Use 30 amp Progressive EMS with Dog Leg Adapter?

[Sandy12345]

Good Afternoon everyone. We have traded our 50 amp fifth wheel for a 30 amp travel trailer. I have purchased a Progressive 30 amp EMS, Model number PT30X. I have a 50 amp plug on my home. My question is: Can I use a 50 to 30 amp dog leg adapter and plug the EMS into it. Will the EMS work ok? I called Progressive Tech Support and they told me it would work just fine but I've been misled by tech support before. More trusting of the fine group who use this site to get problems solved.

[Steve-W]

You will be perfectly fine using a 50 to 30 amp dog bone from your power box to the PI EMS.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by Sandy12345

Good Afternoon everyone. We have traded our 50 amp fifth wheel for a 30 amp travel trailer. I have purchased a Progressive 30 amp EMS, Model number PT30X. I have a 50 amp plug on my home. My question is: Can I use a 50 to 30 amp dog leg adapter and plug the EMS into it. Will the EMS work ok? I called Progressive Tech Support and they told me it would work just fine but I've been misled by tech support before. More trusting of the fine group who use this site to get problems solved.

Yes it will work. Your adapter only picks one leg of the 50 and feeds you 120 volts @ 50 amps. The main breaker in your trailer brings it down to 30 amps @ 120 volts. You can replace the 50 amp receptacle and breaker with 30 amps ones. Just use 3 of the existing wires instead of 4. FYI, we call it a Dog Bone, Not a Dog Leg. It will work fin with your dog bone.

[Bill and Gail]

It will be fine. I've had to use that configuration in parks where the 30amp outlet was bad, which made me plug into the 50amp plug.

[itat]

Yes it will work fine.

If this is only going to be a situation at home you can look into changing to a 30A plug with a single 30A breaker at the panel so there is no chance of exposing the 30A cable to 50A. It’s definitely not critical to do that since chances are low that it would ever happen but it’s something to consider.

[KcSavage]

Question , is the 1 leg you get when using this adapter 25 or 50 amps?

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by KcSavage

Question , is the 1 leg you get when using this adapter 25 or 50 amps?

50


This is often confusing. Let me get some of my favorite links and schematics that help. Will edit this post shortly.


Start with this link:



https://www.rvtechmag.com/electrical/chapter3.php


This is how the RV service outlets are fed via the 120/240 volt split phase service.







This is how the 50 to 30 amp adapter only utilizes one 50 amp leg of the 240/120 volt split phase service. The second leg is just terminated inside the adapter and thus connects to nothing.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by KcSavage

Question , is the 1 leg you get when using this adapter 25 or 50 amps?

It's never 25. The choices are 30 @ 120 volts and 50 @ 240 volts. If plugged into am 50 amp outlet with a dog one adpt you have the possibility of 1 leg of 50 amps @ 120 volts reaching your 30 amp main breaker but that is where it would stop because the 30 amp breaker would trip.

A 50 amp outlet can deliver anything from 0 to 50 amps. A 30 amp outlet can deliver anything for 0 to 30 amps.

Amps aren't just there the equipment being used determines the amount of amps being used up to the amount of the main breaker.

[Garrette]

Yes, I do it all of the time at CG's. In fact, I have found the 30amp CG outlet the be bad from a lot of use and just get the dogbone. I report the bad plug when I leave.

[KcSavage]

WMTIRE . Great information. Thank you for taking the time to post such a great explanation.
And Garrette, I've used my dog bone when all there is, is a 50 amp site but, yea, now no need to move over a bad 30 amp plug if there is 50 at the same pedistal.

[itat]

Originally Posted by KcSavage

WMTIRE . Great information. Thank you for taking the time to post such a great explanation.
And Garrette, I've used my dog bone when all there is, is a 50 amp site but, yea, now no need to move over a bad 30 amp plug if there is 50 at the same pedistal.

Welcome to the forum, kcSavage. You’ll find lots of helpful, knowledgable folks like wmtire here.