50 amp service upgrade

Just a quick update for my 50amp upgrade. I installed a new panel in the basement and left the original panel inside. So the original panel has now become a sub panel. So I have a 30 amp breaker for the original panel, a 20 amp breaker for the new a/c unit, moved the preexisting a/c circuit to a 20amp breaker in the 50 amp panel and added a 15amp breaker for the conversion of the original shore power. I removed the 30amp shore connection and converted it to a 15amp dedicated exterior gfci circuit. Installed new 6/3 with number 8 ground for the new 50amp shore power. Sure does make a big difference on keeping this thing cool in the Texas heat. Everything works great and was relatively easy to do.

Thanks everyone! I like the idea of the new panel in the basement. I am going to look at doing it that. Would save lots of money on 6/3 that's for sure. Not to mention the time pulling the 10/3 out and the 6/3 in.

If you do it, check Tweetys for a 90-degree; 50amp; connector plug. It goes between the Marinco connector on the side of the trailer and the service cord. It lets your (heavy) connection hang straight down and takes the twisting load off of the connector.

[[good for anybody with 50amp service...]]

Golden_HVAC wrote:

What Weekend Warrior did was have the dealer install a 50 amp main panel in the basement storage, with a 30 amp circuit breaker feeding the factory 30 amp panel, and new 20 amp breakers feeding several circuits - some of them where fed by the factory panel, now transferred to the new 50 amp panel.

Then the 50 amp panel has a 50 amp 2 pole main, at least 1- 30 amp 1 pole breaker, and several 20 amp breakers.

I would move over the air conditioners to the new panel, along with things like the kitchen circuit, and microwave. If you have a electric water heater, then that too.

Fred.

That is what I did on my previous unit. An 8 slot main panel was less than $15 plus the cost of the extra breakers. Mounted it behind the 30 amp panel so it was ez to move several of the circuits over. Used about 12 inches of the original 30 amp service cord to maintain power to the original panel. Biggest cost by far was the new 50 amp service cord providing power to the new main panel.

That's a lot of work for not much gain, without having the original sub-circuits divided out and balanced on the 50A. If you are planning to add several new circuits it might be worth it, but if you are just adding AC, I personally would upgrade to the 50A cord but just have it feed your existing 30A service on one leg, and a new separate 20A breaker for your 2nd AC on the other leg. You would still have the advantage of 1 cord to plug in, but a lot less work inside.

PS - in 2003, that was how my factory Montana was wired with equipped with the 2nd AC rough in. The master breaker panel was simply a 30A and a 20A breaker. Not near what the true 50A service is, but it allowed for a 2nd AC and 30A service using one cord.

Till you run on a 30 amp adapter, then the neutral will have the full (reduced) load

Sounds like a good plan, keep the phases evenly balanced and you will have little or no neutral wire load. Good luck.

Golden_HVAC wrote:


What Weekend Warrior did was have the dealer install a 50 amp main panel in the basement storage, with a 30 amp circuit breaker feeding the factory 30 amp panel, and new 20 amp breakers feeding several circuits - some of them where fed by the factory panel, now transferred to the new 50 amp panel.

Then the 50 amp panel has a 50 amp 2 pole main, at least 1- 30 amp 1 pole breaker, and several 20 amp breakers.

I would move over the air conditioners to the new panel, along with things like the kitchen circuit, and microwave. If you have a electric water heater, then that too.

Fred.

that sounds like a great way to do it IMHO.
bumpy

It would have to be 6-3 with a additional ground wire. So 4 wires total are used on a 50 amp service. Sometimes 6-3 is only three wires total, be sure to check. If you are talking about Romex, normally it will have two colored wires and a white and ground, and be called 6-3 With ground. But it might not have a ground, be sure to check. Or some 6-3 might have black, white and copper wire.

What Weekend Warrior did was have the dealer install a 50 amp main panel in the basement storage, with a 30 amp circuit breaker feeding the factory 30 amp panel, and new 20 amp breakers feeding several circuits - some of them where fed by the factory panel, now transferred to the new 50 amp panel.

Then the 50 amp panel has a 50 amp 2 pole main, at least 1- 30 amp 1 pole breaker, and several 20 amp breakers.

I would move over the air conditioners to the new panel, along with things like the kitchen circuit, and microwave. If you have a electric water heater, then that too.

Fred.