Should I install 50 amp or 30 amp service?

[Triguy]

We've decided to keep our trailer at a new location in our yard that is closer to the garage.

But, I do not have 30 or 50amp service available there and plan to install something. Our trailers have always been 30amp as is our current Flagstaff Shamrock. The trailer will sit 25' from the box.

One more thing that may help: We do not plan to upgrade anytime soon to a larger 5er or MH that would need 50amp (although that is a distinct possibility 10-12 years from now). Who knows if we will even own the house.

So, my questions are:

• Do I just go with the 30amp because that's all we need?
• Would there be any benefit to having a 50amp for my current 30amp trailer? (I don't think so but I've been wrong before ...)
• Is there a big cost increase between installing a 50amp instead of the 30amp? This is not something I want to do on my own and I will have an electrician install whichever one for me.
• Assuming we go 30amp now, is it hard or expensive to add 50amp to the same box in the future?

[OldCoot]

I would bite the bullet and put in both 30 & 50.

[Oakman]

30 amp should be sufficient for your needs. If at a later day you buy a motorhome or trailer that is 50 amp, all you need is a 30 to 50 amp adapter to plug into the electric box.

[Dave_Monica]

Would you be planning on running two air conditioners on a camper parked there? Otherwise, 30A service should be more than sufficient. Also, pricing the wire size you'll need for 50A will help you decide.

Dave

[scubieman]

I would recommend 30 amp. I have 15 amp for my camper right now. I will only use fridge and vacuum at same time so that's all I need and its already there.

So it depends what you plan on doing with RV there? Just cleaning and packing for next trip then I would say 30 amp. If someone could stay in there for a weekend since house is full I would still say 30 amp. Even if you have a 50 amp RV does not mean it needs to be connected to 50 amp service. Plus 50 amp is more for running 2 AC's at same time. Unless it gets real hot where you are, I would say save the money and get a 30 amp.

[Acableguy06]

Price from 30amp to 50 amp will cost about double, possibly more. However only running a 25' span the price would not be too bad to do for 50 amp. I would go that route because you never know.

[TURBS]

If money is not an issue run the 50 amp it will cost more if you have to run it later and then your 30 amp service is negated .

[dimurrrw]

Just a thought - since you probably (per code) need to dig a trench anyway, why not run water at the same time?

[fordmantpw]

Run wire heavy enough for 50 amp, but only put in a 30 amp breaker and 30 amp plug. If you decide you want (need) to go bigger in the future, just swap out the breaker and plug and voila!

[cre10]

Originally Posted by fordmantpw

Run wire heavy enough for 50 amp, but only put in a 30 amp breaker and 30 amp plug. If you decide you want (need) to go bigger in the future, just swap out the breaker and plug and voila!

That's what I would do.

[Triguy]

Thanks All!

Good points to consider for either (or even both 30 and 50).

I meet on Friday with an electrician so he can look over my setup and give me a quote. I'll ask him to quote the various setups you all mentioned.

I have no idea what the costs may be. From the sound of it, there could be quite the difference in $$.

[Herk7769]

Late to this thread. Out voting.

Some things to keep in mind:

1) Electricians need to understand that this is an RV plug and not a dryer plug. More than one thread here about some electrician friend wiring the 30 amp RV plug to be 220. Bad mess; it will fry all electronics in your camper.

2) While you can run 10 gauge 2 wire w/G for a 30 amp RV circuit, it won't work for 50 amp.

Shop Cerro Wire 10 AWG 50' Indoor Non-Metallic Wire at Lowes.com

50 feet of 2 conductor 10 gauge with ground $62.50

Additionally you will need 3 conductor w/G for the 50 amps service and two adjacent 50 amp breakers in the breaker panel.

Shop Cerro Wire 8 AWG 50' Indoor Non-Metallic Wire at Lowes.com

50 feet of 8 gauge 3 conductor w/G required for a 50 amp service $120.00

Left Hot; Right Hot; Neutral and Ground.

[TURBS]

I know this sounds stupid but make sure your electrician
Knows its 30 amp 110v not 220v
I've seen this happen with a union electrician.

[TURBS]

Herk u beat me to it!
Great minds think alike

[Triguy]

Herk and Turbo,

It doesn't sound stupid. I've also heard of electricians not familiar with RV services.

Along those lines. I spent some time last night on RV Electric trying to find some answers to my previous questions.

It didn't cover what I was looking for but helped me to understand a bit more about the differences between 120/240 volt appliance services (like what I have for my dryer) and 30- and 50-amp service for an RV.

I appreciate the words of warning. I intend to pass this along to the electrician.

[Herk7769]

Here is some info for the 30 amp service.

Even if I had a 50 amp coach, I think I would just go this route.

I doubt you would need to run both ACs in your driveway.

[Kpinto]

Correct me if I am wrong, but 30 amp is wired 110V and 50 amp is wired 220V. If you do run the 50 amp you would also need to be the adapter from 50-30. More money.

[OldCoot]

Absolutely not. 30 amp rv is single 110v, 50 amp rv is 2 110v lines. It is not like your dryer hookup. You can make a 50 amp rv into 220v with a special plug. Don't know if they make a plug that splits a 220v into 2 separate 110v required for a 50 amp rv plug.

I guess I should have said an adaptor that plugs into a 220v receptacle and coverts it into a 50amp RV receptacle or 30amp RV receptacle.

[Herk7769]

Well, this is a fine kettle of fish.
Let me see if we can clear this up.

As I understand it. A 50 amp plug is two 110 volt legs.

This is typically made with a 220VAC 50 amp breaker in the panel (this is so a short trips BOTH legs of the RV outlet) Red wire to one side and black wire to the other); a 3 wire w/ground 8 or 6 (depending on distance from the panel) gauge wire to the 50 amp RV socket. The pin out for the socket gets the red wire on one hot; the black wire on the second hot; the white wire on the neutral and the bare copper on the ground lug.

So everyone is right. It is 220 VAC at the breaker panel but arrives at the RV plug as two 110 "circuits." Electrically, the RV socket back to the panel must be wired as a 220 circuit because the neutral has to carry the return current from two legs. It can be the same size as the "feeds" because it will only carry the return current from the two legs only one at a time. 1/60 of a second alternating between the two legs.

If you actually wired the two legs from the same PHASE of the panel you would either need two neutrals OR one twice as large as each leg. If you did the one phase thing, any 220 VAC appliances in your 50 amp rig would not work (like a dryer).

[Herk7769]

Click on this link and select 50 amp service.

RV Electric