Electric plug that combines 30 and 20 amp - RV-Dreams Community Forum

K & E · RV-Dreams Family Member

Electric plug that combines 30 and 20 amp

azrving · RV-Dreams Family Member

I know a few people that have them but I don't own one. Looks like a good idea but it may interfere with your power management system/surge protector.

Click Here for Cheater Box>>http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-power-cords/rv-cheater-box.htm

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well, I'm now going to have to go looking. It seems that I asked something the same as you some time back, but I couldn't seem to find it.

For some reason, I remember that there might be an issue with using them if the 20amp socket at the power pole was one of the ground fault interrupter types. If I find what I'm thinking I asked, I'll provide a link.

Terry

Edit: OK. It wasn't me with the question. Since I am at work and using the Firefox browser, it won't let me post an active link. Use the search feature and use "30 Amp to 50" as your search term.

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Wednesday 12th of January 2011 02:32:48 PM

Colorado_Kid · RV-Dreams Family Member

I am no electrician but this sounds like trying to squeeze a square peg into a round hole. There is a chance it can be done but not without damaging something.

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

An electrician I'm not...I struggle to understand RV power systems. But I can tell you that 50 amp RV service is actually 2 legs @ 50 amps each...total 100 amps.

It would help to know what problem you are trying to solve as there may be better solutions.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mine comes with two 30AMP plugs and a 30 to 20AMP adapter. While it doesn't give you the full 100AMPs of a real 50AMP plug, which is really 50AMPs of 220, it will let you run both air conditioners plus a bit more. We used ours at the house and at the sister-in-laws house, which had two 30AMP plugs, and at a rally where we could use two 20AMP circuits. I don't remember if we were ever allowed to use it at a campground, but Thousand Trails Las Vegas lets you use one in summer for an extra $5/day since the campground is not busy.

lmcallis · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yes, Terry is correct. If you try and use it with a 20 A GFI outlet, the GFI will trip and shut off the 20 A outlet, leaving you with only the 30A. Most commercial campgrounds now have the 20A outlet as a GFI outlet. But if you're not plugging it into a GFI outlet you'll be fine. I built one to pull 20A from two different circuits in my garage so I could get to 40A. I also use it when visiting friends and do the same thing.

Good luck,

Lance

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

Many campgrounds post signs that use of the "stealer Plugs" is prohibited. Haven't seen that in state parks.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

The comments about GFI outlets and use of these “cheater plugs” are correct. They can't work with a GFI outlet. Also correct, when they do work, about them only giving you only 50 amps of 120 volts, not the two legs of 50 amps (100 amp total) that you would expect. (I never liked the way this has always been stated as it is very confusing to people who have no background in electrical service.)

But here is the bigger deal: These sort of worked “back when” the electrical codes did not require a GFI (ground fault interrupt) breaker on all outside (and some inside) 120 volt 20 amp outlets. (The GFI is not required on a 30 amp plug.) Now with that NEC code in place for a lot of years the reality is the GFI breaker will always trip and the 120 volt 20 amp feed will be turned off. That’s a long discussion as to why. Let’s just say, the cheater cord doesn’t work with a GFI outlet.

Bill J’s comments are correct as to what they give you if they work, but I wouldn’t count on them working except where there is no GFI. It’s the GFI breaker, not the 20 amp or 30 amp outlet plug as such. For what it is worth, I don’t carry one but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t if you care to.

Safe travels

Bill

-- Edited by Bill and Linda on Friday 14th of January 2011 11:18:43 AM