Running 50 amp circuit Need Expertise

[BuzzWolfAR]

We are putting a 50 amp circuit at the end of our driveway for the Cedar Creek 29ik. It runs on a 50 amp circuit. I have a progressive ems 50 amp PTX, I think it is.

The sticker on the fifth wheel says 120/240v, 4 wire ………… and the EMS on the outside where the plug is says 240v. I KNOW the unit runs with 120volt, two hots, common neutral and one ground.

My electrician who is a certified electrician has never done a 50 amp circuit for an RV before, and keeps saying he can run 240volt. I need an electrician who has done these to respond so my guy is clear on how to run this. I don't know the language and am afraid to pull drawing off the internet, as there is so much bad stuff our there.


Please give me something I can print and give to him so we don't screw this one up. Thanks in advance.

[Bama Rambler]

In the U.S. the standard residential split phase power is 120/240 volts. Your RV is the same. Any certified electrician will be very familiar with how that connects. The wires will be L1 (hot), L2 (hot), Neutral & Ground. The receptacle is a 14-50R and it has terminals X,Y,W,G. X is L1, Y is L2, W is Neutral & G is Ground.

There's not nearly as much confusion about how to hook up a 50 amp service as there is for 30 amp RV service.

[formerFR]

don't rely on this forum for professional electrical advise, as your own electrician is the final word on what you need, HE's the one wiring it!....if he's never 'done it' before, seek another electrician. It's not complicated.

[donniedu]

Unless your living in it I just see no need to run a 50A circuit. 30 A will allow you to run one AC.
BTW search online for a correct 50A RV wiring diagram. It is a 30A and a 20A 120VAC system.

[doc73]

Originally Posted by formerFR

don't rely on this forum for professional electrical advise, as your own electrician is the final word on what you need, HE's the one wiring it!....if he's never 'done it' before, seek another electrician. It's not complicated.

Yeah right... But I agree 50 is much easier than the 30amp hookup... How many posts do we get at the start of the year for fried trailers from 240 30amp outlets wired by the electrician "friend"

[formerFR]

Originally Posted by donniedu

Unless your living in it I just see no need to run a 50A circuit. 30 A will allow you to run one AC.
BTW search online for a correct 50A RV wiring diagram. It is a 30A and a 20A 120VAC system.

SO incorrect!!!

50amp RV service is a double-pole 50amp TWO hot lines to the coach, for a total of 100amps.... this is why you need a PROFESSIONAL electrician, don't let anyone on this forum 'give' you or him 'wiring' advice!


Once you get it installed, though, you realize how much more power 50amp service is over typical 30amp rv service is... it's 70amps more!

enjoy

[Brewhedd]

The difference between say a residential stove and your rv is the stove is wired with 2 hots and ground. The rv needs 2 hots, a neutral and ground. While the full 220 is applied to the stove the rv is 2 120 circuits.

[BuzzWolfAR]

Originally Posted by donniedu

Unless your living in it I just see no need to run a 50A circuit. 30 A will allow you to run one AC.
BTW search online for a correct 50A RV wiring diagram. It is a 30A and a 20A 120VAC system.

Even I know that is BS. The first response sataisfied my electrician. We are good. Thank you for the quick responses.

I want the 50 amp so I can run the air while packing for trips.

[Iggy]

BuzzWolfAR
I'm a Journey level electrician.
Just show him this picture of the RV Female plug and tell him to wire it up as per the plug doucnments.
2 separate 120 volts phases . It sometime called 208 v or some say 220 volt.
Your residential only has 208volts from phase to phase.

1 White neutral
1 Green Ground.
I would ask minimum #6 thhn wire size

Tell him this is not a 50 amp stove outlet but a specific 50 amp RV receptacle.
Good luck

[formerFR]

you can run the air without full 50amp service regardless

[BuzzWolfAR]

Originally Posted by formerFR

you can run the air without full 50amp service regardless

Yes, I can run them, just can't start them. [emoji12]

[D W]

I'm shaking my head here. What kind of a "certified electrician" doesn't know how to wire a NEMA 14-50 receptacle? UNBELIEVABLE!!!

[doc73]

Originally Posted by BuzzWolfAR

Yes, I can run them, just can't start them. [emoji12]

You'd be able to run one... But if you have the extra $$ why not.

[wmtire]

One of my favorite websites for RV electric has "printable" pdf files for wiring 30 amp and 50 amp outlets.

Just go here, and click on the appropriate service tab (in this case 50 amp) It will have a link where you can print out how to wire the outlet.

This is the site where we got the 30 amp wiring pdf we keep in the FAQ section.

RV Electric

From what I have read in this thread, there is still a lot of misconception on what a 50 amp RV service is. It will be explained in the link above.

Originally Posted by BuzzWolfAR

Please give me something I can print and give to him so we don't screw this one up. Thanks in advance.

