Plugging 30A 5th wheel into 50A service

Me Again wrote:
What he ^^^ said.

However. Put one meter lead in the 3 o'clock hole and the other in 9 o'clock and you will read 240V, there are two hot legs and are opposite phases.

Chris

Actually they ARE the same phase, just opposite ends of a transformer that has a center tap neutral. AC power in the US is delivered in three phases that are 120 degrees offset from each other. That is because the generators are built with three windings.

This whole post is now SHOCKING......!!!!!!

Even when QUOTED from the NEC, NFPA standards...the Die Hard still refuse to believe.:h

How about throwing in what happens when you are on Wet Ground, and no proper Ground....:S
(They would get a charge out of that.)....:W

Chris, I don't think what you say will convince him other wise. It appears his position is correct and we are all wrong, even the electrical code. Guess he has never heard of a partial short or a partial ground. Especially when the cords are outside in the moisture. Cords don't last a lifetime.

If the CSA tag in Canada says the dog bone must be connected to a 30A breaker, they probably know why.

I guess this has been beaten to death.

Coach-man wrote:


OK, one last time, since this post keeps surfacing and there is so much mis information out there! When you plug in your 30 amp cord into a 50 amp outlet, one you are protected by an approved device, it is called a circuit breaker! Two you have 120 volts AC but ZERO amps. When you start turning things on in your RV you start using amps. I.E. Microwave 7 - 9 amps, television 5 amps, AC 13 - 15 amps! These are just examples, your devices may use more or less current! The bottom line is in your RV you can not use more than the rated 30 amps, or the circuit breaker will blow, therefore everything from the pedestal to your RV is protected and will not flow more than 30 amps, just as if you plugged into the 30 outlet at the pedestal! The only way you could flow more than the 30 amps, is if there were a problem in the cord, (it is up stream of the 30 amp main breaker in your RV)! There are only two things that could go wrong between the pedestal and the RV in the cord or adaptor. One there could be an open, cut wire, loose terminal, etc in which case there would be no currant flow at all! Second there could be a short circuit, in which case you would flow in excess of 50 amps, and the 50 amp circuit breaker in the pedestal would trip!

Answer to original OP, yes you can conect your 30 AMP RV to a 50 amp outlet using a dog bone adaptor, without any worries! All this other horse******is just confusing by people who do not understand how electricity works!!!

You fail to acknowledge that a #10 30AMP shore power cable, the 30AMP inlet and/or the #10 wire from the inlet to the onboard panel could burn up before the 50 amp circuit breaker trips. Just saying! It is not within code to do this, as someone earlier pointed out. Chris

joebedford wrote:
Yes, but can I plug my 50A RV into a 30A pedestal. GDR.

Yep. Do it all the time.

Yes, but can I plug my 50A RV into a 30A pedestal. GDR.

I guess if you were =really= ultra-cautious, you could plug the 50-30 adapter in the pedestal, then plug a 30a Progressive Surge Guard into the adapter, and your cord into that...

Lyle

full_mosey wrote:
Hi Coach-man;

You don't get a single Volts reading from a 50A receptacle. There are two 120 Volt circuits, one at the 9 O'clock and the Other at 3 O'clock. You measure each separately to Neutral(6 O'clock).

It is likely that one of the 50A legs was 90V.

Now, back to your 50A -> 30A pigtail question. I use one whenever I can. I also use a 30A -> 20A.

However,it is wrong to do so by the book. The long answer, which I already explained but you have not grasped yet, is that circuit breakers protect downstream wiring. The 30A cable going into your RV is upstream from the 30A breaker. Technically, that cable is unprotected by the 50A breaker.

HTH;
John

OK, one last time, since this post keeps surfacing and there is so much mis information out there! When you plug in your 30 amp cord into a 50 amp outlet, one you are protected by an approved device, it is called a circuit breaker! Two you have 120 volts AC but ZERO amps. When you start turning things on in your RV you start using amps. I.E. Microwave 7 - 9 amps, television 5 amps, AC 13 - 15 amps! These are just examples, your devices may use more or less current! The bottom line is in your RV you can not use more than the rated 30 amps, or the circuit breaker will blow, therefore everything from the pedestal to your RV is protected and will not flow more than 30 amps, just as if you plugged into the 30 outlet at the pedestal! The only way you could flow more than the 30 amps, is if there were a problem in the cord, (it is up stream of the 30 amp main breaker in your RV)! There are only two things that could go wrong between the pedestal and the RV in the cord or adaptor. One there could be an open, cut wire, loose terminal, etc in which case there would be no currant flow at all! Second there could be a short circuit, in which case you would flow in excess of 50 amps, and the 50 amp circuit breaker in the pedestal would trip!

Answer to original OP, yes you can conect your 30 AMP RV to a 50 amp outlet using a dog bone adaptor, without any worries! All this other horse******is just confusing by people who do not understand how electricity works!!!

rjxj wrote:
50 amp has two 50 amp circuits. It's the best way to run your 30 amp system.

You need to check your "facts", people have been using adapters for many years to do exactly what this person is needing with no issues.

Apology. I misread your answer and thought you said "ruin" when you actually said "run". Sorry.

What was the original question?
Oh yeah ...plain & simply put....yes you can plug a 30 amp RV into a 50 amp outlet with an dog bone & (not kind dogs munch on either). There now was that so hard...