Posted 2022-09-07 6:09 AM (#185399) Subject: Electric for DIY weekender...I am SOOOO lost!
New User
Posts: 2
Hello and thanks in advance for any advice!
Trailer is a 2h straight load WB sized GN with a very large tack room. I would like to do a VERY BASIC weekender for 2-3 nights for horse shows. I do not expect to ever boondock. I have a billion other questions but will start with electric. My knowledge of electricity is that when I flip the switch up, the light goes on. When I flip it down, it goes off. :) I'd rather not get into a whole breaker box and all of that. I kind of want to do the weekender conversion myself, even if it takes years.
I have a horse show the beginning of November and have reserved a 30AMP hookup site.
1. If I drill a hole in the trailer and install the power inlet I purchased, what else is needed?
2. What cord should I use to connect that power inlet to the 30AMP connector on the power pedestal? Do I need any adapters?
3. After it is installed, can I just plug "normal" household things into the inside cords or is some kind of inverter/converter/other unknown thing needed so that it's the right level/kind of electricity? Would a surge protector be a good idea?
4. I have horse area cameras inside the trailer that are hard-wired to my truck that I plug into the truck when I hook up the trailer. It seems to me that there trailer lights (brake lights/load lights/etc) and the cameras are completely separate from this new power inlet and it wouldn't matter one way or the other if I disconnected the trailer from the truck electricity once the shore power is connected. Is that right?
5. If at some WAY future time (like years) I wanted to install a small window-unit AC for the tack room area, would I need to do anything different/additional besides this?
6. Is there a different device besides the one I purchased that might be a better option? Like maybe with only one extension cord that I then plug into a surge protector that has several outlets?
7. If the recommendation is to get a 30AMP power inlet, is there one that has the inside extension cord already attached? Or at the very least, just a plug on the inside where I could connect a surge protector?
8. If for some reason I needed to power off a generator (which would be purely by accident), can this set-up work for that? If so, how big a generator would I need?
Thanks for your time and patience. Please use small words and "written for first-grader" instructions. I'm a nurse with a graduate degree and a sense of adventure, but what I know about electricity can be written on the head of a pin several times over. THANK YOU!
Posted 2022-09-10 3:03 PM (#185400 - in reply to #185399) Subject: RE: Electric for DIY weekender...I am SOOOO lost!
Regular
Posts: 78
I'm an electrical dummy too, but maybe I can help a little. I did sort of the same thing for my dressing room. 1. You might need an extension cord to go from the pedestal to your plug thingy. 2. You'll need a 30 amp dog bone to plug into the pedestal, then your power cord goes into the other end of the dog bone. Google 30 amp pedestal to see what the plug looks like. You can find dog bones on Amazon, look for 30 amp rv dog bone. 3. It's smart to use a surge protector at the pedestal. Amazon, look for rv surge protector. Make sure any extension cords can handle the load of whatever appliances you want to run. Don't plan on running a gazillion appliances off one of the surge protectors like we use for electronics in the house. 4. They are wired differently, no effect on what you want to do. 5. You may need a soft start set up to start your ac. The condensor takes a ton of power when it starts, and can upset things. A soft start eliminates that huge initial draw. 6,7 Maybe try an rv supply store and talk to someone there. 8. To run off a generator, you just need an extension cord. Make sure the cord is of a gauge that can handle the power draw. The size of the generator just depends...lots of power means a lot of weight. Maybe you have room in the back of the trailer to just set one and leave it? Also, be aware that some less expensive generators are really loud. Hondas and Yamahas are generally known as much quieter, but more expensive. I use a Honda 2200 inverter model and it weighs about 50#. It powers a coffee maker and lights, or a heater and lights, but not a coffee maker and heater. You need to figure out how much power each appliance needs and mix and match within your generator's limits. Some smaller gennys like the Honda can be run in tandem to provide more power while having two lighter units.
I hope this helps, or at least causes someone with more knowledge to jump in. Good luck!
Electric for DIY weekender...I am SOOOO lost!