Here is a direct link to that printable pdf file if you like:

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

[wmtire]

On another note, here is one of my other favorite sites I recommend a lot (twice already today) that explains in simple terms what a 50 amp 120/240 split phase service is...as well as the difference between it and a 30 amp 120 volt service.

https://www.rvtechmag.com/electrical/chapter3.php

[Flybob]

Originally Posted by formerFR

don't rely on this forum for professional electrical advise, as your own electrician is the final word on what you need, HE's the one wiring it!....if he's never 'done it' before, seek another electrician. It's not complicated.

Not everyone on todays forums are experts but not all electricians are experts on wiring RV power. NO matter who you use to wire this up, make sure they read Post# 14.

[D W]

Originally Posted by Brewhedd

The difference between say a residential stove and your rv is the stove is wired with 2 hots and ground. The rv needs 2 hots, a neutral and ground. While the full 220 is applied to the stove the rv is 2 120 circuits.

These days, many of your high-end ranges require the NEMA 14-50 configuration as opposed to the standard 3 prong NEMA 10-50.

[BuzzWolfAR]

Really appreciate the help. Post 14 was excellent, have printed it for my electrician.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by donniedu

Unless your living in it I just see no need to run a 50A circuit. 30 A will allow you to run one AC.
BTW search online for a correct 50A RV wiring diagram. It is a 30A and a 20A 120VAC system.

To understand the relationship between voltage and current is not "overly" complicated, so bear with me.

As many have stated previously, a 50 amp wired coach has what is called a "split phase" 50 amp 120 VAC service. The 220 VAC supply panel is "split" with 120 VAC L1 on one side and 120 VAC on L2 on the other, with a "Neutral" that is common to both circuits.

Alternating Current (AC) means that the direction of the current alternates between the "hots" (L1 or L2) every 1/60th of a second (called 60 cycle AC).

Voltage measured between L1 and L2 would be 220 volts AC with the direction of flow alternating between the two.

When a Neutral is used, the source phased voltage is "split" in the middle with 120 volts AC available on each (L1 and L2 when measured relative to the Neutral).

Then, every 1/60th of a second, when voltage between on L1 is "positive", the Neutral becomes the return path for that leg of the circuit. Concurrently, it ALSO becomes the "positive" for the L2 120 volt current flowing through to the L2 side ("negative" if you will). Then 1/60th of a second later everything alternates the other direction from L2 through the Neutral to L1.

Because of this relationship, the identical current is available on both sides of your 120 volt AC panel ALL THE TIME.

How MUCH of the current YOU have available to use is "limited" by the protection that is installed at the source to protect the wiring and equipment being used down stream. That protection, (the circuit breaker), is "Ganged" so that an overload on one leg will trip both legs OFF to protect the Neutral source wire.

Remember that BOTH sides "see" the same available current. If the campground's 50 amp service is wired correctly, each leg will always have 50 amps of service available to be used because it is limited by the campground's pedestal breakers and not for any other reason.

Because of the purpose of your camper's circuit breakers is to prevent circuit current from exceeding the rating of your camper's wires (including your connecting wire from the camper to the pedestal) and your installed equipment (like outlets and direct wired appliances) and not the campgrounds (which is protected by the pedestal breakers).

Remember also that the breaker is there to keep you from exceeding the maximum current that is safe for your wires on each leg. The actual current you are using on each leg is the sum of everything you have turned "on".

You can have 28 amps of stuff on one leg and still have 45 amps of stuff on the other because you can be using a total of 100 amps (just never more than 50 on a side).

Most campground's also have other service connections (sockets) on their service panel (typically a 30 amp and a 20 amp duplex each on their own breaker).

Those sockets can be wired "upstream" of the 50 amp service breaker or "downstream" of the 50 amp breaker depending SOLEY on the campgrounds pedestal service wires!

In order to be wired "upstream", the campground's service wires to the pedestal must be capable of "serving" 100 amps of service to the pedestal. In this case, all the sockets are capable of providing their full rated power without tripping any others.

However, many older campgrounds are wired for only the service rated on that campground's loop. So for the 50 amp loop, the supply wires are sized/rated only to provide 50 amps to each campsite.

In this case, the additional sockets are wired "downstream" of the 50 amp "main" protection breaker. Normally, the 50 amp socket is fed directly from the breaker and another breaker "out" wire takes the L1 and Neutral go to the 30 amp socket and the L2 and Neutral go to the 20 amp Duplex.

You are welcome to use any combination of outlets, provided the total load does not exceed 50 amps on any circuit leg. For this example, if you are using the 50 amp service on your camper and the L1 camper circuit is pulling 40 amps and you connect another extension cord to the 30 amp socket, any attempt to use more than 10 amps will trip the 50 amp campground breaker.

[Tiggerdad]

Originally Posted by D W

These days, many of your high-end ranges require the NEMA 14-50 configuration as opposed to the standard 3 prong NEMA 10-50.

Same for dryers.