Martin, excellent video! I plug our RV into a 20 amp circuit when at the house. I have a 100’ #12 gauge cord. With that length, you really need #12 because of voltage drop. I can run the absorption fridge, and the AC (no soft start) while charging the batteries. I have even watched TV too. One thing your viewers need to know about cords. They are not designed to be rolled up on a reel with this much load. Leaving them coiled causes a lot of heat build up. Making for a dangerous situation. Thank you for your videos! Respectfully, Kevin
I have a 33ft 01 Winnebago brave, plugged into a 15amp wall plug through a window in the house, and I can also run the ac just fine. I can only run one of the units at a time, but that's not really a problem. I've never really had an issue using 15 amps, but all I really run in there is the fridge, the ac, a TV, sound system, and gaming pc
For those who need to run their AC you can install the Soft Start system to your ac and be able to run off the 15 amp but will be very limited on running anything else. Great video Martin!
@@mimsmango Look up hutch mountain micro air. It’s a unit that you install on your AC unit and it learns your system and tremendously lowers both the start and running amps of your unit.
I run mine off 15 amps, 15000 btu, used the heat pump on it as well!!! I'm in situations where we have to most of the time we have super C love your videos
Very good video most are pushing their system at the highest amps and then will notice their cord melting at the box. Meaning basically they are not tripping the circuit but reaching maximum for a prolonged period. A good Engineer friend of mine put a amp meter on the main circuit of the coach. When anything turns in it will add up the amps. I have a 30 amp system but will keep it way below that especially living in Florida with the a/c running. He taught me all about power management. Anyone who purchased a RV should be educated on this.
Yep than can happen if you use the wrong extension cord. That's why I mentioned it's important to use a 14/3 or a 12/3 extension cord, keep it under 50' and keep it uncoiled. If folks do that, they'll be fine. I even mentioned this again in the very 1st comment under the video. Thanks for taking the time to chime in. 👍
Thanks Dimple so much 💗 I checked out your channel and saw all the channels you're subscribed to. WOW...you are one serious YT fan. But in all honesty.......I cried when I didn't see our logo in your subscription list 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Whoops your right. I just looked again and saw my logo in your subscribed channels. My bad. Must of scrolled thru to fast. Forgive me. 🙏 I always look forward to yours and others comments. You guys encourage me to press on doing video's because they are helping folks. So thanks for subbing and commenting.
Great video.. My RV a 30amp Class C, is plugged into a 20amp to my house all the time. I only wanted the RV to be charging my batteries and be able to do any work in it if needed. I can run the AC, lights and converter. Nice setup.. I have boondocks and do not need to run everything at the same time.. I think some people want to do what they do at home.. leave everything running at the same time. lol
Wow, is your generator LOUD. I have an onan older generator, approximately from 97. It doesn't make near the noise yours does. Thank God. No one has ever complained.
I have a new Class B and what you are sharing is invaluable!!! When I make my videos using what I learn from y’all then I’ll shout you out. I’m your new subie!! Thank you for sharing and y’all enjoy your holiday!!
Hi Stephanie 😍....Oh wow I'm so excited for you and your new Tellaro 🎉 Watched your video It's going to be so fun and you're also you're entering a whole new chapter of learning new things too. You mentioned that you just subbed. thx for that I really encourage you to watch my *"RV Newbies Basic Training & Boot Camp Series"* PLAYLIST. It will help keep you from going to the school of hard knocks. ruclips.net/user/RVstreetplaylists
Nice video. To keep it simple a 15 amp circuit is 1500 watts. Just like the outlet in most homes. You can run a 13,500btu air conditioner but not much else just like in your home. If you use the microwave you have to shut off the air conditioner. So if you plug into a 30 amp you have the power of two outlets in your home. 50 amp RV outlets are completely different. It’s a 4 prong plug so your really getting two 50 amp circuits. That’s a lot of power and not all RV parks have them. Make sure you always have adapters. That small generator may run the air conditioner but I set the refrigerator to gas.
This video is for ALL types of RV's. Also, as I said in the video, I use a 14/3AWG extension cord when running off a 15amp outlet or my new Honda generator. For those of you who aren’t very familiar with different types of extension cords, you can also use 12/3AWG extension cord if you want a little more safety and extra load ability. But since it’s a little thicker gauge cord, they’re going to weigh a little more than a 14/3 so just keep that in mind. Either one will work fine just try to keep your cord 50 long, be sure to use a 12/3 cord and don't leave it coiled up because heat and resistance will build up. I have both in my Amazon Store in the “Everything Electrical” category. Both are All Weather Flexibility (-58° to 167°F) and resists kinks and coils easily. Just choose either 25' or 50' length. Watch this video that I did if you're having trouble finding the description text "DOWN THERE". It will show you everything you need to know to navigate my channel: @
This is a great video! When i tried it though, i was not able to connect my surge protector, dog bone and extension cord to the outside house. The surge protector has a female end which connects to the male end of the dog bone which connects to the male end of the extension cord.. now my outdoor wall outlet needs a male end of the extension cord ... are there adaptors for that ?? Thank you for all your great videos
@@paulalasseur4934 thx Pauls....I'm kinda of having a problem invisioning this. But there shouldn't be any problem finding the combination of adapters/dog bones to get you where you need to be. This is a very common connection set up.
Great Video. We have a 50A rig and do a lot of dog shows where we only have 20A and have learned to live on it. Like you we keep a plug in digital voltmeter in the kitchen where we can both see it to keep on eye on voltage. We use the Hughes Power Watchdog so I can keep an eye on the total amp draw via an iPhone. Also use the Autoformer to keep the voltage up. On 20A we can run the fridge, charger and one AC and draw 16-17A. The same set up works great when on 30A so we can run both AC's and push it to 27-28A. Key is keeping the voltage over 115V. Cords are all oversized to reduce voltage drop; #10 is the smallest we use. People with Inverter/Chargers might have the option to fine tune their chargers. We set ours to low charge; it comes set to high from the factory. No need to charge on high with only two 6V batteries. In cooler weather we can live on 15A no problem. Keep up the great work.
This is the most helpful video i have found so far. Im going to be moochdocking at a relatives house for an extended period of time, this answered basically all my concerns. Thank you
I felt so ignorant after I realized that the Kill A Watt Measures amps used with the Time and Amps button on the far right. All you have to do to figure out how many amps you are using per hour, is to divide the amps by the time, which gives you Kw/hr. Then times 1000 which give you watts/hour. I was using a spreadsheet that I had made to measure gallons per minute of water use, which worked, but the Kill A Watt was so much easier. My spreadsheet does figure out watts and amps per day with the Kill A Watt information, but instead of measuring time between readings, I just divide. This was a great video for figuring out energy use and I loved it.
That video was fantastic, it affirms so many tips we had been doing. We have been RVing for almost 4 years. Prior to buying our Tiffin Open Road with 50 amps we had a Winnebago 24FQ Toy Hauler with 30amps. As your video shows managing power was a learning experience. We had a Onan 4000 and you're right that unit likes gas. So from experience I bought a Champion 2000 generator and that gave us enough power unless we wanted to run the A/C. Now with the Tiffin I will carry the Champion to run the coach unless higher power demands it. I also use the Champion to charge my 48 volt EZGO golf cart. The only thing the Tiffin doesn't have is a gas pump and a holding tank for gas to fuel toys. So carrying a 5 gallon can of gas will be necessary. Thanks Martin for all your great videos.
When we are home I keep our travel trailer plugged in so the batteries will charge, and we also keep our fridge running. We use a heavy duty outside rated extension cord. And I also added a sub panel to the house and to that I added 1 20 amp outlet. That is the outlet we plug the camper into. I have enough capacity to add 1 30amp circuit and my plan is to run a 30 amp outlet to a panel outside for campers so we can plug the camper in and run the AC if needed. We have a 4 bed 2.5 bath house, but every now and then we will have guests who will stay in the travel trailer during their visit. So they will have all the luxuries of home including privacy. We have the capacity to carry 60lbs of propane, plenty of fresh water and when I do get the 30 amp outlet installed, will be able to run the AC.
Good video! Yes, been doing this 15 amp stuff while using the RV on my property with guests. However, just rewired my garage and now have 100 amps coming to it. Still have all my 15 amp original outlets. Going to update them to 20 amp and will have a dedicated one for my table saw. Will also run a dedicated 30 amp for my 30 amp RV. No more 15 amp service and when company visits in the summer, they can use the RV AC. Yes!
