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Old 05-18-2014, 03:41 AM   #1
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Using adapter to get 50amp?

So once again I find myself in a 30 amp campsite, I was in one 2 weeks ago and used both ac's with no issues but had water heater on gas and no microwave use also made sure they didn't come on the same time. Some have stated that its not possible as it would trip a breaker but it is possible because I did it with no problems. Some have stated it makes the ac's run hot but I'm hooked to 50amp at my house and they pull the exact same amps as on 30. So here is my question I forgot I purchased one of those pigtail adapters that has a 30amp and a 20amp end to a 50 amp on the other end. So supposedly if you use this you can get 50 amps which I know the wire size will be too small on the pedestal to provide the juice necessary on one of the legs going into the camper. So since I will be on 30amp next weekend should I use this adapter or just plug into 30 with my normal 30-50 adapter? Will the 30/20-50amp adapter be a safer way to go, will it provide more juice to the camper to make the ac's run cooler?
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Old 05-18-2014, 05:09 AM   #2
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No you can not pull 50 amps with a 30 amp adapter, you can just use it to make the connection. You can only pul what the shore power can provide, the adapters just make it possible to make the connection. If you don't have a full 50amp shore connection you need to watch your consumption to make sure you don't overload the supply.

Hope that makes sense.......
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Old 05-18-2014, 05:41 AM   #3
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When I bought my trailer they talked me into a "wish bone" which has 2 plugs. One is a 30 amp and the other is a 15 amp. This doesn't work and I've heard all kinds of bad stories about people using them.

When I find myself in a 30 amp space I only use a 50/30 adapter.
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Old 05-18-2014, 12:57 PM   #4
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When we were in our motorhomes we did what Dave does. 50/30 dog bone, and even down to a three prong house hold for old fair ground hook ups. (Mind you this is dry camping with power, which only assisted the solar panels in keeping the batteries up. Everything else was on gas or generator).
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Old 05-18-2014, 06:10 PM   #5
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I used the 30-50 wishbone adapter off and on for many years. You won't be able to necessarily draw 50 amps, but you usually can get more than 30 amps. With the straight 50-30 amp adapter you are drawing both legs off the 30 amps. With the 30-50 amp wishbone adapter you are drawing one outlet off the 30 amp and the other off the 20 amp plug . I tried to put the leg that used the most electricity, like the ac, on the 30 amp plug and the other leg on the 20 amp side. Had a voltmeter in the camper that I used to watch the draw.
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Old 05-18-2014, 06:42 PM   #6
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I've heard many stories of these "wish bones" messing things up. In Southern Illinois they claimed one shorted out half the park but I wasn't there and got this story from the host.
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Old 05-18-2014, 11:15 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny View Post
When I bought my trailer they talked me into a "wish bone" which has 2 plugs. One is a 30 amp and the other is a 15 amp. This doesn't work and I've heard all kinds of bad stories about people using them.

When I find myself in a 30 amp space I only use a 50/30 adapter.
Yes sounds smart, I will do the same!
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