Plugging 30A 5th wheel into 50A service

[happycamper1942]

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.

[Coach-man]

But if CSA did their job there would be an actual device that you plug into the four wire 240 volt 50 amp plug that would provide you with the 30 amp protection that everyone is trying to make you beleive is a matter of life or death! And how can you protect that device, which is rated at 30 amps from a possible problem between it and the 50 amp circuit breaker, (as pointed out that is "upstream" and you are not protected! Therefore there is nothing that will protect you, therefore the dog bone adaptors are inheartly dangerous and should not be sold or used anywhere!!!

[bfast54]

spud1957 wrote:
We do what everyone else does. We read it and say "isn't that interesting", rip the tag off the adapter and plug it in anyway.

CSA did their job and advised us of the risk involved in using the adapter. It's up to the consumer to adhere to it.

How many people screw a 100W bulb in a socket that says 60W maximum.

S

Actually...soon no one will be able to do that---- because the light bulb POLICE are going to outlaw (100 )----- hundred watt incandescent light bulbs

so that point will be moot......:p

[spud1957]

We do what everyone else does. We read it and say "isn't that interesting", rip the tag off the adapter and plug it in anyway.

CSA did their job and advised us of the risk involved in using the adapter. It's up to the consumer to adhere to it.

How many people screw a 100W bulb in a socket that says 60W maximum.

S

[Coach-man]

spud1957 wrote:
Here is a link to the Go-Rving catalog.

My thought is that they are not CSA certified i.e. stating the requirement for a 30A breaker. The ones at the local walmart do have the CSA certification.




The page is for the Camco adapters which specifically states "not for sale in Canada".

Go-rving electrical adapters

Perhaps Mr Coach-man has a story for this as well?

Well not being from Canada and have never used an RV park in Canada I do not know what you do when using that adaptor. Please enlighten me, as in the USA I have never seen at an RV park a 240 volt 4 wire plug rated at 30 amps!

My point is, unless you have defective wiring or cord you can not draw more than the 30 amps your rig was designed for! You are therefore protected by the 30 amp main circuit breaker in your RV! If you have defective wiring or cord you will have a problem regardless of which recepticle, 30 or 50 amp recepticle you used. The statement that dog bone daptors are dangerous is ridiculous, which is what started this usless discussion!

[spud1957]

Here is a link to the Go-Rving catalog.

My thought is that they are not CSA certified i.e. stating the requirement for a 30A breaker. The ones at the local walmart do have the CSA certification.




The page is for the Camco adapters which specifically states "not for sale in Canada".

Go-rving electrical adapters

Perhaps Mr Coach-man has a story for this as well?

[Me_Again]

joebedford wrote:

Coach-man wrote:
So dog bone adaptors are ileagal devices and anyone owning them should be fined or jailed for creating an electracle hazard

No, only those of you who use 30/50 dog bones; not us who use 50/30 dog bones.

I really do understand the point the people are making about undersized cables being a risk / fire hazard. However, I think the biggest risk is the poor state of repair of many 30A receptacles at campgrounds. On the whole, I think you're less at risk using the 50A receptacle if only because it probably hasn't been worn out through use.

All things equal, that is a good 30A outlet and a good 50A outlet, there is no difference in the power you will receive in a 30A trailer from the 30A outlet vs the 50A. I bought an adapter just for those cases where the 30A outlet shows to be damaged or burnt. The correct steps would be to plug in if you have to with the adapter and then ask the park to move you or replace the bad outlet. Any park that is being well run will fix such issues on their own or when it is pointed out to them.

Chris

[joebedford]

Coach-man wrote:
So dog bone adaptors are ileagal devices and anyone owning them should be fined or jailed for creating an electracle hazard

No, only those of you who use 30/50 dog bones; not us who use 50/30 dog bones.

I really do understand the point the people are making about undersized cables being a risk / fire hazard. However, I think the biggest risk is the poor state of repair of many 30A receptacles at campgrounds. On the whole, I think you're less at risk using the 50A receptacle if only because it probably hasn't been worn out through use.

[Me_Again]

Coach-man wrote:
So dog bone adaptors are ileagal devices and anyone owning them should be fined or jailed for creating an electracle hazard? Site anyone ever anywhere that has been arrested and charged with this crime! Of course you have failed to acknowledge that an anti proton from outer space could also strike the ground terminal and blow up all electrical devices in a two mile radius! The fact is they adaptors and their use is leagal and safe anywhere and the "things" you are citing could cause a problem weather plugged directly into a 30 amp plug or an adaptor!

The original post on this issue was to inform people of the risk! As someone pointed out that the one sold to him in Canada has a warning about the need of a 30amp breaker feeding it. I will check mine when I go to the trailer again. Those sold in the US may be labeled with the same warning.

If you choose to ignore such warnings that is fine, just don't shoot the messenger because you want to ignore the warning.

Being informed is better than not being informed.

Chris

[Coach-man]

So dog bone adaptors are ileagal devices and anyone owning them should be fined or jailed for creating an electracle hazard? Site anyone ever anywhere that has been arrested and charged with this crime! Of course you have failed to acknowledge that an anti proton from outer space could also strike the ground terminal and blow up all electrical devices in a two mile radius! The fact is they adaptors and their use is leagal and safe anywhere and the "things" you are citing could cause a problem weather plugged directly into a 30 amp plug or an adaptor!

[Me_Again]

Water-Bug wrote:

Me Again wrote:
What he ^^^ said.

However. Put one meter lead in the 3 o'clock hole and the other in 9 o'clock and you will read 240V, there are two hot legs and are opposite phases.

Chris

Actually they ARE the same phase, just opposite ends of a transformer that has a center tap neutral. AC power in the US is delivered in three phases that are 120 degrees offset from each other. That is because the generators are built with three windings.

http://www.programmablepower.com/support/FAQs/DF_AC_Distribution.pdf

[Water-Bug]

Me Again wrote:
What he ^^^ said.

However. Put one meter lead in the 3 o'clock hole and the other in 9 o'clock and you will read 240V, there are two hot legs and are opposite phases.

Chris

Actually they ARE the same phase, just opposite ends of a transformer that has a center tap neutral. AC power in the US is delivered in three phases that are 120 degrees offset from each other. That is because the generators are built with three windings.

[bfast54]

This whole post is now SHOCKING......!!!!!!

Even when QUOTED from the NEC, NFPA standards...the Die Hard still refuse to believe.:h

How about throwing in what happens when you are on Wet Ground, and no proper Ground....:S
(They would get a charge out of that.)....:W

[spud1957]

Chris, I don't think what you say will convince him other wise. It appears his position is correct and we are all wrong, even the electrical code. Guess he has never heard of a partial short or a partial ground. Especially when the cords are outside in the moisture. Cords don't last a lifetime.

If the CSA tag in Canada says the dog bone must be connected to a 30A breaker, they probably know why.

I guess this has been beaten to death.

[Me_Again]

Coach-man wrote:


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!!!

You fail to acknowledge that a #10 30AMP shore power cable, the 30AMP inlet and/or the #10 wire from the inlet to the onboard panel could burn up before the 50 amp circuit breaker trips. Just saying! It is not within code to do this, as someone earlier pointed out. Chris