How is a campground plug wired.

[Mollysdad]

Although I give advice, I stumped myself.
I know a 50 amp service has (2) 50 amp 125v. legs.

The plug is the same as a stove plug for 240v.
Is it wired the same way? RV's are not 240v.
But I don't see any way other than two hot legs, a neutral and a ground, pretty straightforward.

The 240v. is only present across the two hots, and the RV is not wired to use that configuration, so each leg sees 120v. from hot to neutral.

In theory (for the sake of discussion) you could plug a household 50 amp. stove into a campground outlet and it would work.

[alano]

You're correct. The plug is wired as a standard 120/240 V 50 A 3 pole with 4 prongs.

Although the airstreams don't benefit from 240 V, there are some trailers with 240 V dryers, so yes you could plug in a stove too.

[sgschwend]

I would think if you installed a 2 pole breaker the output would be 240V.

It sounds like the panel only has single phase 1 pole breakers.

[TG Twinkie]

A 2 pole breaker is required in order to provide 2 120 volt legs. You will also require a neutral and ground.
The devices in your coach are connected between one or the other of the 120 volt legs and the neutral. Not between the 2 hot legs.

[cwf]

RVs use power similar to your household 120VAC outlets.

The "50AMP" power has 2 legs... these are never connected together. Rather, the two HOT feeds(legs).

Here is a quick overview:
http://www.myrv.us/electric/Pg/50amp_Service.htm

Here is how the outlet is to be wired (connected)..
http://www.myrv.us/Imgs/PDF/50-amp%20Service.pdf

Anyway.. try this site for some insight..
http://noshockzone.org

There is lots to know.. and sorta simple.. always to be RESPECTED!!! Good luck

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by cwf

RVs use power similar to your household 120VAC outlets.

The "50AMP" power has 2 legs... these are never connected together. Rather, the two HOT feeds(legs).

Here is a quick overview:
http://www.myrv.us/electric/Pg/50amp_Service.htm

Here is how the outlet is to be wired (connected)..
http://www.myrv.us/Imgs/PDF/50-amp%20Service.pdf

Anyway.. try this site for some insight..
http://noshockzone.org

There is lots to know.. and sorta simple.. always to be RESPECTED!!! Good luck

BOTH of those upper sites state that 'X' and 'Y' are 180 out of phase; and yet further down, they state that 'X' and 'Y' are interchangeable.
How is that possible? Would that not pop a C.B?

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by MelGoddard

BOTH of those upper sites state that 'X' and 'Y' are 180 out of phase; and yet further down, they state that 'X' and 'Y' are interchangeable.
How is that possible?

Interchangeble, as in 'Y' and 'X', still 180 out.

[JCWDCW]

Think of it this way...In your standard RV on 50 amps you have two separate 120 volt supplies... period ..just like your household 120V circuits. If your RV is wired for 240 appliances then it will get 240 V across the hot sides of the two 120 V circuits (because they are 180 degrees out of phase...one side is 120V positive while at the same time the other side is 120V negative; same as your stove or dryer circuit in the house.
JCW

[Mollysdad]

Thanks. I let common sense slip away.
Occam's razor: "The simplest solution is the correct solution."
I tried to make it more difficult than it is.

The post is wired normally. The RV takes what it needs.

[Mollysdad]

Okay, if I may, one more question.
In the "Y" adaptor that has a 30 amp plug and a 15 amp plug that combine to make a 50 amp source (sort of) how are they wired?
Does the 30 amp go to one side of the 50 amp socket and the 15 amp to the other? I can't imagine they're paralleled. Has anyone metered one for continuity?

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

Okay, if I may, one more question.
In the "Y" adaptor that has a 30 amp plug and a 15 amp plug that combine to make a 50 amp source (sort of) how are they wired?
Does the 30 amp go to one side of the 50 amp socket and the 15 amp to the other? I can't imagine they're paralleled. Has anyone metered one for continuity?

I'm guessing here, but with a background of electrical engineering and circuit design. I suspect that the two neutrals from the 15 amp and 30 amp plugs are wired to the neutral of the 50 amp socket. Same for the safety grounds (green wire). The 15 amp plug hot wire is connected to one of the 50 amp socket hot wires and the 30 amp plug hot wire is connected to the other 50 amp socket hot wire. The only problem I see with that is you have 30 amps of capacity on one 50 amp leg and only 15 on the other. If the loads in the trailer don't match, you may not be able to run some things, e.g. if a 15,000 BTU AC is on the 50 amp circuit that ends up connected to the 15 amp plug, it will probably trip the 15 amp breaker. Maybe the Y adapter is configurable.

Al

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Al and Missy

I'm guessing here, but with a background of electrical engineering and circuit design. I suspect that the two neutrals from the 15 amp and 30 amp plugs are wired to the neutral of the 50 amp socket. Same for the safety grounds (green wire). The 15 amp plug hot wire is connected to one of the 50 amp socket hot wires and the 30 amp plug hot wire is connected to the other 50 amp socket hot wire. The only problem I see with that is you have 30 amps of capacity on one 50 amp leg and only 15 on the other. If the loads in the trailer don't match, you may not be able to run some things, e.g. if a 15,000 BTU AC is on the 50 amp circuit that ends up connected to the 15 amp plug, it will probably trip the 15 amp breaker. Maybe the Y adapter is configurable.

Al

My thoughts exactly, except you have no choice on which buss has the 30 amps. I'm guessing that the campground pedestal has a 30 amp and a 20 amp breaker.

[Mollysdad]

Upon more research, it appears that the 30 amp leg feeds one side of the 50 amp plug, and the 15 amp leg feeds the other.
However, modern campgrounds have GCFI protected service on the 15 amp plug, and the GCFI will trip, I'm guessing because the two neutrals are tied together.
With real 50 amp service you get 100 amps, while here you max out at 45, and unevenly distributed.