If you’ve got a 50-amp RV, knowing how to wire a 50-amp RV plug can be important information. In fact, a shore power cord plug in poor condition can be dangerous. And a broken plug that can’t be used at all can ruin your camping trip. Fortunately, 50-amp plugs aren’t difficult to replace or very expensive. In this post, we explain why you may need to replace the plug on the end of your RV’s 50-amp power cord and how to do it yourself.
We provide you with a wiring diagram for a 50-amp RV plug and show you the right way to do the job as a DIY project, right at your campsite if necessary.
Why You Should Know How to Replace Your 50-Amp RV Plug
You might need to replace the plug on the end of your RV power cord for several reasons:
Damage from Use Over Time
The RV plug at the end of your shore power cord gets a lot of use. So do RV park power pedestals. The repeated pushing and pulling of the plug’s prongs into and out of 50-amp outlets can cause the prongs to loosen over time. It’s also easy to drop the plug onto the ground while handling the heavy cord, which can damage it. These wear-and-tear issues can result in damage to your RV’s power plug over time.
Damage from Overheating
First, it’s important to understand the power behind 50-amp RV service. A 50-amp circuit has 2 poles (legs) of 50 amps each. This means that despite the common “50-amp” designation, it can actually provide a total of 100 amps of current. But, you can’t exceed 50 amps on either leg — hence the name. You’ll find more information in our detailed post on the 50-amp RV plug, but suffice it to say that a lot of amperage is pulled through it.
Your 50-amp RV power plug has four prongs. Two of the prongs carry 120V AC power at up to 50 amps each. The other two prongs of a 50-amp RV plug include one neutral wire and one ground wire.
This is what each prong on a 50-amp RV power cord plug does. The wires inside the plug correspond to the arrow colors we’ve used to identify each prong. As long as you can see color, you can wire your 50-amp plug.
Over time, 50-amp RV plugs can start to show signs of burning around one or both prongs that hold the hot wires. And once you have signs of overheating on the plug, that leads to even more heat and more damage. This is a fairly common situation, especially for RVers who frequently camp with their RVs plugged into campground power pedestals.
Broken Prong
A prong (most often the round one — the ground — at the top) can break off. Sometimes a weak prong isn’t noticed until you suddenly find it stuck in a 50-amp RV outlet or embedded in RV surge protector when you pull it out.
PRO TIP: While we’re on the topic, let’s take a moment for a critically important topic. We never (EVER. SERIOUSLY!) plug our RV into shore power without using a Power Watchdog. The potential damage to our rig simply isn’t worth the risk. We love our Watchdog so much more than any other surge protector that we even arranged for special RVgeeks discounts so you can save on one when you protect your rig, too.
Prices vary, so be sure to check all three sources (factory-direct, Mobile Must Have, and Amazon). Both 50-amp and 30-amp units are available, and we prefer the latest, top-of-the-line models with EPO (Emergency Power Off) and Wi-Fi (for remote monitoring & alerts).
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Now that we’ve gotten that off our chests, we’ll get off our soapbox about the critical importance of surge & spike protection and get back to today’s main topic!
Damage from Campground Power Pedestals
It’s possible to park your RV at a campsite and plug your rig into 50-amp service that damages your power plug and even your surge protector, depending on which one you’re using. Here’s why:
50-amp outlets should have 120/240-volt, 2-pole service with a circuit breaker coming into the pedestal. This should have a double pole breaker. So on a typical campground pedestal, you’ll see the 15/20- and the 30-amp outlets fed by single pole circuit breakers (one switch), while the 50-amp outlet is fed by a double (2-pole) circuit breaker (two switches).
This is a typical campground pedestal, with 15/20- and 30-amp outlets fed by single-pole circuit breakers and a 50-amp outlet fed by a double (2-pole) circuit breaker.
This is because if a campground ran a single leg to both contacts when installing a 50 amp outlet, the shore power contacts and the neutral wires could carry up to 100 amps of current without tripping the 50 amp breaker. That much overcurrent could fry your RV’s plug, surge protector, and shore power cord. It could even catch on fire.
While the scenario above is unlikely because electricians understand the importance of installing double-pole breakers on 50-amp outlets, some states have no regulations requiring that a licensed electrician wire a campground. So, we mention this information to reinforce how much current you’re dealing with when you have 50-amp service to your RV… and what can happen if a power pedestal isn’t properly wired with the appropriately limited current.
