Also a tip for power newbies to remember, Power is only drawn . The source doesnt push to you. Your videos and KYD have been so much help. I did a semester of RV school on YT
Yes I do use an adapter to plug my 15 amp into the trailers 30 amp plug but only to charge the battery and cool down the fridge before we leave. I never try to run the A/C or hot water heater.
Out of all the RV videos I like yours the best. You keep them short and full of information. And after watching this one I'm going to install a 50 amp at home instead of the 30 amp I had planned. This will give me plenty of power and a place to back feed the house with my generator.
Agree with Luther. Slowly making my way through all of the videos in preparation for our TT purchase. You provide lots of great info. Starting to feel more prepared to hit the road when the time comes. Thanks!
Thanks so much for all of your helpful info. My wife and I are planning on selling our house next year and hitting the road. You’ve got a wealth of info on your channel. Much appreciated!
Hi Jared, My husband and I are really enjoying your instructional videos. You are very informative and explain complicated operations so that even the newbies can understand. Thank you for your instructions. Gwen and Fred
Great vid Jared, as usual! I have another more advanced topic for you. My family and I recently took a trip to the beach in our rig. We spent all day swimming then came back after lunch and proceeded to shower off the sand using the outdoor shower. We had wet feet and wet hands and touched the back bumper. It gave us a pretty good shock, similar to a mild electric fence. So obviously we had a hot skin issue. Can you do a vid explaining what this is, the risks, and how to fix it? Fo us, I knew it was a grounding issue with the pedestal, but it still scared the crap out of us. Keep up the great work!!
Another great video. Good info for those who don’t know. The little dog bone 45 amp works great for a 50 amp trailer in need of that extra AC but it is important to note that it will not Work with a GFCI breaker which most campgrounds have now.
Great point! I wonder if there is some type of Line conditioner, or circuitry, which could be added, that would keep it from tripping the GFCI?? Someone could make a great profit if they invented that... ;)
Does anyone have a solution for using an adapted 50 amp to 15 amp plug in a GFCI receptacle? I’m looking for a solution to keep from tripping the GFCI.
You can also buy surge protectors built in the RV power adapters. A few years ago I upgraded my RV's 30 amp to 50 amp service and had a surge protector added to the panel. When I plug into the RV park's electrical service there's a surge protector on the adapter. The surge protector I use tells me if the RV park's electrical service is good. Some RV park's electrical service is terrible at least at some spots. On at least 3 occasions over the last 5 years I've been RVing I've moved to another spot because the information from the surge protector said the RV park's electrical service at that spot was faulty. It's a very good idea to make sure your RV adapter has a built in surge protector.
Finally info on the topic I’ve been looking for! For clarification can I, using a dog bone, plug my 50amp RV into a 30amp generator, provided I don’t run too much at one time.
I really liked your video. However, I am wondering why so many questions are NOT being answered? I would like to be able to read the replies from All About RV's. Otherwise, I am questioning why we should take your advise? I am a first time RV owner and I'm looking for all of the help I can get. I need answers to your viewers questions. Please! Thanks so much.
Can you make a video about older rv electric systems? I’m converting one into a tiny home and want to know if I should bypass the old system all together for new one
Greetings, stopping in to weigh in on your explanation of the 50A circuit lines. I believe you are incorrect with your assessment of the individual 50AMP legs adding up to 100A. You do not get 2x50A when connected to a 240V. Each leg is protected for 50Amps and if exceeded it will trip the breaker regardless of which leg is or isn't carrying the excess current. The common breaker trip/reset bar across the dual 240V breaker trips both breakers when the current is exceeded in either leg. The 240V 50A circuit includes a neutral that carries the imbalanced current that exists between the two hot connections. In a perfectly balance loading scenario using a shared 240V connection, the neutral current would be zero. If you reason the alternative, two common 120V applied to the line connections, and operate the circuits near 50A each, then the neutral wire would have to carry 100A. The neutral wire connection would have to be significantly increased in wire size to accommodate the current.
I'm not sure you're currently following Jared's explanation here. You're attempting to take the "100 amp" statement and force it down a single circuit line. That wouldn't happen. Most 50 amp services utilize a "balanced" line system where they bank off of either one leg of that 50 amp service or the other. Which is "why" they still call it "50 amp" service... :) But, since there is two legs which goes up to 50amps each, Jared is correct in stating that your service can go "up to" 100amps "total load"... It is still a three pole service with only hot, neutral and ground connections, but It is different from a conventional 120 volt service in that there are two 120 volt hot feeds, or legs, each at 50 amps.
@@chrispatriot Not correct. For a single 120V leg and a full draw of 50A the required load will need to be 2.4ohms. If you were to add a second equivalent load on the other 120V leg, that too would draw 50A. These two 50A do not add. Each of these 2.4ohm circuits connect from each of the 120V lines to Neutral. For a perfectly balance load of 2.4ohms on each 120V leg the neutral current effectively becomes zero. With a zero neutral current it can be reasoned that the neutral wire does not exist leaving a (120V + 120V ) voltage source across two series connected 2.4ohm loads). What you get is (120V +120V) / (2.4ohms + 2.4ohms) = 240V / 4.8ohms = 50A The purpose of the neutral wire is to carry any current imbalance (current differences ) between the two 120V legs of the 240V service. The most current that the neutral wire will carry in this scenario would be when only one 120V circuit is feeding a single 2.4ohm load. In this case 50A would be flowing from one of the 120V line through the load and neutral wire.
To hit the middle ground here: you get 2 circuits of 50 amps. That is you can run 2 appliances 50 amps each, but you cannot run an appliance requiring 100 amps. That is theoretically. Most likely, your RV is not wired like that internally.
@@gbriceno Even though I've wired a few houses with my dad, and have been around power tools and building houses most of my life, I can be certain about a few things, but most of time I recommend people refer to an experienced electrician or electrical engineer. Even this conversation is not easy to follow, but I recommend to people to assume the safest possible way to work with electricity. I was also wondering about the 100 amp theory. I believe that both legs are 50 amps total, but one leg is 110 volts and two legs are 220 volts. Still 50 amps though.
