50 amp install

TxLoser · 07-11-2017, 02:23 PM

I want some 50 amp power at the house for day prior loading or when I want to do some work inside the trailer during summer. Had a guy come out as I wanted to see what his answer was to my already full breaker panel. On my garage breaker panel I have two double 60 amp breakers for the electric heat. With the assumption I'd only use this receptical for brief period during the summer, he was considering running the wiring off of one of those double breakers. Making one of the doubles a 60 and 50.

Seems questionable to me. Any thoughts?

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Sundancer330 · 07-11-2017, 02:35 PM

First do you really need 50a for the trailer at home. I would not be doubling up wiring on a breaker, not a safe idea. If you don't have room its time to add a larger panel in the garage, they are cheap and its easy to swap everything out and add your 50a for the TT

**norty1** · 07-11-2017, 02:43 PM

On a 50a rv feed you would not use double breakers. Use 2 50a separate.

What he is saying would not pass any electrical inspection if it is required.

TxLoser · 07-11-2017, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundancer330

First do you really need 50a for the trailer at home. I would not be doubling up wiring on a breaker, not a safe idea. If you don't have room its time to add a larger panel in the garage, they are cheap and its easy to swap everything out and add your 50a for the TT

I don't need 50. I just figured the materials cost about the same as going with 30. Reslly, I could probably get by on 20 and some heavy guage extension cord to run one AC the few times I'd want to turn it on. Unfortunately, all my outlets are 15amp. I was kind of figuring a new panel was the answer. I'll have to decide how bad I really want this.

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**norty1** · 07-11-2017, 02:54 PM

I ran a 30a to my rig and terminated it in a breaker panel with the rv-30 plug.

We can do anything we want out there except run both ac's at the same time.

Grumpy · 07-11-2017, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norty1

I ran a 30a to my rig and terminated it in a breaker panel with the rv-30 plug.

We can do anything we want out there except run both ac's at the same time.

X-2 Only I used a 50 amp RV plug and jumpered the 2 hots. Didn't need an adapter that way.

**norty1** · 07-11-2017, 03:04 PM

I don't like to even use my 50a cord at home. I use a 30-50 Marinco adapter at the camper power input.

clarche · 07-11-2017, 03:14 PM

Get a larger panel! Save yourself some grief later. I have a 30 and a 50amp service at the house.

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Robbbyr · 07-11-2017, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarche

Get a larger panel! Save yourself some grief later. I have a 30 and a 50amp service at the house.

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Is that double-pole 30-amp breaker to your RV plug? Every 30-amp RV service I have ever seen is single-pole. 50-amp is double-pole like I see in your box. With a double-pole breaker I would expect to see 220-volts between the phases, 110-volts from each hot to ground. But a single-pole breaker only has 110-volts.

clarche · 07-11-2017, 03:35 PM

I'm sorry but the double pole 30 amp you see in the photo is not the breaker that goes to the rv outlet. That's for an emergency generator I use when we have a power outage. The rv 30 amp breaker is indeed a single pole.

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jasum · 07-11-2017, 03:49 PM

Get a sub panel installed near your main panel.
If you are going to do it, you might as well do a 50 amp and then you can run anything in your RV at any time you want and not have to worry about it.
It's nice to be able to run both AC's at home if you want to do something in there.

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Robbbyr · 07-11-2017, 03:53 PM

Whew, I was a little concerned being a former professional firefighter and certified fire safety inspector! Not an electrician, but I know enough to (hopefully) keep folks safe.

Thanks for the clarification!

SloPoke · 07-11-2017, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarche

I'm sorry but the double pole 30 amp you see in the photo is not the breaker that goes to the rv outlet. That's for an emergency generator I use when we have a power outage. The rv 30 amp breaker is indeed a single pole.

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We have the same situation... we have a 30A Two-Pole Breaker in our Garage SubPanel that we use to power our Motorhome when we are home, and in emergency is used to feed the house with emergency generators (not the motorhome) (Yes we have a disconnect to Utility during the time the Gen is running as our backup)

We wired the cord from the 30A 4-wire connector in a #10 cord and put a 50A female plug on that to plug the Motorhome in. We can run both AC in the motorhome, and the Microwave too - all on a double 30A instead of a 50. it does work.

us71na · 07-11-2017, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarche

Get a larger panel! Save yourself some grief later. I have a 30 and a 50amp service at the house.

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In any normal household panel, those two double breakers are providing 240 volt power to something, not 120 volt power. If you remove the grey metal cover and place a voltmeter across those breakers it will read 240 volts. There may be a third wire in the circuit that is a neutral and you would get 120 from one side to the neutral, but loading only one side of that breaker is dangerous.

**norty1** · 07-11-2017, 06:58 PM

That's what I was trying to say a ways back. It's 2 single pole 50a breakers.

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TxLoser · 07-11-2017, 06:59 PM

Great input on this stuff. Sounds like maybe a sub panel would be a good idea. Cost may be a little high just to avoid a sweat, so I may just continue to endure the heat of the trailer when loading, cleaning, and maintaining.

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ccso2213 · 07-11-2017, 08:00 PM

This may be a stupid question, but I'm in a similar situation if I were to install a hookup at my house. Can you tap into the power without a breaker at the panel and install a breaker at the outlet box? Similar to the setup at the campground?

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Sundancer330 · 07-11-2017, 08:39 PM

Never a stupid question. No you can't just tap a wire into your panel. Each circuit has to be attached to a breaker, the breaker controls how much power goes through the wire, and the wire has to be the proper gauge for the amperage. Think of campground wiring like a neighborhood, each pedestal is like a house panel but only has a few outlets, and this allows control of power and resetting of breakers from and easy to reach location.

AKGperson · 07-11-2017, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norty1

On a 50a rv feed you would not use double breakers. Use 2 50a separate.

What he is saying would not pass any electrical inspection if it is required.

I agree. And put one on each leg. In other words make sure one breaker is on the left and one is on the right.

Another consideration is the sizing of the lines running from the utility pole at the street to the service panel. Those lines are probably sized for the existing amperage of the main breaker and will have to be replaced if you want to add two 50 amp breakers to get your 50 amps in the TT.

Our TT has a 30 amp system but I wouldn't go to the trouble and expense if I had a 50 amp system. I'd add a 30 amp circuit and not run both ACs and the microwave in the Summer. You'd be amazed at how much you can run off 30 amps.

Ken

wags999 · 07-11-2017, 10:00 PM

So much false information but its really entertaining tho

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