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11-24-2019, 05:16 PM
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#1
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Established Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 29
M.O.C. #22929
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A Coupla Potentially Stupid Questioms
First, is it okay to plug the camper into shore power before unplugging it from the truck? I don't want to frag anything.
Second, we bought a very used 2005 3400 RL because I didn't want to trash a new one on trees and such before I learned how to tow it. The only major issue we've encountered is that everything seems to work fine with 50 amp service, but nothing works with 30. Thoughts?
Thanks in advance, y'all. Calm winds and following seas.
Dan
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11-24-2019, 05:22 PM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Sebring
Posts: 3,669
M.O.C. #9969
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I generally plug into shore power before I even disconnect the truck, and if on an overnite, will not disconnect if the site is long enough to remain hooked up.
If things work on 50 amp and won't on 30, sounds like you have a bad 30 to 50 dog bone/adapter.
__________________
Michelle & Ann
2018 Chevy 3500HD High Country DRW 4X4 Crew Cab w/Duramax/Allison, Formally 2010 Montana 2955RL, Now Loaded 2016 SOB, Mor/ryde IS, Disc Brakes & Pin Box, Comfort Ride Hitch, Sailun 17.5 Tires.
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11-24-2019, 05:25 PM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Oro Valley
Posts: 4,085
M.O.C. #20477
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Dan,
No problem hooking up shore power before disconnecting from your truck.
Assuming you have tried a couple of different 30 amp pedestals with the same result, I would suspect there is a problem with your 30 to 50 amp dogbone.
__________________
Zack and Donna plus Millie and Ranger
2018 3160RL
"Life is too short to stay indoors, enjoy the ride!"
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11-24-2019, 06:35 PM
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#4
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Established Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 29
M.O.C. #22929
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mhs4771
I generally plug into shore power before I even disconnect the truck, and if on an overnite, will not disconnect if the site is long enough to remain hooked up.
If things work on 50 amp and won't on 30, sounds like you have a bad 30 to 50 dog bone/adapter.
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It's a store bought 30 amp cable. No luck at all.
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11-24-2019, 06:45 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Catoosa
Posts: 786
M.O.C. #18384
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If you have a volt meter (if you don't, you should get one) with a continuity test feature, then I would check your 30amp cord with it. Sounds like a bad 30 amp cord.
__________________
2015 3100RL legacy...2005 Ford F-250 CC SB. Tows like a charm! 4/19 Updated to 2017 Chevy 3500 CC SB SRW -hope it tows as well as my F 250 did!
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11-24-2019, 08:35 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,774
M.O.C. #12947
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jollymon
It's a store bought 30 amp cable. No luck at all.
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If I'm reading this correctly, you are saying you are plugging a 30 amp cable into you rig? I'm not sure how you are doing this if this is what you are doing. In order to connect to a 30 amp service with a 50 amp trailer, you must use an adapter, commonly called a dogbone adapter, that takes the 30 amp hotleg and splits it to both the 50 amp hotlegs of the shore cable going into the trailer.
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Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
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12-04-2019, 01:39 PM
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#7
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Established Member
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Dunnifan
Posts: 31
M.O.C. #25245
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No question is stupid. It’s safer to learn by example than by doing.
As for your question rohrmann is correct you need a dog one to hook your 50amp plug not a 30 amp, and definitely buy a multimeter.
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12-04-2019, 02:43 PM
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#8
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Montana Fan
Join Date: May 2015
Location: fargo
Posts: 187
M.O.C. #17461
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jollymon
First, is it okay to plug the camper into shore power before unplugging it from the truck? I don't want to frag anything.
Second, we bought a very used 2005 3400 RL because I didn't want to trash a new one on trees and such before I learned how to tow it. The only major issue we've encountered is that everything seems to work fine with 50 amp service, but nothing works with 30. Thoughts?
Thanks in advance, y'all. Calm winds and following seas.
Dan
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plugging / unplugging order with the pickup and shore doesn't matter
concerning 30 vs 50; do you mean that inside the rv you have zero power on 30 but do have power on 50? Or do you mean that on 50 stuff works but on 30 stuff trips the breaker? If you have zero power when on 30; first would be to verify you have power at the 30 source, you can use a 30 to 20 adaptor and plug is something that you can tell if it has power (cell phone charger / corded drill / etc). If the 30 source has power then your dog bone is suspect, you'd want to test it via a multimeter. If both of those are operational then perhaps a whacky transfer switch, but typically those are an all or nothing type of deal, but who knows how that is setup on your specific rig.
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12-04-2019, 04:15 PM
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#9
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Jefferson
Posts: 75
M.O.C. #23206
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My 2019 3855BR had a shorted wire at the rv connection. 50 amp all outlets worked great, 30 amp only half. Thought 50 to 30 amp pigtail bad, tried another same results.
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12-04-2019, 05:34 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: westminster md
Posts: 2,328
M.O.C. #17894
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rohrmann
If I'm reading this correctly, you are saying you are plugging a 30 amp cable into you rig? I'm not sure how you are doing this if this is what you are doing. In order to connect to a 30 amp service with a 50 amp trailer, you must use an adapter, commonly called a dogbone adapter, that takes the 30 amp hotleg and splits it to both the 50 amp hotlegs of the shore cable going into the trailer.
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A dog bone is not the only way to do it. I just bought a 50amp to 30amp 35 foot cord to power our unit. It works great and I do not have to haul the anaconda around. We rarely have 50 amp power where we camp.
