# 50 Amp vs 30 Amp



## 725gus (Feb 18, 2008)

I'm about as ignorant as one can be when it comes to electricity so here's my situation.

I currently own a KZ Sportsman Sportster Toy Hauler with 30 amp service. I plug my trailer into a 3500 Honda portable generator via an adapter and the world is fine. When I go to camp sites or racetracks, the same 3 prong receptacle for my plug can be found at these facilities so I hook directly to it.

I'm now looking at a bigger trailer and this one comes with 50 amp service. My question now is do they make an adapter that goes from a 50 amp plug to your standard grounded receptacle that I have on my portable? I think I've found where you can get a 50 amp to 30 amp adapter but I haven't seen anything that kicks it down to a standard outlet.

Any help and/or clarification of this and just why the new trailer has a larger service would be greatly apprciated.

Thanks,

Mike


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## Grandview Trailer Sa (Feb 18, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Hello and Welcome to the forum.

You can adapt down to the 15amp service you are talking, but you have to go through 2 adapters.  One to go from 50-30 then another from 30-15.

When you go that far down, you wont be able to run much in your trailer.  The AC will pull right at 15 amps, so if you are wanting to run the AC, you wont do anything else.


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## 725gus (Feb 18, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Thanks for the response.

I take it then my next course of action is to find either A.) a portable with 30 amp outlets or B.) and even more rare, a portable with 50 amp outlets. Am i getting this whole thing now?


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## TexasClodhopper (Feb 18, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

I don't mean to be rude or anything, but this is the first time I ever heard of someone buying a new RV to fit his electric receptacles!  :clown: 

Welcome to the forum, Mike!

If an RV has a certain amperage electrical plug and cord, that usually means there are appliances etc. inside that use that much electricity. If you shop for the floorplans and accessories you want, then the electrical current draw is just going to come along with it.

In electricity talk, a 15 amp. plug will melt if you try to use more than 15 amps for very long. It won't matter how many adapters you put on to get to that physical plug shape. Different plugs are designed that way because they are designed to carry that much current without melting not just so we can conveniently plug them in anywhere. That's just the way it is.

Be safe!


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## 725gus (Feb 18, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Hey Clod,

I'm scratching my head in regards to your first comment. Don't get me wrong I take no offense in it. It's just that I'm not buying a new RV to fit my receptacles, rather than buying a new RV that I know WILL NOT fit my receptacles.

In my current unit I can adapt to a standard wall plug with no problem (which is on my portable) or I can plug directly in to a 3-prong 30 amp receptacle at race tracks or campgrounds that I visit. 

I'm now looking into this other unit that has 50 amp service and a 4-prong plug, and I'm wondering if life with the old portable is still in the cards. My dealer has assured me that there are no more electrical accessories on the new unit than I have on the old, it's just that they manufacture the trailers this way because some people choose to outfit them with two rooftop air units and/or electric bunks in the cargo area, (I am not going this route).

Your reply in electricity talk has me stumped somewhat as well. If my current trailer has 30 amp service and I have an adapter to get me to a standard (15 amp) receptacle then why wouldn't I have experienced this meltdown when I've gone to places that only have a standard jack or when I've plugged in at home? Albeit I've never had all of my appliances running continuously but even with the air, refrigerator, and lights on, I've never even felt the cord get warm.


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## Grandview Trailer Sa (Feb 18, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

You have been lucky with going down to 15 amps.  Again the AC will pull almost 15 amps by itself.  Actually the lights are pulling off the battery and the Refer, if on Elec. will only pull 3 amps.  

You will be much better with a Generator with a 30 amp outlet, but not many have the plug you need, so another adapter.... Kipor makes a 6000 watt Generator with a direct plug in for the 50 amp.

Good Luck


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## TexasClodhopper (Feb 18, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

I take no offence, because it's all in fun!  :laugh: 

I was, of course, assuming that your new one was adding appliances.  I thought we all traded up to bigger everything!   

