Portable Charger & Amps/Breakers

[NooterIA]

So the portable charger says it will do 32 amps. What happens if the breaker providing the power is only 30 amps? Will the charger adjust or just trip the breaker? One place I frequent has a stacked washer/dryer unit that has the standard 220 dryer plug that I plan on plugging the portable Rivian charger into for overnight charges.

Suppose it’s best to bump that breaker up to a 50A? It’s a 200A panel with hardly anything leveraging it..

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[sub]

The portable charger cannot plug into a 30 amp outlet.

It won't physically fit. 30 amp and 50 amp circuits use different plugs.

You would need to replace the outlet with a 50 amp outlet, the circuit breaker with a 40 or 50 amp circuit breaker, and you would have to replace the wire with heavier gauge wire that can handle 40/50 amps. In other words, an entirely new circuit.

 

[JEV]

You can use an adapter and limit the charge to 24A in the charge settings.

 

[DuckTruck]

The portable charger cannot plug into a 30 amp outlet.

It won't physically fit. 30 amp and 50 amp circuits use different plugs.

You would need to replace the outlet with a 50 amp outlet, the circuit breaker with a 40 or 50 amp circuit breaker, and you would have to replace the wire with heavier gauge wire that can handle 40/50 amps. In other words, an entirely new circuit.

I picked up this adapter off of Amazon (~$39) to allow me to plug the portable charging unit into a 30-amp circuit.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when I plug this into a 30-amp circuit to use the Rivian's portable charger, isn't it best to reduce the charge on the User Interface to 24 amps, to avoid overloading the circuit from which I'm charging?

 

[DuckTruck]

You can use an adapter and limit the charge to 24A in the charge settings.

JEV,

Thanks! You answered my question as I was posting it!

 

[NooterIA]

Hmm, guess I had the plug type wrong. So, if I get ahold of one of these adapter cables then I should be set yeah? Male end goes in the dryer plug and the portable goes into the 14-50 female.

 

[JEV]

JEV,

Thanks! You answered my question as I was posting it!

There is a big difference between the TT-30 plug and the 14-30P.

The TT-30 is 120V 30A (3600W) and typically used at RV parks. You would get about 2880W of charge.

The 14-30 is 240V 30A (7200W) is used for dryer plugs and will provide about 5760 W of charge.

 

[Eeyore]

The portable charger cannot plug into a 30 amp outlet.

It won't physically fit. 30 amp and 50 amp circuits use different plugs.

You would need to replace the outlet with a 50 amp outlet, the circuit breaker with a 40 or 50 amp circuit breaker, and you would have to replace the wire with heavier gauge wire that can handle 40/50 amps. In other words, an entirely new circuit.

Well, you could put the 50 amp rated outlet on the 30 amp circuit, but you couldn't put a 50 amp load in the circuit. A NEMA 14-50 plug cost less than the adaptors suggested.

 

[DuckTruck]

There is a big difference between the TT-30 plug and the 14-30P.

The TT-30 is 120V 30A (3600W) and typically used at RV parks. You would get about 2880W of charge.

The 14-30 is 240V 30A (7200W) is used for dryer plugs and will provide about 5760 W of charge.

@JEV,

Thanks for that clarification! I was aware there was a lesser charging-rate involved, but didn't know the numbers. I picked this up just In case it becomes the difference between gaining some juice, or being stranded. In checking out the internet for RV parks, I noticed some remote ones are limited to 30 amps, and thought it wise to grab this.

If it saves me only once, I won't regret the purchase.

Thanks again!

🛻

 

[Riviot]

I picked up this bad boy for $70 and it's worth every penny. We used it for a week at my in-law's place and I plan on leaving it at the cabin we close on soon. I set the charging rate in the truck to 30 amps and it pulled 5.7kW. I also programmed to only charge from 10pm-6am to prevent accidental overloads. I don't suggest it as a permanent solution, but perfect for infrequent charging.

Parkworld 60325 Dryer Splitter, NEMA 14-30 Male Plug to 14-30 ＆ RV / EV 14-50 Female Receptacle, Dryer 4-Prong 30 AMP Y Adapter Cord (3FT) https://a.co/d/cblf1lg

 

[DuckTruck]

Well, you could put the 50 amp rated outlet on the 30 amp circuit, but you couldn't put a 50 amp load in the circuit. A NEMA 14-50 plug cost less than the adaptors suggested.

@Eeyore,

Riddle me this, if you will: As the 14-30P is designed for dryers, I'm assuming I'd likely not find it in RV parks, correct? Having the 14-30P to 14-50R adapter might come in handy, but I'm guessing anywhere I find a 14-30P, I'll likely find standard 120V outlets, as well. In other words, the 14-30P would most likely be found in a residential setting, is that right?

That said, I see them for only $20 through Amazon (in a pop-up ad in this forum, no less - Jeez! What a surprise?!). It might sound wasteful to some, but if it provides help only once, I may just have to grab one.

Thanks for your insights.

 

[SANZC02]

I picked up this bad boy for $70 and it's worth every penny. We used it for a week at my in-law's place and I plan on leaving it at the cabin we close on soon. I set the charging rate in the truck to 30 amps and it pulled 5.7kW. I also programmed to only charge from 10pm-6am to prevent accidental overloads. I don't suggest it as a permanent solution, but perfect for infrequent charging.

Parkworld 60325 Dryer Splitter, NEMA 14-30 Male Plug to 14-30 ＆ RV / EV 14-50 Female Receptacle, Dryer 4-Prong 30 AMP Y Adapter Cord (3FT) https://a.co/d/cblf1lg

Just a heads up, on a 30 amp circuit you should really set it for 24 amps. For continued use like EV charging you should only pull 80% of the circuit so you do not overheat it.

 

[Dark-Fx]

@JEV,

Thanks for that clarification! I was aware there was a lesser charging-rate involved, but didn't know the numbers. I picked this up just In case it becomes the difference between gaining some juice, or being stranded. In checking out the internet for RV parks, I noticed some remote ones are limited to 30 amps, and thought it wise to grab this.

If it saves me only once, I won't regret the purchase.

Thanks again!

🛻

Hope you have a lot of time in that situation. Our trip two weekends ago, we put 51kWh into the battery over the course of 35 hours of being plugged into a TT-30 (charging at 24A)

 

[JEV]

@JEV,

Thanks for that clarification! I was aware there was a lesser charging-rate involved, but didn't know the numbers. I picked this up just In case it becomes the difference between gaining some juice, or being stranded. In checking out the internet for RV parks, I noticed some remote ones are limited to 30 amps, and thought it wise to grab this.

If it saves me only once, I won't regret the purchase.

Thanks again!

🛻

I have both, just in case. You would most likely find the TT-30 at RV parks and it will give twice as much charge as compared to the 120V 15A plug that comes with the Rivian portable charger. It's still slow compared to using 240V options. Just remember Amps X Volts = Watts.

 

[Riviot]

Just a heads up, on a 30 amp circuit you should really set it for 24 amps. For continued use like EV charging you should only pull 80% of the circuit so you do not overheat it.

I totally understand that and initially set it to 24 expecting 5.7kW, but it only pulled 4.5kW. So I'm not sure if it automatically lowers the amperage or what, but that math says it only pulled 20 amps. I bumped it up to 30 amps in the truck and my math said 24 amps came out

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