Quote:
Originally Posted by TurnerFam
it works, yes, but only IF the smaller 15/20amp outlet is NOT a GFCI protected outlet...
I've done this many times, but generally the 15/20amp outlet is from another source, such as a nearby building, using an extension cord to reach it.
For some reason, the GFCI protected outlets, which are now common and normal in almost every campground and rv park, do not play well with these adapters, and they will not pass thru the power to the RV.
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The reason is that the adapter shares the same common in the 50-Amp RV shore line (power cord) so the 30 Amp can go down one leg, and the 15/20 Amp can go down the other leg. However, when the (up to) 45~50 Amps returns combined down a single wire (the common), there’s no way to split the current “exactly” at the adapter between the 30A and 15/20A outlets so that the GFIC protected breaker doesn’t trip.
That’s all assuming that the 30A and 15/20A are all on same phase (an assumption made in posts above that’s not a given). In event that 30A and 15/20A are wired in pedestal to separate phases, the current imbalance coming back on the neutral will be even worse. Not that it makes a practical difference because the GFIC should trip either way when it senses an imbalance of a small fraction of one Amp.
Let me know if a numerical example would help clarify this.
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