Using a "Cheater Box"

[GlenBAzle]

I purchased a Cheater Box w/ the 50 Amp to 2-30 Amp plugs based on a recommendation.
Last wknd, when we took our "maiden voyage", I plugged one of the 30-Amp ends into the 30A pole connection. The other one I tried to plug into the 20-Amp (110) pole connection...kept throwing the 20A breaker at the pole. I wasn't getting full power in the trailer, nor was my battery being charged off the one 30Amp connection.
I wound up using 2 10 gauge extention cords plugged into the cheater box to power all of the trailer, which is what I have to do at home.
I was told that the 20A connections must have been GFCI, thus the cheater box wouldn't work.
This was at a Texas State Park--we did/do a lot of camping at these when we had our other trailer, which was 30A, not a 50A, which our 5er is.

Any advice/toughts? I'm not that well versed on "electrical", so please don't get too technical with me--:)...lay man's trerm, please.

Is there a different type adapter cord available to get the full 50A service to the trailer, rather than this type hook-up I did?
Thanks!

[JRTJH]

If the cheater box you have is two 30 amp plugs wired to a 50 amp plug that you run to the trailer, and you are using another 30 amp/20 amp(15 amp) adapter on one of the 30 amp plugs, you may be overloading the 20 amp breaker. You could try switching the 20 amp adapter to the other 30 amp plug on your box to see if it will power the other side of your trailer input.

Another way to look at it is: If you have two 30 amp plugs running to the two legs in your 50 amp box, you have 30 amps on each leg into your RV. If you plug one of those 30 amp plugs into a 20 amp outlet, you no longer get 30 amps to your RV on that leg because the 20 amp outlet limits that leg. So, if your RV draws more than 20 amps on that side of the 50 amp plug, it will blow the 20 amp circuit breaker on the power pole.

There may be an issue with the GFI on the power pole 20 amp circuit, but I'd be more inclined to think that your RV is simply drawing more than the 20 amp breaker on the pole will supply. Try using a 30 amp extension cord on the one side and plug it into an adjacent 30 amp plug on another power pole and see if the box works OK. My guess is that it will.....

Good luck.

[SAD]

I have a cheater box and they work GREAT under the right circumstances.

The cheater boxes will NOT work if one of the circuits you're using is a GFI.

[BlindGuyNAR]

I guess the question is did it trip instantly or after a while. Instantly and it is probably GFI, but after a while it's probably load related.

[BlindGuyNAR]

I have a cheater box and they work GREAT under the right circumstances.

The cheater boxes will NOT work if one of the circuits you're using is a GFI.

The "under the right circumstances" is the best way to put it.

They really are only safe to use when the 20amp and 30amp circuits are connected with different wire runs to the pole or connected to the same wire run capable of supplying the 50 amp draw at the same time.

The problem then becomes how do you know how the pole wired?

[GlenBAzle]

BlindguyR--it threw the breaker on the pole instantly when I tried plugging in.

[SAD]

BlindguyR--it threw the breaker on the pole instantly when I tried plugging in.

It's because of the the GFI.

[rclark]

Seems like most codes require gfi on receptacles that are outside??

We are currently staying in a RV park on the OR coast with only 30 AMP.

I have resolved most overload issues by running the hot water on LP and making sure that we do not get to many appliances on at the same time.

[SAD]

Seems like most codes require gfi on receptacles that are outside??

We are currently staying in a RV park on the OR coast with only 30 AMP.

I have resolved most overload issues by running the hot water on LP and making sure that we do not get to many appliances on at the same time.

For household style outlets (15-20 amp 120v) that's true. However, they don't exist for 30 amp RV (120v)..... And they are not possible for 50 amp RV due to the load imbalance on the two hit legs.

[PARAPTOR]

Out of curiosity I searched the internet to see what a cheater was and found at least two. One from Camco and the other from Progressive, both stated in their AD that they can not be used with a GFI outlet, which is normally what I have seen on the power poles.

[Bob Landry]

OK, I'm confused. The OP said he had a 50-30-30 cheater box but the 20A breaker at the pedestal was tripping. My interpretation of that box would be that you plug it into 50A service and it splits each leg to provide two 30A services to the trailer. If that's not the case, then it's not a 50-30-30. Also, why would he be trying to plug a 20A cord in a 30A service? You would not be able to plug the 30A cord into the 20A outlet without an additional adapter. I think I have read of splitters that combine a 20A & 30A service to provide one 50A, but that would only be one 50A leg, not two like you would get with regular 50A service. I personally would not ever depend on one of those to work. The two outlets may not be in perfect phase, you could get a voltage drop from the difference. If they work, great, I just don't see how they do it.

