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03-21-2017, 06:44 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 3
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50 amp and 30 amp
Can I use a 50 amp extension cord with 4 receptacles at the same time I'm using my TT 30 amp service? ie: both plugged in at the same time at the campsite.
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03-21-2017, 06:53 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Kalamazoo
Posts: 2,139
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I am totally confused as to what you are trying to do. You have a 30 amp camper and want to plug into the 30 amp outlet and share that pedestal with someone else plugging in another unit in 50 amp plug?
Or you are trying to feed 80 amps to your camper?
Or are you trying to join a 50 amp cord to a 30 amp cord for a longer cord and more reach?
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03-21-2017, 06:59 PM
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#3
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,051
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Quote:
Originally Posted by USNRET
Can I use a 50 amp extension cord with 4 receptacles at the same time I'm using my TT 30 amp service? ie: both plugged in at the same time at the campsite.
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Yes.
Sounds like you made up a cord that plugs into the 50 amp receptacle with a box on the other end with four 15 amp outlets. (possibly to plug in an ice maker/small refrigerator etc.)
Properly wired pedestals use different circuits for the 30 amp plug and the 50.
Should be no problems.
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03-21-2017, 07:04 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: x
Posts: 12,423
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If your intent is like 5picker said then I agree with him it should work, given the pedestal is correctly wired
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03-21-2017, 07:15 PM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 3
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Yes what 5picker said! I received the cord with a generac 6500 a few years ago. As we are newer than new and have never been to a campsite I was not sure if the camp host or camp owner would have a problem doing this. And thanks to all who responded.
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03-21-2017, 07:28 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 125
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Your 30amp twist lock generator cord will not fit into the 50amp outlet in pedestal without an adapter.
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03-21-2017, 07:32 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 1,363
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It depends on how the pedestal is wired, however nothing bad would happen if it isn't meant to support what you want to do.
I have a 50amp/30amp/20amp box on the side of my garage. It is wired with an 80 amp breaker (at the main panel, with 50/30/20 breakers in the box) so I can support all three receptacles, at full capacity, at the same time. Since having both a 30 amp rig and a 50 amp rig plugging in at the same time probably never happens, I can see campgrounds having the 30amp and 50amp hanging off of the 50amp breaker.
Basically you just have to try it and see. Even if wired the "cheap" way, you may not draw enough to trip. You would still have 20 amp on the 30amp leg and 50 amps on the other leg... in addition to the 30 for your camper.
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03-22-2017, 01:11 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 216
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What about overcurrent protection
Quote:
Originally Posted by 5picker
Yes.
Sounds like you made up a cord that plugs into the 50 amp receptacle with a box on the other end with four 15 amp outlets. (possibly to plug in an ice maker/small refrigerator etc.)
Properly wired pedestals use different circuits for the 30 amp plug and the 50.
Should be no problems.
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Big problem if one of the devices pulls more current than it is rated for. Imaging 15 amp 14 gauge wire going to a toaster. The toaster for some reason pulls 25 amps or so. The breaker will NOT trip (it hasn't reached 50 amps yet), and your 14 gauge wire melts and catches on fire. With a dead short, probably OK, but overcurrent, you are NOT protected.
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03-22-2017, 01:24 PM
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#9
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Pickin', Campin', Mason
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,051
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NCBBA11043
Big problem if one of the devices pulls more current than it is rated for. Imaging 15 amp 14 gauge wire going to a toaster. The toaster for some reason pulls 25 amps or so. The breaker will NOT trip (it hasn't reached 50 amps yet), and your 14 gauge wire melts and catches on fire. With a dead short, probably OK, but overcurrent, you are NOT protected.
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Correct... and that is a valid point... but... we also don't know whether the 'box' with the 4 receptacles has breakers protecting the outlets. In fact, we know nothing about the box, the outlets, the cord or the plug. So much so, that someone posted the OP's 30 amp twistlock generator plug wouldn't fit the 50 pedestal receptacle. Where did that come from? A lot of assumptions are being made.
The question was about connecting both a 30 amp plug and a 50 amp at the pedestal at the same time.... I'll stand by my statement... no problem doing that.
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03-22-2017, 02:34 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Cedar Creek Lake, TX
Posts: 3,477
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 5picker
Correct... and that is a valid point... but... we also don't know whether the 'box' with the 4 receptacles has breakers protecting the outlets. In fact, we know nothing about the box, the outlets, the cord or the plug. So much so, that someone posted the OP's 30 amp twistlock generator plug wouldn't fit the 50 pedestal receptacle. Where did that come from? A lot of assumptions are being made.
The question was about connecting both a 30 amp plug and a 50 amp at the pedestal at the same time.... I'll stand by my statement... no problem doing that.
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Way too many assumptions being made, by all of Us! I urge the original poster to get someone on site that is more familiar with electrical wiring before he just takes someone's blind advice. Absent breakers in that cord he could be hooking up small appliances to 50 amp circuits! Very dangerous!!
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03-22-2017, 02:37 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 10,833
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Sounds Illegal and dangerous!!! In any jurisdiction. Please don't tell people to do something that could kill someone.
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B and B
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03-22-2017, 02:40 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 10,833
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 325BH
It depends on how the pedestal is wired, however nothing bad would happen if it isn't meant to support what you want to do.
