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Old 07-05-2012, 11:50 PM   #1
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Solutions? Electrical hookup to house.

Hi, I'm a proud, first time owner of a 378TS. Sometimes I just want to go sit in my RV and enjoy it, even though its parked in the drive way. When it comes to running electricity to your RV, what methods work best for you? Has anyone had problems with using the generator too much?
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Old 07-06-2012, 07:05 AM   #2
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Congrats on your new rig, I also have a new 378xl. Welcome to the forum a lot of good info on here. I have ran my generator for up to two days without any problems. Good luck with the new coach.
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Old 07-06-2012, 07:22 AM   #3
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Both houses my father has owned he has ran a dedicated circuit to where he plugs his camper in so he didnt run the generator cause it was cheaper to run off the house electric then using the generator.

If I didnt live in a Condo I would be running a dedicated circuit to where my camper is parked also.

Congrats on the new rig
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Old 07-06-2012, 11:38 AM   #4
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I have a dedicated circuit run from my shed for the RV. It's 50 amp so I can use everything if needed. We driveway camp from time to time. I watch football and Nascar out there. Should you decide to run the circuit use 8/3 wire with a ground and a 50 amp double pole breaker. You will have 2 circuits that share a neutral and ground. Occasionally I fire up the generator to exercise it so if needed it's ready to go. Used it for 15 hours last weekend after the storm that came through knocked out the power.
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Old 07-06-2012, 12:35 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cfsoistman View Post
I have a dedicated circuit run from my shed for the RV. It's 50 amp so I can use everything if needed. We driveway camp from time to time. I watch football and Nascar out there. Should you decide to run the circuit use 8/3 wire with a ground and a 50 amp double pole breaker. You will have 2 circuits that share a neutral and ground. Occasionally I fire up the generator to exercise it so if needed it's ready to go. Used it for 15 hours last weekend after the storm that came through knocked out the power.
I recommend using 30-A breakers. The 50-Amp is the total of the two 25-A circuits. The generator is 5500-W at 220-VAC. Do the math.
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Old 07-06-2012, 12:46 PM   #6
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The rented storage I have has a 20 amp 115V circuit that I plug into occasionally to charge batt's. I have plugged in and found out that I neglected to turn off the front AC and it started right up and ran OK until I turned it off. Unless you plan to "driveway camp" 30 amps is quite ample and doesn't require the heavy 50 amp breaker.

As for the generator, the biggest problem many campers have is that they don't run it enough. Run it at least 45 minutes a month to prevent fuel from drying out and gumming up the system.

Bill
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Old 07-06-2012, 09:10 PM   #7
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We run the basics at home on a regular 15A domestic outlet. I plan to install a 30A service to the outside wall of the garage where we park the MH so that folks using it while staying with us can have full services.

We'll be having a family get-together over Labor Day with 17 people for dinner. Youngest daughter, husband and 8 year-old will be using the RV in the driveway. Other family members will be using the guest bedroom and the den.
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Old 07-07-2012, 09:16 AM   #8
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I recommend using 30-A breakers. The 50-Amp is the total of the two 25-A circuits. The generator is 5500-W at 220-VAC. Do the math.
Look in your panel inside the coach. The 50 amp double pole is what is used in the motorhome's electrical panel. Did the math! They are 2 - 50 amp single circuits fed by a #8-3 wire.

One side of the double pole breaker handles - One AC unit, the microwave and the GFIC Receptacles.
The other side handles the second AC unit, the electric circuit to the water heater and the remaining receptacles.

So if you use your 30 amp breakers you'll spend some time resetting them when you want to use the water heater on electric and the AC is running or the microwave with an AC unit running. Add a coffee maker and guess what, your 30 amp breaker isn't going to handle it.

It all depends on what you want to run. My feed from the panel in my shed is less than 10 feet. The cost for setting it up for 50 amps was less than $25 vs. setting it up for 30 amps and using an adapter for the cord. No brainer in my case. If you have a long run from your panel and don't ever plan to need everything to run than sure running #10 for a 30 amp set-up makes sense.

The original post asked what works for you. So I posted what I have for my set-up at home. I'm not sure where Freds342's comment of Do the Math! is necessary? I'm posting what I believe to be helpful information if Aandchart wanted to have full use of everything electrical in the coach.
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Old 07-07-2012, 05:43 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cfsoistman View Post
Look in your panel inside the coach. The 50 amp double pole is what is used in the motorhome's electrical panel. Did the math! They are 2 - 50 amp single circuits fed by a #8-3 wire.

One side of the double pole breaker handles - One AC unit, the microwave and the GFIC Receptacles.
The other side handles the second AC unit, the electric circuit to the water heater and the remaining receptacles.

So if you use your 30 amp breakers you'll spend some time resetting them when you want to use the water heater on electric and the AC is running or the microwave with an AC unit running. Add a coffee maker and guess what, your 30 amp breaker isn't going to handle it.

It all depends on what you want to run. My feed from the panel in my shed is less than 10 feet. The cost for setting it up for 50 amps was less than $25 vs. setting it up for 30 amps and using an adapter for the cord. No brainer in my case. If you have a long run from your panel and don't ever plan to need everything to run than sure running #10 for a 30 amp set-up makes sense.

The original post asked what works for you. So I posted what I have for my set-up at home. I'm not sure where Freds342's comment of Do the Math! is necessary? I'm posting what I believe to be helpful information if Aandchart wanted to have full use of everything electrical in the coach.
I guess I should qualify my statement with the fact that I'm just about out of 200-A service, so 30-A was all I felt safe with here. I've never popped a 30-A breaker, using air, carpet cleaner, etc., but never ran the m/w and coffee pot at the same time.

I'm running this off a 60-a sub, shared with my spa.

The "Do the Math" statement was regarding the output of the gennie at full tilt. "Thinlke Peep" that the 50-A is for the 220-A circuit, and I wanted to reiterate that it was for the total 2 120-V circuits.!

Thanx for the spank!

Did you ever notice that your keybnoard doesn't work right ater a couple of bneers?
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Old 07-07-2012, 06:28 PM   #10
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Thanks everybody for sharing your ideas. I figured there were many solutions, human ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.

The other day I saw this 50 amp RV adapter on Camping World. It's a pig tail designed to plug a 50 amp in and run out of it 30 amp or 15 amp to a power source. Has anyone used this? It looks very handy if caught in a jam where 50 amp is not available.

I'll have to sit on this decision before deciding to wire into the house.

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Old 07-07-2012, 06:48 PM   #11
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That "thing" would depend on the power supplied by the source.

"If" the two 30-Amp outlets were fromdifferent legs of the 220-V source, it would furnish suficient power.

If they were from the same 30-A source, you'd get only 30 amps.

I've never seen anything like this.
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