Electrical: RV cheater box

[jjmtnhm]

Has anyone tested or used one of those RV cheater boxes that attaches to your 50-amp shore plug and has a pigtail of two adaptors that connect to both the 30-amp and 20-amp service outlets and gives your motorhome either 45- or 50-amp service?

[d.polka@mchsi.com]

Yes, have tried several times and found that it does not work. Can not find a rv park that has the 15/20 amp outlet on an independ leg. They just tie into the 30 amp leg. This did not give me anything other then 30 amp service. If there is a trick to it, I would like to know.

[Guest Wayne77590]

When I was in AZ I had a pedestal problem and the electrician came by and I watched him replace the 50 amp receptacle. Not only is the 20 amp drawn off of the 50 amp plug, but the 30 amp was drawn off of it also. I guess they don't expect that you will plug 50A and 30A cords in at the same time.

You have L1, L2, Neutral, and Ground on the 50 amp supply. L1 and L2 provide 110 volts on each leg. Plugging a cheater box in will not give you 50 amps, but will give you 110v on each leg. For the cost of a cheater box, I'd just as soon, and I did, buy adapters from 30 to 50, which still gives me 110v on each leg, but you do have to be careful how much coffee and other appliances you brew. I also have an adapter that is 50Amp, that fits the back of the Montana, to 110V male plug and I use a 12 gauge extension cord hooked to the 20 amp circuit. I can power one Montana air conditioner, overhead fan, OR television. Both fan and television will trip the breaker on occasion when the AC compressor kicks in, but work fine with the AC using just one of them.

Edited: To clear up the first paragraph, there was a 30A breaker with the source wire coming from the 50 amp line, so the 30 amp breaker would trip if the current exceeded 30A and break the connection.

[kingfr]

I am using one right now. It does work and keeps me from blowing breakers when both A/C units are on. Yes, the 30 and 20 amp circuits are on the same wire from the distribution panel, however the wire is large enough to carry 50 amps AND the distribution panel has a 50 amp breaker on the circuit. Also, the 20 amp breaker on my power pedestal is not a ground fault breaker. I made this so by replacing the 20 amp breaker myself. (I am a CG host and will be on the site for 4 months. I will reverse the change when I leave the park.) We still must be careful. This rig DOES NOT give you the 100 amps available on a true 50 amp circuit. No running both A/Cs, the washer and dryer, electric hot water and the microwave all at the same time.

[wolfe10]

I am using one right now. It does work and keeps me from blowing breakers when both A/C units are on. Yes, the 30 and 20 amp circuits are on the same wire from the distribution panel, however the wire is large enough to carry 50 amps AND the distribution panel has a 50 amp breaker on the circuit. Also, the 20 amp breaker on my power pedestal is not a ground fault breaker. I made this so by replacing the 20 amp breaker myself. (I am a CG host and will be on the site for 4 months. I will reverse the change when I leave the park.) We still must be careful. This rig DOES NOT give you the 100 amps available on a true 50 amp circuit. No running both A/Cs, the washer and dryer, electric hot water and the microwave all at the same time.

Frank has pointed out the basic flaw in this-- most CG 15/20 amp outlets are GFI protected (per current code). This device will NOT work with a GFI.

And even if it is not GFI protected and the device works, remember, you are not getting the same amp service as 50 amp.

With 50 amp, you have TWO 50 AMP HOTS= 100 amps available.

With this device you have one 30 and one 15 or 20 amp hots= 45 to 50 amps available.

Brett Wolfe

[garykd]

Hi jjmtnhm,

I have used a cheater box for several years. It has always worked for me. I use it when I do not have 50 AMP service and need more power than the 30 AMP outlet will allow. The extra 15 to 20 AMPS is all that is necessary, for me. The previously posted information needs to be taken into consideration, if in the situation you are facing, the box does not work.