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Charing costs at campgrounds?
- Thread starter jacklail
- Start date
I have an RV and I have never seen a rate for charging EV. There are usually open spaces at most campgrounds I have stayed at. I would think it would be a good idea for them to establish an EV charging fee and advertise it. Adding a lot of additional charging options would be a good thing.
I don't know that there is any level that can be broadly applied as "typical". It's going to be all over the place, depending on the owners of the place. Early on, when I got my car, back in 2014, I was calling and arranging that with a place. For the way down on my trip, I was going to be car camping, so I did offer to pay for standard overnight rate, but I said on the way back, I would need to use it for just a few hours along the way in the afternoon, so could I arrange something partial? And she said, "How about like $12 for a 4 hour time?" Sounded fine to me. And there's a place up in Riggins, ID where the owners are really favorable for wanting to encourage EVs, so it's like a $5 flat fee kind of thing for however long you need.
So feel free to call and talk and negotiate for what you can do. But you may run into some places where people are entirely not open to it, and the answer is just "No".
I would try to find L2 chargers, either along the route or at hotels to sleep there, they'll be as fast as a 14-50 (240V*32A = 7.5kW). Along the route, a 4h+ stop to charge seems very long. You might need a CHAdeMO adapter instead (~43kW), there are probably stations on your route. PlugShare and other such apps would let you know about L2 and CHAdeMO.
If you plan to sleep at the camp site, I can't see why they wouldn't rent a full service site for big RVs, which has a 14-50. They just call it "50 amp", they might not know what a 14-50 is. The TT30 sites are just called "30 amps" and they are 120V, not 240 (needs a separate non-Tesla plug). I'm sure it's hit or miss if you just want to plug 3-4h... As Rocky_H says I would call in advance. Apps like GO Camping and RVParky can help you figure out the camp sites on your route and check if they have the 50Amp service or not.
If you plan to sleep at the camp site, I can't see why they wouldn't rent a full service site for big RVs, which has a 14-50. They just call it "50 amp", they might not know what a 14-50 is. The TT30 sites are just called "30 amps" and they are 120V, not 240 (needs a separate non-Tesla plug). I'm sure it's hit or miss if you just want to plug 3-4h... As Rocky_H says I would call in advance. Apps like GO Camping and RVParky can help you figure out the camp sites on your route and check if they have the 50Amp service or not.
Check for locations you may be interested in on PlugShare by enabling the "NEMA 14-50" filter. The comments are often useful.
I took a road trip a year ago where I needed some RV park support. Calling in advance, I got a NO from one place. (Her excuse was they didn't allow any tent or car camping due to no 'facilities'. Large RVs only.) The other places were fine with overnight car camping. One place where we just spent a couple hours for lunch charged us like $10. At another, the KOA in Ely Nevada, they have a few slots that are electric-only and is where she usually puts EV customers. It was good that we had made a reservation in advance as it was the same weekend as the Nevada Silver State Classic road races. The entire park was otherwise full of RVs and they were turning customers away. (If I were to do it today, there are now CHAdeMO resources along US 50 - if one has the adapter. But they didn't exist a year ago.)
I took a road trip a year ago where I needed some RV park support. Calling in advance, I got a NO from one place. (Her excuse was they didn't allow any tent or car camping due to no 'facilities'. Large RVs only.) The other places were fine with overnight car camping. One place where we just spent a couple hours for lunch charged us like $10. At another, the KOA in Ely Nevada, they have a few slots that are electric-only and is where she usually puts EV customers. It was good that we had made a reservation in advance as it was the same weekend as the Nevada Silver State Classic road races. The entire park was otherwise full of RVs and they were turning customers away. (If I were to do it today, there are now CHAdeMO resources along US 50 - if one has the adapter. But they didn't exist a year ago.)
SageBrush
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SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
That is true for me, but then again how much use does a spare tyre (or patch kit) get ?
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
I've charged at several RV parks. IMHO a 14-50 adapter is a 'must have' if you're going to venture away from the supercharger network. Especially since it costs what... ~$35? Most RV parks I've visited are more than willing to allow you to charge for a few hours for a couple dollars an hour. A few just let me charge for free. All kinda depends. Some places are recognizing that a 14-50 is a super cheap way to offer EV charging. An outdoor rated 14-50 costs ~$50 in materials and it's A LOT harder to vandalize than a EVSE.
Take a look at plugshare. Lots of 14-50 options out there.
Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
I would recommend having a NEMA 14-50 extension cord, because some cheaper spots for camping only and not for RV,
might have the electrical port near the tent location, but not where the car will be parked.
Also consider having a 30-TT NEMA plug (120 V 30 A) but you will need a special adapter
(the Neutral need to be connected to one of the hot wires).
TT-30P 30 Amp Plug to 50 Amp Electric Vehicle Adapter (Note: You need to manually set charging to 30 A)
TT-30 Adapter for Tesla Model S/X/3/Y Gen 2 (Note: Charging set automatically to 30 A)
Note: During peak season (well before COVID) and depending the location (in particular near beach locations),TT-30 Adapter for Tesla Model S/X/3/Y Gen 2 (Note: Charging set automatically to 30 A)
it is often difficult to find a camping spot unless you made a reservation a long time in advance.
Last edited:
Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
An other option if you are going hacking in a remote area, is to charge your car using solar panels while you are away.
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