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grayghost58's avatar
grayghost58
Explorer
Jul 25, 2019

50 amp cheater box

I have a 50 amp 5ver someone told me about this. It has 2 30amp plugs (male) on it and a 50amp (female). So your supposed to be able to plug 1 of the 30 amp plugs into the 30 amp plug at the rv park and put a 120 adapter on the other and plug it into the 120 volt plug so long as it is not a gfi plug and be able to run both ac's on my 5ver. Of course this is at a 30 amp park where 50 amp is not available. Has anyone heard of this and if so does it work without harming anything. Do I need to run fridge and hot water on propane so there is enough power to run my ac's? We live in Oklahoma so it gets pretty hot here and are limited to where we can go because of needing to run both ac's. Any info would be appreciated
  • BillyBob_Jim's avatar
    BillyBob_Jim
    Explorer
    Jul 25, 2019
    troubledwaters wrote:
    BillyBob Jim wrote:
    At the campground I am familiar with its not going to work. It will work from the standpoint that you will power up both legs of your 50 amp system, but you're not going to have more than 30 amps.

    The main feed is 30 amp, the 20 amp receptacle is tapped off of that 30 amp feed. They did not run a separate/independent 20 and 30 amp feeds to the pedestal. If they would of done that they would of simply installed a 50/30/20 pedestal and if they would of, that would not mean you can somehow dog-bone 100 amps out of it.
    Please let me know the name and location of this place; I want to make sure I never get close to there. The place sounds like a nightmare with duct tape and baling wire-cobbled up electrical panels and probably everything else.


    Wonderful, don't get close to there. Just so happens to be a state park with everything duct taped and bailing wire tied together lol, wired all 30 amp pre 1980. I expect you only stay at brand new high falutin resort type places where everything is brand spanking new? You'll find the same situations at a lot of State and Fed facilities if you open your eyes.

    For the RVnet code fetish club, you haven't a clue what, or what version, of a code was in effect when park A, park B, or park C's system was installed.

    Popcorn a poppin.
  • Lantley's avatar
    Lantley
    Nomad
    Jul 25, 2019
    An RVsafepower transfer switch will allow you to tap into the 20 amp outlet on a 30 amp site. It will also work on GFCI circuits.
    I own one and it works great.
    I have use it at several state parks. It allows me to run both A/C's on a 30 amp site without issue.
    RV Safepower (modern cheater box)
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Jul 25, 2019
    Old-Biscuit wrote:
    UL, C-UL Warning: Will not operate when plugged into a GFCI circuit, and requires two separate circuits. Always check pedestal power for proper polarity prior to plugging in this adapter.


    Like Old Biscuit said. it will not work if one of the outlets is a GFCI.. I do have a couple places I park where I can pull 30+30 but only a couple I've been in parks where the 30's are GFCI

    I have a different way to run both A/C on a 30 site. I split one of them off as independent of the RV. no common connection. all 3 wires (Hot/Neutral and Ground) are independent of the RV. works great
  • troubledwaters's avatar
    troubledwaters
    Explorer III
    Jul 25, 2019
    BillyBob Jim wrote:
    At the campground I am familiar with its not going to work. It will work from the standpoint that you will power up both legs of your 50 amp system, but you're not going to have more than 30 amps.

    The main feed is 30 amp, the 20 amp receptacle is tapped off of that 30 amp feed. They did not run a separate/independent 20 and 30 amp feeds to the pedestal. If they would of done that they would of simply installed a 50/30/20 pedestal and if they would of, that would not mean you can somehow dog-bone 100 amps out of it.
    Please let me know the name and location of this place; I want to make sure I never get close to there. The place sounds like a nightmare with duct tape and baling wire-cobbled up electrical panels and probably everything else.
  • map40's avatar
    map40
    Explorer
    Jul 25, 2019
    Amazon seels an adapter like that with a 30 and a 15 male plugs, but you have the GFCI problem. A friend of mine simply took off the ground of the 15 amp so it would not trip the GFCI. Not a smart idea.
    I have never found a campground wired with the 15 and the 30 on the same 30 amp line, but I have heard of people that have seen them. It is against code...
  • wildtoad's avatar
    wildtoad
    Explorer II
    Jul 25, 2019
    FWIW I was just at a KOA in Virginia and the pedestals had a sign stating I was only allowed to use one socket, and I was responsible for any damage caused by using more than one. First time I had seen this kind of warning.
  • BillyBob_Jim's avatar
    BillyBob_Jim
    Explorer
    Jul 25, 2019
    At the campground I am familiar with its not going to work. It will work from the standpoint that you will power up both legs of your 50 amp system, but you're not going to have more than 30 amps.

    The main feed is 30 amp, the 20 amp receptacle is tapped off of that 30 amp feed. They did not run a separate/independent 20 and 30 amp feeds to the pedestal. If they would of done that they would of simply installed a 50/30/20 pedestal and if they would of, that would not mean you can somehow dog-bone 100 amps out of it.
  • hypoxia's avatar
    hypoxia
    Explorer
    Jul 25, 2019
    I use it quite a bit with two 30A plugs. As stated the 20A plugs are normally GFI which don't work but if you find a non GFI 20A it would work. ALWAYS test with a meter, If you read 240 VAC across the 50A plug and 120 VAC on each side to neutral and ground it should work. If it doesn't do not use it!

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