2 30amps on pigtail for 50 amp Class A

[travelorer99]

Originally Posted by cavie

Please don't give out advice unless you know what you are talking about.

32 years being a lineman, and very, very good at it, I know what im talking about, also went to school for it.

[SteveJ.]

I'm thinking maybe just run a separate 12 gauge cord for one AC unit to the 20 amp plug in on the pedestal back to the RV panel. Will this work?

I would think that if situation would be reoccurring that another transfer switch would be needed/wanted for this setup. A one time thing, one could just rewire back to stock at the RV panel when you move on.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by BCarp

Each 30A male plug would be connected to a different leg on the 50A side. Energizing one 30A plug wouldn't energize the other unless there's a fault in the RV wiring.

A short to neutral or ground from the energized leg should trip the RV circuit breaker.

leakage current is possible from a bad appliance that's maybe not on a GFCI in the RV. The leakage current would likely conduct back to the connected 30A plug, unless the adapter doesn't properly connect the neutrals and the grounds from each 30A to the common neutral and ground at the 50A side.

A short on the energized leg of the cord or PED would trip the PED breaker, not the RV breaker.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by Traveler4321

It wouldn't be that hard. Lets skip talking about the neutral, and I doubt that a pedestal will have 2 30 amp plugs, ( but ) lets say it does. On the 30 amp, it has 3 prongs, one is hot other 2 are grounds. A 50 amp plug has 4 prongs, one phase and another phase, and 2 grounds. Since a 50 amp camper shouldn't need the 240 volts, but that's what comes in and its just 120 to each side of the panel. That said. Get 4 feet of #4 copper wire, That is 4 wire, wire, or bigger. Get a 50 amp female plug and install on one end of said 4 foot wire. One will need 2 30 amp camper plugs. One needs a voltmeter. cut 2 18 inch pieces form the 4 feet of wire. one will need good connectors 4 of them. skin back one end of both 18 inch pieces and the end of the 50 female plug, and match up color of wire to wire, putting the 2 30 amps to the 50 end, seal up really good. take volt meter, see if the 30 amp pedestal plugs are both the same 120, by putting prongs in top plug to see if volt meter reads 240, if it only reads 120 then no problem. Now. Lets say one is on other phase giving one 240. Take lets say the red wire and wire it for one plug on the hot side.
and take the ( I beleave its going to be the black) to the hot side of the other plug, and one will get normal 50 amp to rv panel.
If one wants just 2 30 amp plugs ( 3 wire #4 is fine) to one 30 amp plug, use 30 amp female on one end and just wire the 2 18 inch pieces so they both have (only) the same 120 volt phase.
IF!!!! One of the 30 amp plugs is a different phase, a dual 30 amp isn't going to work without rewiring the pedestal.
Ive wired pedistals and did lots of trouble shooting over my lineman years.
And what works for one pedestal might not work at the next, depending on how it was wired.
Hope I didn't give anyone a headache .

Not at all correct. You as a linemen should know better. 1 is a neutral and 1 is a ground. Neutral and ground are two entirely different things. At least at MY side of the meter!! I know you bring 2 hots and a bare neutral/ground to the meter but that is where it stops!

Neutral is considered a current carrying conductor. Ground is not indented to carry current. When it does there it does there is a problem. When they leave the service location they are isolated from each other.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by SteveJ.

I'm thinking maybe just run a separate 12 gauge cord for one AC unit to the 20 amp plug in on the pedestal back to the RV panel. Will this work?

I would think that if situation would be reoccurring that another transfer switch would be needed/wanted for this setup. A one time thing, one could just rewire back to stock at the RV panel when you move on.

Yes it would work but not to the panel. Run it directly to the A/C and plug it in.
By that I mean remove the A/C wire from the panel and install a plug on the end or the wire feeding the A/C.

[cavie]

This thread is so full of misinformation that I am backing out and sitting in the bleachers with my popcorn

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Originally Posted by Traveler4321

32 years being a lineman, and very, very good at it, I know what im talking about, also went to school for it.

I have no doubt you're good with distribution systems of thousands of Volts, my work is below 600v...

But do you have similar amounts of experience working on the customer side of the demarc point? I worked with EEs that don't know what is done on the load side, only that there is an estimated load they design for. At a brand new (first event) sports arena opening, I was shadowed by 2 EEs and a designer from the electrical contractor, partly because they had no real idea what was done on the load side of the show power service disconnect switches. They were smart people, as I'm sure you are, but they were not acquainted with what we did with the services they provisioned... "WWE needs how much current? Billy Joel and Elton John? Separate services for sound and lights and video? They can't share one huge switch (nope)?"

