Installing 50 Amp in garage

Eric&Lisa wrote:

MetalGator wrote:
I want to install a 50 amp receptacle in my garage for when I have the motor home parked in the driveway.....

Just to throw out a different line of thinking.... Why do you want to do this??

The 50 amp service is so your RV can have big heavy appliances. Think multiple A/C units. Built-in dryers, etc. All good amenities if you are away from home but still like the comforts of home. In this case, you want to connect the RV when it is in your driveway. Will you actually be running heavy loads while at home, or is this more about keeping the battery charged and running some lights??

The reason I ask.... Adding a 50 amp service to an existing electrical box may exceed its capacity. Now you are in to swapping main electrical boxes, maybe even upgrading the service from the power company. This can get big expensive in a hurry. If all you want to do is run a light power load, then maybe you can get by with a couple adapters and a regular 110v outlet.

Just a thought...
-Eric

All a 50 amp circuit requires in a normal home panel is two blank spaces in the panel. If the home panel is completely full, all that is required is for the electrician to add a sub panel which is very common, completely safe and not very expensive. Neither option requires any changes from the power company. The biggest cost to the entire project will be if the home's panel is located a long way away from where the customer wants the 50 amp service. That would run up the cost of the wire and fishing wires can be time consuming, and therefore expensive. If you have a 50 amp rig that spends a lot of time at your home I feel a 50 amp connection is almost a must have.

MetalGator wrote:

Eric&Lisa wrote:
Why do you want to do this??

Because I want to be able to run the AC unit when the motorhome is at our house. ...

Fair e'nuf! Sometimes a question/comment on a thread helps the OP, sometimes it helps the person lurking and learning.

Stay cool! :)

-Eric

Eric&Lisa wrote:
Why do you want to do this??

Because I want to be able to run the AC unit when the motorhome is at our house. I store the motorhome in a garage about 5 miles from my house. When I want to do a good cleaning on the inside or want to put some equipment in the motorhome, it is easier to bring it to my house for a couple of days. I live in Florida so the motorhome gets hot and it's nice to be able to run the AC unit. A 15 amp circuit won't run one of the AC units and the residential fridge which is all I really plan on running for the short times it's in our driveway. I have run over twenty hours on the generator in the past two years just to run the AC while it's parked at the house. It's going to cost me less than $100 to get this installed (I already have the parts). An electrician already looked at the box and I have the breaker. I didn't really think this was a big deal as several of my friends that store their RVs at their homes have done this. I wish I could store mine at home but I don't have room to store it and I can't leave it in the driveway due to county ordinances. The only place I have room for the Motorhome is on one side of my house and that is where the septic tank is. I don't think that would be a good idea!

rhagfo wrote:


This is likely the most code complaint box, as many times if a large amperage outlet is not within sight of the breaker panel, a local disconnect is required.

"likely"
"most code compliant"
"many time"
"large amperage outlet"
"not within sight"
"local disconnect"

This is probably the most vague and ambiguous sentence I have ever read. Almost sounds important, yet is filled from beginning to end with meaningless words and provides no help but increases the confusion on the subject. Why bother?

schlep1967 wrote:
I have this one. 50 amp receptacle
It closes over the cord and the breaker is right there so you can turn it off before hooking/unhooking.

This is likely the most code complaint box, as many times if a large amperage outlet is not within sight of the breaker panel, a local disconnect is required.

Now Eric, lets not be practical. :W

MetalGator wrote:
I want to install a 50 amp receptacle in my garage for when I have the motor home parked in the driveway.....

Just to throw out a different line of thinking.... Why do you want to do this??

The 50 amp service is so your RV can have big heavy appliances. Think multiple A/C units. Built-in dryers, etc. All good amenities if you are away from home but still like the comforts of home. In this case, you want to connect the RV when it is in your driveway. Will you actually be running heavy loads while at home, or is this more about keeping the battery charged and running some lights??

The reason I ask.... Adding a 50 amp service to an existing electrical box may exceed its capacity. Now you are in to swapping main electrical boxes, maybe even upgrading the service from the power company. This can get big expensive in a hurry. If all you want to do is run a light power load, then maybe you can get by with a couple adapters and a regular 110v outlet.

Just a thought...
-Eric

Cummins12V98 wrote:

I mounted two boxes beside each other, breaker in one and receptacle in the other. Substantially less $$ than an RV box.

The one I used
This the one I used after replacing a single 50 amp box. I retained the 50 amp receptical , gained a 30 amp one for guests, and a 20 amp outlet for whatever. And the door closes over the newer plugs with the handles. It is internally prewired so easy to install. I did do some searching and found it for a much lower cost. It has the switchable circuit breakers for each outlet. Very happy with it.

I would let the electrician supply the parts. Everything is very common.