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Old 01-02-2017, 11:58 AM   #1
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50A site with 30A TT

I'm wanting to reserve a site at a campground that only has 50A sites. However, my TT is 30A.

Is there an adapter that can be safely used to simply convert the 50A service at the post to 30A at the TT?

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Old 01-02-2017, 12:02 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seakayaker View Post
I'm wanting to reserve a site at a campground that only has 50A sites. However, my TT is 30A.

Is there an adapter that can be safely used to simply convert the 50A service at the post to 30A at the TT?

Seakayaker
Yep, and you can find them on Amazon, at about any RV dealer, and in even the small RV sections at Wal_Mart.

I like the dogbone type myself, instead of the straight plug type. The dogbone type, allow you to close the RV pedestal cover, and the straight type usually don't.

Here is the dogbone type:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Road-Powe...0Z90oAtjcnO0_0

and here is the straight plug type, which when you usually attach your RV power cord to it, extends too far to shut the pedestal cover, unlike the dogbone type.:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Road-Powe...apter/16817352
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Old 01-02-2017, 12:02 PM   #3
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Yes, it has a 50a male end to plug into the 50a outlet on the campground pedestal and a 30a female end into which you plug your TT 30a cord. Wal*Mart has 'em. There are many threads here showing pictures, recommending retail sellers, etc. Do a search for electrical adapters and pick the one I described.

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Old 01-02-2017, 12:09 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by seakayaker View Post
I'm wanting to reserve a site at a campground that only has 50A sites. However, my TT is 30A.

Is there an adapter that can be safely used to simply convert the 50A service at the post to 30A at the TT?

Seakayaker

Yes there is. You can get it at CW or if your local Walmart has a decent camping section, you can find it there also......cheaper.

Power Grip Adapter - 50A Male to 30A Female - Camco 55175 - Electrical Adapters - Camping World


Yeah, I was even slower looking for a pic of my dogbone.....which I never found BTW!
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Old 01-02-2017, 12:16 PM   #5
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Yes there is. You can get it at CW or if your local Walmart has a decent camping section, you can find it there also......cheaper.

Power Grip Adapter - 50A Male to 30A Female - Camco 55175 - Electrical Adapters - Camping World


Yeah, I was even slower looking for a pic of my dogbone.....which I never found BTW!
Perfect! Just wanted to be sure.


Thanks all around,


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Old 01-02-2017, 12:35 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seakayaker View Post
I'm wanting to reserve a site at a campground that only has 50A sites. However, my TT is 30A.

Is there an adapter that can be safely used to simply convert the 50A service at the post to 30A at the TT?

Seakayaker
In your travels you will encounter times when you may want to adapt to other power oulets,like 30 to 20 just to power for charging batt! Also a selection that can be used to check pedal power! Youroo! !
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Old 01-02-2017, 01:43 PM   #7
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My TT is 30 Amp also, anytime there is 50 Amp available, I use my adapter and plug into the 50 Amp. In a lot of campground the 30 Amp circuit breakers have been tripped so many times they are weak and trip easy. That's why I plug into the 50 Amp if available.
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Old 01-02-2017, 01:47 PM   #8
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Generally you will find that there is a 30 amp outlet there as well. They report the 50 amp to let high amperage user know that its available. It just sort of tells you the max amperage available but not the only
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Old 01-02-2017, 02:32 PM   #9
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All of these are great responses. Our current RV is 50A but our last one was 30A. I always carry adapters with me for just about any scenario. For future reference, there are also adapters to allow a 50A RV to connect via a 30A service if that's all that is available. In fact, you can run just about anything in a 30A RV from a single 110V outlet so long as you don't use the amp hog devices on board, like microwaves or blow dryers. Just be sure your wire size is adequate and don't route the wire under anything just in case.
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Old 01-02-2017, 02:57 PM   #10
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Running a 30 amp rig off a 50 amp service is fine, ONLY if the adapter has a 30 amp fuse or breaker inside. Otherwise, any short circuit between the trailer's internal 30 amp breaker and the pylon will start a fire in the power cord, the trailer connector or the main trailer feed. I have seen campgrounds loan unprotected adapters to campers. This is electrical insanity. I have asked to be moved away from anyone using this setup. I am a retired licensed professional electrical engineer.
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Old 01-02-2017, 03:02 PM   #11
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How common is it to find a 50 to 30 adapter with a fuse or breaker as you say. Seems all I have encountered are straight unprotected ones....does it make a difference if one uses a surge protector?
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Old 01-02-2017, 03:16 PM   #12
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I haven't seen one but I haven't looked very hard. Your surge protector should help but it's protecting you from massive overloads. I've seen a campground worker mowing grass and cut a camper's power cord. At least the fire was outside. Many units have long power wire runs from the camper power cord socket to the distribution panel inside. This wire is barely 30 amp rated. I'd hate to see it get shorted while connected to a 50 amp pylon, although it's not very likely. All power feeds should be fused for the rating of the wire, up stream.
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Old 01-02-2017, 05:17 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Sterlingsilver View Post
Running a 30 amp rig off a 50 amp service is fine, ONLY if the adapter has a 30 amp fuse or breaker inside. Otherwise, any short circuit between the trailer's internal 30 amp breaker and the pylon will start a fire in the power cord, the trailer connector or the main trailer feed. I have seen campgrounds loan unprotected adapters to campers. This is electrical insanity. I have asked to be moved away from anyone using this setup. I am a retired licensed professional electrical engineer.
This is accurate, although I've never seen one. A couple days ago I was trying to explain this to someone here but finally just dropped it. Lol
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:04 PM   #14
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No it is not accurate. The power cord is protected by the 30 amp breaker in the trailer.
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Old 01-02-2017, 10:09 PM   #15
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You could make one with a 30 amp breaker at the pole if 50 amp breakers were all that were available.


