I noticed this and wanted to make sure you are aware that 14-30 is NOT available at RV parks. RV parks have 14-50 and/or TT-30. However, the 14-30 can be useful, because it correctly limits the current to 30 amps, and then you can make a short adapter cable from a 14-30 outlet to a TT-30 plug to plug into those camper sites.
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CmdrThor
Active Member
Yes, I have charged at a campground TT-30 outlet with the 14-30 Mobile Connector adapter and a homemade 14-30 to TT-30 adapter and I did not have to adjust the amp settings.
DMC-Orangeville
Audi eTron & John Deere 5100E
I use my 14-30 at my cottage (cabin) in lake country. My dryer is near a window on the outside wall. It's a NEMA14-30, and the UMC is juuuuuust long enough to reach. It sure beats using 120 Volt 15 Amp.... so I'd recommend keeping one in the kit.
@CmdrThor covered that, but I'll add a little bit. Since it is current that determines the wire thickness needed, this works out OK to adapt 120/240 that way. You can do a similar thing the other direction. If you want to use a hotel air conditioner outlet that is a 6-20 (240V 20A), you can use the Tesla 5-20 adapter to set the current and a little adapter cable to get the 6-20 plug on the other end.
Any idea where I can get such an adapter cable? I have the 5-20 adapter but haven't been able to track down the right 5-20R to L6-20P cable.
dgpcolorado
high altitude member
With the caveat that the 6-20 mentioned by others above and L6-20, commonly used in the early LEAF community, are completely different, it would be fairly easy to make an L6-20P to 5-20R adapter with parts from a hardware store or Home Depot. Cheaper too, most likely.Any idea where I can get such an adapter cable? I have the 5-20 adapter but haven't been able to track down the right 5-20R to L6-20P cable.
In addition to the Tesla supplied adapters I carry a TT-30P to 14-50R adapter for campgrounds — common in state and national parks — that have only "30 Amp" service for their RV pedestals (requires that I set the current in the car to 24 A). I also carry a homemade 10-30P to 14-50R adapter that I made out of a surplus clothes drier cord purchased from a Habitat for Humanity thrift store and some Home Depot parts (requires that I set current in the car to 24 A since it doesn't use a Tesla "30" adapter). Haven't ever needed anything else, thanks to the Supercharge Network.
^ Charging on TT-30 at Zion National Park
Yeah. I figure I could easily swap out my L6-20P for a regular 6-20 outlet but still have never found an existing adapter that I could use.
Since I have multiple 14-50 outlets, I'll probably just go the way of using load-balanced wall connectors once there are more than two Teslas in the garage. The L6-20P will never get used.
Well, as weird as it is, Tesla did make an official adapter for $45 for a 6-15.
Tesla — NEMA 6-15
A 6-20 outlet has the "T slot" backward compatibility to also accept 6-15 plugs, just like the 120V outlets have the 5-20 and 5-15 backward compatibility that way. So for only $45 plus shipping, you could plug into that outlet, but it would limit to 12A instead of 16A. That's pretty good and cheaper than $550 for a wall connector.
Be aware that Tesla issued a voluntary recall of some adapters on Dec. 6, 2016.
Tesla proactively issues voluntarily recall for some Mobile Connector Adapters after 2 minor incidents
Tesla proactively issues voluntarily recall for some Mobile Connector Adapters after 2 minor incidents
Sorry to bump this back up, but have a question. We recently got a CPO Model S and I was planning on using our 2012 Leaf EVSE, but it is incompatible. In our garage, we have a Nema L6-20P outlet and I'd like to use the Tesla charge cord with this.
I see that this adapter quoted above will work, my questions...
- Can i make this fool-proof/wife proof with regard to setting the amp draw to 16 amps "permanently" in the car so that she never has to think about it and I can rest easy that it will never start to 'over-draw" and create a fire hazard in our home?
