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L8173's avatar
L8173
Explorer
Aug 14, 2019

Electricity? Never touch the stuff

I'm hiring an electrician to run a 50 amp line at my daughter's house for my RV. I only need 50amps because I have two A/C units. It's a 30' toy hauler. No W/D hookups. Everything is 110 (I believe). Having a difficult time telling the electrician exactly what I need, since I don't really know myself. My cord is a four post cord. What should he run?? He's saying 220, but I don't want to blow stuff up. ANY info on this basic question would be appreciated. I've just never been able to grasp the concept. Please use small words, lol.
  • Flute_Man's avatar
    Flute_Man
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    Your electrician is right. It is the standard 110/220 volt Rv service.

    Jerry Parr
  • 12th_Man_Fan's avatar
    12th_Man_Fan
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    Before you have this done make sure the electrician knows what you need. It is not a normal 220V circut it is two 110V.

    There have been several posts with pictures on this issue. If you install the wrong one it can cause severe damage to you rig.
  • Chris_Bryant's avatar
    Chris_Bryant
    Explorer II
    Aug 14, 2019
    Tell him it is a standard 14-50R 125/250 volt receptacle.
    I know what I am talking about.
  • westernrvparkow's avatar
    westernrvparkow
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    12th Man Fan wrote:
    Before you have this done make sure the electrician knows what you need. It is not a normal 220V circut it is two 110V.

    What the electrician is describing is a normal 240 (not 220) circuit. Also, the standard today is 120 volts. If your residential outlets are only delivering 110 volts your service is close to being below the standard which is 120 volts +/-10%.
    What screws people up is the old services that were THREE wire 220 volt services where there is no neutral. The standard outlet for one of those looks similar to a 30 amp rv outlet. However, the 30 amp rv plug will not fit those outlets. Unfortunately people have either forced their plog into one of those outlets oe modified the outlet to accommodate the plug. That I where bad things happen. Four wire to four wire is fine almost 100% of the time (extreme human error not withstanding).
  • cavie's avatar
    cavie
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    12th Man Fan wrote:
    Before you have this done make sure the electrician knows what you need. It is not a normal 220V circut it is two 110V.

    There have been several posts with pictures on this issue. If you install the wrong one it can cause severe damage to you rig.


    It is very much a normal 240 volt circuit. Just like your 4 wire range plug at home. 240 volts L1 to L2 , neutral, and Ground. 50 amps. Nothing special about it.

    30 amps on the other hand is 120 volts 3 wire.
  • cavie's avatar
    cavie
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    L8173 wrote:
    I'm hiring an electrician to run a 50 amp line at my daughter's house for my RV. I only need 50amps because I have two A/C units. It's a 30' toy hauler. No W/D hookups. Everything is 110 (I believe). Having a difficult time telling the electrician exactly what I need, since I don't really know myself. My cord is a four post cord. What should he run?? He's saying 220, but I don't want to blow stuff up. ANY info on this basic question would be appreciated. I've just never been able to grasp the concept. Please use small words, lol.


    Do you have a 50 amp service in your trailer?? Is the cord 4 wire?
  • cavie's avatar
    cavie
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    L8173 wrote:
    I'm hiring an electrician to run a 50 amp line at my daughter's house for my RV. I only need 50amps because I have two A/C units. It's a 30' toy hauler. No W/D hookups. Everything is 110 (I believe). Having a difficult time telling the electrician exactly what I need, since I don't really know myself. My cord is a four post cord. What should he run?? He's saying 220, but I don't want to blow stuff up. ANY info on this basic question would be appreciated. I've just never been able to grasp the concept. Please use small words, lol.


    Do you have a 50 amp service in your trailer?? Is the cord 4 wire?
  • theoldwizard1's avatar
    theoldwizard1
    Explorer II
    Aug 14, 2019
    Chris Bryant wrote:
    Tell him it is a standard 14-50R 125/250 volt receptacle.
    I know what I am talking about.

    Second !
  • D_E_Bishop's avatar
    D_E_Bishop
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    Chris Bryant wrote:
    Tell him it is a standard 14-50R 125/250 volt receptacle.
    I know what I am talking about.


    If the electrical concept is daunting, ignore everything except the above quote from Chris.

    Don't worry about having 110-220volts or 120-240volts or 125-250volts, these are all interchangeable linguistically. Hopefully anyone who works in the field knows that if you say 110 volts it's really 120 volts.

    If you spec a 14-50R 125/250 volt receptacle and the electrician mis-wires it or if he installs something else, he is responsible and hopefully has E&O insurance. This is why you hire licensed professional people to do work you don't want to do or do not know how to do.

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