50amp/30amp Surge Protection

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

ArvadaJon

New member
Joined
Feb 26, 2019
Posts
3
Hello! Since I can't find any information on this, I am guessing it's a dumb question....so my apologies. If I am at a hook up that is 50amp (my trailer is 30amp) and I have a dogbone converter, what do I do about a surge protector? Do I buy a 50amp surge protector or a 30amp one? If 50amp, do I plug the surge protector in first, then the dogbone?

Thank you for your advice!
 
It's not a dumb question at all. With a 30 amp rig you'll want a 30 amp protector. So if you need to plug in to a 50 amp slot, the dogbone should plug in to that 4-pin, 50 amp connector at the pedestal end, and the protector should be plugged in to the 30 amp slot on the dogbone.

The fact that 50 amps (actually, 100 amps with 50 on each of two legs*) is available isn't a problem -- you're looking to protect your rig, thus the 30 amp unit is best, and works regardless of where you hook up.

* The dogbone will only connect one of the two legs.
 
Buy a 50 Amp. That way if you ever go bigger with a RV and it has 50 Amp, you won't need to buy another one. Also, I would, along with many others here, recommend getting one from Progressive Industries. Either hard wired or portable.
First, plug in the surge protector and monitor the pedestal power. If all is good, shut off the circuit breaker at the pedestal, then plug in the 50 to 30 Amp adapter then the RV cord. Then you can turn the pedestal breaker on again.

Note: the Progressive surge protector will take 3 or 4 minutes before the RV is energized. It's monitoring the pedestal again
 
Thank you Larry. Sorry to ask, but what do you mean by: * The dogbone will only connect one of the two legs.

Rene T: if i buy a 50 amp, does that get plugged into the pedestal first or does the dogbone?

Thank you!
 
Rene T said:
Buy a 50 Amp. That way if you ever go bigger with a RV and it has 50 Amp, you won't need to buy another one.

I disagree.  BUY a 30A

Many of the State Park Campgrounds only have 30A available.  30A is always available.  50A is NOT always available.   
 
Hi Jon. Welcome. 50 amp service has 2 separate 120 volt lines whereas 30 amp has only one.  The  adapter would only pass one of the 120 volt lines to your power cord.
I agree with Larry and Spencer that you only need the 30 amp suppressor. If you buy the 50 amp, you'll need two and would always be using at least one of them.  If you're at a 30 amp site, you'd need two adapters.
 
SpencerPJ said:
I disagree.  BUY a 30A

Many of the State Park Campgrounds only have 30A available.  30A is always available.  50A is NOT always available. 

All you need is a 30 to 50 Amp adapter between the CG pedestal and the surge protector, then a 50 to 30 Amp adapter from the surge protector to the RV cord. I still stand by what I said. The OP never said anything about state parks so I assume they'll be going to regular CG too and all the ones I've been to, there is always 50 Amp service. And the odds are, the 50 Amp receptacle is probably in better shape than internally the 30 amp because of less use.
 
The 50A model is the best long term investment, providing for future upgrade to a 50A RV.  It will works fine with a 30A trailer when coupled with suitable 30/5- adapters.  However all you need is a 30A, whether the source outlet is 50A or 30A.  The 50A protector will have a 50A (4 prong) plug to the power pedestal and a 50A receptacle for your shore cord, so you would require  "dogbone" adapters for every hook-up. The 30A protector will have 30A (3-prong) plug and inlet, so no adapers needed wherever 30A power is available.
 
No need to have dual surge protectors 
If you have a 30 amp RV. you need a 30 amp unit. I Suggested a HW-30C
If you have a 50  you need a 50 (HW-50C)

If you are using a dogbone. Well it basically does not matter. 

IN fact. so you know if you were to open a "Multiple outlet" box (50/30/20) the wiring inside for the 30 amp outlet is basically identical to what's in the dogbone.

So is the 20 (only usually on the other leg).

But you get just the surge guard that matches your RV.
 
John From Detroit said:
No need to have dual surge protectors 
If you have a 30 amp RV. you need a 30 amp unit. I Suggested a HW-30C
If you have a 50  you need a 50 (HW-50C)

If you are using a dogbone. Well it basically does not matter. 

IN fact. so you know if you were to open a "Multiple outlet" box (50/30/20) the wiring inside for the 30 amp outlet is basically identical to what's in the dogbone.

So is the 20 (only usually on the other leg).

But you get just the surge guard that matches your RV.

John, will a 50 Amp surge protector work on a 30 Amp CG pedestal with a 30 Amp RV with the appropriate adapters?
The one's you were talking about are the hard wired and the one's I'm talking about is portable so the OP can take it with them if they upgrade and they can save by not having to buy another one.
The portable 50 Amp is $342
The portable 30 Amp is $229.
 
Rene T said:
Will a 50 Amp surge protector work on a 30 Amp CG pedestal with a 30 Amp RV with the appropriate adapters?
The one's you were talking about are the hard wired and the one's I'm talking about is portable so the OP can take it with them if they upgrade and they can save by not having to buy another one.
The portable 50 Amp is $342
The portable 30 Amp is $229.