AGREED! I do the same. My AC's goes on when temp gets to 90 deg, and after noon. We are full time in SOCAL, and not willing to pay for any electricity that isnt nessisary. Instant Pot is our oven, 1200 watts. Side by side refer is 450 watts, ac 12v propane, we modulate as needed.. All lights 12v led. I do monitor as most do with a tell tale. Our usage was $900.oo last July, and this July, $90.00! We just decided NO MORE! No solar, gen, or wind.
Fantastic! I actually bought the 50/15 dog bone from your store last year. I then read something in an RV forum that made me afraid to use it. I took a green energy auditing course a few years ago and knew about the kill-o-watt. The same article said they would burn up in an RV.....I'm so glad I saw this. I will now fearlessly do what I set out to do originally. Thanks a mill!
First video I’ve seen by you and THANK YOU! Conversational and easy to understand! It’s very much appreciated! I’m a single woman that just bought my first baby rv… little guy t@b 320 CS-S!
Martin, we do as you do with one exception. We carry a 12v macerator pump with a 100’ 5/8” hose, that we can run in a septic, or any toilet and it only takes about 10 minutes…
Yeah we looked at that option-and I even carry a 12v macerator pump in our Amazon Store-because it is a good option for many people. But it just wasn't a good option in our situation up in Maine. Thanks for taking the time to comment Butch. 👍
Your so cool, Love watching your content, no bs wasting time, just great info. hope your doing ok and Joany, right now i have an Alfa See Ya 40 ft, 2004, and really needed this information, i will go to your store. outside temp right now is -13 degrees, thank god ia at home lol, but this summer i am gonna do lots of the things you have showed me, very excited to improve my future. as far as showers? i am used to a hot tub twice a day, ha ha sometime the only way to get my eyes open in the morning. i might need counseling before going fulltime.
15:00 - Martin is right, as always. We had a "cold snap" here in FL. I had to fire the furnace. Three days, it ran about once an hour, 10 minutes or so. I used up 1/4 of my tank - $15 to top it...WOW! I do have full hookup, so when i go "to town", I am buying an electric heater as a backup. I do have a little buddy propane as the backup-backup. I still need to buy a SoftStart though. Other than having to replace my house batteries (they were 7 years old, someone "cheaped out", i didn't) and the surge protector, i am comfy.
Hey Martin , Rob Here in NSW Australia ,we have a 2003 diesel winnebago class A RV our supply here is 240 volt ac 15 amp Thats sort of the standard here in OZ , we also have 6 x 250 amp AGM batteries with 600 watts of solar and a onan 5500 watt genset and 18 KG`s of Propane ,, we can run everything here in our RV (Water heater , Air con , oven ect ect ) Never had a drama so far we have a 15 amp RCD that will cut power if it hits 16 amps (I checked it does ) every thing in the RV is 12 volt like TV Satalite Lights Ect , Love the vids brother , Rob
When my two lead acid batteries wore out after 5 years in our 2016, 20' camp trailer, I changed to two SOK 100AH Lipo4 batteries (with cold temp sense/cut off) and swapped out the charge controller with one supporting Lipo4 charging when connected to shore power. I use a powertable 200w solar charging system when camped off grid for more than 3-5 days. I also installed a Victron 30A DC-DC LIPO4 charger powered via 2AWG 12VDC connection from the truck battery to the rear trailer hitch using 150A winch connectors (one on the trailer and the other at the truck trailer hitch). This allows me to fully charge one or both Lipo4 batteries while traveling. We traveled for a two months to Alaska last summer mostly boondocking. We never used our 2KW inverter generator and only deployed the portable solar system 3-4 times when camped off grid for more than 4-5 days. Note: I disabled the 12 VDC aux connection from the truck to the trailer battery via the 7 pin trailer connector. The electric trailer brakes via emergency disconnect switch are connected to the LIPO4 batteries. I installed temperature controlled battery heating pads to allow for charging the LIPO4 batteries when temperatures drop below 36 degrees (adjustable). This allows me to keep the Lipo4 batteries charged up with no possibility of damaging the batteries during cold hunting camp use or from when traveling from Montana to Arizona in the middle of winter. After 2 years I am very happy with this set up and have pleanty of power to run two Cpaps, propane fridge, lights, water pump, and HAM radio equipment use for 5-6 days with two of us or over 10 days with one person before having to charge batteries.
@@RVstreet I just discovered you and Martin's most excellent videos. I am so sorry for your loss. All the best to you and family moving forward. Kind regards, Mike in Montana
"Martinized!" 😆I laughed out loud! All jokes aside, this was a Must Watch video for anyone. RVer or not. More and more we see we need to be prepared. Great information broken down so anyone can understand. Another winner!
Hello Martin I'm john. Would u have a diagram of how you added your (intellacharger) into your RV. I have the same charger and don't know how to hookup
We lived on 15amp for 9 months. If I pop the breaker, we had to go into the house to the main breaker. With all the cooking I do, having husband go after the breaker was a hassle. I am comfortable with a little math, so this is what I did- 15amps is 1800watts. Most appliances have wattage marked on the label. I checked the manual and my convection microwave uses 1750, the kurig uses 1500 first use but only 500 or so if it’s been on for a bit. My instant pot is 1100. We also have phot frames, a printer and laptop plugged in and out deep freeze running all the time. Every new thing I bring in, I track the usage and just keep track.
I enjoy your videos. And although I am fairly knowledgeable and fairly well experienced having owned five different RVs over the years, I still learn bits here and there making it worth listening to your videos. I did worry on this video when you spoke of a person with a residential refrigerator running on a 15 amp circuit. By measurement mini residential refrigerators will pull more than 50% of that 15 amps when the motor kicks on. Those folks could squeak by of course they would have to be a lot more particular about using other appliances at the same time. Since most of those guys have an onboard inverter for their fridge they may be able to override the incoming selection and defer to their inverter so that the 15 amps is all available for other things when necessary but most people who own those coaches are not as sophisticated as you and I and they may not pull that off very safely. My brother-in-law is an intellectually brilliant guy and when he pulled his coach into my driveway and I threw him a 16 gauge cord which was for the moment the only chord I had handy that would reach where he needed the power he immediately threw his air conditioner on. Apparently his fridge was on auto and it immediately switched over to AC and for all I know he may have had his water heater on electric. I gave it about a minute and surprisingly it didn't blow the circuit breaker. Along 16 gauge extension cord must have provided enough resistor to protect my home circuit but you man that cord got hot. And then pulled the plug and took it in and let him feel it that thing was hot enough to start melting the insulation. He's an educated guy and he's been a science professor all of his life but apparently not expert in electricity. Well your videos help virtually everyone some of the information can get dangerous in the hands of typical newbie. So be careful there my friend and keep up the good work.
Thx Tom for that reminder for others... I even went into more detail about this in the very first comment that I pinned. I do that often in practically every video. A 14/3 cord can be sufficient for some RV's but you always have to watch the load you're putting on it. Length of cord also makes a difference. But I then recommended a 12/3 cord and not to go over 50' and keep it out of the sun which can also cause additional resistance. Every RVer needs to evaluate and manage the loads they use when moochdocking on a regular 15amp or 20amp breaker but is very doable. That''s another reason why I like a recommend a digital battery monitor. You can actually see how much of a amp load that is being pulled as you turn on different items and keep the total amount of amps within a safe range. 👍
We use a 20 Amp circuit (either the dedicated water irrigation system, or the dedicated central vacuum plug). One A/C will easily start and run on the 20 Amp circuit… one serious note; the extension cord in use must be appropriate for the amperage draw, not all cords are equal..!
So a peak2300 running1800 inverter will run my '97 dodge midas i only use heaters and phone charger. I do have a coffee maker and electric kettle. But they stay u plugged.
THANK YOU! I do have to order a softstart. I do have a 50 to 30 adapter, a 30 to 15 adapter, and a great 30 surge protector. But this is WHAT I NEEDED. I did buy an Oupes and a panel, and at least it runs an instant pot!
Great video, concise and well presented. There are a lot of garages out there with dedicated laundry receptacles for the washing machine that are 20 amp. ( do not plug into the 240 v dryer outlet ) and there are some gas dryers that will use the 20 amp 120 volt receptacles. These will give you just a tad more amperage. All good info as usual.
Also need to consider what's running in the house on the same circuit that you plug your coach's extension cord into...they could turn something on that would exceed the amp rating and trip the circuit breaker. ⚡💥👍🤠
I absolutely adore you, and so thankful I ran across your channel. I bought two of those bad boys ( Honda eu 2200 i ) as I've lived in a Rig for a while, I was a camp ground host and learned those are the BEST, in California we have State parks and I had to enforce the Rules Generator hours 6 AM to 10 PM well many guests had to be told to shut off their Generator! Well whoever had the Honda's I literally had to be on top of it to hear it ( per complaining neighbors with NOISY generators) being told to shut it down. They would complain about the Honda neighbors well they have theirs on! I would have to go tell them to turn it off. But I whispered to them just put it out of site and no one will know. I made it my mission to buy them one day!
