AmarilloLeaf
Well-known member
Since I am not an RV'er, I knew nothing about the ins and outs of using an RV park for charging purposes.
However, there are dozens of RV parks about 35 - 70 miles from me, that potentially would extend the range of my Leaf. I love how the Leaf drives, and my only complaint is that I can't go 350 miles at a time.
Considerations:
Faster charging:
Problem: 120 volt charging will take forever. My Blink weights a ton, is not very portable, and looks somewhat fragile.
Solution: I purchased Ingineer's modified 240v charger to shorten recharge time, and an adapter for the standard 240 volt RV Park socket, a NEMA 14-50R.
Where to go:
As far away as possible!
Solution: My strategy for my first trip was to find an RV park within walking distance of a restaurant. I'd have a nice leisurely lunch, see the local sights, and come back to a car with more charge on it. I planned a 90 mile round trip, and expected 20 miles of extra capacity with a 2 hour charge at the RV park. If you have more time, then you can go further.
What do you ask for at the RV park:
Chances are that they will be unfamiliar with electric cars. Here is a recent article from a magazine catering to managers of RV parks....
http://bit.ly/faxqdy
First, I would recommend identifying the RV park and calling them to verify that they can accomodate you. You can Google "RV Park City, State" and find them on a map.
Most of the non-franchise parks are husband and wife or family owned sites, and they are usually very friendly and accomodating. Tell them how many amps you draw (I use 12) , you will need "50 amp service" which is a 240v 50 amp socket, and ask how much they would charge. If the charge seems high, counter offer a lower but fair price. I paid $5 for the day with in-and-out privileges. The article refers to other parks that charge up to $10 for 4 hours.
Also, many state parks have RV hookups with 240v 50 amp service, but they are not listed as RV parks. We have such a park nearby. They, since they are bureaucratic institutions, they may want to charge a full RV site charge or not let you hook up at all. At some parks, they may not even care if you plug in at a vacant site as long as you aren't blocking someone.
What am I getting:
You simply park close enough to a power pedestal. Some have little light bulbs on them to assist RVs that arrive at night. The sockets are usually enclosed inside a hinged door that you simply swing up by grabbing from the bottom. There will be 120volt plugs, and the big 50 amp 240v socket for your charger. Some of the pedestals have circuit breakers that you simply turn on like you would those at your house. Some have a circuit breaker for each socket. Some have circuit breakers on the side. Some have no circuit breakers.
You might scope out the area quickly to decide which pedestal to choose if you weren't assigned a specific one. You may want to be closer to the park entrance, or far away from kids throwing rocks, or out of the sun, or whatever.
A short photo essay on my first trip is here:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3540
Until EVs become the norm, I suspect that we will need to rely on RV parks as a place to reliably obtain 240v power outside of the city limits....
However, there are dozens of RV parks about 35 - 70 miles from me, that potentially would extend the range of my Leaf. I love how the Leaf drives, and my only complaint is that I can't go 350 miles at a time.
Considerations:
Faster charging:
Problem: 120 volt charging will take forever. My Blink weights a ton, is not very portable, and looks somewhat fragile.
Solution: I purchased Ingineer's modified 240v charger to shorten recharge time, and an adapter for the standard 240 volt RV Park socket, a NEMA 14-50R.
Where to go:
As far away as possible!
Solution: My strategy for my first trip was to find an RV park within walking distance of a restaurant. I'd have a nice leisurely lunch, see the local sights, and come back to a car with more charge on it. I planned a 90 mile round trip, and expected 20 miles of extra capacity with a 2 hour charge at the RV park. If you have more time, then you can go further.
What do you ask for at the RV park:
Chances are that they will be unfamiliar with electric cars. Here is a recent article from a magazine catering to managers of RV parks....
http://bit.ly/faxqdy
First, I would recommend identifying the RV park and calling them to verify that they can accomodate you. You can Google "RV Park City, State" and find them on a map.
Most of the non-franchise parks are husband and wife or family owned sites, and they are usually very friendly and accomodating. Tell them how many amps you draw (I use 12) , you will need "50 amp service" which is a 240v 50 amp socket, and ask how much they would charge. If the charge seems high, counter offer a lower but fair price. I paid $5 for the day with in-and-out privileges. The article refers to other parks that charge up to $10 for 4 hours.
Also, many state parks have RV hookups with 240v 50 amp service, but they are not listed as RV parks. We have such a park nearby. They, since they are bureaucratic institutions, they may want to charge a full RV site charge or not let you hook up at all. At some parks, they may not even care if you plug in at a vacant site as long as you aren't blocking someone.
What am I getting:
You simply park close enough to a power pedestal. Some have little light bulbs on them to assist RVs that arrive at night. The sockets are usually enclosed inside a hinged door that you simply swing up by grabbing from the bottom. There will be 120volt plugs, and the big 50 amp 240v socket for your charger. Some of the pedestals have circuit breakers that you simply turn on like you would those at your house. Some have a circuit breaker for each socket. Some have circuit breakers on the side. Some have no circuit breakers.
You might scope out the area quickly to decide which pedestal to choose if you weren't assigned a specific one. You may want to be closer to the park entrance, or far away from kids throwing rocks, or out of the sun, or whatever.
A short photo essay on my first trip is here:
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3540
Until EVs become the norm, I suspect that we will need to rely on RV parks as a place to reliably obtain 240v power outside of the city limits....