__________________
2018 Chevy 3500 LTZ Dually Diesel 4x4 CCLB
2011 Montana 3455 SA. 6 point level up. Disc brakes. Curt Q24 Hitch. 5 step glow steps
Progressive EMS. Valterra tank valves. Sailun G637 tires. ARP fridge control. All led lighting. Mor Ryde IS
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12-04-2019, 06:25 PM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Bastrop
Posts: 2,892
M.O.C. #20753
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beeje
A dog bone is not the only way to do it. I just bought a 50amp to 30amp 35 foot cord to power our unit. It works great and I do not have to haul the anaconda around. We rarely have 50 amp power where we camp.
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That just a REALLY long dogbone.
__________________
Mocha, one-eyed toothless, hurricane survivor, Pirate dog
2019 20th Anniversary Edition 3701LK
B&W 20K for Ford OEM Puck
2018 Ford F-350 Lariat CCLB PSD DRW KJ5CQH
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12-04-2019, 10:21 PM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2017
Location: South East NC
Posts: 1,768
M.O.C. #19865
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beeje
A dog bone is not the only way to do it. I just bought a 50amp to 30amp 35 foot cord to power our unit. It works great and I do not have to haul the anaconda around. We rarely have 50 amp power where we camp.
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I found the same cord at CW on sale for $70. Works great with a 20 amp adapter too. That is what I use in storage.
__________________
John & Patty
2022 3855 BR
2019 Lariat F350 4X4 Dually
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12-07-2019, 03:59 AM
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#13
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New Member
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Cleveland
Posts: 2
M.O.C. #25296
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beeje
A dog bone is not the only way to do it. I just bought a 50amp to 30amp 35 foot cord to power our unit. It works great and I do not have to haul the anaconda around. We rarely have 50 amp power where we camp.
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That sounds like a good idea; we are very new to the 5th wheelers and have been trying to make sure our "stuff" we take with us as light as we can make it. The "anaconda" is quite cumbersome and heavy. Will have to look into the 30 amp cord.
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Chris & Dawn Bromwell
2020 3121RL Montana
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12-07-2019, 08:08 AM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Alton
Posts: 2,898
M.O.C. #24086
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Hope this helps visualizing how this is all connected
RV electrical wiring.
RVs use 50 amp NEMA 14-50r outlet, BUT they use two 120v legs.
Very good article explaining this.
https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-electricity-power-principals-50-amp-shore-power/
Also...
https://www.rvtravel.com/can-i-use-a-welder-outlet-for-50-amp-rv-power/
Other useful link.
http://www.myrv.us/electric/
Also...
https://www.keystonerv.com/upper-navigation-pages/community/krv-blog/content-container/simple-as-pie-understanding-your-rvs-electrical-systems/
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12-07-2019, 01:19 PM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Mesa az
Posts: 3,038
M.O.C. #5651
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Don't go straight 30A if you are going anywhere hot OR even just warm and need A/C. With 30A and running A/C plus microwave you are maxed out. If the converter kicks in or you are running something else you blow the breaker. And no way can you run 2 A/Cs.
__________________
Tom and Gail
2013 Mountaineer 362
2012 Silverado 2500
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12-07-2019, 01:33 PM
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#16
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2017
Location: South East NC
Posts: 1,768
M.O.C. #19865
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I bought a manual cord reel. Makes handing the cord easy.
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John & Patty
2022 3855 BR
2019 Lariat F350 4X4 Dually
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12-08-2019, 05:02 AM
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#17
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 2,237
M.O.C. #25165
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Just to throw another 2 cents in...
I purchased a 50 Amp to 30/20 Amp dog bone for those rare times when we do not have a 50 amp service. Basically, one end of the dog bone has both a 30 amp and 20 amp connection to the pedestal. The other end has a 50 amp female connector for the rig's cord. It essentially combines the 30 and 20 amp circuits to make a 50 amp feed. I know it is not a true 50 amp service, something more like about 45 amps, but it does work and was relatively inexpensive on Amazon.
__________________
Robert & Diana McNeal
2019 Montana Legacy 3791RD 20th Anniversary Edition
2014 F350 4x4 6.7L SRW
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12-08-2019, 07:07 AM
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#18
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Hesston
Posts: 735
M.O.C. #25060
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RMcNeal
Just to throw another 2 cents in...
I purchased a 50 Amp to 30/20 Amp dog bone for those rare times when we do not have a 50 amp service. Basically, one end of the dog bone has both a 30 amp and 20 amp connection to the pedestal. The other end has a 50 amp female connector for the rig's cord. It essentially combines the 30 and 20 amp circuits to make a 50 amp feed. I know it is not a true 50 amp service, something more like about 45 amps, but it does work and was relatively inexpensive on Amazon.
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We stay a lot at 30A sites as well. I bought one of these, because I thought that it would solve all my problems associated with two A/C's.
Be aware that these do NOT work on 20A outlets that are GFCI at the pedestal, and are working correctly. Since the common is shared inside the converter in the 5er, it doesn't like that, and it will blow the GFCI breaker every time. Not the pedestal breaker but the GFCI breaker on the plug. If you're staying in a place that does NOT have GFCI on the 20A side, that's probably not good either, because to code, all 20A OUTSIDE outlets must be GFCI.
Now, I have a dogbone that I can't use anywhere (anywhere that has 20A GFCI outlets, which is everywhere that we stay that has 30A). We are going to tough it out this coming year, but when out unit is out of the one year warranty, I'm going to convert one of our A/C's to be able to accept both a stand alone 20A power source, and still be powered off of 50A when we are on 50A SP. Then, we will be able to use a 30A and 20A power source...
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