50 amp to 30 amp stepdown.
On our recent winter vacation we stayed on a site that only had 50 amp service and had to by a 50/30 step down. My question is on future trips when both 30 and 50 are available are there any pros/con...
Forum Discussion
Fist it is not a "Step Down" it is an adapter (There is a technical difference)
Now: To answer your question: Any advantage to using the dogbone adapter and plugging into 50 amps.
Answer: Sometimes. Two of them
Advantage ONE: in many parks/sites the 30 amp outlets are in far worse shape than the 50's this may be due to the amount of use or it may be due to other things I do not care to go into since it's "Suspect" not Confirmed.
Advantage 2: Depends a bit on your RV.. If your main breaker panel is inside and easy to get at, you have a 30 amp main breaker,, Now if you turn on too manuy thigns (A/C, Electric Water Heater and Microwave for example) on a 30 amp outlet you got to get dressed, go outside and re-set.. If you are plugged in via a dogbone to the 50 amp.. You do not have to get dressed or go outside (let's make it nice and say it's raining) to reset,,, just reset INSIDE.
Disadvantage:
Some folks like to point out that the main breaker inside does not protect your 30 amp cord and they are correct.. but there are two kinds of short circuits, A Dead short (Like a crowbar across the terminals) and a partial short.
A dead short will pop a 50 or even a 100 amp breaker (or larger) before a 30 amp cord melts, and a partial short that is just enough to take out the cord without taking out the 50 amp breaker is ... Theoretically possible but I for one have never seen such a thing and do not believe I ever will.. The odds approach zero.
Now: To answer your question: Any advantage to using the dogbone adapter and plugging into 50 amps.
Answer: Sometimes. Two of them
Advantage ONE: in many parks/sites the 30 amp outlets are in far worse shape than the 50's this may be due to the amount of use or it may be due to other things I do not care to go into since it's "Suspect" not Confirmed.
Advantage 2: Depends a bit on your RV.. If your main breaker panel is inside and easy to get at, you have a 30 amp main breaker,, Now if you turn on too manuy thigns (A/C, Electric Water Heater and Microwave for example) on a 30 amp outlet you got to get dressed, go outside and re-set.. If you are plugged in via a dogbone to the 50 amp.. You do not have to get dressed or go outside (let's make it nice and say it's raining) to reset,,, just reset INSIDE.
Disadvantage:
Some folks like to point out that the main breaker inside does not protect your 30 amp cord and they are correct.. but there are two kinds of short circuits, A Dead short (Like a crowbar across the terminals) and a partial short.
A dead short will pop a 50 or even a 100 amp breaker (or larger) before a 30 amp cord melts, and a partial short that is just enough to take out the cord without taking out the 50 amp breaker is ... Theoretically possible but I for one have never seen such a thing and do not believe I ever will.. The odds approach zero.
