Can RV with 50 Amp Power Hook Up to 30 Amp Power Source

Updated 09/21/2018 | Published 09/20/2018

Products Featured in This Question

Camco RV Power Defender Voltage Protector - 30 Amp

(83)

$382.33

Mighty Cord RV Power Cord Generator Adapter - 50 Amp Female to 30 Amp Twist Lock Male - 12"

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$34.37

Question:

I have heard if you have 50amp RV and you have to use 30amp service it can work if you keep watt usage down. should you have a 30amp surge protector, or will your 50amp surge protector work?

asked by: Butch

Expert Reply:

You can indeed connect your RV with 50 amp power to a 30 amp power source. To do this you can use an adapter like the Mighty Cord Generator Adapter # A10-G30450VP which is just a 50 amp female socket on one end and a 30 amp female connector on the other. As you mentioned, plugging into a 30 amp service is going to limit how many appliances you can have running at one time in the RV. As long as you are okay with this then you can physically hook up to the power source without issue.

Technically a 50 amp surge protector can be used for this application, however there is the potential that it could cause an issue. If you have any appliances that are rated at 30 amps and something happened to cause them to draw more power, the 50 amp surge protector won't be triggered so those items may be damaged. If you decide to do this you will want to make sure everything is in good working order both with your RV and the power source.

expert reply by: Chris R