50 amp male to 30 amp female adapter

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by BarryD0706

We are talking about the case where there is some kind of short (eg, conduction path) somewhere between the 50-amp pedestal plug and the 30-amp breaker in your RV. So for example, you have a cord that plugs in at your RV (not permanently mounted) and something shorts across that cable plug at the RV end. It doesn't matter what's going on with the breaker in your RV. The only other breaker is 50 amps and the 30-amp cord will melt before that 50-amp breaker trips. Does that help?

If your unlikely exampled happened it wouldn't make any difference what size the wire is, it also would melt. By the time the so call cord would melt it would trip the 50 amp breaker anyway from shorting out.......That can also happen if you were plugged into a 30 amp outlet. If you melt the cord it makes no difference.If you get a short at the RV end you will trip that 50 amp breaker also.....

[BarryD0706]

I didn't say direct short. Perhaps the RV loads are pulling 25 amps and that "conduction path" is pulling 20 amps. No beaker will trip.

[Acableguy06]

To the OP yes its fine. people do it every day. Do not be concerned reading all the what if stories. There is such a fraction of a chance of anything happening its not even worth the thought. IMO

To the other guys. 30' of #10 wire with a 50 amp draw is only a 2.57% voltage drop. Which is within recommended guidelines. Would I want to run this continuously? Not really, I would probably run a heavier gauge, but we are not running 50 amps thru this cord. we are only running 30. As mentioned the cord from the pedestal to the RV does have a potential to be damaged. However, we know it can handle the 50 amps. and at a 55amp load its 2.82% voltage drop (still withing recommended guidelines). Now the breaker should open at some point with this much load on it. Is the cord going to melt down? I say no. Now if you get into 50' of wire I would say we could be pushing the safety margin a bit, but then again I see this as such a small risk. I would see a catastrophic failure as more of a possibility and would trip the breaker rather quickly. Am I thinking wrong here?

[Acableguy06]

I'm going to interject a few more thoughts on the cord overload. How many of you plug a 16 or 14 ga extension cord into a 20 amp circuit? That's an overloaded cord. What about all the appliance or lamp fixtures you plug into the wall? Often a 18 or 16 ga. wire being plugged into a 15 or 20 amp circuit. Do you see where I am going here?

[BarryD0706]

Originally Posted by Acableguy06

I'm going to interject a few more thoughts on the cord overload. How many of you plug a 16 or 14 ga extension cord into a 20 amp circuit? That's an overloaded cord. What about all the appliance or lamp fixtures you plug into the wall? Often a 18 or 16 ga. wire being plugged into a 15 or 20 amp circuit. Do you see where I am going here?

Excellent point!

[garbonz]

Originally Posted by gljurczyk

If your unlikely exampled happened it wouldn't make any difference what size the wire is, it also would melt. By the time the so call cord would melt it would trip the 50 amp breaker anyway from shorting out.......That can also happen if you were plugged into a 30 amp outlet. If you melt the cord it makes no difference.If you get a short at the RV end you will trip that 50 amp breaker also.....

X2. if you get a short enough to melt a 30 amp cord it gonna melt a 50 amp cord pretty soon. for normal situations the 30 amp main will prevent an overcurrent.

I wouldn't worry about, get a PI or Franks and an adapter and be happy.

[Herk7769]

I think this is the most likely scenario for a burned up cord with no (or late) breaker trip.

Corrosion at the wall socket of the camper.

A corroded, pitted connection can increase resistance (and thus current demand) at the socket that the 30 amp breaker inside the coach does not "see" (so it will not trip and end the high resistance short at the socket).

Temperature at the bad connection will increase at the wires until something gives (the wires, the socket, or the 50 amp breaker).

[Acableguy06]

Originally Posted by herk7769

I think this is the most likely scenario for a burned up cord with no (or late) breaker trip.

Corrosion at the wall socket of the camper.

A corroded, pitted connection can increase resistance (and thus current demand) at the socket that the 30 amp breaker inside the coach does not "see" (so it will not trip and end the high resistance short at the socket).

Temperature at the bad connection will increase at the wires until something gives (the wires, the socket, or the 50 amp breaker).

Agree.