Newbie here. I bought an extra 25 foot 30 amp cable forgetting I was getting one with new travel trailer. How do I connect to get 50 feet so I can run off home 20a outlet? I have looked at countless pictures and could use a web link to a coupler or adaptor. Your videos are awesome!
Great vid! If the camp site only has a 50 amp connector and you only have a 30 amp rv Can you connect your 50 to 30 amp adaptor to your surge protector?
Thanks for your videos. Hoping to get some guidence.We recenmtly purchased a small 1980`s camper. The previous owner cut the 30 amp cable close to the trailer and added a male and femail 15 amp plug so he wouldnt have to feed the cable in and out or the trailer which I liked at first but I guess this means I`m maxed out at 15 amps? The wire is 8 guage all the way except these plugs.
Hello there, 1st time watching you, and fairly new to the RV world, please tell me what adapter to to BUY, our rv is 50amp, almost everywhere we go they only have 30 amp hook up, please tell me what adapter to buy. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! Ana
At the end of your electric plug that you use to plug into shore power it will have either three prongs which is 30 amp or four prongs which is 50 amp. I hope this helps!
Hi. I have a 30 amp RV travel trailer. I want to hook up to a 50 amp receptacle at the RV park. Can I use my 30 amp surge protector in line with my dog bone connector? Great video and thanks for your help!!
GREAT VIDEO. I do not want yellow color adapters. Why are your black but your links are to YELLOW color? I have a 24 Ft ATC toy hauler. I am told it is 50 AMP> I am a newbie and all of this info is greek to me. What do I need? Thank you ML
I just bought a 50 amp rv. Your talk is timely as we have planned to be in a 30 amp park, so I will get an adapter for 30 to 50 at the post. Now, i purchased a 15 to 50 adapter to charge the battery or cool the fridge. I know a safer way is to use propane. But, oddly, on my 50 amp connection cover, the little light is not on. It was always on in the 30 amp rv. Can it possibly be a result of the power conversion? Makes me think it's not working. I can ask a neighbor to test it I suppose. Thanks for your feedback in advance.
What do I need if I have washer and dryer in a storage shed, a 30 amp for my travel trailer. A 50 amp and a 20 amp. But we can only use either the 30 or 50. And I want to connect my washer and dryer to the 50 amp? Csn i use a 220v to 110v converter. And how to connect everything?
OK so, newbie here. I am hoping to have a cargo trailer delivered to a local RV park. (I have no vehicle). Is there an adapter I can plug into (30 Amp?) shore power and connect to a household extension cord and run inside to a ceramic heater to buy me a couple of days to get set up? Thanks for your very easy to understand video!
So when I do try to plug into my house outlets it trips my breaker every time. What do I need to do to be able to at least run my fridge. I used to be able to do it at my old house, since I moved the second I plug it it the GFI trips.
If you have a 50 amp 240 v service you do not have 100 amps available., you have 50 amps per phase . If you plug into a 30 amp 120v you have 30 amps 120 v available on your 50 amp panel . The phase wires are tied together in the adapter.
I understand where you are coming from but going from a 30 amp Rv to a 50 amp RV is not just 20 more usable amps but 70 more usable amps at 120V for and RVer. The way I describe it in the video is not how I speak with other electricians but how I describe it to RVers, some don’t know that they have 50A available on L1 and on L2, totaling the 50a on each side is effectively up to 100amps at 120v . Many electrical terms typically used don’t help describe the different setups for RVers. I try to break it down so they understand the difference in availability and uses.
QUESTION: I understood the video but it prompted another question. I have a 30 amp small trailer. With the various dog bone adapters am I still using the surge protector since they come in 50 amp and 30 amp? I mean if you plug into a 15 to 30 I can't imagine still using a surge protector but I don't recall any sites discussion that with regard to dog bones.
Your last scenario, at 5 mins into the video, you talk about the 30a to 15a adapter. This is what I am interested in because I am doing a minimal build out and I would like to charge my 100Ah Lithium Ion Lifepo4 house battery from shore power (using a 10a Victron charger that draws from a standard 120V home outlet), but also just run my laptop from shore power was it were just a long extension cord to the standard 15a/20a 120V A/C home outlet. Given that the breaker on the post is for 30a, what should I be using to protect any A/C device in the van, on the other end of that adapter? My understanding is that a surge protector only protects about voltage spikes, not high current..?
So this is my issue. The pedestal I have has a 50amp and 30 amp outlet, my trailer is running off the 30 but for the winter months, I want to utilize the 50 amp for a halogen light and heater underneath. However, my pedestal is female, and I can't find and 30 amp male to 15 amp connections ( I can find a 50amp male to 30 amp female)
Hi , So we are going to have a 50 amp RV out let installed in my garage. I would like to know the correct out let would be a Nema 14-50 4 prong ? Thank you
Are you sure the adapter "bridges" 2 hots? I don't think so. I fairly certain a 50 to 30 dead ends one leg. Bridging 2 hots would only work if the breaker isn't a dually... 2 hots side by side can't be bridged
Would the 15 plus 30 amp to 50 amp adapter give me 240 volts to the camper? Don't need all 50 amps but the inverter charger I was going to put in the camper needs 240 volts to run correctly.
I’m a big fan of your channel. I just bought my first travel trailer. I was wonder if you can run the slide and awnings with out any concern off of a 15 amp connection!
Good question, I’m surprised no one has answered this for you. The awning is 12V. DC and I believe most slides and stabilizers are powered by the 12V. DC system so they can all operate with just your battery power. Having 15A 120V. AC will help by powering the battery charger while doing so. -Others, please correct me if I’m wrong on slide or stabilizers.
I just had a fuse get replaced on my charging wizard boost likely to dirty power they said. I just saw a RUclips video saying pick the right extension cord as well? I have 30 amp truck camper and don’t know what went wrong when I plugged in. I usually use the 15 amp or general house plug in and extension cord and then my 30amp shore power? This ok? Could this happen from using a portable inverter generator? I’m so confused.