The point is that a campground can be improperly wired, have outdated wiring (which may even be out of code), or have rusty contacts or loose screws. A power pedestal can have internal damage that you’d be unaware of when plugging in. Some campground power pedestals are really old, and many are poorly maintained. Circuit breaker panels are located outside in all kinds of weather, with outlets being plugged into by multiple RVers throughout the season.
The bottom line is that you could end up with a fried shore power plug. That means that you can’t just move to another site or campground and plug in… until you replace your 50-amp RV plug. So, keeping an extra plug on hand is a good idea. Now, let’s discuss 50-amp RV plug wiring to prepare you in advance, just in case. And did we mention the importance of surge and spike protection?!
How to Wire a 50-Amp RV Plug
Besides the DIY steps for installing your new plug, we’ll also include links to a couple of popular 50-amp male power plugs. However, you should be aware of a few things, so first, a couple of notes.
A Note About Plug Measurements
The plugs with handles built into them are great, and they’re popular for a reason. However, before purchasing a plug with a handle, note the dimensions of the plug you’re considering to ensure it will fit through any port or opening in your RV that you use to feed your cord through when connecting to shore power. The dimensions are usually listed in the Amazon descriptions.
If your rig has an opening through which you feed your power cord (like the one at the upper left of this photo with the lid currently closed), consider the dimensions of your new plug before ordering. A larger plug may not fit through the opening, even with the lid wide open. That would be a deal-breaker for some large plugs.
An Important Note About Wire Routing
Also, we believe the directions for the Camco (and other) plugs should be revised. They suggest routing the ground (green) wire up through the middle of the plug. We disagree. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it Camco’s way… but we wouldn’t. We’ll tell you why as we take a look at a couple of wiring diagrams for a 50-amp RV plug:
We prefer the wiring option on the right because it makes a short between the green ground wire and the black positive wire less likely. You can route around either side — left/black or right/red — as long as you route the green ground wire around the outside edge of the plug, clear of the other terminals.
On the left, you see the way Camco’s directions suggest wiring your 50-amp RV shore power plug. As you can see, the green (ground) wire is routed up through the middle of the white neutral and the black positive wires. This is a recipe for a short, and it has reportedly happened to some RVers. The problem is that, with use and flexing over time, the insulation around the green wire can wear through where it contacts the terminal of the black wire. If that happens, you can have a short (and potentially a fire) if your ground wire contacts the hot/positive wire.
An electrician would most likely tell you to wire your plug using the alternative suggestion above (on the right). In fact, we saw reviews from electricians who used and liked this plug; however, they wired their Camco plugs in the same manner as shown on the right-hand side of the wiring diagram above.
We’re also including a link below to a replacement plug from RVGUARD, and you’ll notice that they route the green ground wire around to the outer edge of the casing, as we’ve suggested. We’re not implying that the RVGUARD plug is superior to the Camco plug. Camco’s plugs are very popular and highly rated. We’re only suggesting that the Camco plug comes with inferior instructions.
Note the wiring of this 50-amp power plug from RVGUARD. The green wire is routed to the ground prong around the outside edge of the plug, not up the middle. This is what we recommend, regardless of what plug you choose.
That’s our heads up. Now let’s move on to the instructions for replacing your 50-amp RV shore power plug.
Steps to Wire and Install Your New Plug
- Cut off the old plug as cleanly as possible using a large wire cutter.
- Using a utility knife, cut and remove 3″ of the outer casing, being careful not to nick the insulation on the wires inside.
- Cut away all of the interior insulation, leaving only the green, white, red, and black wires.
- Following the instructions that came with your plug, cut each of the 4 wires to the correct length. This will vary for different plugs, but the green wire will be the longest, the red and black wires shorter, and the white neutral wire will be the shortest. Looking at the photo of the RVGUARD plug above should clarify why the lengths are not all the same.
- Strip back the insulation on all four wires according to the directions that came with your plug.
- Remove the screws holding the head of your new plug together and the screws that secure the cable retention yoke.
- Route and connect the ends of the exposed wires to the appropriate blades, securing them tightly with the Phillips head screws. PRO TIP: You may find it easier to connect the wires if you partially or fully remove the blades from the new plug by pressing them out from the front of the plug toward the back. Also, make sure that the heavy black outer casing of the cable will be well held in place by the retaining yoke.
- If you removed the blades, press them back into place inside the plug head, pushing them all the way out through the blade openings, making sure they’re tightly secured in place.
- Install the back cover of the plug and secure it firmly with the screws.
