It's an RV, not an EV! (Was: Who's in Charge of EV Charging?)

[Bruce {EVangel} Parmenter <brucedp@MAILEXCITE.COM>]

It's an RV, not an EV! (Was: Who's in Charge of EV Charging?)
_or_ " It's 2 ... 2 V's in one! _or_ Like minds think alike"
{As POSTed on the Internet Electric Vehicle List}

Subject: It's an RV, not an EV! (Was: Who's in Charge of EV Charging?)
From: "Bill Dube'" <bdube@BOULDER.NIST.GOV>
I was talking to John Wayland last night and we came up with a
solution. Toss a sleeping bag and a picnic basket in the back seat!
-Your EV will now become "A vehicular unit designed to provide
 temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use
 built on or or permanently attached to a self-propelled motor vehicle
 chassis or on a chassis cab or van that is an integral part of the
 completed vehicle." You EV becomes a "Motor Home" under the NEC and
 is covered by Article 551.  A "motor home" is a type of "recreational
 vehicle" under the NEC.

-As such, you can plug into any of the receptacles shown in figure
 551-46(c) (figure 14-50 of the NEMA WD 6-1989.) No GFCI. Up to 50
 amps @ 250 volts. Suck amps! No Article 625!

-This section of the NEC requires that batteries be "installed in an
 area vapor-tight to the interior and ventilated directly to the
 exterior of the vehicle. When batteries are installed in a
 compartment, the compartment shall be ventilated with openings having
 a minimum area of 1.7 sq.in." [...]

-If you have "designed" your EV so you can stretch out an take a nap,
 you should be able to call it an RV under the rules of the NEC.
 ---{END}

-As any of the ol' timers on the EVL will confirm, I have been doing
 this for years. Since at that time I had a 120V Bycan charger, I
 would arrange for 'remote charging' permissions, arrive and charge
 for hours (1.5kw).

-I'm ahead of you. That is what I have planned. But I won't stop at
 only using 220V. Not all RV locations I intend to use have nema 14-50
 power available. If anyone else is going to try this too, do the
 legwork I have done by going to a few RV locations. Get some of the
 free RV locators (KOA, ect.). They will have the break down of what
 facilities they offer.

 In some cases, like down South toward Monterey, the RV locations only
 have 120VAC 30a indicated. Since this usually means a special 3
 connector (2 angled flat blade: 1 hot, 1 neutral, & round pin
 ground), and one std. nema 15-20 (regular 120V outlet), I can sign up
 for two of these spots.

 I plan to bring: an electrician outlet tester (tells voltage,
 polarity, and if any of their wiring is funky). I will be able to
 know between the two RV power stands if the outlets are out of phase.
  If they are, I will have a small assortment of adaptors to make 220V
 available for my two 2.5kw 220V Zivan chargers.
  If they aren't, I will have a other adaptors to parallel the 120V to
 get power to all 4 120V chargers.
 Either way, I am covered. I think once I do this, we all will benefit
 from my experiences, saving time, $ & grief.

-I don't think there is a vehicle that 'I' can stretch out in (I'm 6'6"
 250lbs). On excursions like this, I make the best of the situation: I
 set the seat back down, and 'crash'. I have made for certain amenities,
 like a small heater to draw fresh outside air to keep the interior
 warm while I snooze.

* When I did this legwork at these RV locations, I asked plenty of
  questions. Only one RV location would 'only' allow an RV looking
  vehicles to stay at their place. All the rest don't care as long as
  they have your $.

____________{Statements may not be my Employer's} (BruceDP@iname.com)
  ____                             http://user.aol.com/brucedp/
~/__|o\__                     EV List News Editor   Sunnyvale,CA,USA
'@----- @'---(= Get Amp'd   'Electric cruis'n the Santa Clara Valley'



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It's an RV, not an EV! (Was: Who's in Charge of EV Charging?)