FWC and 30A power?

[Yonder37]

Future FWC owner here. Getting an FWC Hawk next month at the factory in Woodland, will be installed on a 2023 F-150 HDPP.

Will be taking the rig to a farm that has a space in the back for RV parking, apparently one end of a 30A power cord is available there. I know that FWCs have external 30A plugs, and that they supply a "pigtail" adapter so that the 30A plug can be used with standard 15A power cords.

My question: can I simply plug the 30A cord into the 30A plug of the FWC (without using the pigtail)? Can the FWC handle 30A, or is it only designed to handle 15A (so that the pigtail is required)?

I apologize if this is a dumb question. Found an FWC manual but didn't get an answer there; it just assumed that you would use the pigtail.

 

[craig333]

Sure you can. It will only use as much power as it needs.

 

[Jon R]

The end of the adapter or cable you plug into the camper needs to be this type of connector - an L5-30R. The L shaped blade is ground, and the other two should be the hot and neutral for 120VAC. It is always a good idea to use a meter to check a power source before you plug it into your valuable camper. Someone may have non-conventional wiring.

 

[rubberlegs]

Sure you can. It will only use as much power as it needs.

I think the issue is the wire gauge in the camper leading to the 120V AC circuit breaker. Can it handle 30a? If so it needs to be, I think, 10AWG (someone more knowledgeable should check). After that much power gets to the circuit breaker panel, those can size the wires downstream of it.

I assume the camper is wired correctly, otherwise it wouldn't have a 30A connector.

 

[billharr]

Word of caution. Test the 30amp you plug into. Make sure is it 110 volt 30 amp and not 220 volt 30 amp. You should have one hot, one neutral and one ground for for 110 volt.

 

[Old Crow]

Hmm. The phrase 'one end of a 30A power cord is available there' seems odd. Normally, there would be an outlet wired from the building's breaker panel and you'd need to bring a cord to plug in to whatever type of 30-amp receptacle is in that outlet housing.

Perhaps the phrase merely means a cord is already there and plugged in to the receptacle. If that cord end matches up with your camper's plug (L30R-to-L30P) then, yes, you can, after testing, plug in without the pigtail (as others have pointed out).

If the cord end doesn't match up, you may be able to remove that cord entirely and plug in your own (or you may be able to adapt the cord end). The key is to have the right adapter and understand what your AC power requirements are going to be while plugged in there.

If the building's outlet receptacle is the one normally found on RV pedestals in campgrounds (NEMA TT-30R), you may need this adapter: (NEMA TT-30P to 5-15R)...

Amazon.com

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We also see that adapter used in the following video. Note how it can be used to test both voltage and proper wiring of a 30-amp circuit in combination with a digital voltage display and a plug tester.

RV Electricity with Mike Sokol - Simple ways to test a 30-amp pedestal outlet

I carry a plug-tester and one of those adapters and have used the adapter a few times. That has typically been when the 15-amp outlets didn't work but the 30-amp one did.

PS- it would also be a good idea to estimate what your maximum simultaneous AC usage is expected to be. For most campers, 15 amps is enough. But if a traveler uses shorepower to simultaneously power some combination of battery-charging, an AC heater, induction cooking plate, microwave and/or air conditioner, he or she might need more than 15 amps. In that case, you'd want to forget the pigtail and 15-amp extension cord and go with a 30-amp extension cord.

 

[Yonder37]

Hmm. The phrase 'one end of a 30A power cord is available there' seems odd.

It may be an odd situation. As far as I can tell, it's like this:

​There is a cluster of farm buildings, surrounded by a fence. Around the back -- outside of the fence -- there is a designated RV parking spot. The amenities include a sunshade, a picnic table, a water faucet, a fire pit, a garbage can, and several free-range chickens.

The amenities do not include a power pedestal or other power outlet. However, there is apparently a 30A cable hanging from the fence. One end of the cable, on the outside of the fence, is available so you can plug it into an RV. The other end is presumably attached to a power supply somewhere, but it's on the inside of the fence and is not readily accessible.

I will be there in a FWC, which has fairly minimal power requirements by RV standards -- no air conditioner, no induction plate, no microwave, no TV. Just need to top off the batteries. The expectation is that a 15A cord should be sufficient. But at this location, I will only have access to 30A power, and then only from the end of a 30A cable (not the 30A receptacle).

 

[Yonder37]

If that cord end matches up with your camper's plug (L30R-to-L30P) then, yes, you can, after testing, plug in without the pigtail (as others have pointed out).

OK -- but how do I test it?

I am fully prepared to test 15A receptacles. I already had a voltage tester and a polarity tester for 15A receptacles. I even have a little single outlet surge protector; not sure how much value it would add, but seems like it can't hurt.

And I thought I was prepared for the 30A situation, because I recently acquired a Camco TT30-P to 5-15R adapter. However, I now realize that it won't help me in this situation, because I can't get to the receptacle end of the 30A cord. I need yet another adapter: L5-30P to TT-30R.

So to test the power at this location, seems like maybe I would have to do the following:

[SIZE=10.5pt]- put an L5-30P to TT-30R adapter on the end of the 30A power cable. OK, now I have a 30A receptacle.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- then add a TT30-P to 5-15R adapter. OK, now I have a 15A receptacle.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- then add the surge protector. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- then test the 15A receptacle with the voltage meter[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- then test the 15A receptacle with the plug-tester[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Do I have this right? If so, and if the power seems OK, then I could either:[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]- leave all the adapters on, connect to FWC using a 15A cord and the pigtail[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]- take all the adapters off, connect the FWC directly to the end of the 30A power cable, without the pigtail.[/SIZE]

Seems like it shouldn't be this complicated

 

[Old Crow]

Thanks for the explanation of the setup at the farm. That raises the issue of connecting up first, then turning on the breaker. Best not to plug in to a live circuit, particularly in wet conditions.

It would be helpful to talk to your host about that. If the breaker is off at your arrival (as it should be), you will need him or her there when you connect up. And you can talk about your host says you'll need to connect (and to confirm the connector-type). It's possible the host may have an adapter or can make a specific recommendation. You'll also want to know whether the cable is long enough to reach your camper.

If you have no way to talk to the host, take adapters and be ready to boondock (if it's a short-term visit).

As for testing, you need to know the connector type on the end of that cable. If it's the locking one, an adapter like this one or this one would allow you to plug in your tester(s). Test, remove adapter, plug in to camper.

The surge protector adds complication. I guess It's possible (though unlikely) there's one already there. If this is a long-term situation (like storing the camper there), perhaps you could get your host to add a 30-amp RV surge protector (which you'd volunteer to supply) between the other end of the cable and its receptacle. It would be better to do that and have a simple, waterproof cable run to the camper than to try to waterproof a stack of adapters and surge-protector in the open.

Campers sure are fun, aren't they?