Anyone figure out how to convert 240v outlet to 120v and still use all 7.2kw?

[shembree]

I've been looking for an adapter/dogbone to convert 240v down to 120v for my camper. There are several options that split the 240v legs into two 120v legs, but from what I understand that's the same as plugging into one of the A or B 120v outlets. You wouldn't get 7kw, only 3.6kw. Am I understanding that correctly? I need 120v and all 7.2kw to run the AC and other appliances.

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[oldschool]

I've been looking for an adapter/dogbone to convert 240v down to 120v for my camper. There are several options that split the 240v legs into two 120v legs, but from what I understand that's the same as plugging into one of the A or B 120v outlets. You wouldn't get 7kw, only 3.6kw. Am I understanding that correctly? I need 120v and all 7.2kw to run the AC and other appliances.

Scott, I have a transformer that I acquired at an auction. It is an Acme T1-53044-S rated at 5kva. 120/240 or 240/120. On one instance it tripped the circuit breaker in my house while I was experimenting with it. I never connected it to the Pro-power for fear that the back emf from a connect/disconnect would damage it (pro-power). Had it worked out, it would only have provided
41 amps safely and it weighs 75 lbs. A larger transformer to accomodate the full 7.2 kva would likely
weigh 100 lbs. I'm giving up on this Idea.
Maybe someone makes a specialized inverter for this application. At the moment, I feel that the best approach is to rewire the trailer to divide the loads across both legs of the Pro-power
outlet. Might require a new or additional breaker box for the trailer.
I don't know what kind of ground fault issues might occur.
Just sharing my thoughts.....GOOD LUCK

 

[imnuts]

I don't think you'll find a premade adapter to go from 240V to dual 120V and be able to use the full 7200W load. I found one adapter but it only goes to 20A receptacles, so you'd still be limited. If you need the full 7200W on your trailer and it only takes 120V, I'd see if you can get an electrician to setup a plug that goes into the breaker box to split the load for you. It'll be the safer option.

 

[BLoflin]

I've been looking for an adapter/dogbone to convert 240v down to 120v for my camper. There are several options that split the 240v legs into two 120v legs, but from what I understand that's the same as plugging into one of the A or B 120v outlets. You wouldn't get 7kw, only 3.6kw. Am I understanding that correctly? I need 120v and all 7.2kw to run the AC and other appliances.

So a couple of things: using a 120v dogbone out of the 30A 240V socket will get you 30A 120V that is 3.6KW as you stated. Using the 120V outlets in the bed are only 20A so limited to 2.4KW. So you do get 10 more amps using the dogbone (and additional 1.2KW load).

And NOTE, that is ALL your trailer can take as it is wired. You can not drive in and try to use 60Amps in your trailer.

So, even if you were to get someone to design some sort of transformer to try and get the whole 7.2KW onto 120V, your trailer is not designed (nor wired) to use it.

The easiest/cheapest way to use the other side (i.e. the other 3.6KW available) is to run a 120V 30A capable extension cord from the unused side of the dogbone and plug in other appliances that you can access the cord (i.e. your coffee maker, instant-pot, electrical skittle, etc.). For most TT with a built in microwave you can actually get to it's 120v plug and do that also. Of course it will be a little clunky looking with big extension cord coming in. But with a little work you could probably device a path thru one of the TT front external storage compartments. Or if that is to messy just bring your coffee maker, et al out to your tailgate (or a table setup under your awning).

Next most complicated, expensive (and probably will have some TT warranty issues) is as other posters stated and get a TT electrician to split your AC circuits and bring another plug interface to the outside wall of your TT.

Do note, that some of the newer, larger size TT with 2 A/C units are installing 50A 120V (x2) 4 pin plugs. These will plug into campsites 50A 120V (if available). Basically these trailers are designed with a 2 circuit 120V wiring. You can get a dogbone that will plug into Propower 30A 240 and go straight over to the 4 pin 120V TT plug correctly and you then will be using both sides.

 

[UGADawg96]

Do note, that some of the newer, larger size TT with 2 A/C units are installing 50A 120V (x2) 4 pin plugs. These will plug into campsites 50A 120V (if available). Basically these trailers are designed with a 2 circuit 120V wiring. You can get a dogbone that will plug into Propower 30A 240 and go straight over to the 4 pin 120V TT plug correctly and you then will be using both sides.

I think for those with a 50A TT, this is the part that they are interested in.

 

[bigskydu]

I think for those with a 50A TT, this is the part that they are interested in.

Is it this part?

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matter...7MTQAWM6C5Q&psc=1&refRID=29998VWVF7MTQAWM6C5Q

 

[jabrego]

I've been looking for an adapter/dogbone to convert 240v down to 120v for my camper. There are several options that split the 240v legs into two 120v legs, but from what I understand that's the same as plugging into one of the A or B 120v outlets. You wouldn't get 7kw, only 3.6kw. Am I understanding that correctly? I need 120v and all 7.2kw to run the AC and other appliances.

Have you tried just buying a plug? something similar to this link
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Champion-Power-Equipment-3-ft-240-Volt-Y-Adapter-48035/203501783

 

[BLoflin]

Sorry maybe my answer may have confused the issues.

TT (travel trailers) and TC (travel campers, sit in the truck bed) are all ONLY 120VAC. Some larger motorhomes do have 240VAC for things like standard clothes dryers. Does not apply to this conversation.

