50 amp down to 30 amp plug -- still 50 amp?
From the stupid questions department ..... A fellow told us last weekend that when we plug our 30 amp plug into a 50 amp plug through a 50 amp to 30 amp adapter we still get 50 amps. That doesn't s...
Forum Discussion
DrewE wrote:mkirsch wrote:
IMHO if you can plug into a 50A circuit, do it unless you know the campground has decent wiring. Often times campgrounds have less than adequate wiring and the heavier circuit will give you better power with less voltage drop.
If they're in the same pedestal, the wiring supplying both the 30A socket and (one leg of) the 50A socket is the same (with the exception of the few inches of wire between the breaker and the socket itself). The 30A socket itself may well be in poorer condition and make poorer contact than the 50A one, which is a different story and a reason in that case to prefer the 50A socket. At identical loads, however, the voltage drop from the campground wiring will be the same for either receptacle.
Put another way, a campground isn't going to have a separate distribution grid for the 30A socket and the 50A socket at the same campsite. If the voltage is low on one, it will also be low on the other.
True except the 50A has 2 phases to choose from and one may well be lighter loaded than the other. If you want the perfect setup, you'd have 2 dogbones to choose from with each one using a different 50A leg. :p