[WaltBennett]

I've seen those boxes and really don't think I'd want to try one, because as said earlier, you just don't know how the pedestals are wired. A little power management can go a long way.

Unless you've got a second AC, you really don't need 50 amp service if you're just a little careful with power use (coffee pot, water heater, ac, electric fireplace, both TVs and whatever else all on at the same time!). We've only one AC but are wired for a second and 50 amp service. Don't have to think about anything if we've 50 amps, but we've camped for multiple days at different CGs using only 30 amps and everything's worked fine. I hook up to a 15 amp circuit at home via a 10 gauge extension cord and can run the AC by itself in the summer.

[SAD]

OK, I'm confused. The OP said he had a 50-30-30 cheater box but the 20A breaker at the pedestal was tripping. My interpretation of that box would be that you plug it into 50A service and it splits each leg to provide two 30A services to the trailer. If that's not the case, then it's not a 50-30-30. Also, why would he be trying to plug a 20A cord in a 30A service? You would not be able to plug the 30A cord into the 20A outlet without an additional adapter. I think I have read of splitters that combine a 20A & 30A service to provide one 50A, but that would only be one 50A leg, not two like you would get with regular 50A service. I personally would not ever depend on one of those to work. The two outlets may not be in perfect phase, you could get a voltage drop from the difference. If they work, great, I just don't see how they do it.

I believe that is what he is referring to.

However your understanding that they provide one leg is incorrect. The concept behind these boxes is that the combine the hots with a shared neutral. Making a 125/250 circuit.

Presumably two 30s.... Or a 30/20. It's up to the end use to ensure these hots are on opposite legs; and not to overload the neutral.

These boxes are not for those who don't understand electricity.

[Bob Landry]

I guess I don't understand why he is going to all of that trouble to get 30A into his trailer. A 30-50 adapter would plug into the 30A service at the park and feed it to both of his 50A inputs at the connector. He would only have 30 going into the trailer but it would go to both of his service legs and he could do a little energy management and decide what he wanted to run. Marinco makes the adapters and they aren't that much.

[SAD]

I guess I don't understand why he is going to all of that trouble to get 30A into his trailer. A 30-50 adapter would plug into the 30A service at the park and feed it to both of his 50A inputs at the connector. He would only have 30 going into the trailer but it would go to both of his service legs and he could do a little energy management and decide what he wanted to run. Marinco makes the adapters and they aren't that much.

If he was at a campsite which had two 30s, he would get 60 amps into his trailer using that cheater box.

[Bob Landry]

OK.. Can't say I've ever seen a CG with 2 30A outlasts a the pedestal..

[SAD]

OK.. Can't say I've ever seen a CG with 2 30A outlasts a the pedestal..

We have several here. Could also use at home.

[Htfiremedic]

OK.. Can't say I've ever seen a CG with 2 30A outlasts a the pedestal..


Many of our SC parks, Corps parks and locals have two 30's. I made a cheater box and use it at the Ga. State Parks and a couple in NC. Most of our parks have chosen to wait until they "have" to upgrade to a 50 amp, because of cost.
There are several designs on the interweb that show the "proper way". It is really a simple process.


Steve Hudson
Sent from my iPhone

[Htfiremedic]

Here are pics of the one I made. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/20/2yge6ebu.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/20/8uzuje4e.jpg


Steve Hudson
Sent from my iPhone

[BigBearWV]

Here are pics of the one I made. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/20/2yge6ebu.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/20/8uzuje4e.jpg


Steve Hudson
Sent from my iPhone

No disrespect but as a camp ground owner this scares me to death I hope you keep a fire extinguisher near at all times. What size wire are those gray pig tails? You have 2 adapters that go from 30 amp to 15 amp then you plug them into something that you are going to try and suck 50 amps from good luck.

[Htfiremedic]

I had an electrician do the math and he supplied the correct parts. I did the connections.


Steve Hudson
Sent from my iPhone

[Bob Landry]

It kinda scares me a little also. If the 30s at the pedestal share a neutral and it happens to be undersized , which happens a lot with neutrals, it would probably survive one 30A load, but doubling the load on it would be dicey and I would be concerned about heat buildup. There are other places to camp and not have to risk an electrical fire. Personally I would go with the adapter that plugs into a 30A and combines the two 50s at the trailer connection into basically a 30A service feeding a 50 and just live with some energy management.