120 Volt Adapter

[Akcontender]

I have a 50 amp service with an adapter down to 120 volts for my 40 foot Holiday Rambler to plug into a 20 amp household plug. I experienced a burned 50 amp main breaker in my breaker panel and had to replace it. Is it dangerous to step down to 120 volts and only use part of the available appliances etc. in the coach? I have parked it at a private home for an extended period of time and there is no other option for power at this location and I can't run my generator for that long of a period of time.

[Gocoffeer]

AK... it is eluding as to what you can run on 120v at less than 15amps. I too ask that question and regularly throw my breaker in the house if I overload that circuit. If I plug into a 30 amp @ 220v circuit I can run the entire rig...on 120v 15 amp...the lights ...the water pump and perhaps the refrig OR the TV ....

[FlyingDiver]

I don't see any way that the 20amp circuit could cause the 50amp main breaker to burn. The other way around is a lot more likely.

[waroland]

Originally Posted by Gocoffeer

AK... it is eluding as to what you can run on 120v at less than 15amps. I too ask that question and regularly throw my breaker in the house if I overload that circuit. If I plug into a 30 amp @ 220v circuit I can run the entire rig...on 120v 15 amp...the lights ...the water pump and perhaps the refrig OR the TV ....

A 30 amp RV plug is only 120 volts, a 50 amp RV plug is two 120 Volt circuits and there is 240 volts between the 120 volt legs. If you plug your RV into a 30 amp 220 volt circuit (AKA dryer plug) you will do much damage to your RV.
To my knowledge there is nothing in any RV that runs on 240 volts.

[FlyingDiver]

Originally Posted by waroland

To my knowledge there is nothing in any RV that runs on 240 volts.

Most higher end coaches (like ours) have a 240V residential dryer in them (if they have a washer/dryer), rather than a 120V combo unit.

And it doesn't matter, anyway. An RV with "50 amp" service MUST be wired as a 240V main panel, fed from a 240V pedestal. If it's not, the neutral wire will be undersized for the potential load.

[ChasA]

Akcontender,
To answer your question...Yes it is safe to use a 20 amp receptacle to get power to your rig. You'll just have to be careful about what loads you use. Use a UL Approved adapter and you'll be fine. My rig is plugged into a 20 amp receptacle right now.

["007"]

Take a look at this sticky found in this forum will give you answers to power and battery questions you may have plus much more.
Never overlook sticky's in top of forums they have much info for you.

[wa8yxm]

I always wonder what people are thinking when they speak of stepign down amps to volts,,, They are different things

Your 50 amp service is 50 amps at 240 volt divided into two 120 volt legs.. Thus, it is already 120 volts.. You do not "Step down" to 120 volts

What you step down to is 15 amps (The plug on the end of the adapter)

And the burned breaker was caused by one of two things

Either it was burned due to a bad breaker while you were plugged into 50 amp shore power at a campground (Odds very low)

Or it was burned by a screw loose.. Yes a screw loose.. Many RVers have a few Screws loose and when one of those screws holds a wire onto a circuit breaker.. The result is arching, and a whole lot of heat, and damage.. also things in the RV do not work. UNPLUG and tighten ALL screws in that box. White, Green/bare and Black,

[Akcontender]

You were probably right about the loose screw. Electricity doesn't like loose connections that's for sure. I am still at home in Alaska and I have my Holiday Rambler winterized and parked at a relative's home in Iowa until the first of June when we will be bringing it back home to Fairbanks. The only power available to me at that home is a standard 20 amp circuit. I am not plugged in now but it was last fall and everything worked OK but I never used the air conditioners and was careful not to use the microwave and too many other things all at once. I never tripped any breakers or anything. My configuration is 50 amp to a 30 amp adapter which has the standard 20 amp? male plug for an extension cord.
My old RV was a Forest River gasser V-10 with a 30 amp service which I always kept plugged in at home to a standard household 20 amp outlet. I never had any problems with that and it would run the air conditioner and anything else that I needed. I just don't want to ruin anything by plugging in in this manner.