What would u suggest I use if am gonna be living in my rv and have it connected to my mother's house. To be able to use the ac and everything else inside rv?
Okay, thanks for this but, Zi am still confused. I need 30 amp service. Recently, I was at a campground that only had 50 amp on the post. As a newby, I was reluctant to use the adapter they offered me. Was it okay to use the 50; to 30 amp adapter they gave me? I assume these adapters only use one leg of the 50 amp service. Is that correct.
I have a question hopefully you can answer. I have a 50 amp motor home which I'll be staying at some friend's house for a while. When I picked up my motorhome from the RV shop I noticed that they had my front air conditioning running but they were plugged into a 15 amp Outlet. I questioned him on it and they said that my 38.5 ft motorhome have two smaller air conditioning units on it. They claim that I can get away with running one air conditioning unit as long as I run nothing else. So my water heater and my frigerator must be on propane mode. At my friend's house the outlet that I'm plugging into is not connected at all to anything else in the house, it's a stand alone 15 amp outlet. They did it for Christmas lights, it was an add-on. So if I'm plugged into that outlet that is isolated from the rest of the house and I run one of my AC units with everything else on LP mode would I damage my AC unit? I have to find out how much watts that one AC pulled in but just out of curiosity I figured I'll ask now while I look for that info. I think at the RV shop they said it was a 1500, I'm assuming that's 1500 watts. Thanks
Hi Raven, I’m assuming you tried this by now or found your answer elsewhere. I’d like to know if it worked as I’ve found adapting a 50 amp down to a 15 amp plugged into a GFCI receptacle will instantly trip the GFCI and I’m searching for a work around to this issue.
Hi Jared I have a question: my RV is 50 amps but the generator I buy a few days ago only have connection for 30 amps. how can I run my 50 amp RV or do I Ned any special Dogbone for run my 50 amps RV" by the way my generator is a champion model 76533.
Great video, I have a couple questions though. I have a 30 amp rig and I was wondering if instead of converting one 15 amp plug into my 30 amp rig, do they make a 2-in-1 15 amp plugs that converts into one 30 amp plug, so I can have a full 30 amps by plugging in two 15 amp plugs? If not, would I be able to run the fridge and the air conditioner at the same time with only 15 amps,, keeping in mind I live in south texas and it gets extremely hot during the summer?
Hi Dino, have you found an answer to your question? I believe the answer is yes but the trick is to find two 15 amp receptacles that are wired on separate legs (or phases)
Hello were new to this stuff so we have a rv that were going to live in if I'm not using the stove or refrigerator and ac can I be able to use 3 tv's and 2 Playstation 4? On a 30 amp? That were pluging into a house for everyday use?
I’m being told that it is not good for my inverter/charger is being damaged by plugging into 120 to charge my batteries. My Monaco is a 50 amp rig. The most I’ve seen is 17 amps when charging batteries at 50%. In float mode it is only pulling 2-3 amps.
Now that is the first time I heard a using a 15 and 30 amp plug adapter to the 50 amp. Now I have to investigate more. So does that put 30 amp on one side of distribution box and 15 on the other? Disclaimer, I’m not too up on the distribution box. LOL.... I think I understand that with the 50amp that two 120v one for each side of distribution box. Maybe I have that wrong and it distributes evenly. So now you can make a video on how these boxes work....More for me to learn....Thanks for all the info you pay out...
Your thinking of it absolutely right👍🏻. I was thinking of going deeper into this with a video on common problems and things to look out for with RV electrical.
All About RV's That would be great. I’ll keep reading but I learn so much easier when seeing it on hand. That 120 split at box kinda confuses me. Then like the ac and couple other, pump etc are on one side and others, lights,etc the other. I make sense of that when 50 amp is going. (If I even understand that right) but when only 30 is going in is that split. That can’t be , only one side of plug has juice thou. It most go either way in that box. So yes a video showing exactly what happens and how you would start flipping breakers to not over do it. So my brain with that 30 / 15 dogbone was splitting the box 30 and 15. But the 30 would have to go to AC side. So I don’t think I have that right. Probably just 45 available all together. Wish I was better at the electric side of it. But I’m going to get it. Thanks and I hope everyone had a great 4th of July....
Hi! New sub. Great Vid👍 I am building out my Tow vehicle 2006 Four Runner for my eventual Cassita Tiny House. My question is this : I have a 3 prong, heavy duty 20' cable from home depot. Can I "Hook Up" my extension cord straight to the 15 Amp input so I can charge my Jackery 500, for example. Thanks very much!
So, you said if I want to plug in my 30 amp rig to get my frig ready to go the next day I can use the 15 to 30 amp adapter hooked up to the house. If it's too short to reach the house can I safely use one of those orange extension cords - hook it up to the house and then plug the other end of the extension cord into the 15 to 30 amp adapter which is plugged into my 30 amp rig cord?
@@AllAboutRVs Very interesting. I would love to learn more about why because it essentially doesnt exist anywhere on the internet. I have a friend who has a 30 amp RV that simply wants to be able to get full juice from 2, 15 amp sockets from his house.
Saw this on Amazon. Electrician suggested this to connect small 2200W inverter gen to 4 prong twist lock 30 amp interlock outlet. Parkworld 886115 Combiner, Household (2) 5-15 Plug Male to Generator Twist Lock L14-30 Receptacle Female Y Adapter Cord
Am testing how often i will go camping while slowly acquiring equipment. Am at least a year out from the rv purchase. Could i get 30 amp surge protector and an adapter that i can plug radio, etc into? Is 15 amp what runs tv or radio? Microwave? Ty ty for these
Yes they make adapters but you will want to get the surge protector for the Rv you buy. If you buy a 30 amp RV get a 30 Amp surge protector if you get a 50 amp RV get the 50 amp surge protector.
