Can I use any 50 amp extension cord?

[pweekly]

Hi all. I have a 40ft diesel with 50 amp power. I need to use it for a guest house for a weekend and want to plug into my 50 amp in the barn but the cord isn’t long enough. I see that RV extension cords are more pricey than other ones. Presuming it is the same receptacle, are they all the same? Thanks.

[handy2sum]

Is the 50amp receptical in the barn a 3-wire or a 4-wire with neutral? RV needs 4-wire.

[Lwiddis]

If it worked correctly on your RV without the extension and the extension has the same configuration, yes.

[Old-Biscuit]

Hard to mess up 50A receptacle wiring....4 wires
2 hot, 1 neutral, 1 ground

30A is where it gets messed up
Dryer/welder.....3 wires 240VAC
2 hot, 1 neutral

30A RV...3 wires 120VAC
1 hot, 1 neutral, 1 ground


50A Cord/plug....
Ground is Round
Hots are blades/slots on each side
Neutral is blade/slot opposite the ground

[time2roll]

As long as the shoe fits you are good to go. Should say NEMA 14-50 on the outlet.
Be cautious about using adapters or an owner installed system.

[valhalla360]

Make sure it's actually an RV receptacle. If not, it could damage your coach.

Also, how long will the cord be and what are you running? If you are just running the fridge, TV and a fan, likely not a problem. If you are trying to run 2 air/con units, hot water heater on electric and the microwave, voltage drop can be an issue if you are connecting up multiple extension cords to reach the outlet.

[dalenoel]

Please be sure it is a RV 50 amp service and not for a welder/dryer/etc which will probably fry your coach.

[DrewE]

If the cord does have the same connectors and wire size ("6/3", or 6 awg), it's equivalent to an "official" RV extension cord will work fine. There may be differences in the type of cable used (how resistant it is to abrasion or prolonged UV exposure, etc.) and the quality of the connectors, but I wouldn't worry too much about those things for your temporary use situation. In any case, it would be wise to keep the connections out of the weather if possible.

Do double check that you're getting the right connectors.

[BB_TX]

As long as it is wired correctly and wire is sized correctly any will work. You could buy wire and connectors and make your own if you wanted. And know what you are doing. The RV cables have a rugged outer sheathing for xtra protection being dragged around frequently.