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StephenH 
podders Helping podders - pHp 
Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
 Topic: 50 or 30 ampPosted: 24 Jan 2019 at 11:16pm |
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If you encounter a campground that only has 50A connections, chances are that the campground office will have 50 to 30A adapters that the office will loan you. That happened to us when we stayed at an RV park in West Yellowstone, Montana. That has been the only time so far that we have encountered that situation.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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mjlrpod
Senior Member
Joined: 27 Sep 2016 Location: Massachusetts Online Status: Offline Posts: 1214 |
Posted: 25 Jan 2019 at 3:05pm |
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Most places I ever camp have a 50, 30, and 20 amp plug in on the power post. I have used the 50 amp more than i've used the 30 amp, because the 30 amp doesn't always fit right. I have a nice adaptor that works great. I (gulp) assume..... that my EMS would protect me if there were any problems with volts or amps. I have a progressive hard wired system. I always run shore power into the power receptacle, and I always run a 20 amp extension cord from the 20 amp plug in, to a power 20 amp power strip for the outside electronics, like the ice maker, or occasional crock pot power. I've never had a power issue in 2 1/2 years
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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
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offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 25 Jan 2019 at 9:08pm |
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Depends if you're using a 50A EMS or a 30A EMS.
The 50A EMS won't protect you from excess current flowing into your trailer's 30A power cord, connector and internal conductors in the event of a 50A fault in that circuit, because the EMS is going to think that 50A is a normal current. Might go 20 years like that and never have a problem, but the risk is there the whole time.
if you're using a 30A EMS directly after the 50 to 30A dogbone that would protect you. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 26 Jan 2019 at 4:33am |
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Well I misread the specs on the EMS I was looking at last night when I wrote the last post. I thought I saw overcurrent protection as one of its features but it was only a current indicator. i was looking at the Progressive Industries EMS PT30X.
In looking further just now I wasn't able to find any that provide overcurrent protection, meaning that none appear to both monitor the current flow through the device AND disconnect if that exceeds the rating. Too bad because it seems like it would be an easy feature to add at least in models that are already monitoring current.
So, I will rephrase: No, an RV EMS will not protect you from the overcurrent risk resulting from connecting a 30A RV electrical system to a 50A pedestal. It protects from several other conditions that are worthwhile to monitor but not that one. If anyone knows of an EMS that does have an overcurrent disconnect feature please let us know. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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furpod
Moderator Group - pHp 
Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128 |
Posted: 26 Jan 2019 at 7:39am |
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In looking back through a couple years of RVIA data.. I can't find a single instance of a fire, or damage caused by,a camper being hooked to a higher, or lower rated, outlet. There are several reports of damage and fires from a poorly connected hookup, Some are user error, some are just worn/corroded connections.
The 30A circuit breaker is going to protect the camper itself. What is *theoretically* in danger is the umbilical cord itself, but again, I can't find any reports of an actual, undamaged, proper RV power cord failing. Power isn't "pushed" through wiring, it is pulled. So unless a bad or dead short happens somewhere between the post and the campers power distribution box, no issues. And if it does, as soon as it pulls more than 50A, which it will, the breaker at the post will trip.
But again, I can find no reports of either happening. At least that have been covered by a RVIA report. |
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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member
Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1446 |
Posted: 26 Jan 2019 at 7:56am |
There probably are people who run the air conditioner, the microwave, a hair dryer, a coffee maker, an electric heater and a few other things all at once, but I've never tripped a 30 amp breaker at the post. Has anyone else? It seems highly unlikely that short (sorry) of a fault in the power cord it would be likely that a 50 amp breaker would ever trip when used on a 30 amp trailer. The 30 amp box in the trailer, with it's 30 amp main and 10 and 15 amp circuits, is going to protect from most stupidity or shorts in your hair dryer. I'm not saying there aren't ways to screw up. I've never had to use a 50 amp circuit. If I did I guess I'd want an adapter that only let one leg of the current into the cable from the post to the Pod. TT
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2010 176
FJ Cruiser |
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mcarter
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419 |
Posted: 26 Jan 2019 at 8:48am |
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+1 to Furpod and TT. I have used my 50 to 30 amp adapter, no issues.
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Mike Carter
2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
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offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 26 Jan 2019 at 8:51am |
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It’s like if your electrician screwed up and connected 30A wire to a 50A breaker in your home panel board. Unlikely that you will ever have a problem but if the worst happened you could burn your house down. Would you want to take that risk or would you want that corrected? Up to you...
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 26 Jan 2019 at 10:23am |
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If the R-Pod were to draw more than 30A, then it might be an issue. As it is, the 30A breaker in the R-Pod would trip even if the panel has a 50A breaker. The question becomes moot if the only power supply the RV park has is 50A. Then you either use an adapter or you don't have electricity.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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GlueGuy
Senior Member
Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2629 |
Posted: 26 Jan 2019 at 10:36am |
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The only hazard is between the 50 amp breaker on the pedestal and the 30 amp breaker in the pod. I would argue that the danger may lie between the power connector on the pod and the main circuit panel but the main risk area is the 30 amp cord outside the pod. This is mainly because it will be laying on the ground and might be subject to hazards like getting frayed and run over, or a number of unforeseen hazards. Ergo, any arcing & sparking would be out in plain sight.
Not to say it is without hazard, but I wouldn't put burning down your R-pod at the top of the list.
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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50 or 30 amp