Questions about running electrical

[deacon328]

I am going to build a very basic teardrop. I am using my teardrop for a trip that will have camping locations the whole way, with electicity to hook up at the location.

I am showing my ignorance here but could I literally just install a few outlets and connect them all to a "master" plug to connect to the campground's power?

Anytime it seems too easy it usually is....lol

[Dale M.]

It can be almost that easy.... Only thing I would suggest to do is add a breaker box with one or two 15 amp ground fault circuit breakers. This needs to be between your receptacles and TD's external power plug

This also protects you from something goofy with shore power if pedestal is not wired correctly or breakers in pedestal are to big to protect your TD...

Also the investment into a #5 receptacle tester to use on shore power plugs before plugging TD in may save you some grief.... A badly wired or defect receptacle may cause your TD electrical system some harm.....

Dale

[Mary K]

I installed a power Inlet


From Bass Pro http://tinyurl.com/2cjfyt

Wired that to a GFCI Outlet and daisy chained another 2 outlets from the GFCI.


For a breaker, I purchased a Extension Cord with a built in 15amp breaker from Lowes.

I can not find a picture of the one I have. Its a Yellow Jacket extension cord 12 or 14 awg and a short extension that has the breaker on it.

You can find them out there... some were ....


I hope this helps.

Mk

[Alphacarina]

Very nice installation, Mary

I especially like your use of all the tie points which ensure that you don't have any wiring moving around as you bounce down the roads

Don

[Mary K]

Thanks Don. Wiring the TD was the easiest part of building my TD because I actually knew what I was doing then. I hope

Mk

[Boodro]

Deacon , if ya want simple , get a heavy gauge extension cable & a surge strip . Plug the one end to shore power & put the surge strip in the tear & plug your AC devices into the strip. No need to run any wire or sockets. Just one way to do it. Good luck!

[deacon328]

Thanks everyone. I think will actually use both ideas. An extension cord and surge supressor for things I don't use all the time and permanent plugs for things I do like lights and other things.

I have read several threads about the Petcool AC versus the smaller BTU units. I know what people are talking about with the damp air. In my poorer times a friend and I actually lived in a converted step van in Texas (when I said poor I meant poor) We have two little fans running air out of the step van and the AC running on the lowest setting, it worked fine. If we tried to turn it higher it got damp.

I can't afford the petcool so I am going with the $96 Walmart 5000BTU unit.

[Miriam C.]

Deacon, it is just as easy to add a breaker box to what Mary has done. Not real necessary though. There are lots of breaker/GFCI extension type cords out there.

Here are some other ideas:
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=20164