Carver Owners Forum

I just purchased a 2005 56 voyager. It is going into storage for the winter and the spot only has 30 amp power. I tried a 30 amp 125 to 50 amp 125/250 adapter with no luck. What do I need

What didn't work?

Anything that's 240VAC won't, but you should be able to power 120VAC stuff, at least one side of the panel.

A friend of mine requires 240 as well as myself. He built an adaptor/pig tail that has two 15 amp male ends and a 50 Amp end that he plugs into the boat in a “Y” configuration. He runs an extension cord from each 15 amp male end to 15 amp wall plugs on a different phase. The boat then gets the 240 that it requires and will run fridge, battery chargers and small stuff like that under 15 amp draw.

If you have a twin 30 amp to 50 amp “Y” adapter, it will also work. I use this at the dock when a 50 amp is not available, such as my case at my home slip. Both of these 30 amp plugs must also be on a different phase for it will work. I have run into problems when travelling, trying to use my twin 30 amp to 50 amp adapter when the 30 amp posts are all on the same phase. I have to check a number of posts to fine one on a different phase to get 240.

One simple 30 amp to 50 amp will not work as the boat is only receiving 120 and not 240.

I hope this helps you out.

Greg

km1125 wrote:Source of the post What didn't work?

Anything that's 240VAC won't, but you should be able to power 120VAC stuff, at least one side of the panel.

These boats must have 240 coming in or nothing will work not even one side of the panel.

Greg

You need a "Reverse Y Adaptor". Like Greg said, the two 30 amp plugs must be plugged into different legs/phases or it won't work. If you can't get that out of one pedestal, you'll have to plug one in your pedestal and run a 30 amp cord to extend the other side to another pedestal that's on a different leg.

https://www.marinco.com/en/p/RY504-2-30/Reverse-Y-Adapter-2-30A-125V-Males-to

Thanks for the information. I didn’t realize that nothing would work if 240 volt wasn’t applied.

I went through the same thing when I purchased our Carver. It's 240v or nothing. Not every practical when on the hard as 240 is usually difficult to find.

I'm not sure I'm understanding the problem here. Does anyone have the AC wiring diagram from one of these "240" boats that I could look at so I could understand where the problem is?

Not an electrician but as I understand it, 240 comes into the boat and it is split into 2 x 120, but you have to have 240 to make it work.

buster53 wrote:Source of the post Not an electrician but as I understand it, 240 comes into the boat and it is split into 2 x 120, but you have to have 240 to make it work.

If the incoming cord was only a 240 that might make sense. You'd need a transformer on board though, which a lot of boats don't have. If the incoming is 120/240 then it shouldn't be an issue.

The difference is the neutral connection. The 120/240 plug has a neutral connection but the 240 only does not. You'd need the transformer with a split secondary to establish the neutral (and bond it to ground). That would give you two 120's out of the 240.