[MJ56]

You are a step ahead if you are plugged into 20A. Most residential circuits are 15A. With 20A, make sure the outlet and breaker are rated at 20A and should be enough to run micro, along with frig, lights, TV, converter, pump or furnace etc that you could probably do with 15A. With 20A, you might be able to run AC, but not much else.

["007"]

Was in Fairbanks, ACS system and Ladd AFB, winter of 58, great temps 65 below.
You will be fine with a 120 20 amp plug, the 50 amp breaker may have just worn out and needs replacement loose or dirty connections in the losd center will create heat and cause a problem, before installing the new breaker clean the blades in load center buss for good connections.

[wa8yxm]

Oh, another problem which I have not seen in my motor home (Loose screws I had, which is why I tend to harp on them) This one in an RV park.. Customer was complainign about the trip-o-matic breaker. I took over the site when he left.

the most common breaker is a Square D type.. these have a bakelite "notch" at the bottom which goes over a bar or rod (NOT an electrical connection) and you "Rotate them onto the bus bar where a clip on the back makes contact. In the park box the breaker was rotated forward (Out of the box) I simply pressed on the top of the breaker, properly seating it and the trip-o-matic held just fine after that.

This is, of course, a variation on the "Screw Loose" (Entire breaker loose) I also had it happen in one park where this did not get caught in time and we had to put in a new breaker.

[dennis45]

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

I always wonder what people are thinking when they speak of stepign down amps to volts,,, They are different things Your 50 amp service is 50 amps at 240 volt divided into two 120 volt legs.. Thus, it is already 120 volts.. You do not "Step down" to 120 volts What you step down to is 15 amps (The plug on the end of the adapter) And the burned breaker was caused by one of two things Either it was burned due to a bad breaker while you were plugged into 50 amp shore power at a campground (Odds very low) Or it was burned by a screw loose.. Yes a screw loose.. Many RVers have a few Screws loose and when one of those screws holds a wire onto a circuit breaker.. The result is arching, and a whole lot of heat, and damage.. also things in the RV do not work. UNPLUG and tighten ALL screws in that box. White, Green/bare and Black,

Think of electricity in the same way as you think of water where the Voltage (120V) is the Pressure like 65 Psi (Pounds per Square Inch) water pressure from your water tap.
Then think of the Amperage (15, 20, 30 or 50 Amps) as Volume such as 15, 20, 30 or 50 Gallons per Minute from your water tap.
When you "Step Down" from 50A to 15A, you are reducing the volume of electricity that can flow into your rig. Each appliance requires a certain Volume of electricity to function. The lights use less Volume than the AC for instance but they all run on the same 120 Volts pressure.
If you turn on more appliances than the 15A circuit can deliver in volume, the Pressure (Voltage) drops below 120 Volts and the Circuit Breaker trips leaving you without power. Circuit Breakers are sized in 15, 20, 30 & 50 Amps and all at the same 120 Volts (Pressure). Just higher volumes.
The 50 Amp circuit will have two pipes (Wires) to be able to provide enough volume (Amps) for the larger circuit to operate the AC, toaster, microwave etc. Etc and still maintain the 120 Volts Pressure. Each pipe is rated to carry 120 volt pressure but can also be connected together to provide 240 Volts of pressure for larger appliances such as the Clothes Dryer or Stove.
On the opposite side, if the 120 Volt Pressure is increased to say 240 Volts, the 120 volt appliance will "Pop" because it is not designed to operate at the higher pressure the same as your garden hose for instance if the water pressure were increased to 240 Psi, it would burst.

That is Electricity Simplified as I see it. Hope this helps you understand the terms of Voltage and Amps.

[chawkins99]

Originally Posted by "007"

before installing the new breaker clean the blades in load center buss for good connections.

Make sure the main breakers are OFF before attempting to clean the buss bars. Those babies are HOT!