50 amp fiver - 30 amp service

[bodacious]

I'm looking to upgrade to a 50 amp 5th wheel and and keep it parked there for the winter. Not sure if my favorite campground has any 50 amps sites available. Would I be OK using the 30 amp service (with an adapter) as long as I don't exceed the 30 amp load?

[TT_Tim]

The voltage - 120 or 240 doesn't matter. Current is what we are concerned with. My TT had the same "power hungry" items as my fiver: AC, microwave, electric water heater, Refrigerator, power converter.

[Water-Bug]

tinner12002 wrote:
I've been in that situation where I needed 50amps and only had 30amp available, if there is a 110volt plug in next or near to the 30amp, they make an adapter that you can plug into the 110volt receptacle and the 30amp receptacle and then plug in your 50amp, that would give you around 45amps available.

Paralleling a 30 amp breaker with a 15 amp breaker is dangerous. If the two circuits are on different legs of the pedistal's transformer, you are putting 240 volts across a couple of breakers that are rated for 120 volts. They could attempt to break and continue to arc, since they are across twice the voltage that they are rated for.

[Bumpyroad]

tinner12002 wrote:
I've been in that situation where I needed 50amps and only had 30amp available, if there is a 110volt plug in next or near to the 30amp, they make an adapter that you can plug into the 110volt receptacle and the 30amp receptacle and then plug in your 50amp, that would give you around 45amps available.

I believe that what you are talking about will not work with GFI outlets.
bumpy

[tinner12002]

I've been in that situation where I needed 50amps and only had 30amp available, if there is a 110volt plug in next or near to the 30amp, they make an adapter that you can plug into the 110volt receptacle and the 30amp receptacle and then plug in your 50amp, that would give you around 45amps available.

[MartyG2]

Water-Bug wrote:
The whole 30 amp/50 amp thing is further confused because 30 amp service is 120VAC and 50 amp service is actually 240 VAC, but nothing is wired 240 VAC. It is used as two 50 amp 120VAC circuits. If anything were actually wired 240 VAC, it wouldn't work on a 30 amp plug-in.

Yes, you're right and that's part of the problem. Ideally, manufacturers should also provide a 30 amp cord wired only to some of the circuits, for those 50 amp rigs that find themselves, intentionally or not, in a 30 amp site. But that wouldn't satisfy the power-hungry, or those trying to do it on the cheap, or be understood by more than 1/2 of the RV owners.

[Water-Bug]

The whole 30 amp/50 amp thing is further confused because 30 amp service is 120VAC and 50 amp service is actually 240 VAC, but nothing is wired 240 VAC. It is used as two 50 amp 120VAC circuits. If anything were actually wired 240 VAC, it wouldn't work on a 30 amp plug-in.

[Itching2go]

Michelle.S wrote:
You can't just tell someone not to do it as there are still plenty of CG and Parks that don't have 50 amp service. Try traveling to Alaska, there you'll find places with only 15 or 20 amp service. Everyone in our tour group survived and didn't burn down any campgrounds. You just have to know what you can and can't run on the lower amperage circuits.

Exactly! Well said. Folks can always over-think things at times, and this may be one of them. As the owner of a 50 amp rig that camps regularly at state park campgrounds with only 30 amp service, we've never experienced a problem. Just need to know what you can and can't run at the same time. IMHO...

[Michelle_S]

You can't just tell someone not to do it as there are still plenty of CG and Parks that don't have 50 amp service. Try traveling to Alaska, there you'll find places with only 15 or 20 amp service. Everyone in our tour group survived and didn't burn down any campgrounds. You just have to know what you can and can't run on the lower amperage circuits.

[TT_Tim]

Bumpyroad wrote:

outnabout wrote:
You may want to read this. It's one of those "just because you can, don't mean you should
http://rvservices.koa.com/rvinformation/rvmaintenance/rv-electrical-101.asp

that article meandered off into the rare air area a bit. said if you hook a 50 amp RV to a 30 amp outlet that you were excessively affecting the campgrounds electric service. As far as I can tell, if you plug your 50 amp rv into a 30 amp outlet, you are "abusing" the campground's electrical service exactly the same as if you had a 30 amp RV. Can't be drawing more than 30 amps.
I think I would find some other "expert" to consult with.
bumpy

I agree with Bumpy. The article is BS. The reason 30A outlets are "burned up" is because the internals get corroded and/or weak. The plugs can also be dirty or corroded. This causes a loose connection and heats up from the high resistance. There is also the possibility that the circuit breaker is faulty and does not trip at the rated capacity.

It is the job of the 30A circuit breaker in the pedestal to protect the 30A outlet by limiting to 30 amps (20% tolerance)- NOT the job of the user. Most RVers know what they can or cannot operate when on 30A.

It does not matter if it is a 30A TT or a big Fiver with an adapter - EITHER one can draw more than 30A by turning on or plugging in enough items.