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Old 01-02-2017, 10:19 PM   #16
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No it is not accurate. The power cord is protected by the 30 amp breaker in the trailer.
This kind of electrical thinking is how people get killed.
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Old 01-02-2017, 11:06 PM   #17
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Tell me how? Any shorting of the power cord will trip the breaker upstream, which would be the 50 amp breaker, therefore stopping the flow of current in the power cord. Any excessive current draw over 30 amps will trip the breaker in the camper and stop the flow of current in the power cord. That is what series circuits do. Any electrical engineer should know that.

You can be plugged directly into the Hoover Dam and you would still be safe. If it wasn't so, then why do the 50 amp to 30 amp adapters not come with a breaker built in like you state we need. Thinking like yours is what causes unwarranted paranoia.
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Old 01-03-2017, 05:12 AM   #18
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Tell me how? Any shorting of the power cord will trip the breaker upstream, which would be the 50 amp breaker, therefore stopping the flow of current in the power cord. Any excessive current draw over 30 amps will trip the breaker in the camper and stop the flow of current in the power cord. That is what series circuits do. Any electrical engineer should know that.

You can be plugged directly into the Hoover Dam and you would still be safe. If it wasn't so, then why do the 50 amp to 30 amp adapters not come with a breaker built in like you state we need. Thinking like yours is what causes unwarranted paranoia.
Have to agree. I have yet to see an adapter with a built in fuse or breaker. They may be made, good luck finding one. Over current draw and a dead short are two different things entirely. If you have a short between the rigs 30amp main breaker and the pedestal, it's going to kick the pedestal breaker no matter if its 50amp. 100 amp or 200 amps just like tkarper14 states. If someone cuts through the cord with a lawnmower and it ignites, something else is wrong, like a bad breaker at the pedestal. In that case there is another breaker further up the line at the service panel feeding those pedestals. What are you going to do, pull out the tools and do a full blown inspection by pulling apart the entire infrastructure when you arrive at a campground? This thread is going down a theoretical road which is simply going to create fear that is uncalled for.

They do use the bare minimum size conductors from the RV wall/cord connection to the main 30 amp in the RV's power center, so what. Its 100% code compliant. Perhaps all RV's should be banned or the manufacturers required to over spec code requirements?

Its not any different than the entrance cable on your house ahead of the service panel. You might only have 200 amp main breakers in your service panel but do you worry about the cable from that panel that runs through your house, along the wall to the meter socket, then up to the weather-head and on to the transformer, where there is usually a line fuse? Thats rated way more than 200 amps at the transformer because its feeding 3 other houses, and then on to Hoover dam?

I find it hard to believe those adapters, of which there are millions out there and in use, are allowed to be made and sold. If they're so inherently dangerous you would think they would be banned under the NEC. It's also strange most of them are tested and approved by UL. Perhaps they should be made only to connect 30 A to 30 A? What about a 50 A RV connected to 30 A park power with a dog bone. That scenario sounds like a worse theoretical problem electrically in reverse IMO, but there are plenty of 50 A RV's in parks that have only have 30 A pedestals right at this very second.

If you're going to look at it as "what ifs", RV cords can get cut by lawnmowers, or chewed through by a rat. You can also get struck by lightning or a train, or have someone hit a pole and drop line voltage wires down onto the service voltage wiring out at the highway. Somebody can rewire their RV wrong and back feed into the park power. I could also hit the Powerball Wednesday but I don't think that's happening.

I am surprised Sterling Silver can ever find a campsite where the neighbors wiring configuration meets his approval. He must move around the campground a lot.


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Originally Posted by wmtire View Post
Yep, and you can find them on Amazon, at about any RV dealer, and in even the small RV sections at Wal_Mart.

I like the dogbone type myself, instead of the straight plug type. The dogbone type, allow you to close the RV pedestal cover, and the straight type usually don't.

Here is the dogbone type:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Road-Powe...0Z90oAtjcnO0_0

and here is the straight plug type, which when you usually attach your RV power cord to it, extends too far to shut the pedestal cover, unlike the dogbone type.:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Road-Powe...apter/16817352
Seakayker, the post above is the answer to your original question. Do not buy into the fear mongering.
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Old 01-03-2017, 05:35 AM   #19
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My rigs have all been 30 amp in recent years. We carry 50-30 and 30-20 amp adapters, along with a 30 amp male replacement plug. I have been in a couple of campgrounds that did not have 30 amp outlets. I have both straight connectors as well as the dog bone. Prefer the dog bone.

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Old 01-03-2017, 06:20 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by Sterlingsilver View Post
Running a 30 amp rig off a 50 amp service is fine, ONLY if the adapter has a 30 amp fuse or breaker inside. Otherwise, any short circuit between the trailer's internal 30 amp breaker and the pylon will start a fire in the power cord, the trailer connector or the main trailer feed. I have seen campgrounds loan unprotected adapters to campers. This is electrical insanity. I have asked to be moved away from anyone using this setup. I am a retired licensed professional electrical engineer.
I was wondering when someone would post this information. The breaker is there to protect the electrical wiring. If you put a 30 amp cord on a 50 amp circuit without a fuse or circuit breaker there is virtually NO Protection!
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