Hopefully this helps someone. I have a standard Travel Trailer, and was trying to use the standard 15 amp GFI outlet. My watchdog surge protector kept tripping due to under voltage. The trick to getting it to work was getting a minimum 12 gauge extension cord with a maximum of 50 feet (Amp loss after 50 feet, there is a chart for it, you can upgrade to a 10 gauge but ull spend more $). The second part of it is too only put it on fan setting one, and slowly make it cooler to see what your system can take. It is possible!
I have installed a extra 15 amp outlet in my kitchen near the floor. I took a 14-3 extension cord , cut off the female end, drilled a hole up from the basement compartment, leave about 3 feet of the male end inside of basement compartment. Now in the kitchen finish the other end with 120 outlet . Now you have a 15 amp outlet that doesn't run through the coach electric cord. You now can run two different 15 amp extension cords from different sources.(breakers) One going to the coach and the other to the kitchen.
Hi Martin, I am surprised you don't utilize Solar. as an added power source. What are your thoughts? Love all of your videos, I am a hands-on guy to that loves to be prepared with everything I do. Thank You, Terry
Add an inverter and battery bank and just run the charger off the 15amp circuit. Then you can run whatever you want up to your inverter capacity and when you cycle off the loads the batteries will re-charge. The only time you may have an issue is if you run the battery bank too low and the charger can’t keep up, that would really only happen if you ran the AC for a super long time. You can get 400 amp hours of battery bank for less than a grand using liefepeo4 cells and a 3KW inverter you can get off Amazon for less than $400. For less than $2K you can have everything you need to cover you for a day while the charger makes up for the draw down over night. It’s not that much money or space, those batteries can fit in a very small footprint.
Ya there are always ways to upgrade to give you more power, but I was demonstrating how to live off 15amps without any upgrades. A lot of folks don't know how to do this. thx Jarid 👍
Fantastic work Martin, pity you can't make it over to the UK. We only have 15-16amps here, everything is a juggling act. Keep up the videos, I'm learning so so much. Stay safe
in the US the standard for small to mid size RVs and trailers is 30 amp at 120v or 3600W. so we really have the same wattage that we can draw in a mid size RV. the calculations show that 30 amp at 120v and 15 amp at 240v is exactly 3600W. i'd be curious to see what a 15 amp RV plug looks like in the UK. interesting to note that you would have an easier time using a 15 amp (240v) RV on a regular household circuit because I'm pretty sure a standard UK wall outlet can output 13 amp at 240V giving you most of the 15 you would need for your RV. in the US a standard wall outlet is 15 amp at 120v or 1800w which is half the current one would be used to having at a campground. sometimes we have 20 amp circuts in the US but that is only in new construction homes or commercial buildings.
@@bbol745 the reason I think of the limitations is that appliances are earthed at source (R,B,G/Y). I wouldn't consider going to 3600 though as I've tripped the circuit a few times at caravan parks with 16 amps, just by turning on the kettle, whilst other items were drawing current. I plan to have some solar in the near future as I want to wild camp.
Yo estoy conectado a la corriente de la calle , y solo puedo usar los tomacorriente , como conecto las batería del Fleetwood bounder , para que funcionen los aire acondicionado y las luces del camping
Great Vid; The portable meter is ideal; Nice to have a Amp/ volt meter on board. Martin why not get rid of that heavy loud dated Gen. And accommodate your 2200 or eventually buy a second Honda 2200 and run them parallel when needed since you do so well off a 15 amp. We truly appreciate your knowledge another great video.
thx Jesse, Well I wouldn't call it dated and I certainly won't get rid of it BUT......I did implement my emergency power solutions plan-which is much more efficient-that I have been working on 2 videos later and one of the pieces I added was a Honda EU2200i generator along with some other things. No need for a 2nd one. And then my final passive power supply piece. It's impossible to tell the whole story in one video. Check these two videos out. Maybe you've seen these two vids already, not sure. I think you'll really enjoy them and give you some things to think about going forward in your journey. ruclips.net/video/nDSm4Tkpq44/видео.html ruclips.net/video/RraxjVpLhUc/видео.html My entire video collection: ruclips.net/user/RVstreetplaylists
Martin enjoyed your video on the 15amp . Is your coach a newer unit and over 30ft and gas or diesel? looking to move from our tt to an a, your videos are answering my questions that come up thanks.
Hello Martin, I am so glad I discovered your videos. I truly appreciate your detailed descriptions and explanations. I am in the process of purchasing my first Class C. One of my biggest worries is leaving the RV plugged in to my home outlet all the time (15 amp plug). My goal is to keep the fridge cool and have the AC run to keep the RV at a good temperature; I reside in Miami and you know how hot it gets here. I’ve learned that it may be “ok” to have the RV plugged in all the time, but it could damage the house batteries. What are the rules about plugging in the RV at home 24/7. Thank you so much.
Hello Joanie, I understand how overwhelmed you must be with the loss of Martin and all the messages of love and support sent from your fans and viewers. However, ever since you told me that Martin passed away, I have not been myself. I have so much I would like to share but I will keep my message brief; as Martin says, you can lose an audience after 20 minutes...LOL. The reason his passing has affected me so much is due to the fact that I am in the process of purchasing an RV (preferably a Class A) and I began watching "how-to" videos on RUclips. After watching several videos, I came across RV Street with you and Martin. Immediately I was hooked and promptly subscribed. My first video was the one about living of 15 amps. I also watched other videos due to the fact that Martin has a way of speaking and explaining things. It is for that reason I feel so sad, I feel like I lost a friend. I felt an immediate connection with Martin and I know that God lead me to RV Steet.. My wife watches the videos with me and she commented that he must've been a teacher at some point. I later learned he is a purple heart Veteran and that explains his mannerisms. I felt that I connected with Martin, and someone that once I purchased my RV would've loved to have met. Like you, I am sad and upset that such an amazing person is no longer with us. My wife told me that we would've been good friends upon meeting. I can't express my sadness knowing he is no longer with us. I have watched roughly 30% of the videos and plan to watch them all (at times even seeing them twice or more). You were blessed to have lived a life with Martin. Not only do I respect and admire him for what he does, but I see him as a good and honest person. Martin has given me the confidence to proceed with the purchase of the RV. He has given me the confidence that I will be able to handle and maintain an RV. I am 55 y/o and my wife and I recently retired from Miami-Dade County in Florida. I worked for the fire department and she worked for the water department. Our retirement came early due to the fact that my wife has certain health issues and we have a severely Autistic 24 y/o son. I was born and raised in Miami Florida and have not truly experienced the wonders offered by the United States. Since we are unable to fly with our son, it was my wife's idea to travel the States in an RV. I truly hope that God is providing you with the strength; both physically and mentally to cope with the loss of Martin and continue maintaining that amazing RV. Martin has done an amazing job maintaining it and you were fortunate to have worked with him on the videos and learn from his lectures. Thank you for allowing me to express my feelings. Once we purchase the RV, it would be an honor to have an opportunity to personally meet you. You are an amazing woman and my wife and I will continue to keep you and Martin in our thoughts and prayers. I will continue watching Martin and speak to him and thank him for what he has done to the RV community and how he has positively impacted my life.
@@carlosheredia1967 Thank you for the wonder words, I will say this comment made me cry because it was so heartfelt. I have made the decision to sell the motorhome because I can't maintain it the way Martin did and have no desire to travel by myself. I will be staying in the RGV area so if you are ever in the area send me a message and we will meet up. I am so happy Martin had such a positive influence on you and your decision to buy a motorhome, Martin would be so happy to know that because he loved helping people.
Another great subject and discussion....thanks. I am going to your playlist to see if you have a video on Suburban furnace maintenance. Not sure if this is something for a DIY'r or not(?)