- Place the retaining yoke/strain relief over the outer casing and firmly secure it with the screws. This takes the pressure off the wiring connections rather than having them be responsible for holding the plug and cable together.
PRO TIP: If you’d like to waterproof your new plug, you can add some outdoor-rated, neutral cure silicone (thanks for the comment with a tip about standard silicone potentially causing corrosion of the metal in the plug, Ray D.) to the back of each blade opening inside the plug head, the base of the plug where the cable and wires enter the head, and under the retaining yoke. Finally, use a thick bead of the same silicone where the cable meets the retaining yoke. This will help keep the plug casing more waterproof and reduce the potential for damage in the future. It’s not NECESSARY, but it’s not a bad idea, either.
Once you have your 50-amp plug installed, if you need to adapt down to a 30-amp or 15-amp outlet, you can watch our video Dog Bones 101.
- RV Replacement Plug With Handle: Upgrade your RV power cord with Camco's RV 50A Male Plug Replacement. This RV camping accessory allows you to easily...
- RV Compatibility & Dimensions: This camper essential plug is compatible with #4 through #10 AWG. It measures 4 3/8" x 3" x 4 1/2".
- Electrical Rating: 50 Amp (NEMA 14-50P) male plug, rated for 125/250V 6750/12500W, fit's for 6/3+8/1 RV cord, replace the male end of 50A RV cord.
- ETL Listed: Tested by ETL/cETL, providing a higher level of safety for your RV compared to other brands.
The video below shows a couple of fellow RVers tackling this job as a DIY project.
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Jay
Tuesday 1st of July 2025
Mike Sokol has warned that the replacement plugs are not waterproof, and you've acknowledged that. The Code might require that, but from a practical standpoint I doubt that it's a genuine safety issue since *most* pedestals protect the outlets, breakers and your inserted plug from direct rain exposure (although not to hurricanes). However, one very inexpensive campground had no cover on one of its pedestals. Perhaps that's why its 50A breaker tripped with only a moderate load. In all cases, original or not, be careful handling a wet plug.
Ray Davis
Tuesday 1st of July 2025
CAUTION: It has been reported that types of silicone that contain acetic acid which is released during curing, can cause corrosion to various metals including brass and steel. There are silicone's available without that acid. Please verify to avoid any complications. You can also recognize the ingredient,acetic acid,by the vinegar odor.
TheRVgeeks
Tuesday 1st of July 2025
Hi Ray. Thanks for adding that tip! We've gone ahead and updated the article with a link to some electronic grade, neutral cure silicone sealant (i.e. no acetic acid outgassing) that should do the job!
Mike
Wednesday 3rd of July 2024
Great post as usual. Thanks. Here's my issue: Since we bought our pre-owned RV, the 50-amp plug has separated from the casing, exposing the wires. I wrapped the wires in electrical tape up to the plug, but I'm wondering if I should replace the plug.
TheRVgeeks
Thursday 4th of July 2024
Hi Mike. As long as the electrical tape is reinforcing the wires that are now exposed by the casing having pulled back, we'd probably leave it... at least for a while. But keep a close eye on that area to make sure that the internal wires aren't also having their casing/insulation pull back or crack, as that could leave you open to a short. At some point, we'd either replace the plug... or possibly just replace the whole cord (depending, of course, on the condition of the rest of it).
Ray Davis
Tuesday 2nd of July 2024
Great article as usual. So as to not cause fear for anyone, the chances of a short developing within the male plug, from any movement or vibration over time is virtually non-existent. I have pulled miles and miles of residential and commercial wire over the course of my career. Please don't take this as a critism but, where would any vibration come from when connected to the rig especially with the cord connector properly installed. Anyway, it was nice to see that you would notice that situation and suggest a remedy, but with 43 years in the business, its a non issue and not a code requirement. Keep the articles coming. Hope ya'll have reoriented after the recent storm !
Jonathon Osborne
Tuesday 2nd of July 2024
Isn't your new rig a 30 Amp? You'll have to start doing YouTube videos on that. :) I'm currently dreaming of a 2005 WINNEBAGO RIALTA 22HD on a VW chassis. Bank loan tomorrow, viewing on Saturday.
TheRVgeeks
Tuesday 2nd of July 2024
Yes, that's true Jonathon... our new trailer is only 30-amp... and we've already started putting out some videos about it over on YouTube. Check out our channel for the new vids: https://www.youtube.com/@RVgeeks/videos
And the Rialta's are so awesome! Hope everything goes smoothly with getting one... they're great little rigs!