Power to the RV - 50amp to 30amp - it's a little confusing

[theburgerts]

There are so many things we have to learn. We are still awaiting our 315RLTS, but we are starting to purchase some items that will be needed. And we have a question regarding power to the TT. It is probably very obvious, but we are so new to all this, we just can’t figure it out…

The TT is 50amp, so we would assume the power cord from the TT will reach most electrical boxes. But if not, we’d need an extension cord. I think that’s simple enough for us, it needs to be 50amp. For surge protection, after having researched some, we believe the portable Progressive brand surge protection with EMS, 50amp, is a good choice.



I understand the simple 50amp > 50amp hook-up, and I believe would be:

TT power cord > 50 amp extension (if needed) > 50amp EMS > electrical box


But now the fun begins....

If campground is only 30amp, we need an adapter, so I think the correct hook up would be:

TT power cord > (50 amp extension cord if needed) > 50amp EMS > Adapter (50amp Female to 30amp Male > electrical box.

OR..
Do we need to purchase a separate 30amp EMS to use, so then hook-up would be:

TT power cord > (50 amp extension if needed) > Adapter (50amp Female to 30amp Male) > 30amp EMS > electrical box.

I guess I have 3 questions…

Do we need to purchase an additional 30amp EMS?
Is an extension cord really needed, for that just-in-case moment, and what would be a versatile length?
Which is a better 50amp to 30amp adapter? I’ve been looking at too many.

Thanks for any help!

[Barbara & Dave]

You can use your 50A EMS. The current rating is a maximum, so using a 50A unit when it will only be carrying 30A is no problem.

In commercial campgrounds, I've never had a need for an extension, although occasionally I've had to move the 337 forward or back a few feet. A single 25' extension should be enough for "just in case".

I don't have any brand recommendation.

Dave


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[theburgerts]

Thanks for a quick reply! No need to purchase the additional EMS (that saves $ )

But am I correct in the hook-up with the 50amp EMS at a 30amp campground? TT power cord > (50 amp extension cord if needed) > 50amp EMS > Adapter (50amp Female to 30amp Male > electrical box.

[LV Naturist]

Although Poppy has a 5'er and not a TT, in this thread his issue was a bad power cord and the suggested outcome was to hardwire the protection at the trailers electrical panel. This way you are protected from any issues with your power cord and/or adaptors as well as the campgrounds power post. Might give it a read... Especially post #30.

https://www.mygrandrv.com/fo...hlight=Neutral

John

[Barbara & Dave]

Keep in mind that the EMS protects your rig from problems upstream of the EMS. You could swap positions of the EMS and the extension, and thus protect the rig from problems in the extension cord.

That's the reasoning of those who choose the hard-wired version of the EMS. The supplied power cord plus any extensions are upstream. The other reason is security... the pedestal units are more exposed to theft.

Dave


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[theburgerts]

Thank you!!

[Cate&Rob]

Lynette & Steve - Lots of good info here . . . but I can see how this can get confusing. There are different kinds of 50A (and 30A for that matter) connectors. One is "plug in" and the other is "twist lock". If you think this through starting at the source (the post) and proceeding (down stream) to the trailer, it will make more sense than trying to work backwards form the trailer.

First of all 50A is far more power than 30A. The part they don't tell you is that 50A is at 240V whereas 30A is at 120V. The 50A is divided into two "legs" of 120V each, but each has 50A. So plugged into a 50A outlet, you trailer actually has 100A at 120V. More than three times the power of a 30A 120V outlet.

So, start at the post. If 50A, plug in your surge protector. If 30A plug in your 30A male to 50A female adapter and then your surge protector. Next comes your 50A male to 50A female extension cord (if you need it). Then comes the power cord to your trailer with its 50A male and 50A twist lock connectors.

There are lots of other combinations and adapters, for example if you want to use a 30A cord from a 30A post . . . but we can get into these later .

Rob

[theburgerts]

Thank you so much! Once you explained it, to start at the source, then the visualization became much more clear. DUH!!! I got it now.

[Keebler]

I had a TT for years and never needed an extension cord, therefore did not buy one when I got my fifth wheel. Don't you know, first trip with the new 379FL and I was about 15' short. This floor plan has the connections close to the front and the pedestal was at the back. Fortunately, there was a camping world about ten minutes from the campground. I picked up a 25' extension; only time I have needed it so far.

[Aridon]

Don't go crazy buying a bunch of stuff. Easy to do that when you first join the ranks and are excited.

As others have mentioned you just need one EMS. Get yourself a 50a to 30a adapter. Get yourself a 30a to 15a adapter. You now have every adapter you will ever need to power the RV from the 50a or 30a plugs at the RV park to the 15a plug that you'll find in any house. These are small, cheap and nice to have.

We've never needed an extension cord for our main power into the RV. There were a couple of times over the last 12 years where we had to move a few feet closer to the source. There should be no reason to buy a very expensive extension

You'll get used to learning how 50a and 30a work in your RV. As mentioned already 50a is much more power than 30a. Theoretically you have 100a to use, however that is rarely the case as the loads are just about impossible to balance perfectly like that. However this doesn't change the fact that 50a is still triple the amount of power 30a has.

If you ever camp on 30a you'll figure it out You can run 2 air on 30a so long as nothing else is running including chargers. Once they start up, small load like the TV and DVR are fine but nothing demanding. The balancing act on 30 amp becomes annoying if you need power for 2 ac due to heat. If you're in moderate temps, it isn't as big an issue.

This is probably one of the best forums for RV information. There is a wealth of knowledge here and some really great folks willing to share what they know. Use it to the fullest.

Enjoy your new house on wheels!