Adapters for Ingineer's L1 to L2 EVSE - NO LONGER AVAILABLE

[smkettner]

I just don't want someone also unfamiliar thinking the wrong adapter may work.
Generally an RV park will have 30 amp and 50 amp sites.

30 amp uses NEMA TT-30R and is 120v 30a service. Usually there is also a regular 20a GFI connector.

50 amp uses NEMA 14-50R and of course is 120/240v service. These usually also have an RV 30a and 20a connectors.

For 240 volt fast charging a person would need a 50 amp site.

[GeekEV]

I appreciate the feedback. This is how we learn.

[AmarilloLeaf]

I just used the NEMA 14-50R adapter this weekend at an rv park.

Worked great!

You need to ask for a space with a 50 amp service to get the 240v power.

Photos are here:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3540

[GeekEV]

Not having done it myself, I'm curious about the circumstances. Were you actually RVing, or did you stop there specifically to charge? If the latter, did you have to rent a space for the whole night or were you able to rent by the hour? And (although it may vary widely) what did it run you?

EDIT: Now that I've read your linked thread, most of my questions were answered. How nominal was the nominal charge?

[garygid]

In an RV park's typical 30-amp site (TT-30 at 120v) do you typically get just one TT-30 socket, or two?

If two, are they typially on the two different "phases" of 240v split-phase, so that one could actually get 240v from the pair?

Or, are the TT-30 sockets typically GFI protected, so that the "2-socket 240v" scheme would not work?

Thanks, Gary

[smkettner]

30a RV outlets are not GFI at the pedestal. (never heard of one on a GFI breaker either) Usually one per site although I have seen some in a gang of 2 & 4 where two or four sites share one pedestal. I have never checked if they are on opposite sides of the transformer. Campground owners are not real keen on the type connection you suggest even though it is fairly common in the RV world. Actually what some do is combine the 30a & 20a but I think they are generally on the same feed. An RV can still use the power as most stuff is 120v in an RV. Although this is getting more rare as the 20a GFI puts a stop to this adapter.

I think you really need to look for a 50a site to get the 240v EV power or accept slow 120v charging.

There are also a few campgrounds that use 3-phase power for even distribution so you only get 208 volts on the 14-50R. Again this works fine in an RV where everything is 120v to the neutral. I believe more parks are asking to use 3-phase distribution when built as it is lower cost to install.


http://tweetys.com/rv50ampcheaterbox.aspx

[AmarilloLeaf]

Not having done it myself, I'm curious about the circumstances. Were you actually RVing, or did you stop there specifically to charge? If the latter, did you have to rent a space for the whole night or were you able to rent by the hour? And (although it may vary widely) what did it run you?

EDIT: Now that I've read your linked thread, most of my questions were answered. How nominal was the nominal charge?

No, I went there specifically to charge. I don't have an RV and I am alien to the RV world.

This obviously was a new type of request for them. They had no idea what to charge. I had no idea what to offer.

I knew I was only going to use about $0.40 of electricity at most, but since I asked for 50 amp service they were worried I would be drawing 50 amps. Their dump charge was $7, but I thought that was a little high. We settled on $5 for the day. I told them I was drawing 12 amps and would be there 2 - 3 hours.

I was only there about 90 minutes as it turned out.

When I left, they were fascinated by the whole concept. They showed me a drop box where I could pay with a little envelope any time I came back. If I planned to come back often, I'm sure we could set up a monthly rate of some kind.

Connecting electric vehicles could turn out to be a nice sideline for RV parks if this catches on. The 240v mod and the adapter makes it all possible.

If I were towing a vehicle behind my RV, I would REALLY want a Leaf. You could top off the batteries at no extra charge!

I plan another RV park outing in a couple weeks. Perhaps I should start a thread "Charging at RV Parks"

[Kataphn]

I think it would be great to start that thread. Until the infrastructure gets up, RV park charging seems like a really viable option.

[mwalsh]

Perhaps I should start a thread "Charging at RV Parks"

I think that would be an awesome idea.

I also think we could get a grass roots deal going where we inform RV parks in our area about what we're looking for and suggest how they might be able to work with EV'ers us to create a new revenue stream for themselves. And remember, it's not only electricity we're looking for. We'll probably visit a local eatery or watering hole; maybe take in a local tourist attraction or movie house. It's win-win for the whole community!

Most parks appear to get $20-35 for an nights RV parking, including amenities. So I don't think it's unreasonable to suggest no more than $10 for someone who is going to be there a maximum of 10-11 hours (from empty on Ingineer's modded L1) and using only around $3 worth of electricity. Or perhaps even an hourly charge.

[garygid]

The 50-amp "cheater" (2 posts above) is advertized as providing 50-amps when plugged into a 30-amp (120v) and 20-amp (120v) socket. However, I suspect it provides 208v or 240v, and only 20 amps maximum.

If plugged into two different phase TT-30 sockets, it would be 30 amps maximum.

I have two TT-30P to 5-15R adapter "cubes" (about $6 each), and a 2x 5-15P to L6-20R "Y" adapter (about $16 in parts) to get the 240v (or maybe 208v) for my Mod-L1 EVSE.