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05-03-2010, 03:48 PM
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#1
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Established Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Eureka
Posts: 37
M.O.C. #10061
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AC adapter question
I was recently in a camper store and saw a new AC adapter. It had 2 plugs and 1 recepticle-- 30 amp plug and a 20 amp plug on their own lead, and a 50 amp recepticle on the other end. You plug both the 20 amp and 30 amp plugs in and you get 50 amps at the recepticle. Has anyone used one of these??? $60 is the cost. I'm curious.
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05-04-2010, 01:49 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2006
Location: San Jose
Posts: 728
M.O.C. #5740
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by rotti
I was recently in a camper store and saw a new AC adapter. It had 2 plugs and 1 recepticle-- 30 amp plug and a 20 amp plug on their own lead, and a 50 amp recepticle on the other end. You plug both the 20 amp and 30 amp plugs in and you get 50 amps at the recepticle. Has anyone used one of these??? $60 is the cost. I'm curious.
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I will sell you mine for $35 plus shipping. These boxes will not work at all if the 20 amp is GFI protected so, they mostly only work in older RV Parks.
I bought mine for our Alaska trip as I had heard that most of the parks along the way would be older and not have 50 amp. I can only remember two RV Parks all summer that had 50 amp but, we found that we did just fine on 30 amp so I never used the box.
Grant aka BirdingRVer
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05-04-2010, 02:14 AM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cedar Rapids
Posts: 4,876
M.O.C. #1944
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They do work. However, as BirdingRVer said, they don't work if the post is GFI protected. GFI circuits will flip the breaker if there is a difference between legs of only a couple milliamperes. We used one for quite a while as we traveled because many (almost most) of the older parks did not have GFI circuits and it provided us with more amperage.
Orv
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05-04-2010, 11:51 AM
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#4
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: holland patent
Posts: 174
M.O.C. #8973
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If both 30 amp plugs are on the same phase you can overload the neutral wire (return) and melt or have a fire!
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05-04-2010, 02:03 PM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cedar Rapids
Posts: 4,876
M.O.C. #1944
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by tspoon
If both 30 amp plugs are on the same phase you can overload the neutral wire (return) and melt or have a fire!
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There is only one 30-amp plug on this device. A 30- and a 20-amp plug. If there's a danger of melting, then this device can not work. I used mine for over six years with no problems.
Orv
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05-05-2010, 01:14 PM
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#6
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Wilsons
Posts: 404
M.O.C. #9833
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They are in the same phase thus maxing out the potential allowable current load to the neutral wire, and also, Orville, often times mis-wired park power sources "will work" but still put you in danger of over-heating and melting the neutral in your coach as Tspoon suggested. A perfect example is the mis-wired pedestal I encountered in a park in Florida last winter. Both hot legs in my 50A hookup were in the same phase, thus potentially doubling the allowable load on the neutral. Made them fix it before I would hook up.
Regards,
Jerry
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05-05-2010, 02:03 PM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Shelburne
Posts: 688
M.O.C. #8693
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I'd like to commend jdrobone for his thoughtful and knowledgeable comments on electrical issues on a couple of recent threads. Thanks!
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05-05-2010, 03:55 PM
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#8
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Wilsons
Posts: 404
M.O.C. #9833
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Kathy and Dave,
Thanks a bunch. I'm not trying to be a know-it-all but having worked in the trade for 35+ years I like to comment on the practical side versus the theory. The DW says "I don't need all that tech mumbo-jumbo - just tell me what I need to do to avoid hurting myself and my equipment".
Regards,
Jerry
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05-06-2010, 03:58 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cedar Rapids
Posts: 4,876
M.O.C. #1944
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Jdrobone
They are in the same phase thus maxing out the potential allowable current load to the neutral wire, and also, Orville, often times mis-wired park power sources "will work" but still put you in danger of over-heating and melting the neutral in your coach as Tspoon suggested. A perfect example is the mis-wired pedestal I encountered in a park in Florida last winter. Both hot legs in my 50A hookup were in the same phase, thus potentially doubling the allowable load on the neutral. Made them fix it before I would hook up.
Regards,
Jerry
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That's why I advocate checking the CG power pedestal for polarity before hooking up. Too many things can happen with a bad power source.
Orv
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