Using Shore Power and Battery Charger

[Capebuild]

Honestly, I'm not sure how to phrase this question but here goes.....

I'm using a 15 amp shore plug for when I hook up to shore power. One way I'll charge the 100Ah lithium house battery is via a Victron IP67 12/24 volt 5-25 amp
Battery Charger (Bluetooth).

My question is.... although my trailer will have a 15 amp input plug, what happens if the shore power at the campsite is 30 or 50 amps? I do have a converter plug so my 15 amp extension hook up cord can adapt to a 30 amp shore plug.... but am I now putting 30 amps into my system that is designed for 15 amp input? Hopefully I'm describing this correctly.

thanks

John

[flboy]

First, you should have your input to the camper going through a main breaker that will pop at 15A. That is 15A at 110VAC. Your LIFEPO4 charger I believe is rated in amps DC for 12VDc. That being the case, at 25A 12vdc, it will be pulling less than 2.5A at 110Vac give or take very little.

Bottom line, 15A breaker (you should have one on input) will ensure you don't overload wiring, and your 25A LiFePo4 charger should not even come close to overloading.

Aside from that, you will need to manage your loads.. but worse case, you should only have to reset a breaker. Should not matter if you are adapting 15A plug to 30A or 50A service.

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk

[Tom&Shelly]

Honestly, I'm not sure how to phrase this question but here goes.....

I'm using a 15 amp shore plug for when I hook up to shore power. One way I'll charge the 100Ah lithium house battery is via a Victron IP67 12/24 volt 5-25 amp
Battery Charger (Bluetooth).

My question is.... although my trailer will have a 15 amp input plug, what happens if the shore power at the campsite is 30 or 50 amps? I do have a converter plug so my 15 amp extension hook up cord can adapt to a 30 amp shore plug.... but am I now putting 30 amps into my system that is designed for 15 amp input? Hopefully I'm describing this correctly.

thanks

John

Shouldn't be a problem. The devices on your camper determine the current draw, so if they draw less than 15 amps total (at 120 vac), they won't draw any more connected to a 30 amp shore power circuit than a 15 amp circuit. Of course, you should always include a master circuit breaker on your camper, from your shore power input, to protect your system from accidental shorts. Sounds like you want that to be 15 amps.

Tom

[Socal Tom]

The amperage on those is the max amperage, and its not pushed out to the things you plug into them. Its pulled as needed. So as long as the voltage is correct, the device will pull the amps it needs to work. The same isn't true of voltage, don't plug 115v into a 230v circuit.
Tom

[Capebuild]

Thank you all for the direction.

Bottom line, 15A breaker (you should have one on input) will ensure you don't overload wiring, and your 25A LiFePo4 charger should not even come close to overloading.

from your shore power input, to protect your system from accidental shorts. Sounds like you want that to be 15 amps.

I'll put a 15 amp fuse/breaker in the mix..... Does it matter if the fuse/breaker goes in between the hook up receptacle and the IP67 charger........ or after the charger.... between the charger and the safety hub, where that wiring winds up before it goes back to the house battery?

thanks again!

John

[lfhoward]

From right to left:
15A inlet for shore power (extension cord) on the side of the camper
15A fuse holder (a breaker would work here too) with an off switch
110 Outlet with GFCI
Power from there to the rest of the 110 outlets in the trailer (which would be GFCI protected here)
The battery charger is plugged into that first 110 outlet.

[John61CT]

Did not read the whole thread, just some clarifying principles

Charge sources and power supplies only push Volts, which should match the design of the load.

Amps are **pulled by the load**

Thus the source should be

A sized to withstand more than any current load totals will pull

B designed to actively limit that current,

or C include an OCP device to cut off a current level demand that is larger than it can safely service

[Tom&Shelly]

Thank you all for the direction.

Bottom line, 15A breaker (you should have one on input) will ensure you don't overload wiring, and your 25A LiFePo4 charger should not even come close to overloading.

from your shore power input, to protect your system from accidental shorts. Sounds like you want that to be 15 amps.

I'll put a 15 amp fuse/breaker in the mix..... Does it matter if the fuse/breaker goes in between the hook up receptacle and the IP67 charger........ or after the charger.... between the charger and the safety hub, where that wiring winds up before it goes back to the house battery?

thanks again!

John

Don't even consider a fuse; what you want is a household style breaker designed for 120 vac, in a breaker box (for household use, or something like the PD 4045 has one built in). The breaker should be on the line side of your shore power input, before anything else in your electrical installation.

Tom

[western traveler]

While we are on this subject I am planning to use this setup for simplicity. Not sure the shore power penetration is the exact brand but the other items are correct except mine has a 3 outlet pigtail on the end.
I found this setup on this forum. Have any issues developed over time with this? Any obvious problems?