Did you mean Suburban water heater? I do not have a video on a Suburban water heater BUT I do have two vid's on an Atwood water heater and they are exactly the same as a Suburban *EXCEPT* you have to replace the anode rod in the Suburban. That's it. Here's my latest and best water heater service video 2.0: ruclips.net/video/0m4m1CYiUYc/видео.html
New to RV living! Setting up stationary, 50 amp park model trailer with access to 15 amp power. Am I able to plug the dog bone into the trailer directly? Can I use a 50 to 15 or should I use 50-30 and then a 30 to 15? I will be running apporox 125 foot construction power cord (12g I think) for the summer. 15 amp power will be extended underground to trailer later in the season. Love all your helpful videos! Thanks for all your information - Laur
Yes, use a 50amp to 120V dog bone directly into the trailer. Plug it into the 50amp trailer cord and then plug your extension cord into the 120V end. Make sure the trailer cord brass prongs are clean (use fine sand paper if you need to) and apply a little dielectric grease on them. But since you're running 125' extension cord, be sure it's a 12/3 extension cord, try to keep it out of the sun, out of water, and don't coil the extra cord up anywhere. You should be good to go. You can get the dog bone here in the "Everything Electrical" category: www.amazon.com/shop/rvstreet
For when you use over 15 amps, does the circuit breaker shutting your power off over and over,, is there a risk of doing damage to the circuits in your camper trailer?
When living on 15 amps you have to be very careful of what you are running so as not to keep tripping the breaker over and over. You quickly learn what you can run without tripping the breaker. The breaker is there so as you don't damage your circuits.
Hi martin if I'm plug in to my house outlet do I keep my house battery on to charge up my house battery's ? Or do I keep my house battery's off to charge. And also I have a auxiliary do I cut it off or keep it on at the same time
When would be an appropriate time to have your inverter on versus off? Being new to motorcoach ownership we didn’t get a great rundown on that piece of equipment from the previous owner. We have a Fleetwood bounder 2002 40 foot class a. Nice videos!
Hi Sherri Well it really depends on how your rig is wired. But generally speaking, your inverter only really needs to be turned ON inside the rig when you have no shore power at all. The inverter takes 12V power from your house batteries and turns it into 120V so you can run regular 120V things. Like your TV, your fridge and other small appliances. This is why some people have large house battery bays with lots of power stored there to draw from. The more house batteries you have the power you have to draw from. You never want to take your house batteries down below 50% UNLESS you have a Lithium battery bay. As a rule, your inverter will not run every 120V item in your rig. It usually is wired to maybe 3 or 4 - 120V outlets in your rig. Once you turn ON your inverter, you can take a small electrical item and plug it into all your AC outlets to figure out what outlets are wired to your inverter and which ones aren't. Also, once you turn ON your inverter, the inverter itself starts drawing power from your house batteries just to run. We rarely use our inverter the way we travel and live. It is pretty much always OFF. Now if we are boon docking/dry camping then yes I'll use our inverter some-sparingly as I need it-and then use either my big onboard generator, my small Honda generator or my portable suitcase solar panel to recharge my house batteries as I draw them down. Did this answer your question? 🔋
Been following for a while now Martin, we are from UK, we have a Damon Daybreak 35' and you have inspired my wife and I with very intuitive and easy to follow tutorials. 👍 Love to you both, Mick and Tina
We use a multiplex inverter, set the max amp draw to 15 amps and the inverter takes over for the short over draw period. Works great for those times when you want to use the microwave and coffee pot at the same time. We also have a soft start on the AC so we can run the AC if needed on 15 amps. However the system was $$$$. But worth it as my wife needs oxygen 24 hours a day. The inverter will also kick in automatically if shore power fails, it takes over so fast that the clock on the microwave keeps time.
This may have been asked and answered..... do you include the converter load in your calculations of the loading of the 15amp circuit, it seems like it would draw 6 to 7 amps by itself?
Yes I did. My SMART, 4 stage converter amp load will vary depending on the batteries SOC. In most cases my batteries are always pretty much topped off so amp load is fairly small. Certainly not 6 or 7 amps.
When we are on 15 amp and I use the Keurig our rv shuts our tvs off but doesn't trip the breaker. Why , I don't know. It used to trip the breaker before I switched out the transfer switch with a Go Power. I now know , like Green Acres we have to choose what to run.
I have my 30 amp RV plugged in to garage 15 amp using extension cord. None of the outlets in the RV are hot...not sure what I'm doing wrong. GFCI outlet isn't tripped.
Hummmm....I'm not exactly sure but if you shop on Amazon now you should be able to.Try putting just one thing in the cart and check out as a test. And thank you Kimmy 💗
Im in a different sitiuation. An f 4 tornado took out everything we own. The short story is while were building the house were going tb staying in a 50 amp camper we bought. This is my question. Do they make a dog bone that comes off a genarator that can use the genarators 30 amp and 20 amp and then that will give you 50 amp to the camper? Thanks It was Great video !
No they don't make a dog bone like that. So you want to use the 30amp and the 20amp outlet on the generator combine them with a dog bone to bring in 50amps to the RV. Is that right? If so that's not the way it works. Your generator would have to put out a total of 50amps or more to begin with which I bet you it does not. You can use either the 30amp or the 20amp outlet but not combined. But it really doesn't matter....you have a 50amp coach, so you can bring in 30amps and use a dog bone to plug into your RV main cord and have plenty of power to run what needs to be run. I have that dog bone in my Amazon Store in the "Everything Electrical" category: www.amazon.com/shop/rvstreet
Greetings from Kentucky Martin, Do you have any videos on RV leaks around the slides? We have a 2016 38’ Thor Challenger and we have a leak at each slide. We bought it new and it only has 7000 miles but, it has leaks. Any suggestions? Thanks Be Blessed and safe travels. Mark and Anita Mathis
I do not have a specific video on that but do have a video on caring for your slide seals and all the rubber stuff on an RV. Here is my complete video library. ruclips.net/user/RVstreetplaylists
Martin, excellent video! I plug our RV into a 20 amp circuit when at the house. I have a 100’ #12 gauge cord. With that length, you really need #12 because of voltage drop. I can run the absorption fridge, and the AC (no soft start) while charging the batteries. I have even watched TV too. One thing your viewers need to know about cords. They are not designed to be rolled up on a reel with this much load. Leaving them coiled causes a lot of heat build up. Making for a dangerous situation.
Thank you for your videos! Respectfully, Kevin
Thank you Kevin 👍
Yep your right with that length.
I have a 33ft 01 Winnebago brave, plugged into a 15amp wall plug through a window in the house, and I can also run the ac just fine. I can only run one of the units at a time, but that's not really a problem. I've never really had an issue using 15 amps, but all I really run in there is the fridge, the ac, a TV, sound system, and gaming pc
For those who need to run their AC you can install the Soft Start system to your ac and be able to run off the 15 amp but will be very limited on running anything else. Great video Martin!
My 15,000 btu a/c will on 15 amps after installing a soft start.
Live in desert will be living in new trailer AC is a must -- soft start ?
@@mimsmango Look up hutch mountain micro air. It’s a unit that you install on your AC unit and it learns your system and tremendously lowers both the start and running amps of your unit.
I run mine off 15 amps, 15000 btu, used the heat pump on it as well!!! I'm in situations where we have to most of the time we have super C love your videos
I don't have the soft start but have been wanting it, been holding off until we upgrade our rig
My new favorite channel.
You guys are awesome thanks for the tips and tricks.
Am I really the 2 millionth viewer? Nice to be a milestone. 😂 Informative practicality in your video, is much appreciated! Keep on keeping on! 👍👍
Very good video most are pushing their system at the highest amps and then will notice their cord melting at the box. Meaning basically they are not tripping the circuit but reaching maximum for a prolonged period. A good Engineer friend of mine put a amp meter on the main circuit of the coach. When anything turns in it will add up the amps. I have a 30 amp system but will keep it way below that especially living in Florida with the a/c running. He taught me all about power management. Anyone who purchased a RV should be educated on this.
Yep than can happen if you use the wrong extension cord. That's why I mentioned it's important to use a 14/3 or a 12/3 extension cord, keep it under 50' and keep it uncoiled. If folks do that, they'll be fine. I even mentioned this again in the very 1st comment under the video.
Thanks for taking the time to chime in. 👍
Martin , your videos made me feel comfortable and confident that I can be a true class A owner!!!
Thanks Dimple so much 💗
I checked out your channel and saw all the channels you're subscribed to. WOW...you are one serious YT fan. But in all honesty.......I cried when I didn't see our logo in your subscription list 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@RVstreet that is impossible. I did subscribe RV street!
Whoops your right. I just looked again and saw my logo in your subscribed channels. My bad. Must of scrolled thru to fast. Forgive me. 🙏
I always look forward to yours and others comments. You guys encourage me to press on doing video's because they are helping folks. So thanks for subbing and commenting.