Grounding electrode systems and the bonding of neutral at the customer's "point of service" is covered in NEC 250, and NEC (NFPA 70) does not cover the work you do so I do not expect you to be versed in it. It covers service entrances, materials and methods, and sub-panels like an RV pedestal, too, and does not require 4 wire service for 120v, 30 amp service, but does require that no matter if 1 or 2 incoming lines, that there are both a neutral and a separate equipment grounding conductor that leads to the grounding electrode system to which the neutral is bonded (no "local" grounding for sub-panels).

You can read the NEC for free (it's not convenient, but do-able) on the NFPAs web site.

[wildcatter]

Originally Posted by cavie

This thread is so full of misinformation that I am backing out and sitting in the bleachers with my popcorn

I'm with you on this this, it seems every time one of these come up all sorts of bad information comes out and it is hard to decipher what is correct and what may get you dead, I am so glad I know what I am doing, Never again will I give information on how to connect or modify electrical connections, the only advice I will give is to call an electrician (with the camp ground owners permission) to see what can be done and what it will cost.

Eating my popcorn and drinking my beer while watching this unfold to fluster cluck.

🍺

[richard5933]

[QUOTE=Traveler4321;5208245]

Originally Posted by richard5933

If only 3 wires going to the pedestal, its going to be 2 phases and one neutral.
I can guarantee, that going to the meter is only 3 wires, 2 hot one not. ( on a 120/240 service) When it leaves the meter, Like a house or trailer house set up, it leaves bottom side of meter with 3 wires. The meter base, a pedestal, a main, will be grounded to the ground.
When leaving a rv pedestal 30 amp will have 2 ground and one phase, and 50 amp 2 grounds 2 phases.
The bond neutral is a grate place to test to see if common neutral is good or bad.
( this is why I love outside voltage and hate inside type/the way its done)
Everything I said in the post is correct,

Wrong. Simply wrong.

A 30 amp receptacle has a single hot, a single neutral, and a single ground.

If the pedestal has a 50 amp recepticle there will be a second hot.

There should be four (4) conductors going to a 50 amp pedestal.

Older wiring might be different, but that doesn't mean it's up to current code or correct.

[Roy1]

Originally Posted by SteveJ.

I'm thinking maybe just run a separate 12 gauge cord for one AC unit to the 20 amp plug in on the pedestal back to the RV panel. Will this work?

I would think that if situation would be reoccurring that another transfer switch would be needed/wanted for this setup. A one time thing, one could just rewire back to stock at the RV panel when you move on.

That is the way I set up my old 50 amp classic GMC I ran the rear a/c unit directly thru a 20 amp FRN fuse to a 20amp extension cord . When I had a fifty amp plug at the pedestal I plugged that cord into a dedicated 20 amp outlet in the coaches electrical box. This was 30 or more years ago when fifty amp plugs were rare.

[Dutch Star Don]

OMG...….every time this issue comes up, the pretend and real electricians bump their chests for four or five pages of technical talk.

I've been using the cheater for 16 years WITHOUT ISSUE at older campgrounds, that don't have a GFCI in the same post.

Just use the cheater, if it doesn't work, you're stuck with 30 amps.....or you can read more pages until your head explodes!

[travelorer99]

[QUOTE=richard5933;5208392]

Originally Posted by Traveler4321

Wrong. Simply wrong.

A 30 amp receptacle has a single hot, a single neutral, and a single ground.

If the pedestal has a 50 amp recepticle there will be a second hot.

There should be four (4) conductors going to a 50 amp pedestal.

Older wiring might be different, but that doesn't mean it's up to current code or correct.

Is that not what i said? I believe I said that so it's right, right?
( a ground and neutral are tied together, so it's an iganeeaars play on words) as both are grounded. In a proper setup, I can cut the ground or neutral and nothing will change in my rv.
On a 30 or 50 amp setup coming from the pedestal.

[twinboat]

[QUOTE=Traveler4321;5208720]

Originally Posted by richard5933

Is that not what i said? I believe I said that so it's right, right?
( a ground and neutral are tied together, so it's an iganeeaars play on words) as both are grounded. In a proper setup, I can cut the ground or neutral and nothing will change in my rv.
On a 30 or 50 amp setup coming from the pedestal.

You cut the neutral on a 240 volt line and your going to have unstable voltage in each leg. Without the neutral one side can go high while the other side goes low. Not good.

The neutral and ground are not tied together in the RV panel.

[travelorer99]

I am not hear to argue, or give false information. 32 years of linework and at least 600 worked, at least, overtime hours for said 32 years each year I think I know a little bit about electric, and its traits. I was taught by a great man, line school ( god rest his sole)

( I'm out)

I tried 2 help and gave info on things that are 100% right.

Dont play with electric without proper training and gear. It can get ugly at the speed of light.
That means that the generator/power plant, spins at 120 times a second to make 60 cycles/herts. AC.
Then it travelse to us/ unless one has solar or a generator.

Again. I'm out. Anyone that wants to learn or debate,, just PM me.
I didn't retire 3 years ago at age 53 to argue.