Yes.  Surge protectors guard against voltage surges, not current, so the current rating of the outlet it's plugged to is irrelevant.

The difference in pricing between the 30 and 50 amp models is the 30 amp has one circuit to protect, while the 50 amp protects two circuits.

You'll only use one half of the 50 amp surge protector with a 30 amp pedestal or a 30 amp RV, but it will work fine.
 
I recommend hard wired for several reasons including you never forget it. and security.

But portable or hardwired.  Makes no difference.

You get the device that matches your RV's needs  30 amp RV 30 amp Device
50 amp RV 50 amp Device

If using the 50 amp on a 30 amp site by plugging it into a dogbone.. Works great. in fact works greater.

At the RV end of the dogbone... That's all that matters.  What is at the RV end of the dog bone.

So what is the difference between 50 and 30 amps (other than the amprage)
50 amp is 4 wire plug.. 30 amp is a 3 wire plug
So what happens to the 4th wire when you use a dogbone.. Well the technical term is N/C (Not Connected) and that is is.. It is simply not connected.  So you need not protect it.
 
John From Detroit said:
If using the 50 amp on a 30 amp site by plugging it into a dogbone.. Works great. in fact works greater.

Soooopoo, the OP would be better off financially, if they're going to go with a portable surge protector, to go with a 50 Amp protector because as you say, "in fact it works greater".
And they'll be already set up when and if they ever upgrade and end up with a 50 Amp RV.

Thanks John.
 
Rene T said:
Soooopoo, the OP would be better off financially, if they're going to go with a portable surge protector, to go with a 50 Amp protector because as you say, "in fact it works greater".
And they'll be already set up when and if they ever upgrade and end up with a 50 Amp RV.

Thanks John.

No.  YOu get the surge protector that MATCHES YOUR RV..  If you feel the need for additional spike suppression you can add it for far less than the difference in prices.  (I DID)

You get the surge protector that matches your RV 30 or 50 amp

If you use a 50 amp portable on a 30 amp site with a 30 amp rig that means a dogbone between the protector and park and another between the Protector and yoru RV.. This is just too many plugs and sockets because none of them are perfect

But if you use a 30 amp Protector on a 30 amp RV you either have ONE plug socket added (portable) Or NONE (Hard wired) and the fewer plugs the better as well.
 
I guess everyone will have to decide on their own because it will work either way. . For me, I would use the 50 on a 30 Amp site. I do it and it works great.  I have the Progressive Industries adapters which are super duper heavy construction not like the standard dog bones. 

https://www.progressiveindustries.net/50-30adapter
 
Some seem fixated on the amp protection, but the 30A protection for the RV is provided by the 30A breaker in the load center (the RV breaker panel). You have the same amp limit whether the surge unit is 30A or 50A.
 
Personally, if I had a 30 amp camper I would get a 30 amp surge protector. So far while camping, I have never seen a 50 amp pedestal that didn?t also have a 30 amp receptacle in it.....but maybe there are a few.  I have seen plenty with just a 30 amp receptacle. A portable plug and adapter never makes as good of contact as a hard-wired situation and adding a bunch of adapters is a potential problem at each connection point where they plug together due to oxidation, corrosion, or water intrusion, which John from Detroit was alluding to. Ideally, the surge protector should be plugged into the pedestal, then every thing downstream of it is protected from potential screwups. Adding adaptors in front of it defeats a potion of the protection most of these units provide. (Open grounds, open neutrals, etc) I have been forced to use a 30 to 50 amp dog bone adapter at a 30 amp only pedestal, but I never like it.
 
So far while camping, I have never seen a 50 amp pedestal that didn?t also have a 30 amp receptacle in it...

I have.. three weeks ago I was parked on it

But in that case with a 30 amp RV you use a Dogbone... Meanwhile in the week out (of this park) the poor folks next to me could not get power. ALL tests showed park system was good (park is actually owned by the power company and leased to the county so I expected as much) but the plug was not making contact with the 30 amp outlet.. So I grabbed my Dogbone..  Then I got sick and I mean SICK could not even talk (Did not affect my typing other than the amount).  THey got their own dogbone and when I went to go shopping on my departure day (I shop on Wed's) Mine was on the driver's seat of my non-operative car.. Jump started the car and all was good (New battery installed for free) and made it to the 30 amp site I'm on now no problem.

I believe in carrying a full set of Adapters (Dog bones)
I can plug a 50 amp rig into 20/30 or 50
I can plug a 30 amp rig into 20/30/50

But for surge protection.. You match your Protector to your RV always  30 amp gets 30 amp
50 gets 50
 
John From Detroit said:
But for surge protection.. You match your Protector to your RV always  30 amp gets 30 amp
50 gets 50

Agree  :))

I'll use an adapter, here and there if in a pinch, but not as the norm.
 
Back
Top Bottom