Campground says to use a 50-amp adapter

Will using an adapter to connect your 30-amp shore power cord to a 50-amp pedestal outlet prevent meltdown?

Everyone,

I just received this inquiry from one of my readers. Read my answer below…

Good morning Mike,

I was told by a campground rep that I should use a dogbone 50-amp to 30-amp adapter on my 30-amp class C when temps are very high and our solo A/C is running constantly. He said that doing this would avoid overheating our electric cord connection and our surge guard protection unit. Is there any validity to what he said.

Thank you very much. - John

Dear John,

That’s a great question. Yes, since many 30-amp pedestal outlets are worn out with loose contacts, they can overheat and melt the plug on your expensive surge protector. So in that situation it’s actually safer to use a 50/30-amp dogbone adapter. Seems crazy, but many campgrounds just don’t do maintenance on their pedestals.

And here’s what the dogbone adapter they’re referring to looks like…

Note that this type of adapter only uses one leg of the two-pole 50-amp outlet, so it supplies the correct 120-volts to your 30-amp shore power cord.

Beware of DIY adapters which if improperly wired could send 240-volts into your 120-volt system and burn up your RV electrical components in seconds.

Don’t change your main circuit breaker to 50 Amp!

The only thing protecting your 30-amp shore power cord from meltdown due to excessive current when using this adapter is the 30-amp main breaker in your load center. I had one reader who changed it out to a 50-amp breaker for “more power” and melted his 30-amp shore power cord, nearly setting his RV on fire. So don’t be tempted!

Splitter possibility!

You can also get a 50-amp to a double 30-amp splitter adapter splitter that will allow two 30-amp RVs to plug into one 50-amp pedestal outlet. This uses less total power than one 50-amp RV so campgrounds should be okay with it.

Here’s how to double-check the voltage!

Anytime you get a new adapter it’s always best to check for the correct voltage before plugging in your RV. I’ve see a few brand new adapters direct from a China factory that were wired incorrectly. Best to purchase RV power adapters from a known source.

Let’s play safe out there - Mike