I always explain electricity in this way:  Your appliance is PULLING current from the receptacle. That's why we say your RV is "drawing" power from the source whether it's the outlet in an RV park or a generator.

The more appliances, of course, the more the 'draw' is from the source.  If you only draw 15 amps from the source then it probably won't hurt to adapt to a 15 amp plug.

The point was that it wouldn't be safe to do that if your new RV was adding appliances that would draw more than the 15 amps you have been used to.


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## msjackie (Feb 19, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Thanks Guys, I have learn something new today and looking forward to tomorrow, 
and Tex are you looking cuter or is it my eyes?


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## TexasClodhopper (Feb 19, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Now there's the sign of an educated person. See, Hollis?  Now that's the way yer sposed to be!  :clown: 

Thankee, Ms. Jackie!  :blush:


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## 725gus (Feb 19, 2008)

RE: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Thanks to all, I think I'm starting to get the gist of this now.


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## tvman44 (Feb 26, 2008)

RE: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

If I understand you correctly you can get a 50 amp to 30 amp adapter to connect to your generator or 30 amp receptacle at park but you are limited to the output capability of your generator or the 30 amps from the receptacle.  You can also get a 30 amp to 20 amp adapter to plug into a regular 20 amp receptacle but are limited to 20 amps.


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## DL Rupper (Feb 26, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Hey tyman44, welcome to the forum.  Sounds like you got it.  The problem arises when you turn too many appliances on when you have a 50 amp RV and are using the 20 amp service by adapting down.  Probably all that will happen is you will trip the 15/20 amp breaker (if it has one).  If you are drawing to much current your voltage may drop below 115 Volts and this could damage your appliances.  As the voltage drops the current rises even more and as current draw rises so does heat.  The biggest worry is the compressor in the air conditioner.  If you run the AC on low voltage (below 105 V) you can significantly decrease the life of the compressor.


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## H2H1 (Feb 26, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

HEY MS. JACKIE I think you need to clean your glasses laugh:.btw how is bro davis doing?  I heard Tex changed his name to TC, u c the other one was to long and hard to type :laugh:


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## H2H1 (Feb 26, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

HEY MS. JACKIE I think you need to clean your glasses ,   btw how is bro davis doing?  I heard Tex changed his name to TC, u c the other one was to long and hard to type :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:


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## msjackie (Feb 27, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Hollis, he is at a plateau and not going either direction, and I did clean my glasses and now I think he is handsome, david told me to watch what I have been drinking, JK


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## H2H1 (Feb 27, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp



Well we will keep him in our prays and we hope he improves so ya'll can get out this spring and do some more RV'ing. You know that might just perk him if he knew you was planning on a trip. That should give him motivation to get better.

PS cleaning your glasses want make TC look any better. That Texas sun had cooked his skin where as it now looks like used leather
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





with oil stains.


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## TexasClodhopper (Feb 27, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Ms. Jackie, just give brodavid another massage and he'll come around to our side!  :clown:


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## msjackie (Feb 27, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Hey Tex It is starting to work already, he started to perk up when I read that message


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## TexasClodhopper (Feb 27, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

Hey, brodavid!  Who's yer friend?  :clown:


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## H2H1 (Feb 27, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

WE ALL ARE from the East coast to the West coast. oh some of us are better looking :laugh:


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## msjackie (Feb 27, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

I know that there are not any ugly RVers out there a few who wants a tan before summer, Right 730, JK
love you all, will not be talking for awhile got to do some work and get Mr Bills paid,


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2008)

Re: 50 Amp vs 30 Amp

hey now i love my winter tan ,, and beware ,, i'm heading u'r way in 2 months ,, so MB will close up  as soon as i get there ,, cause miss jackie told them too ,, u know i'm kidding ,, but i will be in u'r neck of the woods soon ,, so tell dave to come on down ,, the rv needs a good massage also (wax that is ) ,, but tell him to keep up and we WANT HIM ON THE ROAD SOON    :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:  :approve:  :approve:  :clown:


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