50 amp on a 30 amp connection

landp

Well-known member
I own a 3210 with an extra ac unit in the Garage area. In the next several months we are going to several areas in the country. Here in TX, then to Vegas, and finally to Florida. My wife is worried that we may have to park in a 30 amp slot. Now I know I can use a 30amp box and just be picky about what I turn on, my wife on the other hand wants to use both ac's to cool the unit down during the hot months. So, is there a divice that I can use to connect to TWO 30 amps plugs that I can then use my 50 amp plug. Kinda like the way I can connect my two honda generators together to run a 30amp circuit, but in this case a 50amp circuit.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
For what it's worth, I like the Camco version. It's not too often you have 2-30amp outlets close together but you usually always have a 30 and a 15 in the same box. Plus it's $30 cheaper. I don't think you can make one for less than that.
 

leftyf

SSG Stumpy-VA Terrorist
For what it's worth, I like the Camco version. It's not too often you have 2-30amp outlets close together but you usually always have a 30 and a 15 in the same box. Plus it's $30 cheaper. I don't think you can make one for less than that.

Those adapters work really well...as long as the 20 amp outlet is not on a GFI. There is a disclaimer from the maker of the product that states that fact.

The do make a pretty good 30 to 50 amp adapter.
 

Goldenwingers

goldenwingers
I bought one of these adapters and like Lefty said they will work as long as the 20 amp circuit is not a GFI, this being said I find most of the 20 amp circuits are GFI circuits in the campgrounds we have visited and when you plug it in it will immediately tripp the breaker. I have not found an instance where it will work yet.

Don
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
We used to have an Alfa Gold fifth wheel. It was wired for 50 amp service. There was a separate 20 amp circuit that you could hook up to with a separate cord when you were using 30 amp service. With the 30 amp and 20 amp hooked up you had your 50 amp service. It was a neat feature. The 20 amp line was basically used to run the 2nd compressor on the heat pump. (It came with one heat pump that had 2 compressors in it).

Anyway I guess it is the same principal as the dual adapter plug. But I never had a GFCI trip when I used the 20 amp plug in the Alfa.
 

leftyf

SSG Stumpy-VA Terrorist
I bought one of these adapters and like Lefty said they will work as long as the 20 amp circuit is not a GFI, this being said I find most of the 20 amp circuits are GFI circuits in the campgrounds we have visited and when you plug it in it will immediately tripp the breaker. I have not found an instance where it will work yet.

Don

I think the GFI is now a national requirement. At one campground, I did change out a GFI and put in a regular outlet...and then changed it out again just before I left. I was there for 3 months so it was worth the trouble.
 

ct0218

Well-known member
In a 50A service you have 2 120V 50A legs, and in 30A you have 1 30A 120V leg. The Alfa was wired so that the extension was used to operate the 2nd compressor but that does does make it 50A service. 50A service has almost 3 times as much power available as 30A service does. I'm surprised that setup worked w/o tripping out a breaker on the pedestal since the 20A and the 30A are wired (usually) from the 30A circuit and not a separate 20A circuit.
 

jimtoo

Moderator
I have one of the adapters and have not found a place that it can be used yet. I think most of the parks got the information about them and replaced with GFI plugs or they are wired directly into the 30amp plug and then it will not work because it is on the same leg. Some parks have taken the 15 or 20 amp service out to stop the use of both services without paying for it. Some people were not paying for the 50 amp service when it was available, just using the 30 and 20.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
In a 50A service you have 2 120V 50A legs, and in 30A you have 1 30A 120V leg. The Alfa was wired so that the extension was used to operate the 2nd compressor but that does does make it 50A service. 50A service has almost 3 times as much power available as 30A service does. I'm surprised that setup worked w/o tripping out a breaker on the pedestal since the 20A and the 30A are wired (usually) from the 30A circuit and not a separate 20A circuit.

Thanks for explaining that. I was always wondering how it was configured. The Alfa also had a switch right inside the door you had to set on either 30 or 50 whichever you were using. I never did trip the pedestal breaker though.
 

jpmorgan37

Well-known member
Changing out the Ground Fault is against the law in most states. Another thing that you have to be aware of is that in many parks, they are splitting the 30 Amp line and running it to the 20 side so that you don't have the two input line availability. So, if you use a splitter, you are going to burn up something, usually the breaker or receptacle, but sometimes the RV appliances. Just be aware.

John
 

htneighbors

Unbelievably Blessed!
In a 50A service you have 2 120V 50A legs, and in 30A you have 1 30A 120V leg. The Alfa was wired so that the extension was used to operate the 2nd compressor but that does does make it 50A service. 50A service has almost 3 times as much power available as 30A service does. I'm surprised that setup worked w/o tripping out a breaker on the pedestal since the 20A and the 30A are wired (usually) from the 30A circuit and not a separate 20A circuit.

Actually...the 30A and 20A are probably on the same LEG of the pedestal, but they each SHOULD have their own breakers since they are being fed from the same BUS in the pedestal. The 20A should NEVER be wired from the 30A circuit, but they will be on the same PHASE or LEG in the panel, since a 30A panel only has 120VAC possible. A reading with a volt meter from the hot of each receptacle will verify this.

In a pedestal that has 50A service, there are 2 hot PHASES in the pedestal, each with 120VAC to ground.

And, yes, it is a requirement for all single-phase, 15 and 20A, 120VAC receptacles, located outdoors, to have GFCI protection for personnel - few exceptions. This can be in the receptacle itself, or the circuit breaker. In fact, many (newer) installations will have the 30A GFCI protected also, although not yet required. With todays RVs having larger electrical systems and demands, the rules are continually being revised. :)
 

Peteandsharon

Well-known member
I left this discussion a few weeks pretty much convinced that these adaptors were essentially useless. Now I'm also seeing postings on electrical boxes at campgrounds which seem to be directed directly at this device. I took a walk through our local state park campground and found warning stickers on all of their boxes. One of them stated "Warning... This box is wired for 1 camper only. Do not exceed 24 amps total load" The other one was more explicit. It stated: "Warning! Ground fault protected. Persons contacting more than one leg at a time will not be protected". This last warning seems to be pointed at those who would try to bridge that 30 amp circuit with the 20 amp using something like the Camco adaptor.
 

goldenbetty

goldenbetty
We have two adapters now because...

the campground we go to the most have a different configuration from our first purchase, the Camco one. The ground is at the bottom on the adapter. The ground is at the top in the outlet at the campground, and this caused us to flip the adapter upside down which put alot of strain on the line, causing the plug to wiggle out. We had to use either a large cable tie or tape it in the outlet.

Now we found another adapter at a local RV dealer who had the "cheater box" made up with the ground on the top. Hallelujah! The campground 20 amp does not have a GFI, so we are good to go. This one is made by Progressive Industries. Just what the doctor ordered.

We have learned, from here, and from others, that this type of outlet (ground at the top), is the new industry standard for safety reasons.

Always buying something new...that is the way it is!
 
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