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Canadian_Rainbi's avatar
Jan 20, 2017

UPDATE Splicing 30A plug to 50 amp cord

First of all, don't tell me to buy a new 50A plug. We are in southern Mexico and there are none to be had.

On Amazon US I have seen them for under $20.00. On Amazon Canada the Camco 55255 Power Grip was $87.59 plus $26 shipping IN CANADA! :E

A friend in the park here has a relative flying down in a couple of weeks from Montreal. However I am NOT going to pay that kind of $$$ I am waiting to hear back from a Canadian RV shop, but she leaving for a few weeks. If the plug goes up in smoke I will have to do something. Need the AC here in the 30+C temps.

Here is the problem; The 50 Amp plug on the shore power cord AND the receptacle on the 50-30 amp dog bone adaptor are hot when running the air. The plug on the 50 A cord is showing signs of extended heating--rubber pulled away slightly from the metal prongs on both hots and the neutral. The U ground is OK. The 50A cord is hot only for the foot or two nearest the plug. With the AC running the plug reaches 100F, the 50A cord a foot away is 82 or so and several feet further is at 77 which at the moment is ambient. All cords and plugs are in the shade of a high brick building and never see the sun.

I tried cleaning the plug contacts to shinny brass and using a brand new dog bone adaptor with little change.

What I want to do is cut off the male 50A plug from the cord and the 50A receptacle from the dog bone and splice the remaining part together essentially, putting a three wire 30A plug on the 4 wire 50A cord. When we get up into the USA on our way home. I'll buy a new plug and socket and wire thing back correctly. There won't be many RV parks down here with 50A outlets anyway.

So here is the question: Do I splice the red and black from the 50A to the black on the 30A OR do I just not connect the red?

I am reasonably competent electrically, having completely wired the sub panels and branch circuits for both my work shop and ham radio shack and both passed the Electrical Inspectors eyes.

I have my soldering gun and tools with me--No self respecting Ham would RV without them :B, and will solder and heat shrink the connections.

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