Great video.. My RV a 30amp Class C, is plugged into a 20amp to my house all the time. I only wanted the RV to be charging my batteries and be able to do any work in it if needed. I can run the AC, lights and converter. Nice setup.. I have boondocks and do not need to run everything at the same time.. I think some people want to do what they do at home.. leave everything running at the same time. lol
Wow, is your generator LOUD. I have an onan older generator, approximately from 97.
It doesn't make near the noise yours does.
Thank God. No one has ever complained.
I have a new Class B and what you are sharing is invaluable!!! When I make my videos using what I learn from y’all then I’ll shout you out. I’m your new subie!! Thank you for sharing and y’all enjoy your holiday!!
Hi Stephanie 😍....Oh wow I'm so excited for you and your new Tellaro 🎉
Watched your video
It's going to be so fun and you're also you're entering a whole new chapter of learning new things too.
You mentioned that you just subbed. thx for that
I really encourage you to watch my *"RV Newbies Basic Training & Boot Camp Series"* PLAYLIST. It will help keep you from going to the school of hard knocks.
ruclips.net/user/RVstreetplaylists
@@RVstreet oh thank you for directing me to that playlist and for peaking at my channel!! I’ll watch your videos this week!! Cheers!!
Nice video. To keep it simple a 15 amp circuit is 1500 watts. Just like the outlet in most homes. You can run a 13,500btu air conditioner but not much else just like in your home. If you use the microwave you have to shut off the air conditioner. So if you plug into a 30 amp you have the power of two outlets in your home. 50 amp RV outlets are completely different. It’s a 4 prong plug so your really getting two 50 amp circuits. That’s a lot of power and not all RV parks have them. Make sure you always have adapters. That small generator may run the air conditioner but I set the refrigerator to gas.
Wrong sir 😉 1500 watts is 12.5 amps. 15 amps of current at 120v is 1800w of power you have available at most outlets 👍 amps x volts equals watts
15 smps is 1800 watts.
This video is for ALL types of RV's.
Also, as I said in the video, I use a 14/3AWG extension cord when running off a 15amp outlet or my new Honda generator. For those of you who aren’t very familiar with different types of extension cords, you can also use 12/3AWG extension cord if you want a little more safety and extra load ability. But since it’s a little thicker gauge cord, they’re going to weigh a little more than a 14/3 so just keep that in mind. Either one will work fine just try to keep your cord 50 long, be sure to use a 12/3 cord and don't leave it coiled up because heat and resistance will build up. I have both in my Amazon Store in the “Everything Electrical” category. Both are All Weather Flexibility (-58° to 167°F) and resists kinks and coils easily. Just choose either 25' or 50' length.
Watch this video that I did if you're having trouble finding the description text "DOWN THERE". It will show you everything you need to know to navigate my channel: @
This is a great video! When i tried it though, i was not able to connect my surge protector, dog bone and extension cord to the outside house. The surge protector has a female end which connects to the male end of the dog bone which connects to the male end of the extension cord.. now my outdoor wall outlet needs a male end of the extension cord ... are there adaptors for that ?? Thank you for all your great videos
@@paulalasseur4934 thx Pauls....I'm kinda of having a problem invisioning this. But there shouldn't be any problem finding the combination of adapters/dog bones to get you where you need to be. This is a very common connection set up.
I'm hoping not to short out my mobile home . The trailer with the air conditioner will be plugged into a utility outlet . So a soft start would help??
Great Video. We have a 50A rig and do a lot of dog shows where we only have 20A and have learned to live on it. Like you we keep a plug in digital voltmeter in the kitchen where we can both see it to keep on eye on voltage. We use the Hughes Power Watchdog so I can keep an eye on the total amp draw via an iPhone. Also use the Autoformer to keep the voltage up. On 20A we can run the fridge, charger and one AC and draw 16-17A. The same set up works great when on 30A so we can run both AC's and push it to 27-28A. Key is keeping the voltage over 115V. Cords are all oversized to reduce voltage drop; #10 is the smallest we use. People with Inverter/Chargers might have the option to fine tune their chargers. We set ours to low charge; it comes set to high from the factory. No need to charge on high with only two 6V batteries. In cooler weather we can live on 15A no problem. Keep up the great work.
This is the most helpful video i have found so far. Im going to be moochdocking at a relatives house for an extended period of time, this answered basically all my concerns. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Once again, I watched a 30 minute video and you left me wanting more. You are good. Keep the vids coming, you've helped me out so much!
I felt so ignorant after I realized that the Kill A Watt Measures amps used with the Time and Amps button on the far right. All you have to do to figure out how many amps you are using per hour, is to divide the amps by the time, which gives you Kw/hr. Then times 1000 which give you watts/hour. I was using a spreadsheet that I had made to measure gallons per minute of water use, which worked, but the Kill A Watt was so much easier. My spreadsheet does figure out watts and amps per day with the Kill A Watt information, but instead of measuring time between readings, I just divide. This was a great video for figuring out energy use and I loved it.
So glad it was helpful
That video was fantastic, it affirms so many tips we had been doing. We have been RVing for almost 4 years. Prior to buying our Tiffin Open Road with 50 amps we had a Winnebago 24FQ Toy Hauler with 30amps. As your video shows managing power was a learning experience. We had a Onan 4000 and you're right that unit likes gas. So from experience I bought a Champion 2000 generator and that gave us enough power unless we wanted to run the A/C. Now with the Tiffin I will carry the Champion to run the coach unless higher power demands it. I also use the Champion to charge my 48 volt EZGO golf cart. The only thing the Tiffin doesn't have is a gas pump and a holding tank for gas to fuel toys. So carrying a 5 gallon can of gas will be necessary. Thanks Martin for all your great videos.
Thank you so much Scott 👍 🙏
You are by far, the BEST! We did follow your AC DIY & it was easy and the best! Thanks Martin!
Amend. I run my rv on 15amp while using just lights and small 12v frig. 15amp source powers rv converter.
When we are home I keep our travel trailer plugged in so the batteries will charge, and we also keep our fridge running.
We use a heavy duty outside rated extension cord.
And I also added a sub panel to the house and to that I added 1 20 amp outlet. That is the outlet we plug the camper into.
I have enough capacity to add 1 30amp circuit and my plan is to run a 30 amp outlet to a panel outside for campers so we can plug the camper in and run the AC if needed.
We have a 4 bed 2.5 bath house, but every now and then we will have guests who will stay in the travel trailer during their visit.
So they will have all the luxuries of home including privacy.
We have the capacity to carry 60lbs of propane, plenty of fresh water and when I do get the 30 amp outlet installed, will be able to run the AC.
Good video! Yes, been doing this 15 amp stuff while using the RV on my property with guests. However, just rewired my garage and now have 100 amps coming to it. Still have all my 15 amp original outlets. Going to update them to 20 amp and will have a dedicated one for my table saw. Will also run a dedicated 30 amp for my 30 amp RV. No more 15 amp service and when company visits in the summer, they can use the RV AC. Yes!
Impressive, I'm sure your guests will love this 👍
AGREED! I do the same. My AC's goes on when temp gets to 90 deg, and after noon. We are full time in SOCAL, and not willing to pay for any electricity that isnt nessisary. Instant Pot is our oven, 1200 watts. Side by side refer is 450 watts, ac 12v propane, we modulate as needed.. All lights 12v led. I do monitor as most do with a tell tale. Our usage was $900.oo last July, and this July, $90.00! We just decided NO MORE! No solar, gen, or wind.
There ya go 😎
Fantastic! I actually bought the 50/15 dog bone from your store last year. I then read something in an RV forum that made me afraid to use it. I took a green energy auditing course a few years ago and knew about the kill-o-watt. The same article said they would burn up in an RV.....I'm so glad I saw this. I will now fearlessly do what I set out to do originally. Thanks a mill!
Ya, when on RV forums you really have to pick thru the bones to get a little meat.
I appreciate informative and simple you tube videos.
First video I’ve seen by you and THANK YOU! Conversational and easy to understand! It’s very much appreciated! I’m a single woman that just bought my first baby rv… little guy t@b 320 CS-S!
Hey Steph
THANK YOU.....for taking the time to comment.
