220V using shore power only

[inhof009]

I'm still in the planning stages of electrical, and I have come across some super cheap 220V window AC units that should be able to cool my entire bus no problem. That lead me to doing some research on here and on Google about 220V. I'm familiar with 110V vs 220V, but nowhere near a pro.

My question is can I wire a 220V outlet to run from shore power when using 30A service?

I know 50A service has 2 hots that operate at split phase and that was you get 220V from it, but 30A only has one hot. I'm not currently planning on boondocking, but I would like to keep the possibility of using a 30A RV park instead of limiting myself to 50A.

If it's possible, is there installing 220V outlet more complicated than simply using 2 breakers? If it's not possible, I'll figure out whether I prefer a big A/C unit or being able to park at 30A in the summer.

[david.dgeorge07]

Maybe someone else with more experience will chime in, but I don’t see how you could get 220V from a single phase 30 amp pedestal.

[inhof009]

Originally Posted by david.dgeorge07

Maybe someone else with more experience will chime in, but I don’t see how you could get 220V from a single phase 30 amp pedestal.

The more I think about it and look in to it, the more I think that's the case. There are transformers that will step up the voltage, but to run an air conditioner will likely require a few hundred dollars transformer.

[Danjo]

I was just watching YouTube videos today how some of the RV places (RV Resort? Blech not my thing!) have 30/50 Amp pedestals now. It looks like the 50 is 240 volts.
.https://www.rvtechmag.com/electrical/chapter3.php

[david.dgeorge07]

Originally Posted by Danjo

I was just watching YouTube videos today how some of the RV places (RV Resort? Blech not my thing!) have 30/50 Amp pedestals now. It looks like the 50 is 240 volts.
.https://www.rvtechmag.com/electrical/chapter3.php

I’m on the road at the moment and I would say most campgrounds have 50 amp 220/240 in addition to 30 and 20 amp plugs.

[inhof009]

Originally Posted by david.dgeorge07

I’m on the road at the moment and I would say most campgrounds have 50 amp 220/240 in addition to 30 and 20 amp plugs.

I appreciate your input! I assume over time we'll see 50A become standard, but I wasn't sure how common 50A is. There's a lot of discussion on here and other forums about how common 50A is, and many people have different experiences. On top of that, they're mostly 5-10 year old discussions. I assume most places charge more for 50A than 30A?

[HazMatt]

They do charge more for 50A where I'm "currently" camping.
Otherwise, just 30A service. Some places still have standard 110V outlets on the utility posts, but I suspect those will eventually be "phased" out...

[david.dgeorge07]

I’ve spent about 4 months out of the last year traveling and have yet to be charged more for 50 amp. I think the new pedestals usually have all 3 connection types.

That said, I wouldn’t suggest an ac solution that only works on 220.

Many times visiting relatives all I have is a 20 amp extension cord. Very thankful my mini splits run fine with that.