How to plug a 30-amp RV into a 50-amp outlet

Can it be done safely without blowing anything up?

Hi Mike!

Hope you had a great 4th! We are in a campground with full hookups. Our neighbor has a 30 Amp Wayfair motorhome. He was having issues with his 30 amp pedestal, so he went to Walmart, got a 30 amp adapter and plugged into a 50 Amp! I thought this was a big no-no!

Can you advise before he blows out his electrical system? Thanks in advance! -Randy

Hey Randy,

So you have a 30-amp shore power RV and you want to plug into a 50-amp pedestal outlet. Is that safe? Or will it feed 240 volts into your 120-volt RV and blow it up?

The first answer is if your RV power center is properly wired with a 30-amp master circuit breaker, then using a 50-amp to 30-amp adapter to plug your 30-amp shore power cord into a 50-amp outlet should be safe from over-voltage and current over-load. You can buy one with high ratings for around $20 on Amazon HERE.

However, note that this is technically a code violation that your campground (or the local inspector) may not allow. Still, the major manufacturers do build these things, and I agree that in many campgrounds the 30-amp outlets are so worn out that they’re a bigger hazard to plug into as it is.

So, as long as your own shore power cord and RV power panel are properly wired and maintained, there shouldn’t be any danger of overheating the wire with too much current. But always be watchful of any hookup like this because there is a fire hazard if something goes wrong in your RV’s power panel.

Let’s play safe out there… Mike

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