Here's all my videos if you're interested: ruclips.net/user/RVstreetplaylists
Martin, we do as you do with one exception. We carry a 12v macerator pump with a 100’ 5/8” hose, that we can run in a septic, or any toilet and it only takes about 10 minutes…
Yeah we looked at that option-and I even carry a 12v macerator pump in our Amazon Store-because it is a good option for many people. But it just wasn't a good option in our situation up in Maine. Thanks for taking the time to comment Butch. 👍
Great and simple explanation. I just went from a class C to a 29 Vista. Very helpful, and I am ordering some parts today. Thank you
Your so cool, Love watching your content, no bs wasting time, just great info. hope your doing ok and Joany, right now i have an Alfa See Ya 40 ft, 2004, and really needed this information, i will go to your store. outside temp right now is -13 degrees, thank god ia at home lol, but this summer i am gonna do lots of the things you have showed me, very excited to improve my future. as far as showers? i am used to a hot tub twice a day, ha ha sometime the only way to get my eyes open in the morning. i might need counseling before going fulltime.
If you haven't already watched some of my other videos check these out:
www.youtube.com/@RVstreet/playlists
15:00 - Martin is right, as always. We had a "cold snap" here in FL. I had to fire the furnace. Three days, it ran about once an hour, 10 minutes or so. I used up 1/4 of my tank - $15 to top it...WOW!
I do have full hookup, so when i go "to town", I am buying an electric heater as a backup. I do have a little buddy propane as the backup-backup.
I still need to buy a SoftStart though. Other than having to replace my house batteries (they were 7 years old, someone "cheaped out", i didn't) and the surge protector, i am comfy.
thx Carl,
You should really get the electric floor heater I have. It's in my Amazon Store. www.amazon.com/shop/rvstreet
Hey Martin ,
Rob Here in NSW Australia ,we have a 2003 diesel winnebago class A RV our supply here is 240 volt ac 15 amp Thats sort of the standard here in OZ , we also have 6 x 250 amp AGM batteries with 600 watts of solar and a onan 5500 watt genset and 18 KG`s of Propane ,,
we can run everything here in our RV (Water heater , Air con , oven ect ect )
Never had a drama so far we have a 15 amp RCD that will cut power if it hits 16 amps (I checked it does ) every thing in the RV is 12 volt like TV Satalite Lights Ect , Love the vids brother ,
Rob
When my two lead acid batteries wore out after 5 years in our 2016, 20' camp trailer, I changed to two SOK 100AH Lipo4 batteries (with cold temp sense/cut off) and swapped out the charge controller with one supporting Lipo4 charging when connected to shore power. I use a powertable 200w solar charging system when camped off grid for more than 3-5 days. I also installed a Victron 30A DC-DC LIPO4 charger powered via 2AWG 12VDC connection from the truck battery to the rear trailer hitch using 150A winch connectors (one on the trailer and the other at the truck trailer hitch). This allows me to fully charge one or both Lipo4 batteries while traveling. We traveled for a two months to Alaska last summer mostly boondocking. We never used our 2KW inverter generator and only deployed the portable solar system 3-4 times when camped off grid for more than 4-5 days. Note: I disabled the 12 VDC aux connection from the truck to the trailer battery via the 7 pin trailer connector. The electric trailer brakes via emergency disconnect switch are connected to the LIPO4 batteries. I installed temperature controlled battery heating pads to allow for charging the LIPO4 batteries when temperatures drop below 36 degrees (adjustable). This allows me to keep the Lipo4 batteries charged up with no possibility of damaging the batteries during cold hunting camp use or from when traveling from Montana to Arizona in the middle of winter. After 2 years I am very happy with this set up and have pleanty of power to run two Cpaps, propane fridge, lights, water pump, and HAM radio equipment use for 5-6 days with two of us or over 10 days with one person before having to charge batteries.
I'm sad to say that Martin has passed away and I don't have the answers to your question. Thank you so much for watching our videos.
@@RVstreet I just discovered you and Martin's most excellent videos. I am so sorry for your loss. All the best to you and family moving forward. Kind regards, Mike in Montana
"Martinized!" 😆I laughed out loud! All jokes aside, this was a Must Watch video for anyone. RVer or not. More and more we see we need to be prepared. Great information broken down so anyone can understand. Another winner!
Hello Martin I'm john. Would u have a diagram of how you added your (intellacharger) into your RV. I have the same charger and don't know how to hookup
I am sad to say that Martin has passed away and I don't have the information you need. Sorry
Wow, so glad I found your channel!!!
We lived on 15amp for 9 months. If I pop the breaker, we had to go into the house to the main breaker. With all the cooking I do, having husband go after the breaker was a hassle. I am comfortable with a little math, so this is what I did- 15amps is 1800watts. Most appliances have wattage marked on the label. I checked the manual and my convection microwave uses 1750, the kurig uses 1500 first use but only 500 or so if it’s been on for a bit. My instant pot is 1100. We also have phot frames, a printer and laptop plugged in and out deep freeze running all the time. Every new thing I bring in, I track the usage and just keep track.
Yep, doing those things and managing the usage, most RV's can live on 15amps with no problem. 👍
I enjoy your videos. And although I am fairly knowledgeable and fairly well experienced having owned five different RVs over the years, I still learn bits here and there making it worth listening to your videos.
I did worry on this video when you spoke of a person with a residential refrigerator running on a 15 amp circuit. By measurement mini residential refrigerators will pull more than 50% of that 15 amps when the motor kicks on. Those folks could squeak by of course they would have to be a lot more particular about using other appliances at the same time. Since most of those guys have an onboard inverter for their fridge they may be able to override the incoming selection and defer to their inverter so that the 15 amps is all available for other things when necessary but most people who own those coaches are not as sophisticated as you and I and they may not pull that off very safely.
My brother-in-law is an intellectually brilliant guy and when he pulled his coach into my driveway and I threw him a 16 gauge cord which was for the moment the only chord I had handy that would reach where he needed the power he immediately threw his air conditioner on. Apparently his fridge was on auto and it immediately switched over to AC and for all I know he may have had his water heater on electric. I gave it about a minute and surprisingly it didn't blow the circuit breaker. Along 16 gauge extension cord must have provided enough resistor to protect my home circuit but you man that cord got hot. And then pulled the plug and took it in and let him feel it that thing was hot enough to start melting the insulation. He's an educated guy and he's been a science professor all of his life but apparently not expert in electricity. Well your videos help virtually everyone some of the information can get dangerous in the hands of typical newbie. So be careful there my friend and keep up the good work.
Thx Tom for that reminder for others...
I even went into more detail about this in the very first comment that I pinned. I do that often in practically every video. A 14/3 cord can be sufficient for some RV's but you always have to watch the load you're putting on it. Length of cord also makes a difference. But I then recommended a 12/3 cord and not to go over 50' and keep it out of the sun which can also cause additional resistance. Every RVer needs to evaluate and manage the loads they use when moochdocking on a regular 15amp or 20amp breaker but is very doable. That''s another reason why I like a recommend a digital battery monitor. You can actually see how much of a amp load that is being pulled as you turn on different items and keep the total amount of amps within a safe range. 👍
We use a 20 Amp circuit (either the dedicated water irrigation system, or the dedicated central vacuum plug). One A/C will easily start and run on the 20 Amp circuit… one serious note; the extension cord in use must be appropriate for the amperage draw, not all cords are equal..!
Soon as I click on any of your videos, I hit the like button because I know it's gonna be good 👍 keep up the great work 👏
Very helpful, insightful and encouraging channel-thanks for the content!
Thank you for enlightening people on this topic
So a peak2300 running1800 inverter will run my '97 dodge midas i only use heaters and phone charger. I do have a coffee maker and electric kettle. But they stay u plugged.
THANK YOU! I do have to order a softstart. I do have a 50 to 30 adapter, a 30 to 15 adapter, and a great 30 surge protector. But this is WHAT I NEEDED. I did buy an Oupes and a panel, and at least it runs an instant pot!
Great video, concise and well presented. There are a lot of garages out there with dedicated laundry receptacles for the washing machine that are 20 amp. ( do not plug into the 240 v dryer outlet ) and there are some gas dryers that will use the 20 amp 120 volt receptacles. These will give you just a tad more amperage. All good info as usual.
Funn currently working as n the 240v unit30 watts my generator has a 240 insertion
Why these guys don’t have 1 million subs I’ll never know!! Love these guys!!!!
I agree 😍
Also need to consider what's running in the house on the same circuit that you plug your coach's extension cord into...they could turn something on that would exceed the amp rating and trip the circuit breaker. ⚡💥👍🤠
Thank You for this video. Really enjoyed learning about 15 amps camping. Educational!
You do a great job! Thanx for spending the time. :)
Great video Marvin tell Joann we said hey
Hi, I am Roger. i ordered some dubstep you recommended I hope I went to your Amazon store because I did order the stuff to Amazon😮
I'm sure you did it right and thank you
As always - great video Martin! Thank you so much for the effort and care you put into each of these videos. Hope to one day see you both on the road!
Thanks!
