Category: RV Camping

There is often confusion about what happens when you try to use a 30 amp to 50 amp adapter (sometimes called a “dogbone”) at a campground pedestal. Actually, there is confusion when any adapter is used to adjust the electricity provided to an RV.

But in this article we will discuss whether or not you should use a 30 amp to 50 amp adapter. And we will explain what happens when you do.

Disclosure: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means – at no additional cost to you – I earn a commission if you make a purchase using our affiliate links. I only link to products and companies I use and feel comfortable recommending. The income goes toward supporting the free content on this website.

A 50 Amp RV Electrical Service – What Does It Mean?

If you have an RV with a 50 amp electrical service it means that you have a thick and heavy electrical cord. And at the end of that cord you have a 4 prong 50 amp plug. So what does all those prongs do? And why is the cord so heavy?

A 50 amp RV electrical service comes with 2 wires that are rated to supply 50 amps of power to the RV. Then there is also a neutral wire and a ground wire.

That makes up all four prongs on the plug. And because wires that are rated to carry 50 amps are large, the cord becomes very heavy.

Essentially, you have 2 legs of 50 amp electrical service going into the RV. That is a lot of power. And if you multiply the amps by the total volts, you get the total power available to you in watts.

In other words, the wattage figure that you get tells you how much power can be consumed at one time safely. So two legs of 120 volts equals 240 volts.

If we multiply that by 50 amps that each leg can carry, that leaves us with 12,000 watts. This means that a 50 amp RV electrical service can run devices that total up to 12,000 watts of power simultaneously.

And in the real world that means that you can run a lot of devices and appliances without overloading the service.

30 Amps To 50 Amps – What Happens?

So what happens when you connect a 50 amp RV to a 30 amp campground outlet? A standard RV adapter with a 30 amp male plug and a 50 amp female connector normally feeds the same 120 volt hot wire to both hot legs of the RV.

The neutral and ground connections stay separate. Both sides of the RV’s 120 volt panel can receive power, but they share one 30 amp supply, and this connection does not provide 240 volts for any appliance that requires it.

This can be a useful hookup when your RV manufacturer allows it and you use the correct, properly rated RV adapter. The campground outlet must be correctly wired, grounded, and protected for 30 amps, and the cord and connections must be in good condition.

A basic dogbone adapter changes the plug connection; it does not regulate the current or provide overload protection. The pedestal breaker protects the 30 amp supply, while the RV’s breakers protect their circuits, so you still need to manage the total load.

Your RV’s heavier 50 amp cord does not turn that campground hookup into 50 amp service. Running too many appliances can still overload the 30 amp supply.

30 Amps To 50 Amps – What’s The Difference?

So how much power do you have available? At a nominal 120 volts, a 30 amp hookup provides 3,600 watts in total, shared across both sides of the RV’s panel.

That is much less than the 12,000 watts available from normal 50 amp service, so plan which appliances you use together. This setup is different from plugging a 30 amp RV into a 50 amp outlet, which I cover in a separate guide.

So for an RV that has a 50 amp service, you probably have a lot of power hungry appliances. You may have 2 or more air conditioners, a microwave, a washer/dryer setup, and more.

If you now only have less than a third of the usable power going into the RV, adjustments must be made. This means that you probably can only safely run one air conditioner at a time.

And you may have to limit how many other power hungry devices you use simultaneously. In many cases you can still use them, just not all at once.

Check your appliance ratings and your RV’s instructions to plan which loads can run together, rather than adding appliances until a breaker trips. Remember to count background loads, too, such as the battery charger.

If a breaker trips, turn off the affected loads and follow the manufacturer’s instructions before resetting it. If it trips again or keeps tripping, stop and have the problem checked by a qualified technician or campground staff.

If you also plug in between trips, my guide to plugging in your RV at home covers that different connection.

Click here for a 30 amp to 50 amp RV plug adapter

(This is an affiliate link for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

I hope this has cleared up some of the confusion about RV amp ratings in the RV and at the pedestal. For a separate look at voltage and wiring protection, read about electrical protection for a 50 amp RV.

Have safe and happy travels my friends!

One of the most important skills a new RVer learns is how to get city water into your RV. Then you can use it for washing, drinking, cleaning, etc. So you have to be able to use the RV water hookup in the campground where you are staying.

In most cases, the campground RV water hookup will be a faucet in your campsite. When you connect an RV water hose to the faucet and then to your rig, you are all set.

But I am going to show you 3 things that will improve your campground water connection. They will enhance your safety and the safety of your RV. And they can also help make your RV life more convenient.

Disclosure: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means – at no additional cost to you – I earn a commission if you make a purchase using our affiliate links. I only link to products and companies I use and feel comfortable recommending. The income goes toward supporting the free content on this website.

RV Water Hookup Must-Have #1 -RV Water Pressure Regulator

The first must-have for your RV water connection is an RV water pressure regulator. Why are these devices needed?

Simply because many campgrounds will have a water connection that has too much pressure in the line.

And the danger is that if you hook up to this high RV water pressure, you may damage your rig’s plumbing. If that happens, it is usually not an inexpensive repair.

So an RV water pressure regulator makes sure that the water pressure going into your RV is safe.

It attaches easily to any RV water hose. And then it regulates the pressure so that your RV’s plumbing will not be damaged when you hookup.