On the 7.2KW ProPower you have 4 120VAC 20 amp outlets. 2 on each side of the PP "generator". Ford calls it A and B on the Sync 4 display. Each side of the PP generator can only give you 30amp maximum (3.6KW) so you can't pull 20amps concurrently out of both of the 120V outlets (i.e. limit is 30 not 40 amps between the two outlets). You can pull 30 amp out of each side of the PP generator. So a total of 60amps pulled at 120VAC out of the 4 120V outlets. For a total of 7.2KW (i.e. 3.6KW + 3.6KW). In other words you could have four 120V 15 amp devices each plugged into one of the four 120v outlets.

The 240V 30amp big outlet (at the top of the PP panel) can be used as 240V to a device and deliver 7.2KW. But it also (using a dogbone) can deliver up to 2 120V 30amp service (i.e. 3.6KW + 3.6KW).

That 240V outlet is 4 pin. There is a ground (which btw is bonded to the neutral and can NOT be unbonded, really only important if you are trying to use PP to power parts of your home during a power outage). Then there is a neutral. Then the final 2 pins are each 120V (when measured to the neutral) but 240V between the 2 of them.

So for that big plug you can get 240V or you can get one or two 120V circuits.

You want to make sure you do NOT get an extension cable with or without a dogbone that will deliver 240V onto a 3 pin plug as this will fry your trailer. For your trailer (which is 3 pin) you need to deliver GND, Neutral and one Hot (that is 120V). You can pull 30 amp and 30 amp is ALL your trailer is rated to carry/use.

If you have trailer with a 4 pin (and usually also called 50amp service), that is actually wired with 2 separate 120V circuits in the trailer. Usually somewhat balancing the loads in the trailer across both circuits. I.E. If you have 2 A/C units one will be one each circuit. Then other things that could use AC like the water heater, microwave, refrigerator are split between the 2 circuits.

There have been instances where a TT owner thought he could easily grab power when parked at home for his TT and wired it to his Dryer plug in the garage and blew every device in the TT (because he drove 240V into 120V devices).

IF you read this far, to bring it back around. The OP wanted to try and get all 7.2KW out of PP but at 120V as he said his TT needed it for the AC. I do NOT understand that. There is not a TT built that has a 60Amp 120VAC single circuit. He can't possibly need anymore than 30A on a single 120V circuit in his trailer. Unless he designed and built his trailer himself. He might have a TT that has TWO 120V 30amp circuits (like the Lance 2465) in a 4 pin plug. But again that 4 pin is picking up 2 120V circuit coming from the generator (which ProPower will support with the correct dogbone).

 

[AutonomousHybridF150]

I use this. Cost me 30 dollars for the 4 blade twist plug, 5 bucks for the copper, and 7 dollars for the 30 amp RV plug, 2 dollars for box at Home Depot.

With this same 4 blade twist plug, there is an empty spot in my set up. You would simply add a 2nd wire coming off of the hot leg, and then bond the 2 neutral wires at that blade.

Then you would have 2ea 120v 30a outlets.

don’t worry, if you mis wire it the pro power will detect a fault and tell you. Lol.

 

[AutonomousHybridF150]

Is it this part?

https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matter...7MTQAWM6C5Q&psc=1&refRID=29998VWVF7MTQAWM6C5Q

This part will only access one leg of the power. So only 3600 watts max.

 

[AutonomousHybridF150]

I think the OP travel trailer owner is tripping the pro power because it’s 30 amps isn’t quite the same as a electrical breaker with 30 amps.

my RV trips pro power when shore power would not normally.

I don’t think there would be anything aside from some type of combiner for current that could make both legs work together as one 110 volt leg with 60 amps of available current.

When you bring the legs back together you get 240 volts across the hot legs again.

 

[xtraman122]

No simple adapter/cord can possibly get you the combined power of both legs at 120v. It would need to be some type of power supply/transformer that would act as a middleman taking 240v as its input (From the truck) and supplying 120v out of it at the combined amperage from both inputs. It would need to balance the load across both both legs from the truck as well.

Could such a device exist? Probably somewhere, but I'm sure it wouldn't be cheap and would only be useful for a few very specific use cases. There aren't many things that use anything over 30A and still only run on 120v. I've never been into RVs/TTs at all but was surprised to see from everyone here that they almost all run at only 120V, I would have figured for sure they'd have a 240v connector and split their devices across two legs of power. Must just be what power is available at all the campgrounds.

 

[shembree]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024E71BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

I started using this from the 240v outlet to the RV. Works great. I was concerned about not having enough watts to run the A/C compressor and microwave, but so far the 3.6kw has been enough to run everything without tripping.

 

[Norris McCarty]

You can’t…..nor do you need to

 

[Snakebitten]

Or possibly the OP air conditioner just needs a softstart? He's not the only person who has experienced the Powerboost turning off the generator when an RV air conditioner compressor kicked on.
The Powerboost generator is QUICK to protect itself compared to a breaker in a campground power box. And RV air conditioners are built to a price point that doesn't exactly lend itself to high quality components. Some draw less than others and depending on what else is drawing power in the RV, the air conditioner can momentarily exceed 3600watts.

Note that with the softstart installed on the Air Conditioner it will draw far less starting amps and leave plenty of headroom for the Powerboost to purr along.

The first time I plugged my RV into the Powerboost I monitored the demand on the generator and was surprised to see that the AC compressor PEGGED the 3.6KW gauge momentarily, although the Powerboost took the hit and didn't shut off.
Once the start up draw was over, the Air conditioner settled to a nice calm draw. Lol

Here's what my 30Amp RV draw is on the Powerboost with a 15k AC running and the fridge and hot water heater on electric.

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