50 amp to 30 amp

[rrekosh]

I have a 2013 Cedar creek 5th wheel. I will be going to the East Coast in Sept. I just what to know if I I go from a 50 amp to 30 amp at the box, what issues if any could I run into, or is it best to just go with the 50 amp box. There is a price difference that is the reason I am asking. Thanks.

[badger5301]

Done it many times but we only have one air conditioner. No issues at all for us.

[kenandterry]

As long as you have a good quality dogbone plug to go from 50amp to 30amp supply at the campground......some older campgrounds might not have 50amp available all the time.

30amp means one air conditioner at one time.....either or, not both at the same time. Also, considering they’re not used very long, turn off your air conditioner while using the microwave. Keep an eye how many electric heaters you might use at the same time.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by rrekosh

I have a 2013 Cedar creek 5th wheel. I will be going to the East Coast in Sept. I just what to know if I I go from a 50 amp to 30 amp at the box, what issues if any could I run into, or is it best to just go with the 50 amp box. There is a price difference that is the reason I am asking. Thanks.

This explains the difference in the two services, as well as using an adapter as you are asking about.


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

[Boomerweps]

I only stayed at one campground where they had separated 50 and 30 amp sites. It was a $6 difference per night IIRC. Most all the 30 amp sites there were buddy sites that faced each other in pairs, I paid the extra to not have strangers in my picnic table area and facing each other out the TT front doors. Most were drive through sites, too. My TT has only 30 amp service but I have a 50-30 adapter in case it's a better receptacle.

[keith52]

Run your water heater on propane rather than electric.

[BM Welder]

We have a 50 to 30 amp plug that we bought at Camping World that goes on the trailer and we use a 30 amp cord to make it to the pedestal saves dragging out 50 amp cord.

[cynnewc]

If you don't overload your system you shouldn't have problems. We have a 2019 FR Sabre and we have the 50 to 30 dogbone and we can only run 1 air conditioner at a time. So basically, you just have to be careful as to how much load you put on the system

[formerFR]

when you use an adapter you are simply adapting 'down' to 'less' power, or really less AMPS, which is the total amount of 'power' that your devices and items are 'using', all at the same time.

some will experience few issues when doing this, especially in temperate weather and months during the year, when no air conditioning or heating is needed. On the other hand, especially during the HOT months, many will complain that they can 'only' run a single roof air conditioner on '30amps'... but that has been debunked many, many times on this forum, by many of us who have easily run two roof air conditioners while on 30amp power.

TWO roof air conditioners, of the 13.5kw 'standard' size for most RVs, both are pulling only about 12amps max while running full blast, which is only 24amps. So, you have 6 more 'amps' to use for all your other needs, but watch out for the microwave, since it will quickly trip a breaker in these situations, especially if the electric water heater element and the residential fridge's compressor is running at the same time.
How do you minimize this while on '30amp' power? Cut off the electric water heater, use propane if necessary. Cut off one of the air conditioners when using the microwave. Manage your electrical usage, and you'll be just fine.
If you see that it seems that no matter how well you manage your electrical and the outside breaker still trips, then you might just have an old, worn out, over used 30amp breaker at the campground or rv park. Ask management to change it out to a new one, and give them your reasoning. Once done, you might just find that suddenly you have NO ISSUES with running both air conditioners and even doing many other things will 'only' on 30amp power : ) signed: very experienced campers : ) been there, done that.

[Cover Dog]

Might not need to run 2 AC’s in Sept. if I have a choice I would go 50a. Water htr., heat pump, fireplace, microwave. Your paying for 50a use it instead of your propane for water htr. & furnace.

[Sealyn]

50 amp service is always worth the extra cost to me. Never need to manage you usage in the RV.

[wmtire]

What many may forget when connected to 30 amp power supplies, is the converter. The converter takes 120 volt AC and converts it to 12 volt DC. The total amount of AC amps it will use is dependent on the the size of the converter and also how many 12 volt DC items you are using at any one time too.


I include a link where Mark Polk discusses this in the RV new owners thread.


It can also be found here:


RV Converters and Amp Draw - RV Information (RV Maintenance)

[TowPro]

For 30 amp remember the "only 2 of the 3 rule"
You can only run 2 of the following devices at the same time.
1) AC (and only 1 AC)
2) microwave
3) electrict hot water

[Summit2004]

I will need to run both ac’s and can only get 30 amp. Someone suggested I get a splitter. Two 30amp male that then connects to 50 amp. So I will be plugging into two 30 amps for my 50 amp needs. Does anyone have experience with this or thoughts

[formerFR]

[while many may suggest otherwise, you can easily run two roof 13.5 a/c units successfully 'only' on 30amp service, just cut out most everything else that may need power at the same time, especially the battery charger and the electric water heater, if you have one.)

yes, there is a 30/30 to 50 'Y' adapter just for that purpose - to be able to make use of two different 30amp RV outlets to the 50amp RV, which would provide up to 60amps of usable power between the two.

