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 Veteran
Posts: 218
Location: Ohio | A few years ago my wife bought a B&S generator when we were going to have an ice storm. It is a 5600 watt and will run anything. The obvious problem is the noise but where I am using it now that is not an issue. My problem is that it does not have a dedicated 30amp plug for my trailer. The house hold style plug will handle the amps but I can't get an adapter to fit into it. The house hold plug is slightly recessed so any 15 amp to 30 amp adapter will not fit into it. I am not the only one to use these generators I am sure. What have you all done. Yes I should get a Honda but I don't have $2k disposable at the moment. |
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Veteran
Posts: 109
Location: Florida | Just make a pigtail... The right plug for the gen, the right plug for the trailer, using about 1ft of the correct gauge wire in between them. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 657
 
Location: Rayne, LA | I think I bought one like you need.Look at the link below http://www.ebay.com/itm/RV-CAMPER-GENERATOR-ELECTRICAL-CORD-PLUG-ADAPTER-30-15-AMP-3-PIN-FEMALE-MALE-/271176602756?pt=Motors_RV_Trailer_Camper_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f23629484&vxp=mtr I got mine from a local RV dealer. Hope this helps |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385
Location: high desert, CA. | Exactly, make or buy a pigtail. If you make your own, use a cable with #12 gauge wire, and you can buy the pluds at any Home Depot/Lowes/,better hardware store. Even Wallyworld sells an adapter in the RV area of the auto section. |
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Veteran
Posts: 109
Location: Florida | I remembered I still had my pigtail I made from my old RV/gen setup, so I took a photo...
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Veteran
Posts: 218
Location: Ohio | Started looking after this and found they do make an adapter, didn't know they did. I also found out I have an L14-30 outlet on the generator so it has four prongs not three. That translates to three times the money for an adapter. Oh well, for $29 on Amazon I found the right one. Thanks for the reply. Feel much better about hooking up the AC now. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 657
Location: Rayne, LA | That is really the best way to power an RV. That receptacle handles more amperage than the standard household 15amp |
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Veteran
Posts: 109
Location: Florida | Make sure that 4 blade isn't the 240v side of the gen... I see no reason for a 4 blade on the 120v side.
Edit with that said... That plug of mine above went to the 120v 30amp section of my gen.
Edited by MrSteve 2013-03-24 1:47 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 218
Location: Ohio | According to the owners manual, it is a dual voltage plug, 120/240. It states "You can use the same 4-wire cord if you plan to run a 120 volt load." Not sure how that works but the adapter states it is for the L14-30 plug and that is exactly what I have. |
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Veteran
Posts: 109
Location: Florida | Ok gotta... You have to make sure to only use 1 ground on the plug you wire, in other words, that 4 blade plug would have 1 comman blade blank/not used. Just be careful on wiring the plug if you need to... 1 ground with 2ea 120v power lines could still give you 240v. |
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Veteran
Posts: 218
Location: Ohio | MrSteve,
This is the adapter I found on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-55382-Generator-Dogbone-Inches/dp/B0024...
It appears to be used specifically for this. I wouldn't think that 120 volt plugs would be 4 prong, they appear to be the L5-30 plugs which are the three prong ones. I have posted a question on the Briggs & Stratton site my generator (Storm Responder 5500) to see how it works. They also say it has an automatic voltage regulator but I think that is for cleaning the power not for changing the volts. Most electrical stuff makes sense to me, this is confusing. Trying to have this genny do double duty (it was bought for an ice storm a few years ago). Since it is on wheels and I have a ramp on my rig, I want to use it. I don't do much in the way of primitive camping anyway but when I do, it is nice to have it. |
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Veteran
Posts: 109
Location: Florida | Ok, that will work... I made sure to read the product description and it did say 120v, With that said they made the plug with one blade dead, I can only assume it is wired correctly or they wouldn't be selling them. So you are good to go imo with that product. |
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Veteran
Posts: 218
Location: Ohio | I think I will buy a volt meeter and after hooking it up will test it to make sure. I have too much invested in my trailer to not to spend the few bucks for that. Plus I can justify buying another tool12 ! |
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Veteran
Posts: 109
Location: Florida | Sounds like a good plan, nothing better then more tools. See, that is why I was pushing so hard to make sure the volts are right, as I am sure you know, 120v appliances would not like it to much having a over diet 240v juice. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 657
Location: Rayne, LA | Or simply plug a drop light in to it. The most it will cost you is a light bulb and a little energy when you jump from it blowing if it is 240 volts |
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Veteran
Posts: 218
Location: Ohio | I was in Germany a few years ago for a few months flying in and out of Iraq. I brought my wife and son over for 10 days and while I was out, they decorated my room for Christmas, as I would be gone over the holiday. They went to the base store and bought a Christmas tree and some lights figuring that if you bought it in GE it should work, right? Well they bought 110vac 60hz lights and plugged them into the European 240vac 50hz system. My son thought it was great, he told my wife the "lights are so bright". Fortunately due to the small Christmas lights they didn't blow but it was funny.
I also made the mistake of plugging a US version VCR into 220 when in the sand box, that lasted five minutes before smoke came out. Fried the crap out of that sucker.
Yeah, you don't want to mix voltages LOL! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 657
Location: Rayne, LA | It has been my past experience that most items are engineered with a certain amount of "smoke in them" and if you let it out it quits working LOL |
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Brigs and Stratton Generator
