Plug Identification

[Christi W]

I am sure this a Newbie question - but - I just hauled home our Burro and I was going to plug it in and see how everything checked out. The plug says 30 amp RV but it looks like a 210 dryer plug!!

I'm assuming that it is 110 and campgrounds will have its mate -right?

It has a fairly large round pole at the top with the two broad poles at angles at the bottom - like a happy face with one eyeball!! - so I can't plug myself in at home because I assume most of my circuit breakers are 20 or less.

If someone can confirm this, I will be fairly happy, except I still don't know what works and what doesn't!!

Thanks everybody. Christi

[Frederick L. Simson]

The plug says 30 amp RV

I'm assuming that it is 110 and campgrounds will have its mate -right?

Yes, this is a 110 Volt Alternating Current, 30 Amp plug.

Most Campgrounds, but not all, will have a mating 30 amp recepticle. For those that do not, and for your use at home, there are 30 Amp to 15 Amp converter plugs. They are available at Camping World and WalMart.

15 amp to 30 amp converter

[Byron Kinnaman]

I am sure this a Newbie question - but - I just hauled home our Burro and I was going to plug it in and see how everything checked out. The plug says 30 amp RV but it looks like a 210 dryer plug!!

Thanks everybody. Christi

It's a lot smaller than a dryer plug. Same basic shape but smaller.

[Christi W]

It's a lot smaller than a dryer plug. Same basic shape but smaller.

Many thanks - off to Walmart - think I'll look for Mr.Heater too!! Christi
YOU ALL ARE THE BEST - power on,lights work,heater works. Think I'll spend the night in my driveway!!
Christi

[Kurt & Ann K.]

Christi,
Spend a whole day and night! Fix your meals there also, and you'll discover all sorts of things you need to exist. Make a list of needed items you had to retrieve from the house and purchase them before the inaugural "voyage". Having to leave a camp site in the boonies and drive 15 miles or more each way so you can eat, is considered by most to be a hard way to learn a lesson. Not surprisingly, many of us have had to go through that initiation process, maybe you can avoid it. Sometimes the process is referred to as "the school of hard knocks" or to use a couple of appropriate "smilies" !
Trust us, you will look back on "the learning curve" with a sense of humor even though sometimes things won't appear very humorous at the time.
From a couple who've "been there, done that"
Kurt & Ann K.

[John & Sandy M]

Yes, this is a 110 Volt Alternating Current, 30 Amp plug.

Most Campgrounds, but not all, will have a mating 30 amp recepticle. For those that do not, and for your use at home, there are 30 Amp to 15 Amp converter plugs. They are available at Camping World and WalMart.

15 amp to 30 amp converter

Actually it is quite handy to have a 30-15 Amp and a 15-30 Amp conversion plugs. I've found that most of the camp grounds have the 30 Amp outlets and the 15 Amp extension cords are much less expensive and easier to store than the 30 Amp cords (also handy for distances beyond what the 30 Amp cord will reach). I purchased the conversion plugs without the wiring between the connectors so they are extremely compact. Our 16' Scamp is quite happy with the 15 Amp power since we don't have an electric water heater and the current draw for the air conditioner is about the same as a small household window unit. Lights etc. are 12V through the battery/inverter.

[Brian B-P]

I agree that the 30A RV plug looks a lot like some 240V high-capacity connections (like the welder receptacle in my garage); however, the combination of pin sizes, positions, and angles follows a well-understood set of standards in the industry, which ensure that if they plug together, they have compatible ratings. The biggest risk is that someone puts an inappropriate connector on some circuit or device - it's a good thing that the easiest thing to do on an RV (buy the one everyone stocks in RV stores) is also the right thing!

Actually it is quite handy to have a 30-15 Amp and a 15-30 Amp conversion plugs...
...Our 16' Scamp is quite happy with the 15 Amp power since we don't have an electric water heater and the current draw for the air conditioner is about the same as a small household window unit. Lights etc. are 12V through the battery/inverter.

I think this means putting a 15-amp section (two adapters and a 15-amp cord) into an otherwise 30-amp circuit (30 A supply and trailer with 30 A cord and circuit breaker or fuse). If so, neither the supply side (the campground circuit) nor the load side (the breaker or fuse in the trailer) will limit the current to 15 A, which is potentially dangerous. Each piece individually is okay and has a legitimate use, but the combination is not good.

If I have misunderstood and the trailer is fused or breaker protected at 15 A, then there's no problem; however, if not, then I would certainly not be comfortable relying on the fact that normal loads would never exceed 15 A - I would change the trailer breaker or fuse to match the wiring capacity, presumably to 15 amps.

My Boler has a 30 A breaker in its AC panel, and a 30 A built-in cord. I do use an adapter to plug it into a 15 A extension cord; however, the cord is supplied by a household outlet which is protected by a 15 A breaker in the house panel.

In the end, something has to [b]limit current to the least capable element in the circuit.

[Joe MacDonald]

quite rite Brian, it's okay to down convert... i.e. 30 amp plug to 15 amp plug at the source,

But.... definitely not okay to go from 15 amp to 30 amp at the source, unless the adapter is separately fused. As a rule these adapters, especially the cheap ones are not protected.

Joe