I am installing a 50amp service at my house. By looking around on the internerwebs it looks like you use a double pole breaker just like you were putting in a 220v outlet. Is this correct? Does the camper know to pull 110v from each side? I have ordered a surge protector but would like to know before I plug anything in that I am doing it correctly. Thanks.

Yes, it is a 240v outlet, with a ground and a neutral (4 connections total). The RV appliances will draw 120v from either side of the outlet (L1 or L2), depending on the circuit breaker arrangement in your load panel inside the coach.This diagram might help:

Yes it is a very common NEMA 14-50 connector that supplies 120/240 service.http://www.myrv.us/electric/Pg/50amp_Service.htm

Same outlet that feeds your residential electric range.Enjoy all that extra power!

After reading so many horror stories on here from folks that have done a DIY 50A install and even paid to have it done might I suggest:If you do it yourself be 100% knowledgeable on how it works, to avoid frying your rv with 220volts.If you hire a professional....be sure they know exactly how a 50A rv outlet works as too many of them end up frying rigs with 220VDaryll

I just had a 50A installed last Fri. I asked the tech at RV dealer if he dealt w/ doing electric work on the side and said no, but knew a fella behind him who does. I had all the stuff, he just needed to cut hole thru wall in garage, attach outlet box, run wire along wall/into breaker panel, attach double pole breaker and wholla! $100.00 later. Have 117 volts on each line (based on readings from PI50amp EMS). He removed the double pole 30 amp breaker from box that was used for clothes drier, but no longer in use (switched to gas)and put the RV 50A breaker there. Wire run was only about 15' in total and used 10ga wire. Am not too concerned as we don't plan on running anything more than lights and fridge. IF for whatever reason we were to fire up either 1 or both A/C's, no problem...again based on only being 15' of wire. Main reason we wanted the 50A plug was based on more of a convenience to us to plug into so as to not have to keep jerry rigging the 110 adapter to 50A and tie up the 50A cord due to it's weight.If you are going to be a ways from your breaker panel, you may want to use a heavier ga wire. Others agree or disagree? I'm not a wire expert, just basing this off of high school ag class memory.

Help please. Putting in a 50 amp service at home.

Lynnmor
Explorer
Jul 21, 2018
sayoung wrote:
allen8106 wrote:
GordonThree wrote:
Yes, it is a 240v outlet, with a ground and a neutral (4 connections total). The RV appliances will draw 120v from either side of the outlet (L1 or L2), depending on the circuit breaker arrangement in your load panel inside the coach.

Whoa, whoa, whoa folks, lets stop the panic here. This above is the correct way to wire the RV outlet. Yes this is a 220v plug, however the cable from the RV to the plug and the RV wiring system is designed to only pull 110v off either side of the 220v outlet. ALL, repeat ALL RV's are 110v and pull 110v from one of two 110v legs on a 220v outlet. Usually, one leg goes to all your 110v outlets in the camper and the other leg goes to the AC.

The wiring size of #10 is too small, I used #6 wire. I wired my 50amp outlet two different times myself. Once a few years back and most recently as a result of installing a new 40X42 building. I had a Journeyman Electrician check my wiring and is was just as it should be. I've run both my AC's off of this outlet with no problems and have not fried anything.

Electricians with NO RV experience do not realize the (2) separate 110V busses are independent and cannot be ganged to make a 220 outlet as in a residential breaker box.

You might want to look at some high end RV's that have 240 volt dryers installed. Just more incorrect information.

The outlet box, that is the subject of this thread, might need a ground wire run to the ground screw of the box depending on codes and models.
sayoung
Explorer
Jul 21, 2018
allen8106 wrote:
GordonThree wrote:
Yes, it is a 240v outlet, with a ground and a neutral (4 connections total). The RV appliances will draw 120v from either side of the outlet (L1 or L2), depending on the circuit breaker arrangement in your load panel inside the coach.

This diagram might help:

Whoa, whoa, whoa folks, lets stop the panic here. This above is the correct way to wire the RV outlet. Yes this is a 220v plug, however the cable from the RV to the plug and the RV wiring system is designed to only pull 110v off either side of the 220v outlet. ALL, repeat ALL RV's are 110v and pull 110v from one of two 110v legs on a 220v outlet. Usually, one leg goes to all your 110v outlets in the camper and the other leg goes to the AC.

The wiring size of #10 is too small, I used #6 wire. I wired my 50amp outlet two different times myself. Once a few years back and most recently as a result of installing a new 40X42 building. I had a Journeyman Electrician check my wiring and is was just as it should be. I've run both my AC's off of this outlet with no problems and have not fried anything.

Electricians with NO RV experience do not realize the (2) separate 110V busses are independent and cannot be ganged to make a 220 outlet as in a residential breaker box.
Learjet
Explorer
Jul 21, 2018
ACZL wrote:
For those those that jumped on my case earlier, I found the casing off the wire used and here what it says:

6 AWG CU 3 CDR with 10 AWG ground

So by sounds of things, I'm good to go as I thought it was all 10 ga but looks like just the ground wire is. Guy who did the wiring is an electrician and never said it was a no-no.

yep, that is fine the ground wire can be 10 AWG
ACZL
Explorer
Jul 20, 2018
For those those that jumped on my case earlier, I found the casing off the wire used and here what it says:

6 AWG CU 3 CDR with 10 AWG ground

So by sounds of things, I'm good to go as I thought it was all 10 ga but looks like just the ground wire is. Guy who did the wiring is an electrician and never said it was a no-no.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Jul 20, 2018
BurbMan wrote:
CA Traveler wrote:
A 50A RV circuit is 120/240V, 50A, 3 pole, 4 wires, 60 Hz and uses the very common household 50A plug. It is NOT just a 240V circuit.

....aaaaaand the bad advice just keeps coming....it's 2 poles, plus a neutral and a ground, just like every other 50a circuit.

Glad the OP was able to complete the job properly! It would be more helpful for folks to simply suggest "hire a professional", rather than stating a bunch of incorrect info and then saying "I don't know what I'm talking about so you better hire a professional."
Yes sir including your post.

The 50A RV circuit is indeed 3 pole, hot, hot AND neutral plus ground just like every other 120/240V circuits.

It is analogous to the early 2 prong 2 pole household plug. Later the third ground prong was added for safety.
Me_Again
Explorer III
Jul 20, 2018
Whoever said they had #10 wire with a dual 50 amp breaker, you need to replace it with the dual 30 amp breaker. You risk lighting up the #10 wire with 50 amps. Everything will work the same, except if you draw more than 30 amps you trip the breaker vs burning up #10 wire and maybe your home. Do it, switch to the lower rated dual breaker asp.
ScottG
Nomad
Jul 19, 2018
Yay!!
Tzman4
Explorer
Jul 19, 2018
:B
buck_n_duck
Explorer
Jul 19, 2018
time2roll
Nomad
Jul 19, 2018
buck n duck wrote:
I do have pictures but don’t know how to upload them.
http://photoposting.is-great.net/

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