If I buy the 50 amp to 30amp converter to use at campsite that only has 50amp service, is it safe to run my 15000 btu AC? Is it safe Plugging in 30amp RV to 50 amp outlet? As I understand from your video, I should watch the total loads and keep it under 30amp when plugging in 50amp outlet?
The electrical panel (breaker box) inside your RV will protect everything in the RV that draws power from this panel, including the air conditioners. The only possible over-amp condition with using a 50 to 30 amp adapter is the power cord from the park pedestal to your internal breaker panel OR, depending on how your rig is equipped and wired- generator, solar array, smart power management systems, etc. may be vulnerable to the higher amps available.
It seems breakers can fail, leading to a fire in some cases. rvtravel Article *Unexpected cause of Dometic fridge fire discovered* Maybe a good habit would be to keep a list of Amp and Voltage needs of each appliance posted in a handy, visible spot.
Jared, I am brand new to RV's. Is there any way to get full 50amp electric to your trailer from a house outlet? Some kind of convertor or something? We have been thinking on staying on property with a trailer but it only has regular 15amp service. I'm guessing you just have to have a have an electrician install 50amp service? Wasn't sure if there were other options.
Newbie here.....if I plug into 15 Amp service, and my rig is set up for 30 amp service, can I run an a/c while the refrig is still running? Or better to use vent fans for circulation w/ refrig running?
Depends on how much current each appliance draws (or watts consumed) My A/C draws about 11 amps and the refrigerator draws about 1 amp. If the 15 amp breaker is in good working order it shouldn’t trip but it’s not good to draw 80% or more of a rated breaker’s current for very long as this will cause them to run hot and long term use near rated capacity will cause damage from overheating.
What is going on with the adaptors that say for EV use? They look like what I need to plug in at home in my 50 amp welder socket. RV is a 4 post 50 amp and my welder is a 3 slot 50 amp (straight) Can that be used ?
3 slot 50 amp welding plugs don’t have a ground therefore I would not advise using. Good news is the power supply is already there, you just need to add a ground wire back to the main panel and change the receptacle to 50 amp RV.
Have an electrician run the proper RV connection from your house circuit breaker panel to where you park your RV and power up like you would at a campground.
I have an Arctic Fox 990 camper and the power chord it came with is a 30amp. It came with an adapter cover that turns it into a normal utility outlet plug (15amp?) It’s ran everything well so far. And I think most RV hookups have this 15amp plug so can I just not worry about all this and always use the adapter? Am I missing anything?
Great video and great timing! I was going to buy a 30 A (rig) to 50 A (pedestal) dog bone in the event we get to a campground with ONLY 50 A pedestals. How do I avoid a huge load of energy getting to my trailer -- should I get a surge protector? I know my rig as a breaker that *should* trip but I'd just like to add another layer of security. Thanks again for great videos!
All About RV's Is that a surge protector that goes inside your rig or outside at the pedestal? I think I remember seeing both on videos. If both exist, which do you recommend?
Since the breaker at the 50amp pole won't protect me if I use a drop down to my 30amp rv, is there any other device I can put in place to ensure I am not just relying on my rv 30amp breaker ?
You don't get 100A. Amperage is consistent all along the circuit. You can run more because using the full 240v phase achieves the same wattage while drawing half the amperage that 120v would require. This is Watt's law.
Also a tip for power newbies to remember, Power is only drawn . The source doesnt push to you.
Your videos and KYD have been so much help. I did a semester of RV school on YT
Yes I do use an adapter to plug my 15 amp into the trailers 30 amp plug but only to charge the battery and cool down the fridge before we leave. I never try to run the A/C or hot water heater.
Out of all the RV videos I like yours the best. You keep them short and full of information. And after watching this one I'm going to install a 50 amp at home instead of the 30 amp I had planned. This will give me plenty of power and a place to back feed the house with my generator.
Thank you for your kind words!
Agree with Luther. Slowly making my way through all of the videos in preparation for our TT purchase. You provide lots of great info. Starting to feel more prepared to hit the road when the time comes. Thanks!
Thanks so much for all of your helpful info. My wife and I are planning on selling our house next year and hitting the road. You’ve got a wealth of info on your channel. Much appreciated!
Hi Jared,
My husband and I are really enjoying your instructional videos. You are very informative and explain complicated operations so that even the newbies can understand. Thank you for your instructions.
Gwen and Fred
Thank you!
Great videos and very informative! We're about to buy our first RV, and we're in the "get smart" stage. Your videos help a lot!
How’s your RV experience been since this comment? (3y update please)
Great vid Jared, as usual! I have another more advanced topic for you. My family and I recently took a trip to the beach in our rig. We spent all day swimming then came back after lunch and proceeded to shower off the sand using the outdoor shower. We had wet feet and wet hands and touched the back bumper. It gave us a pretty good shock, similar to a mild electric fence. So obviously we had a hot skin issue. Can you do a vid explaining what this is, the risks, and how to fix it? Fo us, I knew it was a grounding issue with the pedestal, but it still scared the crap out of us. Keep up the great work!!
Another great video. Good info for those who don’t know.
The little dog bone 45 amp works great for a 50 amp trailer in need of that extra AC but it is important to note that it will not Work with a GFCI breaker which most campgrounds have now.
Great point! I wonder if there is some type of Line conditioner, or circuitry, which could be added, that would keep it from tripping the GFCI?? Someone could make a great profit if they invented that... ;)
Does anyone have a solution for using an adapted 50 amp to 15 amp plug in a GFCI receptacle? I’m looking for a solution to keep from tripping the GFCI.
Thank you, I had this question and knew all I had to do was visit your videos, sure enough. You are awesome, thanks.
Thank you, that helped sooooo much! RV newbs here! That answered so many uncertainties!
I’m glad this video was able to help you out!
You can also buy surge protectors built in the RV power adapters. A few years ago I upgraded my RV's 30 amp to 50 amp service and had a surge protector added to the panel.
When I plug into the RV park's electrical service there's a surge protector on the adapter. The surge protector I use tells me if the RV park's electrical service is good. Some RV park's electrical service is terrible at least at some spots.
