Camping Discounters

Camping Gear

This will depend upon the generator as much as anything. I don’t remember seeing one that did not have 120 volt outlets in addition to the 240 volt, except for some specialty industrial models. If there is a 120 volt outlet, you should be fine so long as you do not pull more wattage than the generator is rated for.

If there is not a 120 volt outlet, then the generator is not designed to be used to generate 120 volts. Depending upon the way it is designed, it may be possible to get 120 volts out of it, but you would run a very high risk of damaging the generator. The camper should be fine, unless it is close enough to catch on fire when the generator goes up in smoke.

Princess Cut Engagement Rings

Hubby’s asking for trouble.

Silver Cigarette Cases

He needs to find out what the current draw is on the trailor at its worst. Now calculate the amount of work to be done.
If it draws 5 amps, for example, that means its work is :
Voltage ( amperage) = Watts ( work)
120 ( 5 ) = 600 watts.

Next, to reduce voltage I need a step-down transformer, since i am cutting it in half it is a step down transformer in the ratio of 2:1.
It needs to be rated to handle the 240 volts at 600 watts work. This means:
600 / 240 = 2.5 amps
to put it another way. ..

volts / amps = volts / amps
240/ 2.5 = 120 /5
You can see now, with the step-down transformer I can increase one and it will decrease the other. I can increase my voltage and it will decrease the amount of amps that can be drawn.
Or I can decrease my voltage and i’ll increase the amount of amperage that can be drawn to perform the same work.
In this case it is not the amps you are concerned with – it is the voltage only. So if I decrease my voltage this transformer will provide that voltage up to a higher current ( twice the current).
Since one side is equal to the other, both produce the same amount of work.

If it were the amps I’d want to reduce this would produce that current at a higher voltage.

Once I figure out my work I usually allow an extra 10% for fluctuations in the circuit.

The 240 line should be ran directly to the transformer on the high side, and a 120 outlet ran off of the low side of the transformer. The work done on one side will be the same amount of work that can be done on the other side of the transformer. Forget the whole cut -off the prong / extention cord method. And keep in mind a trailor as in ” out in the woods” which implies the possibility of a lightening strike and proper grounding better be involved in the circuit.

Camping Gear

To begin with, the double male extension cord is very dangerous and against all electrical codes.

How would the trailer normally be supplied with AC power? Why don’t you just plug trailer power cord into the generator instead of trying to lash something together? There is no need for such an unsafe practice.

If the trailer cord uses a 120V 30A plug you can purchase an adapter which will allow it to connect to a standard 15A duplex outlet. The generator should have this type outlet and everything will be safe.

I have other generator connection and safety items on my web page.

Camping Gear

Some of these answers are okay but let me tell you what I would do. You can buy an electrical panel (BREAKER BOX) at Home Depot or Lowes, and build a system that is powered by the generator. If you’d like help on how exactly to do that email me and I’ll send you some plans.

That is what I would do. You can plug the box into the generator and the camper into the box. It is a lot safer that going directly to you generator because you will also have circuit breakers in line with the camper to definitely prevent a blazing camper. But like I said if you’d like a schematic drawing let me know.

Camping Gear

there should be a switch on the generator for either 120 or 220