Are Single A/C and 30-amp service in Adventurer 35U adequate?

[caheath]

Hello,

I am researching coaches with the intention of going full-time by early Fall this year. The 2001 Winnebago Adventurer 35U is very well rated and has just about all the features I want... except it has a single AC basement unit and only 30-Amp service. I've read that Winnebago uses a Powerline Energy Management System to control electrical load, thereby avoiding the possibility of overloading the 30-amp system.

My concerns are:

1) How well does the Powerline Energy Management System actually work? For example, are there issues with running the microwave while the AC is on?

2) Is the single basement A/C unit sufficient to comfortably cool the coach when the outside temperature is 90-95F?

I appreciate your feedback and any info you can share..

[Clifftall]

I had a 2001 35u Chieftain. The basement air had 2 compressors . Yours may as well. I had 30 amp and it ran both. You have to realize that you have 30 Amps. We usually turned things on and off manually not wanting to stress the power management system. It would however manage it for you. It's a personal preference. You're getting a great MH. I put 62,000 miles on mine and visited 49 States and all 10 Canadian Provinces. Good luck.

[Jbmsr]

Originally Posted by Clifftall

I had a 2001 35u Chieftain. The basement air had 2 compressors . Yours may as well. I had 30 amp and it ran both. You have to realize that you have 30 Amps. We usually turned things on and off manually not wanting to stress the power management system. It would however manage it for you. It's a personal preference. You're getting a great MH. I put 62,000 miles on mine and visited 49 States and all 10 Canadian Provinces. Good luck.

I had a 2001 Winnebago Adventurer 35U for a year and camped over 120 nights in Florida. It is an amazing rig. One of compressors will drop off when needed. We would turn the electric hot water heater switch off and run gas if needed. We loved it and I believe you will also.

Jesse

[John Hilley]

All the basement AC have 2 compressors. The 30 amp service will work fine. We have 50 amp, but a lot of the time will run on 30 amps and use a lighter cord for connecting.

[joanbill]

Originally Posted by John Hilley

All the basement AC have 2 compressors. The 30 amp service will work fine. We have 50 amp, but a lot of the time will run on 30 amps and use a lighter cord for connecting.

As most of the others have said, there should be no problem with the 30 amp service and the power management system. I have a 2002 Winnebago Adventurer 35U and have yet to take a maiden voyage (just bought it in January) but I have haunted all the boards trying to gt as much info as I can. Since the water heater, refrigerator and heater can all run off of gas or electric (heat pump for the heater), you should have no problem with the 30 amp on a hot day.

[KJD]

We have a 2005 Suncruiser with the 30amp. I think the system sucks gutter water.You can not have the Hot Water on electric at all during the summer.When you try to use a hair dryer and the AC is on it will blow the circuit. The basement air will not keep the coach cool in summer time when the temperature is above 90. If the air is on and you try to use the micro watch your panel.......... It will drop everything off to keep the system under 30 amp. I think with all the things that come standard on these coaches they should have 50 amp service as a minimum. Just my personal opinion. Your milage may vary... But if I had to do it over again I would NEVER BUY A MOTORHOME WITH 30 amp. again..................................KJD

[SuperGewl]

That system will do just fine. I just traded in a unit that had the same setup. You have an advantage to the fact that you can get into any park and not have to worry about 50amp service. The heating and cooling setup will keep the temp in it nice and cool or nice and warm without even blinking. Yes it could be better if it were 50 amp but no big deal. Just make sure your Basement air condenser is clean.

[NeilV]

It depends on your personal expectations and the condition of the parks you are staying at. Many of the 30 amp breakers on the park pedastles are in such bad shape that they trip at 20 or 25 amps load however this is the fault of the park and not the 30 RV.

The Basement Air is a 2 compressor system that starts on one compressor and switches to two when it needs it to keep up. In Florida a full time resident who runs with the program and follows the recomeded temps for conservation will have no problems keeping the coach between the 79 to 81 degrees for Southern Living however if you are expecting to maintain a 65 degree meat locker then no it won't keep up when its 110 out in the direct sun.

