50 Amp Progressive Surge Protector Not Working When Connected to 30 Amp Service via "Dog Bone"

Question:

I have 50 amp travel trailer and plugging into 30 amp. And would like to use my 50 amp progressive surge protector, is this possible? Last time we plugged in 30 amp to 50 dog bone into box, then plugged in progressive 50 amp, then plugged in trailer to progressive but it did not work! Please help

asked by: Kim

Expert Reply:

You can connect your trailer with 50-amp service to a 30-amp RV park outlet with a 50-amp surge protector. For instance, the 50 amp cord from your trailer (with male prongs) can plug into a 50-amp surge protector. The cord from the surge protector can plug into the female side of a 30 amp to 50-amp adapter (dog bone) like the Mighty Cord # Item # A10-3050FBK Dog Bone Adapter. Then the 30-amp end of the dog bone plugs into your 30-amp service.

If your 50-amp surge protector detects an error it will display an error code. Many times a list of these error codes will be printed on the unit. Otherwise you will need to consult your Owner's Manual.

I reached out to my contact at Progressive Industries and was told that you were likely having a low/no power issue. You can trouble shoot this yourself by measuring the voltage at your 30-amp outlet. I have attached a link to an article that will show what voltages to expect on each connection on a plug.

Next plug in your 30 to 50 dog bone and measure the voltage on the 50-amp end. You should measure 120 volts on both hot sockets. Your surge protector will not work if there is not voltage present on both hot sockets, or proper grounding.

If you still have issues you may need to find a 50-amp service outlet you can plug into to test your surge protector. It will be important to see if there are any error codes with just plugged into an outlet.

expert reply by: Les D