# Sharing An Electrical Receptical



## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Next weekend we'll be heading out for our Yucaipa trip and we plan to share our site with another couple with a 25' Forest River tt.
I was told by the park that we can add a "y" fitting to share the water hookup and they said that the electrical receptacle can be shared as well.
They said that it has 20, 30 and 50 amp plug in's.

I am no electrician by any means, so can anyone please tell me if our friends plug into the 20 amp and we plug into the 30 amp socket, will we both have full electric without blowing anything?

We will not need a/c...just anticipating having to use the microwave, heater and our coffee maker in the morning...

Thanks!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Don't see any problems. Worse case you blow the switch in the box...but they should be on separate circuits, so that shouldn't happen.


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

I agree - the 20 & 30A are two different circuits - should not be a problem....


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Yep, particularly since they also have a 50A circuit. Between the two of you, you will not be exceeding that, so there should be no issues with wiring sizes (on the campground side). Now, if you were to try to share a receptacle, that would be a different story. You would only have the amperage of that one receptacle to split between you.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## webeopelas (Mar 11, 2006)

I would also suggest if either one of you have a 50 amp to 30 amp adapter, that one plugs into the 50 and the other plug into the 30.

The 20 will work but having the extra amperage available can't hurt.


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

Get the 50 to 30 adapter for one and plug the other into the 30 and bring another friend for the 20.


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

Dawn - I know on our 250RS the electrical line is rated at 30amps - I am not sure what your cord or your friends cord are rated at. If they are both 30 amps, you should use the 20 & 30amp receptacles. Granted, you probably will never actually draw 50 amps, but a short will. Better to play it safe!


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

rdvholtwood said:


> Dawn - I know on our 250RS the electrical line is rated at 30amps - I am not sure what your cord or your friends cord are rated at. If they are both 30 amps, you should use the 20 & 30amp receptacles. Granted, you probably will never actually draw 50 amps, but a short will. Better to play it safe!


No problem; use the 30 and 50 amp receptacles. The trailer is protected at 30 amps - it can't draw any more than that. Think of it this way: YOur house is connected to a line carrying thousands of amps. But it can't draw more than the rating of the main breaker, likely 100 or 200 amps.

Sluggo


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

Sluggo54 said:


> Dawn - I know on our 250RS the electrical line is rated at 30amps - I am not sure what your cord or your friends cord are rated at. If they are both 30 amps, you should use the 20 & 30amp receptacles. Granted, you probably will never actually draw 50 amps, but a short will. Better to play it safe!


No problem; use the 30 and 50 amp receptacles. The trailer is protected at 30 amps - it can't draw any more than that. Think of it this way: YOur house is connected to a line carrying thousands of amps. But it can't draw more than the rating of the main breaker, likely 100 or 200 amps.

Sluggo
[/quote]

Yes, your house does carry more amperage - (I don't now about 1000 amps though) but, thats based upon the size of the wire coming into your house. The Voltage is then further split to 120V - We determine the current load by installing wiring and breakers rated for that amount. The wiring, again, is rated on how much load we want.

The drawing of the current is based upon its load - and when it shorts it will well exceed its load capacity. The wiring we have on our trailers , as well as in our homes, is rated to carry a certain amount of current - we should not exceed its rating - buy plugging a rated 30 amp cable into a 50 amp outlet.

Whats the worst that can happen? - Just use the 20 & 30 amp rated receptacles and if you trip a breaker - reset it - but I would not use the 50 amp.

Just be careful on the amount of appliances that are being run on one circuit - generally anything that will "heat up" draws more amps. The 30amp circuit should be more than enough to handle the items you mentioned.

Rick


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## cabullydogs (Jul 12, 2008)

There are some very good points here, but let's try and clear it up:

A trailer requiring 20AMP service runs on 120 volts with a hot wire, a common (neutral) wire, and a ground wire.
A trailer requiring 30AMP service runs on 120 volts with a hot wire, a common (neutral) wire, and a ground wire.
A trailer requiring 50AMP service runs on 240 volts with two hot wires (each 120 volts), a common (neutral) wire, and a ground wire.

