jtlingo123 wrote: No I'm not expanding, I just wasn't sure if I needed a bigger breaker for the newer 30A camp sites. I didn't know if the 30A outlets would pop the breaker if I connected my 15A to them. It sounds like all I need is a dog bone and I should be fine.
No problem and no modification needed:
30 amp male to 15 amp female (assuming your shore power cord is 15 amp).
It will not require any change to your RV. All circuits within the RV are still protected by your RV's 15 amp breaker.
jtlingo123 writes “No I'm not expanding, I just wasn't sure if I needed a bigger breaker for the newer 30A camp sites. I didn't know if the 30A outlets would pop the breaker if I connected my 15A to them. It sounds like all I need is a dog bone and I should be fine.”
Your 15A breaker will pop before the 30A pedestal breaker so no harm will happen in this case.
My point is simply you might find out that 15A is not going to be enough or not available at all (like I stated some campgrounds I have been at only have 50A and 30A and for those who have 15A they must use an adapter plugged into the 30A).
Or in some cases many folk tend to take a lot of high power draw electrical devices like microwaves, electric skillets, COFFEE POTS, ELECTRIC SPACE HEATERS, hair dryers and so on. For these devices your 15A setup will limit you to ONE of these devices at a time.
Nothing will be hurt by trying it out but if you find you are having to reset your breaker even once while camping then you may need to rethink keeping the 15A setup and upgrading to 30A.
Converting to 30A is not all that hard or costly, $20 will buy a bigger breaker box
(you would need to cut the 15A ends off and install a RV 30A plug on one end and the other goes to the new breaker panel)
Then a RV 30a plug..
HERE
Alternately if you dig around Walmart you often can find short 30A RV extension cords.
The new breaker box can be mounted where the old box was, you put the 30A breaker in and connect the shore cord 10ga hot to that breaker and then you put your existing 15A breaker into the new box. You move your existing 15A circuit wires to the new box and connect it to the 15A breaker.
Now you could add a new circuit either 15A (14ga) or even 20A (12ga) and put several new outlets in the camper which could be used for say a electric space heater (which is most likely what destroyed the outlet in your other post) or other gadgets. These outlets can be placed in more convenient places to reduce the usage of extension cords.
So for about $100 in materials (most of the parts could be bought at your local Home Depot or Lowes) you can expand your 120V system further at a later time.
Once you have the 30A setup installed you can then use a 15A to 30A adapter only when needed such as camping where they only have 15A (state campgrounds perhaps).
MrWizard wrote: guys take another look at the pictures
I think everyone of us has melted one or more of the black adapters
BUT we were plugging a 30 rv cord into a 15/20amp duplex
the OP's problem and the proffered solution is an adapter that reduces the 30amp RV pedistel to 15 amp
his camper only uses 15 amp or maybe 20
We the "Melted ones" were stepping up 30 amps from 15 it can't be done without heat
the OP needs to step Down he had a 15amp cord and the power pole is 30a RV
You're right. Mine was a 20A wall to 30A RV adapter.
That said... I submit to you that it's still possible to overheat the ones we're discussing here. There are multiple connections inside a small space. And if he runs an electric heater, there will still be a lot of power running through there. That's all that was on when I melted mine. Sure you are "stepping" down in the OP's case... but it's still all about what is actually running through the line.
Cheers,
Kendall
1986 Winnebago Chieftain 22RC
Our Camper (with no payments)
I actually got the old Duo-Therm heater working today! So I won't need a space heater. The only thing I would probably run on the outlet would be a radio.
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