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Old 05-25-2018, 10:10 AM   #1
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50A home pedestal

Does anyone have a dedicated 50A installed at their home for the RV?



What did it cost? Did you DIY any of it?


I'd like to trench and bury the line myself to save on the labor, but def. want a licensed electrician to make the connections to the panel and the pedestal.



What would be better running it out at the main trunk line and underground the whole way (150 l.f. roughly) or running it through the basement and only bury to the pedestal from the house..(45 l.f. indoor, 25 l.f. out roughly).
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Old 05-25-2018, 10:21 AM   #2
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Don't have one (wish I did though) so I can't provide experience.

But let me ask you this, which is easier for you? Indoor or out? For instance, if you have a finished basement, I wouldn't be breaking that up to run a line, I'd pop out right at the panel and run the conduit underground to where I wanted it. If your basement is wide open, hey, choice is yours. The shorter the run though, the less wire you have to buy.

Also, when you have your electrician hook it up, give them this document:

http://www.myrv.us/Imgs/PDF/50-amp%20Service.pdf

You want to make sure it get's wired correctly and that the don't just make assumptions and do something like leave off the neutral.
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Old 05-25-2018, 10:39 AM   #3
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I buried 125 feet of six gauge underground wire which was also installed inside PVC. PVC is supposed to be the gray colored stuff (at least the visible part where it goes into and out of the ground). Was able to get lots of good advice from pretty knowledgeable folks on this forum. The wire will be your most expensive portion of the project. Mine ran about $400 total.

Several places have the box shown here

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-100-A...Bproductkey%7D


It’s pre-wired to have two 110, a neutral and a ground at the 50 amp receptacle.
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Old 05-25-2018, 10:51 AM   #4
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Yeah, I've been just running a 15A extension cord out from the garage the last 3 years...and with our old camper if I put the fridge on propane, and killed the converter at the breaker inside I could run the AC while we were getting ready to leave/returning home and still keep the fridge chilled since we camp so often we typically only shut it down to defrost it once per summer...the new one has a residential fridge, and then both of the AC's are 15K instead of 13.5, plus I'd want to chill off the fridge in the outside kitchen on the 120 circuit too...so that's probably way to much for the 15A in the garage to handle.


Looks like wire cost will definitely be a factor, I'd probably prefer to go all outside, but the basement is unfinished, I'm just not a fan of adding new holes to run something out
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Old 05-25-2018, 10:55 AM   #5
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I buried 125 feet of six gauge underground wire which was also installed inside PVC. PVC is supposed to be the gray colored stuff (at least the visible part where it goes into and out of the ground). Was able to get lots of good advice from pretty knowledgeable folks on this forum. The wire will be your most expensive portion of the project. Mine ran about $400 total.

Several places have the box shown here

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-100-A...Bproductkey%7D


It’s pre-wired to have two 110, a neutral and a ground at the 50 amp receptacle.

Wow that's a behemoth...DW would probably prefer something much lower profile or at least prettier...


I think I was thinking something more like this ... would this work?


https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-50-Am...-100193650-_-N
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:06 AM   #6
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Wow that's a behemoth...DW would probably prefer something much lower profile or at least prettier...


I think I was thinking something more like this ... would this work?


https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-50-Am...-100193650-_-N
My only issue with that one is how do you turn it off when you go to plug in?
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:11 AM   #7
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My only issue with that one is how do you turn it off when you go to plug in?
You would have to go to the breaker at the panel, the source turn it off, plug in the camper and run back and turn it on. The behemoth also provides me with "courtesy" NEMA15 outlet. I like breakers on both ends. Keep in mind you do not bond neutral and ground, its essentially a subpanel. I found 6/3 at the electric coop for a phenomenal fee!

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Old 05-25-2018, 11:16 AM   #8
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Before you run a 50A, stop and think if you really need 50A. Are you going to actually stay in it, or just wan't power so you can run an air or whatever while you are packing it or whatever? It's MUCH cheaper to run a 30A circuit than a 50.

I have a 50A camper, but I ran a dedicated 30A plug at the house. I can run one air while I am messing around in it, and also pre-cool the fridge and whatever else I need. I have yet to wish I had put in a 50A at home


Tim


P.S. I did mine myself, for around $100. I'm an electrical engineer, so I kinda know my way around that stuff.
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:17 AM   #9
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Yes I have one. Licensed electrician installed it. I don't remember what it cost but it was way higher than most would be because it's fed off an auxiliary breaker box and I had to have heavier gauge cable installed to the box. Here's pictorial of what is needed.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf 50-amp Service.pdf (47.4 KB, 41 views)
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:20 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by MDCampingDad View Post
Wow that's a behemoth...DW would probably prefer something much lower profile or at least prettier...


