Plug 50 AMP into 30AMP

VintageRacer wrote:
50 amp service gives you two legs of 120 VAC at 50 amps each, so you have the option of 240 VAC if you have a residential stove-top or dryer, and you have access to 100 amps of 120 VAC. 30 amp service is one leg of 120 VAC at 30 amps, so you have less than a third of the possible power. The adaptor will send the 120 VAC to both legs of the 50 amp cord so any 240 VAC appliances will not work. 30 amps is good for one normal RV airconditioner. There is another possible alternative - if there is a 20 amp plug as well as the 30 amp plug you can probably use both, and get up to 50 amps of 120 VAC, but you need to have built in the ability to separate things. There may be an adaptor that you could buy that would let you connect the 20 amp and 30 amp plugs to your 50 amp cord. You still won't get 240 VAC.

Brian

Why is there always a techo babble answer to a simple question.

I thought that 30amp service would run the unit just wanted to make sure Thanks

As stated above, yes this will work. And for most of us it will not make any difference. For example. My trailer is set up to operate 2 A/C units, microwave, electric water heater and a washer dryer. Because of all these high draw items that could be in the trailer they wire it for 50 amp. If I had all those and tried using them on 30 amp I would be kicking breakers. However, I do not have a second A/C unit or a washer/dryer. So unless things just happen to pile up where the water heater is on, the A/C is on, and we run the microwave for a few minutes to cook baked potatoes, we generally do not have any problems with using 30 amp service.

With the adapter we have done this for an entire summer. What we found is that with good 30 amp service, we can have the refrigerator and water heater on at the same time, but if we want to make coffee or use the microwave we have to shut the refrigerator off while doing the other (remember to turn it back on). We have not needed AC too much, but if we did, we would put frig and water heater on propane and use the smaller btu unit of the two. Because of that summer, we did purchased a voltage amplifier/booster so that we can use 30 amp without as much affect.

VintageRacer wrote:
50 amp service gives you two legs of 120 VAC at 50 amps each, so you have the option of 240 VAC if you have a residential stove-top or dryer, and you have access to 100 amps of 120 VAC. 30 amp service is one leg of 120 VAC at 30 amps, so you have less than a third of the possible power. The adaptor will send the 120 VAC to both legs of the 50 amp cord so any 240 VAC appliances will not work. 30 amps is good for one normal RV airconditioner. There is another possible alternative - if there is a 20 amp plug as well as the 30 amp plug you can probably use both, and get up to 50 amps of 120 VAC, but you need to have built in the ability to separate things. There may be an adaptor that you could buy that would let you connect the 20 amp and 30 amp plugs to your 50 amp cord. You still won't get 240 VAC.

Brian

This reply is probably confusing for the OP.

Also doubt many rigs have any 240 volt appliances.

50 amp service gives you two legs of 120 VAC at 50 amps each, so you have the option of 240 VAC if you have a residential stove-top or dryer, and you have access to 100 amps of 120 VAC. 30 amp service is one leg of 120 VAC at 30 amps, so you have less than a third of the possible power. The adaptor will send the 120 VAC to both legs of the 50 amp cord so any 240 VAC appliances will not work. 30 amps is good for one normal RV airconditioner. There is another possible alternative - if there is a 20 amp plug as well as the 30 amp plug you can probably use both, and get up to 50 amps of 120 VAC, but you need to have built in the ability to separate things. There may be an adaptor that you could buy that would let you connect the 20 amp and 30 amp plugs to your 50 amp cord. You still won't get 240 VAC.

Brian

Just need a 30 to 50 adapter adapter and don't forget you only have access to 30 amps not 100 amps so you cannot run everything at the same time and may need to run fridge and HWH on propane to conserve electrical power for other things. :)

Yes, you just need a 30A to 50A Dogbone Adapter. This will give you 120V on both legs of the 50A plug but you will still be limited to 30amps total for both.

Yes you can use the 30A receptacle..get a 30A to 50A adapter. Very common.

Only problem is you will not be able to run as much 120V AC equipment/appliances at the same time when using 30A.

We are newbies too but my husband purchased an adapter. We had reservations at a campground near Estes park and I reserved for 50 amps but when we got to our space and started setting up husband said it's only 30 amps. Told the staff and they said we could move but we liked the spot because the big Thompson river was only 10" away. Husband said can't run air conditioner and microwave at same time. Good luck.