# Turning 110 volts into 220 volts??



## 2escapees (Nov 28, 2008)

The cost of shipping our MH to Halifax Nova Scotia is less than £2000 so now planning a trip to Canada and the US. But we need to be able to plug in sometimes so how can we convert their 110 volt supply to a 220 volts input into our MH. I am sure one of you electric experts knows the answer. I can change a bulb or fuse but beyond that electricity is a complete mystery.

Cheers


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

You will need a (heavy) transformer that, er, transforms the 110V up to 220V.

It will not change the frequency from their 60Hz into our 50Hz but in practice that is unlikely to make much difference.

You will need to calculate the maximum load that you are liable to be using at any one time and then get a suitably-rated transformer.

If you are not going to use heaters/kettles/aircon and such-like heavy loads then the transformer size (& cost & weight) will be reduced a lot.

I will post some links to suitable trannies when I have found some.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

2escapees, sorry I cannot help with your electrical query but Pippin seems to have that well in hand. 

I am very interested in your proposed trip,as much detail as you are willing to give would be greatly appreciated. We had always assumed the cost would be a great deal higher and so have not investigated, Regards, Alan.


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## clodhopper2006 (Aug 13, 2006)

It's not that easy buying stuff to go 110v to 230v (much easier going the other way round)

try here
http://www.threedoubleyou.com/convertpower.htm

There's stuff giving you up to 3kw here but not IP64 so cant be left outside. Not cheap either.


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## 2escapees (Nov 28, 2008)

Seabridge run a weekly ferry from Antwerp to Halifax which takes just less than 3 weeks. They will give a quotation if you email them the dimensions of you MH, length, width and height. Going into Halifax saves some the problems you would get if you shipped in to the US.

email [email protected]


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## karlb (Feb 22, 2009)

step up transformer here

transformer


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

I would want to know if that transformer on EBay is a simple autotransformer or if it is an isolation transformer.

The 110V yellow plugs have in fact an input (usually an O/P skt for tools) at 55-0-55 with the 0 at earth potential, so it should really be of the isolation type.

There are safety implications involved with autotransformers.

Edited after a bit more thought.

I am not certain if the Americans/Canadians tie one of the lines to earth as we do in UK or whether it is more like the €U system where either or neither line is tied to earth.

If the A's & C's use double pole switches then it will be like €U but if they use single pole switches it will be the same as UK.

If like the UK:

An autotransformer will be safe enough if *and only if* the "bottom" end of the winding is connected to the USA supply neutral and to the UK blue plug/socket neutral. 
Your van RCD would protect you.

If the yellow Xfmr I/P has the centre zero tied to earth and if the I/P neutral is also tied to earth then that winding will short out the supply.
Bang, puff of smoke!
You could disconnect the centre zero tap from the yellow plug (which would have to be changed to USA type anyway) but you would then have to take an earth wire from the blue O/P earth to the USA plug I/P earth.

If like €U:

My brain aches - I'll come back to that!

Simple things are not always so simple.


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## Curlygr (Jul 19, 2009)

Hello Mike just seen your query and we are thinking of doing the same thing but the little research I have done on costs is approx. 3 times yours so info on your costs would be appreciated. The other thing you mention changing from 110v to 220v should this be the other way or do you have a US RV as we will require 230v to 110v
Could you please send me ANY INFO/DETAILS on your research etc.
We are thinking of next April to Sept. 2010

Curlygr


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## madontour (May 19, 2008)

Hi

Having seen a couple of european MH's while in the Canadian Rockies, we were looking at the same kind of thing. We've found http://www.autoshippers.co.uk/ who will get the MH from Bristol (or Tilbury) to Halifax. We have not had quotes yet but it certainly looks feasible.

Interesting to see if the tranformer option is feasible but to get round the electricity problem I think we'll just take our generator.

Mike

Mike


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

2escapees said:


> The cost of shipping our MH to Halifax Nova Scotia is less than £2000 so now planning a trip to Canada and the US


We are doing exactly the same thing for early next year to Halifax. Did your plans work out? What were you quoted? And did you resolve the 110v supply for a 240v vehicle?

Dougie.


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