I have a 50amp/30amp/20amp box on the side of my garage. It is wired with an 80 amp breaker (at the main panel, with 50/30/20 breakers in the box) so I can support all three receptacles, at full capacity, at the same time. Since having both a 30 amp rig and a 50 amp rig plugging in at the same time probably never happens, I can see campgrounds having the 30amp and 50amp hanging off of the 50amp breaker.
Basically you just have to try it and see. Even if wired the "cheap" way, you may not draw enough to trip. You would still have 20 amp on the 30amp leg and 50 amps on the other leg... in addition to the 30 for your camper.
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What you have just said is against National Electrical Code!
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03-22-2017, 02:42 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 10,833
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Quote:
Originally Posted by USNRET
Can I use a 50 amp extension cord with 4 receptacles at the same time I'm using my TT 30 amp service? ie: both plugged in at the same time at the campsite.
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No, Dangerous and against any electrical code anywhere. Please don't listen to the other posters, what they suggest can kill or cause serious property damage!
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B and B
2022 Venture RV SportTrek STT 302 VRB Travel Trailer
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Louisville 5th Wheel
2015 Heartland Bighorn 5th Wheel
2013 FR Rockwood 8289WS 5th Wheel
2012 FR Rockwood 2703 SS Travel Trailer
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03-22-2017, 03:02 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 7,916
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Discussed before. IMO only way to do it is make a sub panel with appropriate breakers for each circuit.
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03-22-2017, 03:19 PM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 3
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I am the original poster and it looks as if I ruffled some feathers not what I was trying to do. the cable yes has a 4 pin twist lock connector on one end goes to a generator at the other end are 4 20 amp receptacles, 2 of the receptacles go to line 1 neutral and ground and the other 2 receptacles go to line 2 neutral and ground. BUT I totally agree this is an Unsafe thing to do! the breakers on the pedestal are 50 amp for each leg (phase, line, leg or what ever) and the cable at best is 10 gauge (cable melts before breaker trips)!!! So I will save the cable in case I need to replace my 30 am TT cable (I will only use 3 of the 4 conductors) and buy a good 12 gauge extension cord for a dedicated circuit if needed. Again thanks to all.
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03-22-2017, 03:51 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 361
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Sounds too good to be true, I'll stick with the tried and true. 50 amp wired the wrong way could have 220 volts somewhere. Only takes one hot wire touching wood to ruin a day. We've have seen a couple of missing grounds or neutrals, those were shocking experiences for the people touching the frame/skin, everybody survived.
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DJsFolly
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03-22-2017, 04:07 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 1,363
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B and B
What you have just said is against National Electrical Code!
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OK, that leaves us with one person who cares...
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03-23-2017, 06:03 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: ALASKA (World's Biggest Campground)
Posts: 6,594
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NCBBA11043
Big problem if one of the devices pulls more current than it is rated for. Imaging 15 amp 14 gauge wire going to a toaster. The toaster for some reason pulls 25 amps or so. The breaker will NOT trip (it hasn't reached 50 amps yet), and your 14 gauge wire melts and catches on fire. With a dead short, probably OK, but overcurrent, you are NOT protected.
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So true! I'm glad someone finally said this. You would be surprised at the amount of Saturday afternoon electricians who think a 30 to 50 amp conversion is going to give them 50 amps at every receptacle!
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03-23-2017, 06:31 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B and B
What you have just said is against National Electrical Code!
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Now, perhaps the code violation is on a 50 amp extension cord, which needs separate breakers to protect the 20 amp outlets...at 20 AMPS. In essence he needs a real sub panel, not just an extension cord with 20 amp outlets connected to conductors that are protected at 50 amps at the source.
However, if the code violation is about his description of his sub panel arrangement, I'm trying, and am willing to listen, but frankly I don't see a code violation here. What he has detailed seems to be totally within NEC requirements. He has an 80 amp feed to a subpanel, which really means that he has a total of 160 amps at 115 volts available on the two legs in the sub panel. All of his receptacles are correctly protected at the subpanel by 50, 30 and 20 amp breakers. Now, while the main breaker does not have to support the total load of all of the breakers in the subpanel (take a look at a stick house main and add up the breakers), he looks pretty clean. From what I see, if all receptacles are drawing their maximum fused load he would have:
50 amps per leg on the 50
30 amps on one leg for the 30
20 amps on one leg for the 20
As long as the 20 and 30 are on different legs he has a total load of 80 amps on one leg and 70 amps on the other, both of which are at or below the feed breaker of 80 amps per leg.
As long as the 20 amps receptacle is a spec grade 20 amp receptacle...he is clean with the NEC. In fact, I doubt if any park pedestal has this much capacity since the do not assume a simultaneous 30 and 50 amp load at any given site and I would bet that the feed assumes no more than 50 amps load per pedestal if that.
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03-23-2017, 06:38 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Englewood FL
Posts: 2,797
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Quote:
Originally Posted by D W
So true! I'm glad someone finally said this. You would be surprised at the amount of Saturday afternoon electricians who think a 30 to 50 amp conversion is going to give them 50 amps at every receptacle!
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Actually, the real problem is that it DOES have 50 amps at every receptacle and that would be an accident waiting to happen.
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