Plugging 30A 5th wheel into 50A service
Will I have any problems if I plug my 30A fiver into 50A service at a RV park. I will not be drawing any more than 30A, but the park says I should pay $50 deposit to rent a "box" from them.
Forum Discussion
full_mosey wrote:
Hi Coach-man;
You don't get a single Volts reading from a 50A receptacle. There are two 120 Volt circuits, one at the 9 O'clock and the Other at 3 O'clock. You measure each separately to Neutral(6 O'clock).
It is likely that one of the 50A legs was 90V.
Now, back to your 50A -> 30A pigtail question. I use one whenever I can. I also use a 30A -> 20A.
However,it is wrong to do so by the book. The long answer, which I already explained but you have not grasped yet, is that circuit breakers protect downstream wiring. The 30A cable going into your RV is upstream from the 30A breaker. Technically, that cable is unprotected by the 50A breaker.
HTH;
John
OK, one last time, since this post keeps surfacing and there is so much mis information out there! When you plug in your 30 amp cord into a 50 amp outlet, one you are protected by an approved device, it is called a circuit breaker! Two you have 120 volts AC but ZERO amps. When you start turning things on in your RV you start using amps. I.E. Microwave 7 - 9 amps, television 5 amps, AC 13 - 15 amps! These are just examples, your devices may use more or less current! The bottom line is in your RV you can not use more than the rated 30 amps, or the circuit breaker will blow, therefore everything from the pedestal to your RV is protected and will not flow more than 30 amps, just as if you plugged into the 30 outlet at the pedestal! The only way you could flow more than the 30 amps, is if there were a problem in the cord, (it is up stream of the 30 amp main breaker in your RV)! There are only two things that could go wrong between the pedestal and the RV in the cord or adaptor. One there could be an open, cut wire, loose terminal, etc in which case there would be no currant flow at all! Second there could be a short circuit, in which case you would flow in excess of 50 amps, and the 50 amp circuit breaker in the pedestal would trip!
Answer to original OP, yes you can conect your 30 AMP RV to a 50 amp outlet using a dog bone adaptor, without any worries! All this other horse******is just confusing by people who do not understand how electricity works!!!
