Motorhome Tour of Canada and the US. Plug Query (1 Viewer)

Andrew and Shirley

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So our planned tour of Canada and the USA in our IH is coming sooner than we could have imagined. We are taking it over via the Ro-Ro.

One question only RV owners are likely to be able to answer.

I have a Tx to take the voltage down to 110v but do not have a clue what type of plug they use in the USA to plug in on a site.

Clearly we use a Euro plug over here but has anyone got a pic of the plug they use over the pond?
 
Oct 2, 2008
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I hope you dont have a Tx to take it down to 110v as that is what they start at you need a step up Tx
 
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This is on our electricity post here on a campsite in Texas.
IMG_20181026_173605.jpg

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thebriars

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I have a Tx to take the voltage down to 110v but do not have a clue what type of plug they use in the USA to plug in on a site.


Erm. This is the wrong way round! You will need a transformer to take the voltage UP from 110v to 230v. Many Canadian and US sockets are 30 amp ratings (equivalent to 15amp at 230v). It requires a very hefty cable, much thicker than we use, and the transformer must be capable of handling at least 30amps too.
 

pappajohn

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It requires a very hefty cable, much thicker than we use
Yep, the hard wired 10 mtr hookup cable on my RV was thicker than a hose pipe and rated at 50amps.
The was no hookup socket on the RV, this cable went to the distribution panel and somehow someone managed to fit a European blue plug on the end to accept a regular hookup lead or hookup post
 

thebriars

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Every US motorhome I've hired was the same, the thick cable was wired directly into the van and there was an impossibly small cubby hole to try and stuff this cable into when travelling.

Fitting a 50 amp cable into a Euro plug sounds gruesome and highly unsafe!

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pappajohn

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I forgot about the vertical shoebox sized hole to store it all in. :eek:

I never looked but I reckon the entry to the plug had been drilled/machined to a bigger size to accept the large cable.
 
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with the US 50amp HUL you only use 3 of the 4 leads into a UK blue plug .
 

rolling rolling

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I am sure your fuse box that houses the breakers don't go more than 16amp in your IH. All the black cables shown here will not work for you.
As standard most campsites in the US have 30 amp sockets, we have stayed in 536 sites over the last 15 years Canada included some sites also have 50amp. A few have the small 15amp sockets like you would find in a US home there was a picture on Tonka'a post above bottom left hand corner. You will have to get some plug convertors to go between your transformer and the 15amp sockets. This is the issue with shipping your vehicle around the world. We have found it easier to buy the RV or motorhome that is standard in the said country you are in, makes it easier for parts as well. I don't suppose for one minute thou that is an option for you now.

Might be better to get a powerful solar panel. Can you upload some pictures of the sockets on your transformer. There are adaptors that go from the large 30amp plug to the small 15amp I think we had the other way 15amp into portable generator to 30amp, if you plugged into 30amp socket I guess the breaker would trip a lot inside your van.

On Ebay.com there is a 30amp male down to a 15 amp female



then you can buy an orange extension cord from Home Depot ( like B & Q) regular house cord extension to go from that adaptor to you transformer probably via another adaptor at the transformer end.
Best of luck important to get it right before you leave as you will not find anything to do with EU, UK or anything else to do with outside America or Canada once you are there, because America is the whole world nothing exists outside of it !!!!

Julea

Rolling Rolling

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