🙏 💕
I absolutely adore you, and so thankful I ran across your channel. I bought two of those bad boys ( Honda eu 2200 i ) as I've lived in a Rig for a while, I was a camp ground host and learned those are the BEST, in California we have State parks and I had to enforce the Rules Generator hours 6 AM to 10 PM well many guests had to be told to shut off their Generator! Well whoever had the Honda's I literally had to be on top of it to hear it ( per complaining neighbors with NOISY generators) being told to shut it down. They would complain about the Honda neighbors well they have theirs on! I would have to go tell them to turn it off. But I whispered to them just put it out of site and no one will know. I made it my mission to buy them one day!
Oh Kathleen I'm blushing 😍
Great story. I so appreciate camp hosts like you when we run into them at places we go.
Hopefully this helps someone. I have a standard Travel Trailer, and was trying to use the standard 15 amp GFI outlet. My watchdog surge protector kept tripping due to under voltage. The trick to getting it to work was getting a minimum 12 gauge extension cord with a maximum of 50 feet (Amp loss after 50 feet, there is a chart for it, you can upgrade to a 10 gauge but ull spend more $). The second part of it is too only put it on fan setting one, and slowly make it cooler to see what your system can take. It is possible!
Thank you for your input and helping the RV community with your knowledge. 👍
I have installed a extra 15 amp outlet in my kitchen near the floor. I took a 14-3 extension cord , cut off the female end, drilled a hole up from the basement compartment, leave about 3 feet of the male end inside of basement compartment. Now in the kitchen finish the other end with 120 outlet . Now you have a 15 amp outlet that doesn't run through the coach electric cord. You now can run two different 15 amp extension cords from different sources.(breakers) One going to the coach and the other to the kitchen.
You’re the man! Thank you for this service, AND thank YOU for your service! Subscribed!!!
🇺🇸 🙏
I know it's an old video of yours but ty so much for the 15 amp video much neded!
We had no problems at all using 15 amps if you pay attention to what you turn on and no use high amp items all at once
Great video! Really enjoyed and loved all the tips!
Thank you Gary & Carol.
"I Martinized this body"--hysterical!! Great video
Hi Martin, I am surprised you don't utilize Solar. as an added power source. What are your thoughts? Love all of your videos, I am a hands-on guy to that loves to be prepared with everything I do. Thank You, Terry
I'm heartbroken to say that Martin has passed away and I don't have an answer to your question. So sorry
Add an inverter and battery bank and just run the charger off the 15amp circuit. Then you can run whatever you want up to your inverter capacity and when you cycle off the loads the batteries will re-charge. The only time you may have an issue is if you run the battery bank too low and the charger can’t keep up, that would really only happen if you ran the AC for a super long time. You can get 400 amp hours of battery bank for less than a grand using liefepeo4 cells and a 3KW inverter you can get off Amazon for less than $400. For less than $2K you can have everything you need to cover you for a day while the charger makes up for the draw down over night. It’s not that much money or space, those batteries can fit in a very small footprint.
Ya there are always ways to upgrade to give you more power, but I was demonstrating how to live off 15amps without any upgrades. A lot of folks don't know how to do this.
thx Jarid 👍
Fantastic work Martin, pity you can't make it over to the UK. We only have 15-16amps here, everything is a juggling act. Keep up the videos, I'm learning so so much. Stay safe
in the US the standard for small to mid size RVs and trailers is 30 amp at 120v or 3600W. so we really have the same wattage that we can draw in a mid size RV. the calculations show that 30 amp at 120v and 15 amp at 240v is exactly 3600W. i'd be curious to see what a 15 amp RV plug looks like in the UK. interesting to note that you would have an easier time using a 15 amp (240v) RV on a regular household circuit because I'm pretty sure a standard UK wall outlet can output 13 amp at 240V giving you most of the 15 you would need for your RV. in the US a standard wall outlet is 15 amp at 120v or 1800w which is half the current one would be used to having at a campground. sometimes we have 20 amp circuts in the US but that is only in new construction homes or commercial buildings.
@@bbol745 the reason I think of the limitations is that appliances are earthed at source (R,B,G/Y). I wouldn't consider going to 3600 though as I've tripped the circuit a few times at caravan parks with 16 amps, just by turning on the kettle, whilst other items were drawing current. I plan to have some solar in the near future as I want to wild camp.
Yo estoy conectado a la corriente de la calle , y solo puedo usar los tomacorriente , como conecto las batería del Fleetwood bounder , para que funcionen los aire acondicionado y las luces del camping
I am sad to say that Martin has passed away and I don't have the answer to your question. Sorry
Great Vid; The portable meter is ideal; Nice to have a Amp/ volt meter on board. Martin why not get rid of that heavy loud dated Gen. And accommodate your 2200 or eventually buy a second Honda 2200 and run them parallel when needed since you do so well off a 15 amp. We truly appreciate your knowledge another great video.
thx Jesse,
Well I wouldn't call it dated and I certainly won't get rid of it BUT......I did implement my emergency power solutions plan-which is much more efficient-that I have been working on 2 videos later and one of the pieces I added was a Honda EU2200i generator along with some other things. No need for a 2nd one. And then my final passive power supply piece. It's impossible to tell the whole story in one video. Check these two videos out. Maybe you've seen these two vids already, not sure. I think you'll really enjoy them and give you some things to think about going forward in your journey.
ruclips.net/video/nDSm4Tkpq44/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/RraxjVpLhUc/видео.html
My entire video collection: ruclips.net/user/RVstreetplaylists
Another great video Martin, I new most of it already still good to review. 🍺
Very good video Martin! Safe travels.
can I run two floor heaters in the same time on only 15 amp ?
ps: Thank you Martin for all the videos !
No don't do it !
I just did that in my 22ft TT and blew out my GFCI and it melted my extension cord 👀
Why did you alternate every other breaker
Thanks Martin. Good stuff.
GREAT video, thank you!!!!! Top quality production!!!!!
love it !!!! I live in Phippsburg Maine.
Rip Martin , always will be the best
Excellent instructions. Thanks.
out monico safari is wired 50 amp, and I run it on 20 amp, ac included! We have even run the refrigerator at the same time...
Martin enjoyed your video on the 15amp . Is your coach a newer unit and over 30ft and gas or diesel?
looking to move from our tt to an a, your videos are answering my questions that come up thanks.
2012, Vista 35F, Class A gas, 35' long
Would love to install the Soft Start on my Class C. Love the video Martin.
Yep me too. I'm installing one on my front AC unit this winter.
As usual, great video Martin! BTW I'll take an absorption refrigerator over a residential refrigerator anyday!!
Yeah me too in all honesty. We luv ours and works fine for two people.
Excellent excellent video I've learned a lot from your videos
Kitchens and Laundry rooms use a 20 AMP Circuit but uses a 15 Amp style plug, for just a little more power.
Hello Martin, I am so glad I discovered your videos. I truly appreciate your detailed descriptions and explanations. I am in the process of purchasing my first Class C. One of my biggest worries is leaving the RV plugged in to my home outlet all the time (15 amp plug). My goal is to keep the fridge cool and have the AC run to keep the RV at a good temperature; I reside in Miami and you know how hot it gets here. I’ve learned that it may be “ok” to have the RV plugged in all the time, but it could damage the house batteries. What are the rules about plugging in the RV at home 24/7. Thank you so much.
I am sorry to say that Martin passed away on Sunday😥
Hello Joanie, I understand how overwhelmed you must be with the loss of Martin and all the messages of love and support sent from your fans and viewers. However, ever since you told me that Martin passed away, I have not been myself. I have so much I would like to share but I will keep my message brief; as Martin says, you can lose an audience after 20 minutes...LOL. The reason his passing has affected me so much is due to the fact that I am in the process of purchasing an RV (preferably a Class A) and I began watching "how-to" videos on RUclips. After watching several videos, I came across RV Street with you and Martin. Immediately I was hooked and promptly subscribed. My first video was the one about living of 15 amps. I also watched other videos due to the fact that Martin has a way of speaking and explaining things. It is for that reason I feel so sad, I feel like I lost a friend. I felt an immediate connection with Martin and I know that God lead me to RV Steet.. My wife watches the videos with me and she commented that he must've been a teacher at some point. I later learned he is a purple heart Veteran and that explains his mannerisms. I felt that I connected with Martin, and someone that once I purchased my RV would've loved to have met. Like you, I am sad and upset that such an amazing person is no longer with us. My wife told me that we would've been good friends upon meeting. I can't express my sadness knowing he is no longer with us. I have watched roughly 30% of the videos and plan to watch them all (at times even seeing them twice or more). You were blessed to have lived a life with Martin. Not only do I respect and admire him for what he does, but I see him as a good and honest person. Martin has given me the confidence to proceed with the purchase of the RV. He has given me the confidence that I will be able to handle and maintain an RV. I am 55 y/o and my wife and I recently retired from Miami-Dade County in Florida. I worked for the fire department and she worked for the water department. Our retirement came early due to the fact that my wife has certain health issues and we have a severely Autistic 24 y/o son. I was born and raised in Miami Florida and have not truly experienced the wonders offered by the United States. Since we are unable to fly with our son, it was my wife's idea to travel the States in an RV. I truly hope that God is providing you with the strength; both physically and mentally to cope with the loss of Martin and continue maintaining that amazing RV. Martin has done an amazing job maintaining it and you were fortunate to have worked with him on the videos and learn from his lectures. Thank you for allowing me to express my feelings. Once we purchase the RV, it would be an honor to have an opportunity to personally meet you. You are an amazing woman and my wife and I will continue to keep you and Martin in our thoughts and prayers. I will continue watching Martin and speak to him and thank him for what he has done to the RV community and how he has positively impacted my life.