I have one of these adapters and have used it successfully many times, especially when parked extensively somewhere that only offers 30amp RV outlets. A private rv site comes to mind in N Georgia where the owner of 4 RV spaces, built I assume years ago for family and friends to visit, next to his home, only had 30amp outlets for each site. Because only two of the sites were being used, is was no problem to make use of the extra 30amp outlet I needed, during the very hot and humid months we were there.

Now, one aspect of this 'Y' adapter is the fact that while one of the ends will easily plug into a 30amp RV outlet near your coach, the other 30amp outlet is not so close, so also having a 30amp Extension Shore Cord is critical, in order to reach the second outlet.

Also, while this 60amps of power is not the same as your 50amp 240v RV service, which is really 100amps of 120v power, it still gives you TWICE as much as you would normally get from a 30amp outlet, and PLENTY to really do all that you want to do, regardless.


While most folks might not run into the need for this type of adapter, having one is certainly a great option to living on only 30amp power when you have a 50amp coach, during the hot months, or during the winter months.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Summit2004

I will need to run both ac’s and can only get 30 amp. Someone suggested I get a splitter. Two 30amp male that then connects to 50 amp. So I will be plugging into two 30 amps for my 50 amp needs. Does anyone have experience with this or thoughts

This link may help you understand the difference and what a 50 amp 120/240 volt split phase service really is:


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

[moose074]

Can you run 2 A/C on 30 amp yes. If you are willing to make a few concessions. Run fridge, water heater on propane. Turn off one unit if using microwave. Unless both units kick in at same time you should be ok on trailer side. Now if the breaker in box is week you might be flipping switch a lot.

[formerFR]

yes, I agree with moose074, especially when you consider that every 30amp breaker at every campground or rv park is not necessarily still as 'viable' as it was years ago when it was brand new, after campers have flipped it on and off many hundreds, if not thousands of times, over it's life. Most breakers where never really designed and engineered for that type of 'usage'.

On at least one or two occasions, during the very hot and humid summer months, we would be in a park with only 30amp service, and running both a/c units at the same time, along with a few other floor fans, TV and satellite receivers, and computer/device chargers, successfully. We would then travel to another campground, with only 30amp service, and yet the 30amp breaker at the pedestal would trip within a few minutes, while doing exactly the same activities.
What is different is the age/use of the breaker for that site. When I asked then for the management/site host to replace the breaker for me, they replied with the typical answer that most are programmed to: "you can't run two air conditioners while only on 30amp power, which is why you are tripping the breaker". While this may be a typical belief by many in the RVing community, it's not true, but it's been propagated because those that do believe it don't really understand the total picture, or the fact that sometimes an old/heavily used breaker can easily start to 'nuisance' trip due to it's oversensitivity, well before it actually should. The RV owner then believes that 'they' are doing something wrong, and therefore continue to tell the story and spread the incorrect understanding of what is happening.
In both of these situations, the NEW breaker immediately solved the problem. No more tripping of the breaker, and both a/c units worked perfectly, along with the other mentioned power usages, during our stays. And, both park owners/hosts were QUITE surprised, and almost in disbelief, that we had 'debunked' their myths that it's not possible to do.

Enjoy !

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Summit2004

I will need to run both ac’s and can only get 30 amp. Someone suggested I get a splitter. Two 30amp male that then connects to 50 amp. So I will be plugging into two 30 amps for my 50 amp needs. Does anyone have experience with this or thoughts

Keep in mind.... you are going to need TWO sources of 30a power to make this work. You'll likely have to pay for two sites as you sure wouldn't want to rob your neighbor of any of their power at their pedestal.

Something we have done on limited electrical power is simply run one air conditioner and place a good fan on the floor near it, blowing cooler air (cold air falls) towards the opposite end of the R/V.

We've never had an issue using one A/C and a fan on 30a power and it has kept things comfortable.

[cbvp]

Originally Posted by BM Welder

We have a 50 to 30 amp plug that we bought at Camping World that goes on the trailer and we use a 30 amp cord to make it to the pedestal saves dragging out 50 amp cord.

Same here. When storing go ffrom 50 to 20.


C.B.