I think I was thinking something more like this ... would this work?


https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-50-Am...-100193650-_-N
Quote:
Originally Posted by ependydad View Post
My only issue with that one is how do you turn it off when you go to plug in?
My BIL installed one similar to one of those on the side of his shed (only difference is his was a 30A, not a 50A). But his shed has it's own sub-panel, so for him it's a short 10' or so into the shed to the sub-panel to shut the breaker off.
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:23 AM   #11
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My only issue with that one is how do you turn it off when you go to plug in?

Very true...there has to be something out there that has just the single 50 with a breaker or rated switch/handle to throw on the side of it no?


Or maybe just get a whole pedestal like the have on the fancy sites at the rv parks and run the water and CATV out there so when we have extra guests or the kids have a sleep over ... hmmm...
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:29 AM   #12
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Unless it’s going to cause a problem, I’d take the shorter route.
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:32 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by Cowracer View Post
Before you run a 50A, stop and think if you really need 50A. Are you going to actually stay in it, or just want power so you can run an air or whatever while you are packing it or whatever? It's MUCH cheaper to run a 30A circuit than a 50.

I have a 50A camper, but I ran a dedicated 30A plug at the house. I can run one air while I am messing around in it, and also pre-cool the fridge and whatever else I need. I have yet to wish I had put in a 50A at home


Tim


P.S. I did mine myself, for around $100. I'm an electrical engineer, so I kinda know my way around that stuff.

Thanks...you make a good point...I hadn't thought there would be a substantial cost difference between the 30A and 50A...so I just figured go with the 50 and never worry about it...why such a drastic difference?


We never really did anything with the old camper other than keeping the fridge running between trips, and then running the AC to pack/unpack a day or two before and after...but I could see my boys, esp as they're getting older, using it to "camp out" with their friends on a sleep over, etc, as well as the occasional visit when we have more than 1 over-night guest...but could probably get buy with the one AC...kids would be back in the BH, other guests would be in the front BR, so really either or only needs the 1 at any given time...


Where does everyone stand on using an EMS at home? I don't like the idea of hardwiring in a PI one, simply because I've had a box go bad on me mid trip before, and it was nice (even if scary) to just unhook it and have power...but I don't like the idea of keeping the portable one exposed to the elements as we'll probably stay plugged in pretty much from April - October...
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:34 AM   #14
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I went with 30 amp sense im never going to run both a/c at home. 125 feet of direct burial underground from menards for about $100 and a prewired box with plugs and breakers from Homedepot.com for about $60. Did everything myself piece of cake.


Because of the gauge of wire needed for 50 amp cost would be much higher. I used a 8/3 with ground and used the extra leg of wire to wire the 20 amp outlet in the box with the 30 amp plug
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:35 AM   #15
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Unless it’s going to cause a problem, I’d take the shorter route.

Mice...


House is only 3 years old...backs to tree's and surrounded by a few hundred acre's of farm land


Finally managed to have a mouse-free harvest and winter and nervous to add any new holes they can exploit!
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:44 AM   #16
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Don't you have to poke a hole either way? Gotta be able to get the feed to your in house panel one way or the other.
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:53 AM   #17
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Don't you have to poke a hole either way? Gotta be able to get the feed to your in house panel one way or the other.

There's already a conduit that goes out by the main panel to run power to the septic and well, plenty of room for another feed.
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Old 05-25-2018, 12:13 PM   #18
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Thanks...you make a good point...I hadn't thought there would be a substantial cost difference between the 30A and 50A...so I just figured go with the 50 and never worry about it...why such a drastic difference?
Well, obviously wire size is going to be bigger to carry extra amps, but with 30A you only have 1 hot, 1 neutral and a ground. With 50A you have 2 hots, a neutral and a ground, so wire cost probably just doubled. Now you need a 50A two-pole breaker instead of a 30a single pole. Your conduit size just went up. The cost of the plug-in just went up, etc etc.

It adds up.


Tim
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Old 05-25-2018, 12:36 PM   #19
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Duct seal should keep the mice out. Your electrician should have some.
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Old 05-25-2018, 04:20 PM   #20
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I already had a 30amp receptacle in the lot beside our house, so when I got a 50amp camper my electrician just installed a 50amp receptacle. Now I plug my 50 amp cable in but I only have 30amps
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