On at least 3 occasions over the last 5 years I've been RVing I've moved to another spot because the information from the surge protector said the RV park's electrical service at that spot was faulty. It's a very good idea to make sure your RV adapter has a built in surge protector.
Very thorough sweet and short! Thank you
Finally info on the topic I’ve been looking for! For clarification can I, using a dog bone, plug my 50amp RV into a 30amp generator, provided I don’t run too much at one time.
Yes that is completely fine to do.
I really liked your video. However, I am wondering why so many questions are NOT being answered? I would like to be able to read the replies from All About RV's. Otherwise, I am questioning why we should take your advise? I am a first time RV owner and I'm looking for all of the help I can get. I need answers to your viewers questions. Please! Thanks so much.
super helpful and efficient. thank you for the explanation that made it easy to understand!
Can you make a video about older rv electric systems? I’m converting one into a tiny home and want to know if I should bypass the old system all together for new one
Thanks Jared , just bought a Jayco trailer 2016 and was wondering what I could use ! Great for Batts & cool down fridge !
Greetings, stopping in to weigh in on your explanation of the 50A circuit lines. I believe you are incorrect with your assessment of the individual 50AMP legs adding up to 100A. You do not get 2x50A when connected to a 240V. Each leg is protected for 50Amps and if exceeded it will trip the breaker regardless of which leg is or isn't carrying the excess current. The common breaker trip/reset bar across the dual 240V breaker trips both breakers when the current is exceeded in either leg. The 240V 50A circuit includes a neutral that carries the imbalanced current that exists between the two hot connections. In a perfectly balance loading scenario using a shared 240V connection, the neutral current would be zero. If you reason the alternative, two common 120V applied to the line connections, and operate the circuits near 50A each, then the neutral wire would have to carry 100A. The neutral wire connection would have to be significantly increased in wire size to accommodate the current.
I'm not sure you're currently following Jared's explanation here. You're attempting to take the "100 amp" statement and force it down a single circuit line. That wouldn't happen. Most 50 amp services utilize a "balanced" line system where they bank off of either one leg of that 50 amp service or the other. Which is "why" they still call it "50 amp" service... :)
But, since there is two legs which goes up to 50amps each, Jared is correct in stating that your service can go "up to" 100amps "total load"... It is still a three pole service with only hot, neutral and ground connections, but It is different from a conventional 120 volt service in that there are two 120 volt hot feeds, or legs, each at 50 amps.
@@chrispatriot Not correct. For a single 120V leg and a full draw of 50A the required load will need to be 2.4ohms. If you were to add a second equivalent load on the other 120V leg, that too would draw 50A. These two 50A do not add. Each of these 2.4ohm circuits connect from each of the 120V lines to Neutral. For a perfectly balance load of 2.4ohms on each 120V leg the neutral current effectively becomes zero. With a zero neutral current it can be reasoned that the neutral wire does not exist leaving a (120V + 120V ) voltage source across two series connected 2.4ohm loads).
What you get is (120V +120V) / (2.4ohms + 2.4ohms) = 240V / 4.8ohms = 50A
The purpose of the neutral wire is to carry any current imbalance (current differences ) between the two 120V legs of the 240V service. The most current that the neutral wire will carry in this scenario would be when only one 120V circuit is feeding a single 2.4ohm load. In this case 50A would be flowing from one of the 120V line through the load and neutral wire.
To hit the middle ground here: you get 2 circuits of 50 amps. That is you can run 2 appliances 50 amps each, but you cannot run an appliance requiring 100 amps. That is theoretically. Most likely, your RV is not wired like that internally.
@@gbriceno Even though I've wired a few houses with my dad, and have been around power tools and building houses most of my life, I can be certain about a few things, but most of time I recommend people refer to an experienced electrician or electrical engineer.
Even this conversation is not easy to follow, but I recommend to people to assume the safest possible way to work with electricity.
I was also wondering about the 100 amp theory. I believe that both legs are 50 amps total, but one leg is 110 volts and two legs are 220 volts. Still 50 amps though.
Newbie here. I bought an extra 25 foot 30 amp cable forgetting I was getting one with new travel trailer. How do I connect to get 50 feet so I can run off home 20a outlet? I have looked at countless pictures and could use a web link to a coupler or adaptor. Your videos are awesome!
Great vid! If the camp site only has a 50 amp connector and you only have a 30 amp rv Can you connect your 50 to 30 amp adaptor to your surge protector?
As always, great presentation Jared!
You are amazing. We have learned so much from your videos. Thank you
Thanks!
Thanks for your videos. Hoping to get some guidence.We recenmtly purchased a small 1980`s camper. The previous owner cut the 30 amp cable close to the trailer and added a male and femail 15 amp plug so he wouldnt have to feed the cable in and out or the trailer which I liked at first but I guess this means I`m maxed out at 15 amps? The wire is 8 guage all the way except these plugs.
I would wire in a new 30 amp cord. Our old RV went to a junction box before it went to the panel so the cord was fairly easy to replace.
Thanks answered my questions with the last one
Again, excellent. Thanks so much.
Hello there, 1st time watching you, and fairly new to the RV world, please tell me what adapter to to BUY, our rv is 50amp, almost everywhere we go they only have 30 amp hook up, please tell me what adapter to buy. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! Ana
This video is fantastic, and thank you for it, but...I still have a question. How can I tell if my travel trailer has 30 amp or 50 amp?
At the end of your electric plug that you use to plug into shore power it will have either three prongs which is 30 amp or four prongs which is 50 amp. I hope this helps!
Hi. I have a 30 amp RV travel trailer. I want to hook up to a 50 amp receptacle at the RV park. Can I use my 30 amp surge protector in line with my dog bone connector? Great video and thanks for your help!!
Yes use the Dog-bone adapter and use your 30 amp surge protector.
What is the preferred set-up (i.e., 50 amp external power > dog-bone adapter > 30 amp surge protector > 30 amp power cord > trailer)?
Visiting friend bringing RV. We only have 120 on our board. Would the adapter hurt our electrical system? Which adapter would we buy?
