounded reasonable. It's a 240V 50A outlet so I guess that sounds ok.

[Doug_G]

It's a lot better than being charged the regular $75 overnight fee, which happened to Hans when he came to Ottawa.

[kgb]

They asked if $2 an hour sounded reasonable. It's a 240V 50A outlet so I guess that sounds ok.

Thanks for the info. That's perfect if I should ever want to go to Austin or San Antonio.

Map