- when we supercharge, will it charge at full rate on the supercharger and save the 16 amp max setting for when we return home or do we have to change settings each time?
Our breaker panel is 2-3 years old as we replaced it when we got rooftop solar and the wiring was run new to this outlet from the panel. I just want a solution that I don't have to lay awake at night and worry.
Thanks!
Why is the Leaf EVSE incompatible? Is it not J1772 at the car end, or does Nissan have a proprietary plug? Your CPO should have come with a J1772 adapter. I am using my old Volt setup to charge my Model S with the adapter.
davewill
Active Member
It's a known technical incompatibility. The old Nissan 120v EVSE pilot signal only swings between 0v and 12v rather than -12v to 12v. I had one of these upgraded for 240v (as I suspect @peakay does), and had to sell it when I got the Rav4 EV, which has a Tesla drivetrain.
You can use the 5-20 adapter for the UMC, and make yourself an L6-20p to 5-20r adapter, and get full 240v 16a charging. Unfortunately, Tesla doesn't make a 240v 20a adapter.
Ah - good to know.
Not really. The car will remember the AMP setting for the location, however any software updates, glitches, etc might reset it. It isn't guaranteed.
I would recommend you swap out the outlet for something you can get a standard EVSE for. Clipper Creek makes a variety of 16 AMP EVSE's that might work with the existing wiring and breaker. Using J1772 sets the amps automatically - no wife intervention needed.
I didn't see anyone else answer on this question yet. The answer is that it's irrelevant. Supercharging does not give any consideration to either scheduled charge time or amps of charging rate. It always goes immediately and at the highest rate that it can do, because that's what Superchargers are for--charge now and be done.
Other than that, props to @davewill for knocking it out of the park on the other answers. My input would probably be the choice of (1) Nicer but more expensive, or (2) Less nice and cheaper
(1) Get a Clipper Creek J1772 hardwired wall unit on that 20A circuit. (Model LCS-20 $379)
(2) Get the Tesla 5-20 plug for the UMC, and make an L6-20P to 5-20R pigtail adapter, as @davewill recommended.
Thanks guys - much appreciated. I think the 5-20 adapter is a must if I use the tesla cord as I don't want o have to sweat any problems. Anyone have a spare they want to get rid of?
Canuck
Well-Known Member
I have a HPWC in my garage that I put a 14-50 plug on the end and set the dip switches to 50 amps but I set the car to 42 amps (so each 40 amp charger only draws 21 amps -- the old dual 40 amp chargers that split the load). I've never had a software update change the setting. I've also never had any glitches change the settings in the two plus years of daily charging this way. YMMV.
Changing the topic, but also dealing with adaptors, I recently bought the Tesla Nema 5-20 adaptor. Then I made an adaptor by buying a Nema 5-20 receiver at Home Depot and I put a Nema 5-15 regular household plug on the other end. This allows me to draw 16 amps from a regular household outlet instead of 12 amps. I know, it's wrong, and I don't recommend anyone do this, but it works for me. So far, no fuses have blown and no fires (knock wood). I only use it occasionally.
Instead of the adaptor I made, with the cord in between, I ordered this compact 5-20 to 5-15 adaptor on Ebay:
Ultra Welleen WA-1051 Nema 5-15P male to Nema 5-15R female+5-20R Power Adapter | eBay
But it gives me the red ring on the car. Anyone know why? It seems to do exactly the same thing as the one I made yet it doesn't work. I find that really strange. It would be interesting to know what the issue is.
I also had my Leaf EVSE upgraded to 240v, and I've used it to charge my Tesla with the J1772 adapter several times. It worked just fine, although it only charged at something like 12-15 amps. Now I'm using a Nema 6-50 adapter from evseadapters.com to plug the Tesla UMC into the outlet in my garage and manually set the charge voltage to 32 amps. That works perfectly.
This is the adapter I bought.
NEMA 14-50R to 6-50P Adapter
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