What about a 50 amp home receptical, can I plug a 50 to 30 amp adaptor into it and connect to my 30A RV ?
GREAT VIDEO. I do not want yellow color adapters. Why are your black but your links are to YELLOW color?
I have a 24 Ft ATC toy hauler. I am told it is 50 AMP> I am a newbie and all of this info is greek to me. What do I need? Thank you ML
Well explained and very helpful. Thanks !
Question. Would you use a power-surge protector on a new champion dual fuel generator inverter?/thanks, I’m a first timer going from Baja to main !
We don’t use one that plugs into the generator but we still have our EMS mounted in the RV. I would be fine plugging in to a generator without one.
I just bought a 50 amp rv. Your talk is timely as we have planned to be in a 30 amp park, so I will get an adapter for 30 to 50 at the post. Now, i purchased a 15 to 50 adapter to charge the battery or cool the fridge. I know a safer way is to use propane. But, oddly, on my 50 amp connection cover, the little light is not on. It was always on in the 30 amp rv. Can it possibly be a result of the power conversion? Makes me think it's not working. I can ask a neighbor to test it I suppose. Thanks for your feedback in advance.
How about 30 30 to 50 dogbone information at some point? Thanks for your great info!
What do I need if I have washer and dryer in a storage shed, a 30 amp for my travel trailer. A 50 amp and a 20 amp. But we can only use either the 30 or 50. And I want to connect my washer and dryer to the 50 amp?
Csn i use a 220v to 110v converter. And how to connect everything?
Very informational! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and adventures with us. Looking forward for the next update!
OK so, newbie here. I am hoping to have a cargo trailer delivered to a local RV park. (I have no vehicle). Is there an adapter I can plug into (30 Amp?) shore power and connect to a household extension cord and run inside to a ceramic heater to buy me a couple of days to get set up? Thanks for your very easy to understand video!
Really curious about the plugs at 220 volts... I mean these adapters look just like the ones in my shop that are 220 volts. ? what am I missing here?
So when I do try to plug into my house outlets it trips my breaker every time. What do I need to do to be able to at least run my fridge. I used to be able to do it at my old house, since I moved the second I plug it it the GFI trips.
If you have a 30amp plug on your rv and you use that 120 volt adapter would you be able to run you ac unit and your tv if your air unit is 13,500 btu?
What if your RV has a 40 amp inverter and your trying to plug in to 110 shore power?
Always appreciate your videos. Keep up the good work.
If you have a 50 amp 240 v service you do not have 100 amps available., you have 50 amps per phase . If you plug into a 30 amp 120v you have 30 amps 120 v available on your 50 amp panel . The phase wires are tied together in the adapter.
I understand where you are coming from but going from a 30 amp Rv to a 50 amp RV is not just 20 more usable amps but 70 more usable amps at 120V for and RVer. The way I describe it in the video is not how I speak with other electricians but how I describe it to RVers, some don’t know that they have 50A available on L1 and on L2, totaling the 50a on each side is effectively up to 100amps at 120v . Many electrical terms typically used don’t help describe the different setups for RVers. I try to break it down so they understand the difference in availability and uses.
Well said.
QUESTION: I understood the video but it prompted another question. I have a 30 amp small trailer. With the various dog bone adapters am I still using the surge protector since they come in 50 amp and 30 amp? I mean if you plug into a 15 to 30 I can't imagine still using a surge protector but I don't recall any sites discussion that with regard to dog bones.
Can I use my slide out with a 15a to 30a adaptor? I just purchased my first camper.
I have a 2012 keystone hideout hornet, 30 amp ,What do I need for it to plug it to my house?
Your last scenario, at 5 mins into the video, you talk about the 30a to 15a adapter. This is what I am interested in because I am doing a minimal build out and I would like to charge my 100Ah Lithium Ion Lifepo4 house battery from shore power (using a 10a Victron charger that draws from a standard 120V home outlet), but also just run my laptop from shore power was it were just a long extension cord to the standard 15a/20a 120V A/C home outlet.
Given that the breaker on the post is for 30a, what should I be using to protect any A/C device in the van, on the other end of that adapter? My understanding is that a surge protector only protects about voltage spikes, not high current..?
If I ever do this in the future, something might definitely catch on fire or blow up if no one is around w/ experience to guide.
Hi Jared, do you have any info on brake controllers? Would be awesome to see a video from you about them, maybe you already have one out.
I currently don’t have one but I’ll put it on our list of videos to do. Thanks for the idea!
I am new to the RV life. My rig is 30 amp. Any reason to invest in anything except a 50 amp adapter?
All About RV's thanks. Your content is extremely useful to a "newbie." Keep up the great work.
How about Combiners? I have a combiner that has two male 15 amp that combine to a 30 amp female. Is this safe for my RV, and for my house?
So this is my issue. The pedestal I have has a 50amp and 30 amp outlet, my trailer is running off the 30 but for the winter months, I want to utilize the 50 amp for a halogen light and heater underneath.
However, my pedestal is female, and I can't find and 30 amp male to 15 amp connections ( I can find a 50amp male to 30 amp female)
What the 15 mp be good for just opening the slide so that I can remodel the floor
Great info ! Thank you :).
Great thorough info!
I'm getting the impression that if I hook up to 15 amps, I can only run the A/C or only run the fridge. One component at a time. Do I have that right?
Depends what they draw.
@@ericthered9655 I plugged in my refrigerator and it drew a picture of a campfire so I grabbed some marshmallows and Hershey bars.
Hi ,
So we are going to have a 50 amp RV out let installed in my garage. I would like to know the correct out let would be a Nema 14-50 4 prong ?
Thank you
So we can plug our 15amp camper to a 30amp pedestal at a campsite with a 15amp to 30amp adapter?😮
Are you sure the adapter "bridges" 2 hots? I don't think so. I fairly certain a 50 to 30 dead ends one leg. Bridging 2 hots would only work if the breaker isn't a dually... 2 hots side by side can't be bridged
Would the 15 plus 30 amp to 50 amp adapter give me 240 volts to the camper? Don't need all 50 amps but the inverter charger I was going to put in the camper needs 240 volts to run correctly.
