Running a 30 amp rv plug for the house?
I've decided to have an electrician wire up a 30 amp 110 rv plug for the house. I'm tired of loading and unloading in a 125degree rv. I have looked at different options and I wanted to get some opin...
Forum Discussion
DinTulsa wrote:
It's a little more complicated for sure. I'll probably just run a regular rv drop.
I'm going to need a 50ft extension cord to reach the outlet either way. I have to park the rv in the street and my 50 amp cord is short.
You would be running the cord on public property out to the street? I would doubt that is legal and could be a big liability issue.
Voltage drop is a major consideration for longer runs. Running an AC unit would be the biggest concern because if the voltage gets too low you will cause damage to it. Do you have one or two ACs? For just one typical AC unit, you a min. of #10 wire for over 50' and depending on how long the overall run is all the way back to the panel, you may need #8 or #6 ga. wire (or even larger in some cases). Going to a larger wire size can add a lot of expense depending on how long the wire run is. Just because an AC unit(s) *seems* to start and run okay doesn't mean you don't have low voltage that is causing damage every time you run it.
Also, the voltage at the house panel matters and should normally be close to 120 volts but can be less sometimes such as in the summer with you and the neighbors all running AC units in their homes. An electrician can calculate the voltage drop for you.
You want a straight-blade plug on the end of the shore power/extension cord not a twist-lock. You should always turn the power off before plugging in. Easy at a CG pedestal but at home a disconnect device at the receptacle is a good idea. A "motor-rated" toggle switch works well and can be mounted in a standard outlet box along with a weatherproof cover. (That's what I did at home.) Get a permanent LED voltmeter for inside your camper, either a plug-in or wall-mount type to monitor voltage. If you don't have one, get an EMS unit to cut power off automatically for low voltage (and other conditions).
Please don't come back one day to report that your RV got fried because it got wired wrong at 240 volts. Don't blindly trust an electrician to get it right - as mentioned, check with a voltmeter first.
