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Topic Closed50amp to 30 amp dog bone

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Pod_Geek View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: 50amp to 30 amp dog bone
    Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 9:48am
Originally posted by offgrid

...I just saw this on NorthernTool’s website. It appears to have an inline 20A breaker, not a Gfci. 20A should be fine for our trailers, with the possible exception of running the microwave and the a/c at the same time. It should be located as close as possible to the pedestal....

https://m.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200722091_200722091?&utm_source=google_PPC&utm_medium=NT%20DSA%20Feed&utm_campaign=DSA%20Feed&utm_content=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAvc_xBRCYARIsAC5QT9mSyXx-jxpvWeFQytjcIQ-hF5i7qWr9iO_103AaBVH7GOKJVC8mf8EaAlrIEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Ok...how about this:

From the 50A-to-30A dogbone you plug this in:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/AC-WORKS-1-5-ft-10-3-STW-30-Amp-TT-30P-RV-Travel-Trailer-Plug-to-30-Amp-L14-30R-2-Hots-Bridged-Adapter-TT30L1430-018/302447731

Then your RIGID adapter with 20-amp breaker

Then this:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/AC-WORKS-RV-Generator-Adapter-NEMA-L14-20P-20-Amp-125-Volt-250-Volt-4-Prong-Locking-Plug-to-RV-TT-30R-30-Amp-RV-Female-Connector-RVL1420TT/301828763

Then the RV's power cord.

Thoughts?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 12:23pm
That would work but you'd end up with 5 devices between the pedestal and the trailer. I'd be inclined to get the RIGID part and cut off both terminations on it. Then, install this on one end, leaving one of the hots disconnected:


If this connector's is too loose around the RIGID parts cable you can add a layer or two of heat shrink to get a tight fit. 

One the other end of the RIGID part you can attach this:


That ought to give you what is effectively a 50 to 30A dog bone with an inline 20A circuit breaker for about $35, so you'd wind up with only two parts between the pedestal and the trailer. 


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 12:29pm
I would rather find a 30A circuit breaker, but those seem to be non-existent. This does look to be a workable solution to having at least 20A safely provided.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 12:55pm
Originally posted by StephenH

I would rather find a 30A circuit breaker, but those seem to be non-existent. This does look to be a workable solution to having at least 20A safely provided.

Hmmm...maybe an electrician could put something together, assuming that 30A breakers that could be wired inline actually exist.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 12:58pm
Originally posted by Pod_Geek

Originally posted by StephenH

I would rather find a 30A circuit breaker, but those seem to be non-existent. This does look to be a workable solution to having at least 20A safely provided.

Hmmm...maybe an electrician could put something together, assuming that 30A breakers that could be wired inline actually exist.
That's the problem. I have been searching for inline 30A 120V AC breakers and have not been able to find any. 12-48V DC breakers are plentiful, but no 120V AC breakers. Unhappy
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 1:02pm
Originally posted by StephenH

That's the problem. I have been searching for inline 30A 120V AC breakers and have not been able to find any. 12-48V DC breakers are plentiful, but no 120V AC breakers. Unhappy

Could one pull the breaker out of this and use it somehow, or possibly wire a 50A connector to the backside?


ETA:  Here's just the breaker:

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 1:50pm
The box you picked is a NEMA 3R  enclosure intended to be mounted vertically on a wall or post well above ground level. You could use it but how would you mount it temporarily? It won't keep water out if you just lay it on the ground, so you'd be solving a relatively low risk safety problem but creating a high risk one.  

If you bought a separate breaker and mounted it in a NEMA 4X watertight enclosure and used water tight cable glands to bring the cables out that would be better. The breaker you picked wouldn't work though, its designed to snap onto the bus bar in a home panelboard. You'd need to find a back mount breaker and attach it to a back plate in the 4X box. 

If you're worried about having nuisance trips of the 20A inline breaker, I can say that I've run my trailer on a 20A circuit at home a lot and have never had the breaker trip.  Although I haven't tried to run the microwave and the a/c simultaneously, its not a big deal to turn off the a/c for a few minutes when running the micro, I have to do that when running on my Honda 2K genny.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 1:58pm
Originally posted by offgrid

...If you're worried about having nuisance trips of the 20A inline breaker, I can say that I've run my trailer on a 20A circuit at home a lot and have never had the breaker trip.  Although I haven't tried to run the microwave and the a/c simultaneously, its not a big deal to turn off the a/c for a few minutes when running the micro, I have to do that when running on my Honda 2K genny.

Ok, fair enough.

Do you think that having five devices between the pedestal and the RV poses an undue risk?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 3:08pm
Not really a risk as just a lot of parts to deal with and $$ to spend. If you go that route just be sure to keep all the connections up off the ground so they stay dry.

OTOH, don't be afraid to change out your connectors,  it really isn't hard. If you've ever reterminated a cord, its the same kinda thing. 

When I said leave one of the hots disconnected on the 50A 240V connector, don't let that confuse you.  The two hots are the pins opposite each other side to side, the neutral and ground pins are opposite each other top and bottom.The ground pin is the round one. You get 240Vac between the two hots and 120Vac from either hot to neutral.  Since you only want 120Vac out, one hot is unused. 

When you cut off the cable on the Rigid part, you will see a green, a white, and a colored wire (usually black but sometimes red).  So, you connect green to the ground pin, white to neutral pin, and the colored wire to one of the two hot pins. Doesn't matter which. The other hot pin will be unused. That will give you 120Vac out same as the dogbone does.

On the output connector looking at the end face of the female receptacle with the round hole up, the neutral is the pin on the right and the hot is the pin on the left. So, white to neutral, black (or red) to hot, green to ground, same as before.

Up to you though what you're comfortable with, either way would work. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 Jan 2020 at 4:10pm
I stayed at a campground where they only had 50 amp outlets.  So, I bought a dogbone that I now carry with me just in case.  After reading this thread, I'm wondering if the risk of getting hit by a meteorite is greater than or less than the risk involved in using a 50 amp to 30 amp dogbane without a inline 30 amp breaker.
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