Great info! Thanks for sharing.
Why use a dog bone verses a plug adapter? It seems the plugs are cheaper and take up less room and weight?
I’m a big fan of your channel. I just bought my first travel trailer. I was wonder if you can run the slide and awnings with out any concern off of a 15 amp connection!
Following
Good question, I’m surprised no one has answered this for you.
The awning is 12V. DC and I believe most slides and stabilizers are powered by the 12V. DC system so they can all operate with just your battery power. Having 15A 120V. AC will help by powering the battery charger while doing so.
-Others, please correct me if I’m wrong on slide or stabilizers.
I just had a fuse get replaced on my charging wizard boost likely to dirty power they said. I just saw a RUclips video saying pick the right extension cord as well? I have 30 amp truck camper and don’t know what went wrong when I plugged in. I usually use the 15 amp or general house plug in and extension cord and then my 30amp shore power? This ok? Could this happen from using a portable inverter generator? I’m so confused.
Can I use a 50 amp adapter from my 38ft Puma to my 8550 Generator?? Also, how about running half my RV with a 50 amp to 110V??
What would u suggest I use if am gonna be living in my rv and have it connected to my mother's house. To be able to use the ac and everything else inside rv?
I would install an RV outlet for your RV.
Okay, thanks for this but, Zi am still confused. I need 30 amp service. Recently, I was at a campground that only had 50 amp on the post. As a newby, I was reluctant to use the adapter they offered me. Was it okay to use the 50; to 30 amp adapter they gave me? I assume these adapters only use one leg of the 50 amp service. Is that correct.
I have a question hopefully you can answer.
I have a 50 amp motor home which I'll be staying at some friend's house for a while.
When I picked up my motorhome from the RV shop I noticed that they had my front air conditioning running but they were plugged into a 15 amp Outlet.
I questioned him on it and they said that my 38.5 ft motorhome have two smaller air conditioning units on it.
They claim that I can get away with running one air conditioning unit as long as I run nothing else.
So my water heater and my frigerator must be on propane mode.
At my friend's house the outlet that I'm plugging into is not connected at all to anything else in the house, it's a stand alone 15 amp outlet.
They did it for Christmas lights, it was an add-on.
So if I'm plugged into that outlet that is isolated from the rest of the house and I run one of my AC units with everything else on LP mode would I damage my AC unit?
I have to find out how much watts that one AC pulled in but just out of curiosity I figured I'll ask now while I look for that info.
I think at the RV shop they said it was a 1500, I'm assuming that's 1500 watts.
Thanks
Hi Raven,
I’m assuming you tried this by now or found your answer elsewhere.
I’d like to know if it worked as I’ve found adapting a 50 amp down to a 15 amp plugged into a GFCI receptacle will instantly trip the GFCI and I’m searching for a work around to this issue.
Very informative!
I have a 76 apollo and it has the 3 prong, and it came with this 70s version step down to a home service, is that the same as what you show here?
Hi Jared I have a question: my RV is 50 amps but the generator I buy a few days ago only have connection for 30 amps. how can I run my 50 amp RV or do I Ned any special Dogbone for run my 50 amps RV" by the way my generator is a champion model 76533.
Great video, I have a couple questions though. I have a 30 amp rig and I was wondering if instead of converting one 15 amp plug into my 30 amp rig, do they make a 2-in-1 15 amp plugs that converts into one 30 amp plug, so I can have a full 30 amps by plugging in two 15 amp plugs? If not, would I be able to run the fridge and the air conditioner at the same time with only 15 amps,, keeping in mind I live in south texas and it gets extremely hot during the summer?
Hi Dino, have you found an answer to your question? I believe the answer is yes but the trick is to find two 15 amp receptacles that are wired on separate legs (or phases)
Can I run a small 5k BTU window ac?
Hi, if I have a 15amp to 50amp converter, can I plug it into a 30amp or 50amp RV hookup at a campsite?
Very helpful! Thanks
Hello were new to this stuff so we have a rv that were going to live in if I'm not using the stove or refrigerator and ac can I be able to use 3 tv's and 2 Playstation 4? On a 30 amp? That were pluging into a house for everyday use?
You should be able to.
Is the 50 amp 120v or 50 amp 240v ?
I’m being told that it is not good for my inverter/charger is being damaged by plugging into 120 to charge my batteries. My Monaco is a 50 amp rig.
The most I’ve seen is 17 amps when charging batteries at 50%. In float mode it is only pulling 2-3 amps.
I’m being told joe biden won the election on November the third. I’ve also been told Anna Nichole married for love.
Now that is the first time I heard a using a 15 and 30 amp plug adapter to the 50 amp. Now I have to investigate more. So does that put 30 amp on one side of distribution box and 15 on the other? Disclaimer, I’m not too up on the distribution box. LOL.... I think I understand that with the 50amp that two 120v one for each side of distribution box. Maybe I have that wrong and it distributes evenly. So now you can make a video on how these boxes work....More for me to learn....Thanks for all the info you pay out...
Your thinking of it absolutely right👍🏻. I was thinking of going deeper into this with a video on common problems and things to look out for with RV electrical.
All About RV's That would be great. I’ll keep reading but I learn so much easier when seeing it on hand. That 120 split at box kinda confuses me. Then like the ac and couple other, pump etc are on one side and others, lights,etc the other. I make sense of that when 50 amp is going. (If I even understand that right) but when only 30 is going in is that split. That can’t be , only one side of plug has juice thou. It most go either way in that box. So yes a video showing exactly what happens and how you would start flipping breakers to not over do it. So my brain with that 30 / 15 dogbone was splitting the box 30 and 15. But the 30 would have to go to AC side. So I don’t think I have that right. Probably just 45 available all together. Wish I was better at the electric side of it. But I’m going to get it. Thanks and I hope everyone had a great 4th of July....
