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DNHOFFMAN · 06-02-2023, 11:09 AM

I have a 2001 Monaco diplomat that we keep at our home plugged into a 20 amp circuit in my shop. My shop also has a 220 volt 50 amp circuit for my welder that uses a NEMA 6-50P plug. There are adapters to connect my RV 50 amp shore power cord to the nema 6 plug but some sites say you can use those adapters for an RV and some say you can't. Does anyone know the truth?

wolfe10 · 06-02-2023, 11:24 AM

In a word-- NO!

A NEMA 6-50P outlet is two hots and a ground. NO NEUTRAL.

Your 50 amp RV needs two hots, ONE NEUTRAL and the ground.

Yes, you may be able to pull another wire from the breaker box for a neutral.

Gary RVRoamer · 06-02-2023, 11:26 AM

A NEMA 6-50 outlet is 240v only, i.e. has only two hots and a ground. No way to get 120v, so no legitimate way to mate an RV 14-50P plug with its 4 prongs and combined 240/120v service.

If somebody is doing it, they are using the ground on the 6-50 in lieu of a neutral. That's a safety violation of the electrical code, but it does work to make 120v power available in the RV. I strongly recommend against doing that.

Old-Biscuit · 06-02-2023, 11:29 AM

Olyteddy · 06-02-2023, 12:16 PM

I'd check the outlet box to see if perhaps they ran 6-3 wire. If they did you could change the outlet to a 4 wire & make an adapter for your welder.

scrapperjohn · 06-02-2023, 12:27 PM

A 120 volt 50 Amp plug is NOT the same as a 220 volt plug.
You will fry all the wires in your RV if you plug in to it.

Triple HHH · 06-02-2023, 12:36 PM

Not at all!

Old-Biscuit · 06-02-2023, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrapperjohn

A 120 volt 50 Amp plug is NOT the same as a 220 volt plug.
You will fry all the wires in your RV if you plug in to it.

The wires will be OK it's the electronics*that will get fried

twinboat · 06-02-2023, 01:57 PM

Someone on this site said that it will work and be code compliant.

With that outlet, the neutral and ground are shared. They do go to the same place in the panel.

If you can buy an adaptor for it, it will work. Why else would there be an adaptor.

twinboat · 06-02-2023, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrapperjohn

A 120 volt 50 Amp plug is NOT the same as a 220 volt plug.
You will fry all the wires in your RV if you plug in to it.

50 amp plugs are 120/240 volt, a standard electric range or RV outlet. Nothing special.

bigb56 · 06-02-2023, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinboat

Someone on this site said that it will work and be code compliant.

With that outlet, the neutral and ground are shared. They do go to the same place in the panel.

If you can buy an adaptor for it, it will work. Why else would there be an adaptor.

There is no neutral on a welder circuit, shared or otherwise.
The neutral and ground are shared on 3 wire range and dryer circuits and they are wired directly to the main panel using service entrance cable which is the only way it was ever allowed and the only way it was ever safe. A welder circuit with a 6-50 would normally be wired with NM or conduit with the conduit providing the ground, and could be fed from a sub panel, none of which is safe to carry neutral current. Using an adapter on such a circuit for a load that requires a neutral is both illegal and unsafe, the only way it is legal is when used for a strictly 240V load like EV charging.

153stars · 06-02-2023, 05:20 PM

You could pull a #6 neutral add on to other box. The box used likely too small to add/join wires in. These outlets don't have means to join wires to second outlet like home outlets. So you'll need another junction box to and split bolts really taped really well to join the wires. I wouldn't use wire nuts for 50 amp especially for 3 wires.
Or use a larger electrical enclosure with both outlets that fit all wire connections . Wire a ground to box/s.

DNHOFFMAN · 06-03-2023, 06:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNHOFFMAN

I have a 2001 Monaco diplomat that we keep at our home plugged into a 20 amp circuit in my shop. My shop also has a 220 volt 50 amp circuit for my welder that uses a NEMA 6-50P plug. There are adapters to connect my RV 50 amp shore power cord to the nema 6 plug but some sites say you can use those adapters for an RV and some say you can't. Does anyone know the truth?

Once again, this great forum comes through with a wealth of knowledge & experience. I'm not a "sparky" kind of guy, but I do have a rudimentary understanding of residential electrical systems, & trying to go from a 4 wire system to a 3 wire systems just didn't seem like the kind of thing I would want to attempt. I think I'll wait till I talk with someone who has actually done it before I would even consider trying it. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOUR INPUTS.

DNHOFFMAN · 06-03-2023, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNHOFFMAN

I have a 2001 Monaco diplomat that we keep at our home plugged into a 20 amp circuit in my shop. My shop also has a 220 volt 50 amp circuit for my welder that uses a NEMA 6-50P plug. There are adapters to connect my RV 50 amp shore power cord to the nema 6 plug but some sites say you can use those adapters for an RV and some say you can't. Does anyone know the truth?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigb56

There is no neutral on a welder circuit, shared or otherwise.
The neutral and ground are shared on 3 wire range and dryer circuits and they are wired directly to the main panel using service entrance cable which is the only way it was ever allowed and the only way it was ever safe. A welder circuit with a 6-50 would normally be wired with NM or conduit with the conduit providing the ground, and could be fed from a sub panel, none of which is safe to carry neutral current. Using an adapter on such a circuit for a load that requires a neutral is both illegal and unsafe, the only way it is legal is when used for a strictly 240V load like EV charging.

Yes, almost all of the adapters I found said that they were for EV charging. Thanks for your input.