50 amp for 30a trailer

[babock]

50A circuits that use 6 AWG for the hots often use 10 AWG for the ground. Reason for that is that the 10 is all you need to pop a 50A breaker if there was a short to ground. This is the same reason using the 30A cord with the 50A breaker is also not an issue.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by JRW1550

Bottom line is output current is equal to output load. If you have a 30 amp setup in your camper it will never pull more then 30 amps. It doesn't matter if you are connected to a 50 amp service since you can't pull more then 30 amps. I am not an expert but this is was was taught when I got my electrical engineering degree so I do understand how it works.

I believe that is correct...........unless..........there is a short in the wiring prior to the 30 Amp breaker, then the limiting factor is the 50 Amp breaker, is that not also correct?

And it then follows that a 50 Amp load due to the short can quickly overheat the 10 gauge wiring that the camper has as the feed to the 30 Amp breaker.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by andymil

Brhehr makes a good point. I suppose those of you who would never plug a 30 amp cord into a 50 amp pedestal would never plug a lamp with an 18 awg cord into a receptacle protected by a 20 amp breaker.

The breaker is there to protect the circuit, the wiring in the walls, NOT the appliances you plug into it.

[D W]

Originally Posted by Dabney

Many campgrounds, including both private and federal ones, now prohibit the use of 50 amp down to 30 amp adapters because of the fire danger. Most folks are lucky; until they aren’t. Happens enough that campgrounds have learned to be cautious. Going the other way is no problem; a 50 amp rig cannot pull too much power from a 30 amp outlet. But a 30 amp rig can, and sometimes does, create a real fire danger pulling from a 50 amp service.

Be safe...

A 30 amp load (your rig) will not pull more than 30 amps without tripping the 30 amp breaker in the rig's service panel. Think about your house... most likely the main is a 100-200 amp breaker, and your circuits for lights, furnace, dryer, washer, outlets etc., are all controlled by individual breakers rated for the individual loads. There is no possibility that these circuits are going to pull the max amperage of the Main Breaker!

The actual fire danger is a product of worn out receptacles in the pedestals where the plug is loose and resistance builds up.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Been hooking up to 50A service since we bought our first TT. They make adapters for a reason 50 to 30, 30 to 15. I carry both adapters all the time in our TT and we've never had a single problem with any of them. Our TT runs dual AC units on 30A service and uses a Power Management System to keep everything within those 30A. You'll be fine.

[vandettec]

Hello

Wow this “topic”has been beaten to death

Everyone has there own opinion on this subject

Just think of your own house , there is a million amp line running into you house ( not exact but good for this story ) , it doesn’t get protected through your house until it reaches your main panel shut off , where it gets limited by you main breaker

So how many houses have burned down -none ( other than lightening hitting the line- 1 out of billion)


Now at a RV park if you feed of a 50 amp breaker to a 30 amp dog bone to a 30 amp trailer , the trailer will only pull max 30 amp limited by your main breaker , which means your cord is only pulling 30 amps

what do people think is going to magically going to happen to there power cord if hooked up to a 50 amp service via dog bone

The power cord will only short out if it’s broken/ damaged ,just having it hooked to a 50 amp breaker doesn’t magically make it short out

The trailer 30 amp main breaker will limit how much power gets pulled through the line , having any breaker from the pole to the RV is just added safety measure

just having 50 amp available instead of 30 amps doesn’t make any difference , what your trailer pulls is limited by your main breaker

Another food for thought, most dryers are 30 amp but they get feed by a 40 amp breaker , nothing happens the cord doesn’t magically blow up

They put “ safety”stickers on things to limit their liability due to the fact they can not control what people do to the product after it leaves the store

[Pococj]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

I believe that is correct...........unless..........there is a short in the wiring prior to the 30 Amp breaker, then the limiting factor is the 50 Amp breaker, is that not also correct?

And it then follows that a 50 Amp load due to the short can quickly overheat the 10 gauge wiring that the camper has as the feed to the 30 Amp breaker.

Couple things - I spent a lifetime in the Navy. I am a Chief Electrician's Mate. Shipboard electrical systems taught me well. The Navy has one of the most strict electrical safety programs ever seen. One can't even apply electrical tape to a tool or extension cord. I ran the shipboard electrical safety programs.

If you have a short circuit, the circuit breaker immediately upstream of the short trips in milliseconds, as has been previously noted; in this case no further damage is done. It is possible that a faulty breaker fails to trip, but this is no more likely on one given circuit than any other given circuit - might as well be afraid of using a toaster!

If you have faulty resistance between the power-power leads, or power-neutral leads, or power-ground leads you might get enough current to overheat the power cable before tripping the feed breaker. This is unlikely, and such a cable usually has visible damage that ought to holler, "Don't use me!"

Bottom line is that a power cable in good condition, plugged into an adapter in good condition, plugged into a power supply outlet in good condition, will not be a problem. That said, as a general precaution, I regularly check the temperature of the power cable feeding our travel trailer. Simply lay the back of the hand near the cable jacket to see how hot it is. Do not grasp it to check it; if there is a fault your muscles may contract and lock you to the cable.

[parsonjim]

I work maintenance in a very large campground. If someone loses their 30 amp, we hook them to the 50A receptacle. BUT we always use a 50 to 30 adapter. Unless there is something seriously wrong with the pedestal you will be fine. You cannot run too much voltage thru it as you are only using one of the supply legs.

[parsonjim]

Pococj, right u are, and much better explanation. We are not allowed to change a 50 breaker without someone else there. Just in case.

[windsurfdog]

Are we finished here...pleeeeeeease...

As a master electrician in a previous life, I'm amazed at how much people think they know about electricity. The professed electricians in this thread are the ones to heed...their statements are based upon facts unlike many of the comments from others who spew fear and loathing. Look, if you want to base your opinions on fiction, please feel free...just don't try to instill unfounded fear in those that may choose to listen to you.

And now back to your regularly scheduled program...

[mridenour]

Originally Posted by aceinspp

No problem using the adapter. Have done it for many years. Do you think they make these adapters if they are not safe. Later RJD

Yeah, like cigarettes, bombs and tightropes. They make 'em, must be safe.

[windsurfdog]

Originally Posted by mridenour

Yeah, like cigarettes, bombs and tightropes. They make 'em, must be safe.

And just when I had hoped we were finished, another fear monger spews...

[Iwritecode]

The site team has closed this thread. It appears that enough information has been given for the OP to make an informed decision.