Not a great start in the charging desert...

[Cosmacelf]

The RV park probably didn't have a NEMA 14-30 (does it have four blades?) - it is much more likely to be a TT-30 (round ground and two blades). Glad to hear all is fine! And if you continue to make longish trips, I suggest equipping yourself with a bunch of adapters just in case!

 

[Todd Burch]

The RV park probably didn't have a NEMA 14-30 (does it have four blades?) - it is much more likely to be a TT-30 (round ground and two blades). Glad to hear all is fine! And if you continue to make longish trips, I suggest equipping yourself with a bunch of adapters just in case!

Right you are--TT-30, not 14-30. Thanks for the correction!

 

[pgiralt]

Glad it all worked out!

 

[Hengist]

2. Drive to the community college in the morning, and try to get permission to plug my car in there during the day (assuming those outlets are even active). Those 8 or 9 hours times 3 days at 120V will help at least. (I don't have the 14-30 adapter. Poop.)

That's why I carry a $20 non-contact voltage tester in my car. It lets you easily and safely confirm whether there's power going to an outlet. It's saved me from frustration a time or two.

 

[Lloyd]

That's why I carry a $20 non-contact voltage tester in my car. It lets you easily and safely confirm whether there's power going to an outlet. It's saved me from frustration a time or two.

Source and link?

 

[reddy]

Here's a brief video on how they work.
Non Contact Voltage Tester - YouTube

And you can spend from $12 to $24 for these

Klein Tools NCVT-2 Dual Range Non-Contact Voltage Tester - Amazon.com

Extech 40130 Non-contact AC Voltage Detector - Amazon.com

 

[kendallpb]

So this story ends well.

When I arrived at the community college, I found a 110V outlet in back, got permission to charge there, and charged all day @ 3 mph (almost pointless...but free miles nonetheless!) I'll continue to do this tomorrow and Thursday.

I also called the RV park (my original charging destination), got ahold of the right person, and received permission to charge there despite the place being closed due to flooding. I was told there was a pole next to the campground sign that had a 50A outlet on it. When I arrived at the end of the day, I checked the pole--they were either 110V or 30A outlets! (I don't have a NEMA 14-30 adapter). The place was closing in 8 minutes, so I asked around and received permission to just drive past the barricades, pull into a spot, and hook up to a 50A spot. I did so, then walked to my hotel about a mile away, and now I'm happily gobbling down 32 mph. I'll head back in a few hours when full. Best part? The campground host said the electrons were free of charge! So now I have 3 sources of free charging around here. What other car can you drive where people give you free gas (other than a Roadster, Leaf, Volt, etc.)? Awesome.

Great--congrats, glad it worked out! Even 3/day is useful, especially if you're doing it for a few days. If nothing else, it can give you range to get to a better charger. But anyway, great that you got the 50 amp after all.