These little devices are very cheap insurance against very costly repair bills. So there is no reason why you would not want to use them every time you hookup to campground water.

The links below explain more about them.

Click here for RV water regulator #1

Click here for RV water regulator #2

(These are affiliate links for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

RV Water Hookup Must-Have #2 – A Water Filter

As we travel around in our RV, we use several campground water hookups. And in most cases, we don’t really know where the water is coming from for that connection.

We also don’t know what condition that water is in either. And that is why it makes sense to use a water filter whenever you connect to a water supply.

There are several kinds of water filters available. Some are very expensive and some are not.

Generally speaking, the more expensive the RV water filter, the more filtration takes place.

Also some require a permanent mount in your RV while other can simply be hooked up to your RV water hose.

I have used a very inexpensive canister RV water filter for a while now. You often see these kind of filters being used by RVers in campgrounds.

They easily fit any water hose, and they can be set up in just minutes. It is true that there are better RV water filters available.

But these RV canister filters do an amazingly good job, especially for the price. They help remove bad taste, while also filtering out odors, chlorine and sediment.

You can always use these inexpensive RV water filters along with other filters as well. So here is the RV canister water filter that I recommend for consideration (just click on the link below to learn more about it):

Click here for the RV water filter canister that I use

(This is an affiliate link for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

RV Water Hookup Must-Have #3 – A Dual Water Hose Connection

This next item may not be as essential as the other two for the safety of both you and your rig. But it is a great time and energy saver that every RVer should know about.

I don’t know how many times I have needed to use a water hose to wash something at my campsite. But if I only have a single RV water hookup, it presents a problem.

That is because I will have to use the hose that feeds my fresh water system. That in turn means that I have to take apart the existing water connection.

But if I use a dual hose water connection at the campground faucet, everything is much easier.

All I have to do is just add another hose to the second connection at the faucet. Then I turn the water on to the second hose and I’m all set to go.

I have gotten such good use out of this arrangement and I’m sure that you will too.

Here is a dual water hose connection that you may want to consider (just click on the link below to learn more about it):

Click here for a high quality dual hose water connector

(This is an affiliate link for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

RV Water Connection Tips

Having the RV water hookup gear that I mentioned above will help make your campground experience a good one.

But understanding them is even more important. So here is a little more information about the items mentioned above.

There are several kinds of water regulators that can be used for RV camping. And I included links to two of them.

Either one will work for you, but I personally like to use the RV water regulator that has a pressure gauge.

Why? Simply because it gives me more information about the water pressure that is coming from my campground connection. And more control of the water pressure too.

The regulator that has a “Low/Good/High” readout will do the job. But it doesn’t allow you to adjust the pressure going into your rig at the connection.

But the regulator that has the actual water pressure readout will also allow you to adjust the water pressure to fit your situation.

So if your RV is a newer one, you may be able to use a higher water pressure like 60 psi. But if it is older, it may be safer to adjust the pressure to 45 – 50 psi instead to protect your older plumbing.

But at least you know exactly what you are dealing with if you know the correct water pressure at the water connection.

Of course, the water regulator with the actual PSI gauge costs more. But for me, I think it is worth it if you can afford the extra cost.

More Water Connection Tips

Another good tip is to use a 5/8 inch food grade water hose for your RV water hookup.

You will find a lot of water hoses that you could choose from for your RV water connection.

But if it does not specifically state that it is approved for use in food preparation, don’t use it!

This is because some of the materials used for garden and outdoor hoses can be detrimental to your health.

But a food grade hose has to be made with materials that will safely transport the water into your rig without adversely affecting the water quality.

So does the size of the hose make a difference? Yes, it can. If you want the best water pressure possible from your water connection, you should use a 5/8 inch hose.

It’s a little larger than a 1/2 inch hose, but it can make a lot of difference in your faucet and shower water pressure.

The extra diameter allows for more water flow. And since most campgrounds don’t provide the kind of water flow that you experience at home, this is a good thing!

Click here for a drinking water safe 5/8 inch hose designed for RV use

(This is an affiliate link for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

Cold Weather Water Hookups

Cold weather can be a challenge to water connections in RV campgrounds. In fact, when the temperature drops to freezing or below, you need to exercise caution.

This is because the last thing you want is to have your RV water pipes freeze and burst. That kind of problem can be crazy expensive to repair.

So how do you protect your water system in very cold weather? An easy way to do that is to only hook up to the RV water connection long enough to fill up your RVs fresh water tank.

Then remove your hose and keep it in a place where it won’t freeze. When your fresh water tank gets low, hook up again only long enough to fill the tank again.

It can be a little inconvenient to implement this strategy, but it can also prevent a lot of repair headaches.

Some RVers tempt the elements by keeping their water hose connected below freezing. And some get away with it.

But I have had a water filter connected at the faucet burst from water freezing inside it at only 30 degrees.

So I don’t play around with my water connection in very cold weather. And I think you shouldn’t either!

Conclusion

Your campground RV water hookup is very important since you will be using water for so many purposes in your RV. Like bathing, cleaning, washing, and drinking.

So why not make sure that the water coming into your rig is safe for both you and your rig?

A residential water connection requires little to no thought on our part in most cases. But the quality and safety of the water connection for our RV is entirely up to us.

And using these 3 must-have items and my tips for your campground water hookup will make your RV life easier and safer.

Have safe and happy travels my friends!