How often do you use/need a 50 amp to 30 amp adapter?

[Boomerweps]

First real TT purchased with AC power. 30 amp service, already have a couple 30 amp to 15 amp adapters along with a 25-30 foot 30 amp cable.
Are there many RV sites that have 50 amp service but not a 30 amp service receptacle?
Have you had to use a 50 to 30 amp adapter much, if at all?

[Ava]

If you can stand one more post, I found a 30 amp receptical at one rv park that had the polarity reversed according to my surge protector and a hand tester so I just used my 50 amp adaptor for the first time. Glad I had one.

[OleManOleCan]

I've used a 50 to 30 one time in the last 12 years.
(30 was broken)
I keep a 50 to 30, a 30 to 15 and a couple of extra 15 cords.

We have camped in places I powered the camper with the 50, ran an electric heater and or air conditioner with a 30-15, and hooked up extra 15s for a fan outside, and for a hair dryer inside. My wife used to be a power hog.
I'm a minimalist.

[rbpru]

As pointed out the 30 amp is sometime badly worn. When it happened to me I ended up paying half again the cost of the dog bone on eBay.

Education costs. 🙂

[myredracer]

We are 30 amps and use a 50/30 adapter maybe 2 or 3 times a year. We use mostly Thousand Trails CGs all over the place and you often don't know what you're going to get until you're there.

Besides 30 amp receptacles in pedestals often being in pretty rough condition, low voltage is a common issue in the summer time. Plugging into a 50 amp receptacle typically should give you better voltage due to the heavier feeder cable to the pedestals. Once in a while you may have a choice of a site with 30 or 50 amps when signing in and choosing 50 amps is usually best.

50 amp pedestals can be scarce in CGs. Up until 2005, only 5% of a CG had to have 50 amps by the NEC and then it was changed to 20%. Some CGs may have voluntarily built above min. code like casinos and some gov't CGs, but the majority of CGs are older ones built to min. code. We've been to many CGs where if you want 50 amps, you have to go on a waiting list until a 50 amp site becomes available. It's usually the full-timers that snag them and weekenders are out of luck.

If you're 50 amps, inspect a 30 amp recept. carefully. If it's blackened, "crispy" looking and your shore power plug barely stays plugged in, look for a better pedestal if possible. Check voltage too. If you don't have a choice of a better site/pedestal, you may want to keep your loads to a minimum to reduce the risk of overheating at the pedestal.

A dogbone style adapter is preferable because if the pedestal to shore power connection overheats, a dogbone will transfer less heat to your valuable shore power cord and you may only have to replace the adapter. Always keep the plug blades on adapters and shore power cords clean with some emery cloth as needed because if dirty & pitted can contribute to a bad connection and overheating.

Extension cords and adapters are not required to be UL/CSA listed. It's a good idea to check an adapter to see if it's marked UL/CSA. If not, it could be cheap junk inside and increase the chance of overheating. Last time I looked, CW had nothing that was UL/CSA listed.

[twodownzero]

Never used mine yet, but wouldn't want to be without it.

[trail-explorer]

20 years of RVing and I've never had a need to use a 50 amp power receptacle for my 30 amp cord.

I guess it doesn't hurt to have an adapter, but I don't plan to buy one. THe though never crossed my mind.
I suppose if I was traveling in the summer and wanted to ensure I could run my AC if I go stuck in a campsite that had a wonky 30 amp plug, then a 50 to 30 amp dongle would be good to have.

[dieseltruckdriv]

Funny thing, I bought one since we had an allotment to use in the store when we bought our new 5er. That very same night we went to a private campground to test our 5er so we could tell if there was anything that needed repairing before we went 500+ miles home. When we got to the campg ground, the 30 amp didn't work, so I grabbed the 50 to 30 adapter I had just bought. I had never needed one before then, and haven't needed it since. But, we also mainly boondock or drycamp.

[1320Fastback]

I just picked one up as the cross country trip we're doing in two weeks has 50A only at one of our stops.

[time2roll]

Every few years I find a 30 amp with no ground or some issue and I use the 30/50 adapter to get the proper connection.

+1 for dog-bone style.

[dave54]

BarneyS wrote:
...I also 2nd the recommendation of getting the dogbone type of adapter. The round hockey puck style are cheaply made and may burn out on you.
Barney

You can buy a quality round one or a cheap dog bone too.
I have both types and had no problem.

[LarryJM]

Always since that's the only way to get 60A power to my trailer.

[BarneyS]

As stated above by most members, we use ours most of the time even though our trailer only uses 30amp because of the condition of many 30amp receptacles.

However there were two times where the campground we were going to stay in only had 50amp receptacles. One of those was a Coast to Coast campground located in the upper part of Oklahoma. The other time was a Military campground located somewhere in Alabama - I have forgotten which one. Both of these places had only 50amp hookups but would loan out an adapter if you didn't have one with you.
I also 2nd the recommendation of getting the dogbone type of adapter. The round hockey puck style are cheaply made and may burn out on you.
Barney

[Puttin]

akrv wrote:
30 amp outlet are in bad condition a lot of the time. If a 50 amp is available you have another option to plug in.

Agreed, also when the 30a breaker at the pedestal is weak.

[Atlee]

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