[MartyG2]

Bumpyroad wrote:

MartyG2 wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

outnabout wrote:
You may want to read this. It's one of those "just because you can, don't mean you should
http://rvservices.koa.com/rvinformation/rvmaintenance/rv-electrical-101.asp

that article meandered off into the rare air area a bit. said if you hook a 50 amp RV to a 30 amp outlet that you were excessively affecting the campgrounds electric service. As far as I can tell, if you plug your 50 amp rv into a 30 amp outlet, you are "abusing" the campground's electrical service exactly the same as if you had a 30 amp RV. Can't be drawing more than 30 amps.
I think I would find some other "expert" to consult with.
bumpy

I disagree. Maybe you didn't read the part about how breakers run at a given tolerance, and also about the part how a 30 Amp design doesn't normally come close to exceeding 30 Amps, but a 50 Amp design does. Thus it will be expected to exceed the current design of the plug, the wire, and the breaker. You can very easily damage the 30 Amp outlet, just as either a 30 or 50 amp plug can overtax a 20 Amp outlet. Running it until the breaker trips is overload.

so you are saying that if I run 2 aCs, water heater, etc., and exceed my 30 amps and it trips that if I do exactly the same with a 50 amp rv in a 30 amp outlet that that is somehow worse?
bumpy

What I and others are trying to get through to you is this: A 30 amp rig will probably pull about 25 amps max. That's the way it is designed, and within the safety zone of the 30 amp outlet. A 50 Amp rig, wired the way adapters are will, under normal use require probably 50 to 60 amps or more. In other words, you're a overload looking to happen. With almost no effort, you can and will pop the 30 Amp breaker, stress the outlet and the 10Ga wire. Unless you are very miserly about your usage, you will not only strain and damage the campsite's equipment, but you will possibly drag the voltage down and damage your own microwave, TV, and AC. So please don't do it!

[Veebyes]

You will need to familiarise yourself with which circuit is coming off which leg of your distribution panel. Your will also need to be aware of what are power hogs & what are not & manage usage accordingly.

Using the Honda 2000 we only have something like 15amps. We have to be very aware of what can & cannot be used together. Living on 15amps is easy provided heat or cold are not needed.

[Mover480]

I have had a campground refuse a reservation for our 50 amp service rv in their 30 amp system.

[christopherglen]

RoyB wrote:
These are a couple of drawings showing the use of a 30AMP Adapter. You can note that adapter is strapped between the two HOT CONNECTORS of the 50AMP side meaning that both of your 50AMP legs will be getting power.

Like others have said on here you can only draw up to a total of 30AMPS otherwise the the 30AMP Breaker on the campground pedestal will trip.

30AMP (M) to 50AMP (F) ADAPTER


TYPICAL TWO ZONE SETUP using the 30AMP ADAPTER


I would bring along a couple of good 120VAC Extension Cords to run inside your 50AMP Trailer to run the Electric OIL-FILLED heaters and plug these cords into the 20AMP SERVICE on the camp ground pedestal. These will operate from a separate circuit breaker and not bother the 30AMP Connection source. We do this all the time separating the 30A and 20A service when we are camping in the winter...

Roy Ken

A lot of campgrounds with only 30 amp service have a #10 to the pedestal, the #10 is only good for 30 amps. Using both the 30 and 50 at the same time can (and if #10) will overload the campground wiring.

A 30 amp trailer at a pedestal with 20, 30, and 50 cannot overload with just the 30 + 20, as the wiring is rated for the 50.

[christopherglen]

MartyG2 wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

outnabout wrote:
You may want to read this. It's one of those "just because you can, don't mean you should
http://rvservices.koa.com/rvinformation/rvmaintenance/rv-electrical-101.asp

that article meandered off into the rare air area a bit. said if you hook a 50 amp RV to a 30 amp outlet that you were excessively affecting the campgrounds electric service. As far as I can tell, if you plug your 50 amp rv into a 30 amp outlet, you are "abusing" the campground's electrical service exactly the same as if you had a 30 amp RV. Can't be drawing more than 30 amps.
I think I would find some other "expert" to consult with.
bumpy

I disagree. Maybe you didn't read the part about how breakers run at a given tolerance, and also about the part how a 30 Amp design doesn't normally come close to exceeding 30 Amps, but a 50 Amp design does. Thus it will be expected to exceed the current design of the plug, the wire, and the breaker. You can very easily damage the 30 Amp outlet, just as either a 30 or 50 amp plug can overtax a 20 Amp outlet. Running it until the breaker trips is overload.

A 30 amp trailer running ac, electric water heater (heating water), and microwave WILL trip the 30 amp breaker, just the same way a 50 amp running on 30 will. I have dome this several times on my old TT. There are also converter and fridge loads, on bad days it was AC or microwave plus the rest to pop the 30...

[Bumpyroad]

MartyG2 wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

outnabout wrote:
You may want to read this. It's one of those "just because you can, don't mean you should
http://rvservices.koa.com/rvinformation/rvmaintenance/rv-electrical-101.asp

that article meandered off into the rare air area a bit. said if you hook a 50 amp RV to a 30 amp outlet that you were excessively affecting the campgrounds electric service. As far as I can tell, if you plug your 50 amp rv into a 30 amp outlet, you are "abusing" the campground's electrical service exactly the same as if you had a 30 amp RV. Can't be drawing more than 30 amps.
I think I would find some other "expert" to consult with.
bumpy

I disagree. Maybe you didn't read the part about how breakers run at a given tolerance, and also about the part how a 30 Amp design doesn't normally come close to exceeding 30 Amps, but a 50 Amp design does. Thus it will be expected to exceed the current design of the plug, the wire, and the breaker. You can very easily damage the 30 Amp outlet, just as either a 30 or 50 amp plug can overtax a 20 Amp outlet. Running it until the breaker trips is overload.

so you are saying that if I run 2 aCs, water heater, etc., and exceed my 30 amps and it trips that if I do exactly the same with a 50 amp rv in a 30 amp outlet that that is somehow worse?
bumpy