With more amps, a heavier gauge wire is required to handle the load safely and effectively. Hence, the 30AMP cables that most of our trailer are equiped with are much heavier than that of your common household extension cable. And, a trailer with 50AMP service will have and even heavier cable: 1) because you have 4 wires instead of 3, and 2) because it has the potential to pull more current requiring a heavier gauge wire.

Using your 50AMP to 30AMP adapter, you are only using one of the hot wires to take 120 volts, but you are still on a 50AMP circuit. Thus, the breaker at the box you are plugging into will only "trip" if it sees more than 50AMPs. Therefore, you could send up to or slightly over 50AMPs through your 30AMP-rated trailer cable and into your trailer's circuit panel. Sure, your trailer's panel should trip its 30AMP main breaker when this happens, but the concern should be if your cable can handle the load. This is where a fire could start if your cable fails to accept the load and begins to melt/burn/etc.

The folks that suggest using the 20/30AMP receptacles are being the "most safe" by suggesting their use. Now, if you were to purchase and use one of the surge protectors that plug in-between the box and your cable and if it is rated at 30AMPs, it should trip before the current runs though your cable. This would act as your shield if plugging into the 50AMP receptacle and using an adapter.

Could your cable handle the load? Maybe, but you need to decipher what gauge it is. Depending on its gauge and length, the cable your possibly handle 50AMPs, but you need to check and refer to the load chart to be absolutely certain.

Mistakes are commonly made by homeowners to replace lesser AMP circuit breakers with higher AMP circuit breakers when they overload and trip them. They are potentially sending to much current through a wire with a lesser gauge that is not designed to carry that kind of load. Again, this is where a fire can start.

No, I am not an electrician, but I have taken the time to read up on and understand it the best I can to avoid a potentially dangerous circumstance.

Scott


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

I thought on a 50 Amp, it had 2 legs of hot, thus the 4 wires.

If you use a 50 to 30 amp adapter, you are only pulling 1 leg, theoretically at 25 amps...............

Am I wrong here???


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

huntr70 said:


> I thought on a 50 Amp, it had 2 legs of hot, thus the 4 wires.
> 
> If you use a 50 to 30 amp adapter, you are only pulling 1 leg, theoretically at 25 amps...............
> 
> Am I wrong here???


From what I have read here, you both are correct about the 2 legs @ 120V, but, huntr70 - I believe each leg pulls 50amps, not 25. The voltage would be from each hot to neutral - the current remains the same.

This is all great information and the more I read the more I learn!

But, for purposes of what is being asked, it should really be *kept simple*. Use only the *rated cable* for the appropriate outlet. I would not suggest buying adapters, etc. The 20&30 amp should be plenty.

Rick


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## jozway (Jan 28, 2008)

Yes you technically have up to 50 amps Available at the adapter but the 30 amp circuit breaker in your rv will only allow you to draw 30 amps. As far as the rv is concerned nothing is different.
Im Joe the Electrician and I approve this message!!


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## small5 (Sep 12, 2003)

jozway said:


> Yes you technically have up to 50 amps Available at the adapter but the 30 amp circuit breaker in your rv will only allow you to draw 30 amps. As far as the rv is concerned nothing is different.
> Im Joe the Electrician and I approve this message!!


What he said!!! NO PLOBLEM plugging into the 50amp with adapter.


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## having_fun (Jun 19, 2006)

I agree with using the 50 amp, like they said, the TT will stop at 30 and not draw more or it will pop the breaker in the TT. It is not dangerous to use the 50 to 30 amp converted cable at all.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Thank you for all the great info









As it turns out, Alebar17 had to cancel their reservation for this weekend








Our friends were able to take Alebar's site eliminating the need to share our site and utilities.
It's good to have this information if this situation ever comes up again


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