Obviously you won't be able to run the microwave, coffemaker, hairdryer and toaster at the same time as each of these items has the potential to draw 10 to 15 amps so you would be attempting to add a 40 to 60 amp load to the 8 to 15 amps the coach is already drawing to run the AC and other systems however even with a 50 amp coach you could be tripping the main breaker by doing the same.

With the PowerManagement system it sheds loads just fine as long as the campgrounds breaker is not defective or there is not a severe brownout going on. You can run the microwave and other items within reason while the AC is going along with the electric water heater, etc and power management will automatically shed the electric water heater first and then other loads such as high fan and second AC compressor, electric fridge operation, etc going down the list of managed loads on the power panel until the only managed load left running is the first AC compressor with the fan set to low speed.

At some parks where their power system is in really bad shape you sometimes may get past their 30 amp breaker constantly tripping by using a 50 amp adapter to plug your 30 amp coach into the 50 amp circuit. This again is a fault with the campground and not the coach.

I have had a 30 amp Adveturer 35U with Basement Air since 2006 and had a 50 amp Vectra before that and many times the 50 amp was a moot point anyways as most parks I stayed at did not have a 50 amp site available or charged such a premium for those sites that it wasn't worth it so regardless of the coach being 50 amp capable you were running 30 amp most times anyway. Depending on your budget and where you stay even if you pay extra for a 50 amp coach you may never see any benefit from it.

[Heating man]

I have an 2002 Itasca suncruiser 35U which is the same coach as the adventurer. Mine was 30 amp I converted it to 50 amp which is easy on this coach winnebago used the same load center and transfer switch on both. The power management system does work but if you have 50 amps available you don't have to worry about running most things together in the coach. It seems like the difference is only 20amps but in realality you have 100 amps available with a 50 amp coach (2- 50amp circuits) while a 30 amp coach you ony have 30 amps available. I like the basement air it cools my coach fine in hot weather. I think some people have trouble because the duct off the basement are leaks to the outside due to poor installation and so coach does not get all of the cool air.

[joanbill]

Originally Posted by Heating man

I have an 2002 Itasca suncruiser 35U which is the same coach as the adventurer. Mine was 30 amp I converted it to 50 amp which is easy on this coach Winnebago used the same load center and transfer switch on both. The power management system does work but if you have 50 amps available you don't have to worry about running most things together in the coach. It seems like the difference is only 20amps but in reality you have 100 amps available with a 50 amp coach (2- 50amp circuits) while a 30 amp coach you ony have 30 amps available.

I am not an electrician but I would be interested in what is needed to convert the 2002 Winnebago from 30 to 50 amp service easily. Is it just a heavier cord and 50 amp plug or do other changes need to be made? I have a 2002 Winnebago Adventurer 35U.

[John Hilley]

You have to also run new wire between the transfer switch and load center and switch out main breaker.

[Rockwood27]

I'm planning to upgrade my Itasca this summer to 50 amp. Check my post in this forum. There are some replies, which will lead you to more descriptions.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f101/30-a...de-189612.html

Fran

[gruelens]

At some parks where their power system is in really bad shape you sometimes may get past their 30 amp breaker constantly tripping by using a 50 amp adapter to plug your 30 amp coach into the 50 amp circuit. This again is a fault with the campground and not the coach.

The info above is from post #8 in this thread. Unless you have an external 30 amp breaker before your 50 amp adapter, this is a very dangerous/unsafe practice when using a 30 amp cord and RV service.

[John Hilley]

Your 30 amp main breaker in the RV will protect the shore cord. Not dangerous to use 50 to 30 amp adapter.

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by gruelens

At some parks where their power system is in really bad shape you sometimes may get past their 30 amp breaker constantly tripping by using a 50 amp adapter to plug your 30 amp coach into the 50 amp circuit. This again is a fault with the campground and not the coach.

The info above is from post #8 in this thread. Unless you have an external 30 amp breaker before your 50 amp adapter, this is a very dangerous/unsafe practice when using a 30 amp cord and RV service.

About as unsafe as plugging in any low current appliance in your home with its own built in circuit breaker into a 15 or 20 amp outlet. The main breaker in the coach will shut you down before you have a dangerous situation unless it has been bypassed or otherwise tampered with.

[bruceisla]

If using an adapter, use only a high quality one. I recommend using:

50to30 Adapter

Worth every penny !!