@@carlosheredia1967 Thank you for the wonder words, I will say this comment made me cry because it was so heartfelt. I have made the decision to sell the motorhome because I can't maintain it the way Martin did and have no desire to travel by myself. I will be staying in the RGV area so if you are ever in the area send me a message and we will meet up. I am so happy Martin had such a positive influence on you and your decision to buy a motorhome, Martin would be so happy to know that because he loved helping people.
Another great subject and discussion....thanks. I am going to your playlist to see if you have a video on Suburban furnace maintenance. Not sure if this is something for a DIY'r or not(?)
Did you mean Suburban water heater? I do not have a video on a Suburban water heater BUT I do have two vid's on an Atwood water heater and they are exactly the same as a Suburban *EXCEPT* you have to replace the anode rod in the Suburban. That's it.
Here's my latest and best water heater service video 2.0: ruclips.net/video/0m4m1CYiUYc/видео.html
New to RV living! Setting up stationary, 50 amp park model trailer with access to 15 amp power. Am I able to plug the dog bone into the trailer directly? Can I use a 50 to 15 or should I use 50-30 and then a 30 to 15? I will be running apporox 125 foot construction power cord (12g I think) for the summer. 15 amp power will be extended underground to trailer later in the season. Love all your helpful videos! Thanks for all your information - Laur
Yes, use a 50amp to 120V dog bone directly into the trailer. Plug it into the 50amp trailer cord and then plug your extension cord into the 120V end. Make sure the trailer cord brass prongs are clean (use fine sand paper if you need to) and apply a little dielectric grease on them. But since you're running 125' extension cord, be sure it's a 12/3 extension cord, try to keep it out of the sun, out of water, and don't coil the extra cord up anywhere. You should be good to go.
You can get the dog bone here in the "Everything Electrical" category: www.amazon.com/shop/rvstreet
For when you use over 15 amps, does the circuit breaker shutting your power off over and over,, is there a risk of doing damage to the circuits in your camper trailer?
When living on 15 amps you have to be very careful of what you are running so as not to keep tripping the breaker over and over. You quickly learn what you can run without tripping the breaker. The breaker is there so as you don't damage your circuits.
Great video was made simple to understand
Glad you think so!
Hi martin if I'm plug in to my house outlet do I keep my house battery on to charge up my house battery's ? Or do I keep my house battery's off to charge. And also I have a auxiliary do I cut it off or keep it on at the same time
An excellent video! I just bought the kill a watt..
When would be an appropriate time to have your inverter on versus off? Being new to motorcoach ownership we didn’t get a great rundown on that piece of equipment from the previous owner. We have a Fleetwood bounder 2002 40 foot class a. Nice videos!
Hi Sherri
Well it really depends on how your rig is wired. But generally speaking, your inverter only really needs to be turned ON inside the rig when you have no shore power at all. The inverter takes 12V power from your house batteries and turns it into 120V so you can run regular 120V things. Like your TV, your fridge and other small appliances. This is why some people have large house battery bays with lots of power stored there to draw from. The more house batteries you have the power you have to draw from. You never want to take your house batteries down below 50% UNLESS you have a Lithium battery bay.
As a rule, your inverter will not run every 120V item in your rig. It usually is wired to maybe 3 or 4 - 120V outlets in your rig. Once you turn ON your inverter, you can take a small electrical item and plug it into all your AC outlets to figure out what outlets are wired to your inverter and which ones aren't. Also, once you turn ON your inverter, the inverter itself starts drawing power from your house batteries just to run.
We rarely use our inverter the way we travel and live. It is pretty much always OFF. Now if we are boon docking/dry camping then yes I'll use our inverter some-sparingly as I need it-and then use either my big onboard generator, my small Honda generator or my portable suitcase solar panel to recharge my house batteries as I draw them down.
Did this answer your question? 🔋
@@RVstreet thanks for clearing it up! Being new to class A we are learning!
Martin you're the best 😎👍
Been following for a while now Martin, we are from UK, we have a Damon Daybreak 35' and you have inspired my wife and I with very intuitive and easy to follow tutorials. 👍
Love to you both,
Mick and Tina
I love you and you straight forward information! We have learned a lot from you!
We use a multiplex inverter, set the max amp draw to 15 amps and the inverter takes over for the short over draw period. Works great for those times when you want to use the microwave and coffee pot at the same time. We also have a soft start on the AC so we can run the AC if needed on 15 amps. However the system was $$$$. But worth it as my wife needs oxygen 24 hours a day. The inverter will also kick in automatically if shore power fails, it takes over so fast that the clock on the microwave keeps time.
This may have been asked and answered..... do you include the converter load in your calculations of the loading of the 15amp circuit, it seems like it would draw 6 to 7 amps by itself?
Yes I did.
My SMART, 4 stage converter amp load will vary depending on the batteries SOC. In most cases my batteries are always pretty much topped off so amp load is fairly small. Certainly not 6 or 7 amps.
When we are on 15 amp and I use the Keurig our rv shuts our tvs off but doesn't trip the breaker. Why , I don't know. It used to trip the breaker before I switched out the transfer switch with a Go Power. I now know , like Green Acres we have to choose what to run.
Great video bro… Maybe it’s me and I missed it when I got up to get a beer lol but did you cover air conditioning on the 15 A?
With a sad heart I have to tell you that Martin has passed away and I don't have the answer to your question.
I have my 30 amp RV plugged in to garage 15 amp using extension cord. None of the outlets in the RV are hot...not sure what I'm doing wrong. GFCI outlet isn't tripped.
Thank you Martin! Yet again another extremely informative video!! Do you know if I can shop your Amazon store in canada?
Hummmm....I'm not exactly sure but if you shop on Amazon now you should be able to.Try putting just one thing in the cart and check out as a test.
And thank you Kimmy 💗
@@RVstreet I’ll try Thanks so much!! ❤️
Great pointers!
Great stuff, thanks for the effort to share and educate.
Im in a different sitiuation. An f 4 tornado took out everything we own. The short story is while were building the house were going tb staying in a 50 amp camper we bought. This is my question. Do they make a dog bone that comes off a genarator that can use the genarators 30 amp and 20 amp and then that will give you 50 amp to the camper? Thanks It was Great video !
No they don't make a dog bone like that.
So you want to use the 30amp and the 20amp outlet on the generator combine them with a dog bone to bring in 50amps to the RV. Is that right? If so that's not the way it works. Your generator would have to put out a total of 50amps or more to begin with which I bet you it does not. You can use either the 30amp or the 20amp outlet but not combined. But it really doesn't matter....you have a 50amp coach, so you can bring in 30amps and use a dog bone to plug into your RV main cord and have plenty of power to run what needs to be run.
I have that dog bone in my Amazon Store in the "Everything Electrical" category: www.amazon.com/shop/rvstreet
@@RVstreet Thank You
Greetings from Kentucky Martin,
Do you have any videos on RV leaks around the slides? We have a 2016 38’ Thor Challenger and we have a leak at each slide.
We bought it new and it only has 7000 miles but, it has leaks. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Be Blessed and safe travels.
Mark and Anita Mathis
I do not have a specific video on that but do have a video on caring for your slide seals and all the rubber stuff on an RV. Here is my complete video library.
ruclips.net/user/RVstreetplaylists
@@RVstreet thank you, I found your video.
Great job and thank you so much
Way to go, Texas... energy capital of the world, and how many died in that cold snap?