Can You Plug A 30 Amp Camper Into A 50 Amp Service

It's not uncommon to arrive at an RV park only to find a broken 30 amp plug or no xxx amp plug at all. So, what exercise you practice if you have a 30 amp RV? Tin yous hook up a 30 amp RV to a l amp power plug? Keep reading to find out!

Tabular array of contents

Can You lot Hook Up a xxx Amp RV to a 50 Amp Power Plug?
The Danger in Hooking a 30 Amp RV to 50 Amps of Ability
What Nigh the RV's Principal Breaker?
How to Safely Plug a 30 Amp RV Into l Amp Power Source
Can You Hook Upward a 50 Amp RV to a 30 Amp Plug?
Limitations with 50 Amp to thirty Amp Plug Adapters
Solution to Popping 30 Amp Breakers
Use an Auto Shut-Off Surge Protector to RV Safely In All Scenarios

Tin You Hook Upward a xxx Amp RV to a 50 Amp Ability Plug?

The short answer is yes, but it's non as simple every bit just plugging in your RV and hoping for the best. You really demand to sympathise what you lot are doing and have advisable condom measures to mitigate the hazard of impairment to your electric system.

There are plenty of adapters out there that catechumen a fifty amp plug into a 30 amp plug for your RV. Here are just a few of the many 50A/30A options available on Amazon:

These devices are commonly known equally dogbone adapters and are relatively cheap. Withal, information technology's of import to sympathise that at that place are risks associated with these adapters.

The Danger in Hooking a 30 Amp RV to 50 Amps of Power

The dogbone adapters above are unremarkably referred to equally "dumb" adapters, which doesn't mean they're stupid per se. Rather, the term "dumb" refers to the fact that these adapters do not offering protection for your RV and can lead to a possible overload on your RV'south cable.

When y'all plug a thirty amp adapter into a 50 amp breaker at the pedestal, the 50 amp breaker will only pop if the amperage goes beyond 50 amps. The trouble here is that these adapters and the power cord for your RV are only rated at 30 amps. This means you take an unprotected line with the potential to exist overloaded by 20 amps, which is unsafe.

Overloading a wire can cause the wire itself to fire up and even catch fire. It tin can also cause significant damage to electronics.

problem with hooking a 30 amp rv to a 50 amp

What About the RV's Main Billow?

Because the RV's master breaker is installed in the distribution panel of the RV, the higher up scenario is unlikely. Most of the fourth dimension, the RV's main billow volition pop before the 50 amp pedestal breaker does.

This scenario, however, does not fully protect your wires from becoming overloaded. If at that place were a short on the line or a error in the billow, your protection would be limited. Not to mention, fifty-fifty with the RV's breaker, using a 50A/30A dogbone adapter without protection is technically an electrical code violation.

How to Safely Plug a 30 Amp RV Into 50 Amp Ability Source

The safest way to do this is to use a 2nd adapter that offers overcurrent protection. This means you are putting a breaker or surge protector with overload protection in line between the dogbone adapter and your RV'south power cord. In this scenario, the surge protector will disconnect the line to foreclose damage if an overload occurs.

how to hook a 30 amp RV to a 50 Amp supply diagram

Not all surge protectors have overcurrent protection or auto-off. Near only limit surges in voltage to protect electronics.

Nosotros highly recommend the 30 amp Watchdog Surge Protector with Auto-Off because information technology also has an overload disconnect role to protect your RV's electrical arrangement. Additionally, this model provides great data about your power usage and any problems with the power line.

If you are interested in one of these Hughes is offer our subscribers an exclusive discound of 10% off past using coupon code MORTONS at checkout!

If you prefer they are also bachelor on Amazon.

Can You Claw Up a 50 Amp RV to a 30 Amp Plug?

Again, the answer is yes! This time, however, the uncomplicated dogbone adapters work safely. This is because besides much amperage will trip the thirty amp breaker, keeping information technology from overloading the line. This simple, inexpensive adapter will practice the trick:

While it isn't necessary to protect the line, we still recommend getting a surge protector with Car-Off. There are many other scenarios that it can protect your RV from, like overvoltage, undervoltage, and voltage surges.

Limitations with l Amp to xxx Amp Plug Adapters

In that location are two drawbacks when using a 30A/50A adapter. First, using one of these adapters will significantly limit the power available to a 50 amp autobus. This is because a 50 amp plug has 12000W potential, while the xxx amp plug just has 3600W. This makes it much easier to pop the 30 amp breaker, then you will need to limit your ability usage.

2d, 50 amp plugs typically have 240V service, which will be unavailable with the adapter. This ways if you have any 240V appliances (similar a 240V washer/dryer unit), they will not work at all when using a 30A/50A adapter.

Solution to Popping 30 Amp Breakers

It'southward an expensive solution, only one fashion to plug into any power source with a large rig is to install a hybrid inverter that passes power through it. With these inverters, you lot tin set a shore power limit so you will not pop a billow. The magic with hybrid inverters is that when you need extra power, they will make information technology up from the RV batteries. When the excess load is removed, they will charge the batteries dorsum upwards and you'll never even know you exceeded that 20 or 30 amp excursion.

50 Amp and 30 Amp rv electrical hookups breaker swtiches

This is how our RV electrical organisation works. We accept been plugged into xx and thirty amp supplies many times and used our 50 amp RV similar normal – never worrying nigh power. Our system is quite complex, simply we've put together skillful explanations of how it all works. Y'all can read nigh it here: Ultimate Off-Grid RV Solar Ability System Build. Or, cheque out our YouTube video: Ultimate RV Off-Grid Solar Organization Build

Use an Machine Shut-Off Surge Protector to RV Safely In All Scenarios

In summary, you tin plug your 30 amp RV into a 50 amp plug, and vice versa, you lot just demand to make sure you know the limitations and how to do it safely. Again, we highly recommend using an car-shutoff surge protector, like the Watchdog, to make sure yous are protected well-nigh the plug at all times.

At that place are and then many situations with RV park power that could damage your RV and having one of these devices in line will protect you. Too, a device like the Watchdog will provide existent-fourth dimension monitoring data about your power usage and the line.

Hughes Surge Protectors — If you want the all-time surge protector money can buy check out watchdog and become our exclusive discount!

Overloading the electric system on your RV tin can be dangerous and costly. Merely if you follow the guidelines outlined above when adapting your power supply, you lot will almost certainly protect yourself and your investment!

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