More good stuff! Thanks
Hi! New sub. Great Vid👍 I am building out my Tow vehicle 2006 Four Runner for my eventual Cassita Tiny House. My question is this : I have a 3 prong, heavy duty 20' cable from home depot. Can I "Hook Up" my extension cord straight to the 15 Amp input so I can charge my Jackery 500, for example. Thanks very much!
So, you said if I want to plug in my 30 amp rig to get my frig ready to go the next day I can use the 15 to 30 amp adapter hooked up to the house. If it's too short to reach the house can I safely use one of those orange extension cords - hook it up to the house and then plug the other end of the extension cord into the 15 to 30 amp adapter which is plugged into my 30 amp rig cord?
Yes you can, I've been doing it for a while
What about 60amp can i use 50amp cable to 30amp
Have yet to find a Y adapter taking 2 (15 amp) male legs and combining them into 1 (30 amp) female.
I would stay away from an adapter like that, it can have some complications especially with phases.
@@AllAboutRVs Very interesting. I would love to learn more about why because it essentially doesnt exist anywhere on the internet. I have a friend who has a 30 amp RV that simply wants to be able to get full juice from 2, 15 amp sockets from his house.
Saw this on Amazon. Electrician suggested this to connect small 2200W inverter gen to 4 prong twist lock 30 amp interlock outlet.
Parkworld 886115
Combiner, Household (2) 5-15 Plug Male to Generator Twist Lock L14-30 Receptacle Female Y Adapter Cord
Thank you
Am testing how often i will go camping while slowly acquiring equipment. Am at least a year out from the rv purchase. Could i get 30 amp surge protector and an adapter that i can plug radio, etc into? Is 15 amp what runs tv or radio? Microwave? Ty ty for these
Yes they make adapters but you will want to get the surge protector for the Rv you buy. If you buy a 30 amp RV get a 30 Amp surge protector if you get a 50 amp RV get the 50 amp surge protector.
Very informative! Thank you!
If I buy the 50 amp to 30amp converter to use at campsite that only has 50amp service, is it safe to run my 15000 btu AC? Is it safe Plugging in 30amp RV to 50 amp outlet? As I understand from your video, I should watch the total loads and keep it under 30amp when plugging in 50amp outlet?
The electrical panel (breaker box) inside your RV will protect everything in the RV that draws power from this panel, including the air conditioners. The only possible over-amp condition with using a 50 to 30 amp adapter is the power cord from the park pedestal to your internal breaker panel OR, depending on how your rig is equipped and wired- generator, solar array, smart power management systems, etc. may be vulnerable to the higher amps available.
It seems breakers can fail, leading to a fire in some cases.
rvtravel Article *Unexpected cause of Dometic fridge fire discovered*
Maybe a good habit would be to keep a list of Amp and Voltage needs of each appliance posted in a handy, visible spot.
Jared, I am brand new to RV's. Is there any way to get full 50amp electric to your trailer from a house outlet? Some kind of convertor or something? We have been thinking on staying on property with a trailer but it only has regular 15amp service. I'm guessing you just have to have a have an electrician install 50amp service? Wasn't sure if there were other options.
It's fairly common to have an electrician install a breaker and RV receptacle at your house for an RV.
Newbie here.....if I plug into 15 Amp service, and my rig is set up for 30 amp service, can I run an a/c while the refrig is still running? Or better to use vent fans for circulation w/ refrig running?
Depends on how much current each appliance draws (or watts consumed)
My A/C draws about 11 amps and the refrigerator draws about 1 amp. If the 15 amp breaker is in good working order it shouldn’t trip but it’s not good to draw 80% or more of a rated breaker’s current for very long as this will cause them to run hot and long term use near rated capacity will cause damage from overheating.
What is going on with the adaptors that say for EV use?
They look like what I need to plug in at home in my 50 amp welder socket.
RV is a 4 post 50 amp and my welder is a 3 slot 50 amp (straight)
Can that be used ?
3 slot 50 amp welding plugs don’t have a ground therefore I would not advise using. Good news is the power supply is already there, you just need to add a ground wire back to the main panel and change the receptacle to 50 amp RV.
what is a good Home to RV plug? I would like the ability to run the AC and TV.
Have an electrician run the proper RV connection from your house circuit breaker panel to where you park your RV and power up like you would at a campground.
I have an Arctic Fox 990 camper and the power chord it came with is a 30amp. It came with an adapter cover that turns it into a normal utility outlet plug (15amp?)
It’s ran everything well so far. And I think most RV hookups have this 15amp plug so can I just not worry about all this and always use the adapter? Am I missing anything?
Have you tried this with plugging into a 15A 120V. GFCI receptacle?
I’ve found it will trip the GFCI instantly.
sweet i was just wondering about this stuff yesterday! thanks
Great video and great timing! I was going to buy a 30 A (rig) to 50 A (pedestal) dog bone in the event we get to a campground with ONLY 50 A pedestals. How do I avoid a huge load of energy getting to my trailer -- should I get a surge protector? I know my rig as a breaker that *should* trip but I'd just like to add another layer of security. Thanks again for great videos!
Yes, highly recommend a surge protector. We have one that we use at every campground
All About RV's Is that a surge protector that goes inside your rig or outside at the pedestal? I think I remember seeing both on videos. If both exist, which do you recommend?
@@westmountainadventures3606 I prefer them being inside- protection from weather and any sticky hands at campgrounds.
Since the breaker at the 50amp pole won't protect me if I use a drop down to my 30amp rv, is there any other device I can put in place to ensure I am not just relying on my rv 30amp breaker ?
I believe the power watchdog EPO surge protector has the ability to trip if you are drawing more power than you should. amzn.to/3mBYF0s
You don't get 100A. Amperage is consistent all along the circuit. You can run more because using the full 240v phase achieves the same wattage while drawing half the amperage that 120v would require. This is Watt's law.
Watts law or ohms law?
@@preachers4135 Watt's law but the same math holds for both obviously.
Can I run a 30 amp cord to my house an be able to run just the a/c?
Thank you!