Suggestions for RV panel install, long run

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Was 119 the voltage under load?

No, I thought about it shortly after and decided to run the A/C, fridge, and a bunch of lights.... and it dropped to 115.5v, so 3.75% under 120v. Below 114 (5% drop) I'd start being concerned. We'll just have to keep an eye on usage. I don't mind as photovoltaic was initially on the table and that would have been a much bigger lifestyle change.

Hi,

Was 119 the voltage under load?

Stoic_J wrote:
OK, it's all run. I am reading 119v at the RV outlet.

SoundGuy wrote:
Your post is confusing as it infers 50 amp RV service is just 50 amps when in fact it's 50 amps across each of 2 legs, for a total potential draw of 100 amps. You really have a need to draw that much from your sister's 200 amp service? :h

I have a 30-amp trailer, and I NEED enough for that. I would like to have an additional 30-amp trailer that STAYS on the property.

The panel I got has a 50 RV outlet, a 30 RV outlet, and a standard receptacle on a 20-amp breaker. I would just leave the 20-amp off, and run 30-amps max on each of the two trailers. If running two A/C's at once was a problem I would just have to alternate.

OK, it's all run. I am reading 119v at the RV outlet. Haven't measured resistance or amps yet. Put two grounding rods in the ground, just need to go to the hardware store tomorrow to get a clamp for one of them.

Have power and water at the site now! :B

After all is cleaned up I'll take pics and leave a diagram of what I did for future reference. Next is septic.

Stoic_J wrote:
My trailer is 30-amp. Would like to be able to run another 20-30 amps to a second RV or a very small manufactured home at the site. Just wanting ideas from folks who have experience with this sort of thing. Things to look for.

Your post is confusing as it infers 50 amp RV service is just 50 amps when in fact it's 50 amps across each of 2 legs, for a total potential draw of 100 amps. You really have a need to draw that much from your sister's 200 amp service? :h

rhagfo wrote:

azrving wrote:
If you don't need a permit wire as you like. If you are supposed to get a permit wire it as required in case you get popped. At least that's how I cheat. I cheat but I don't leave myself open to double the cost. Risk reward I suppose

Very Bad advice, save a couple $$ burn something down! Two things I don't cheat on Electric and Gas, all done to code!

pianotuna wrote:
#4 copper wire in conduit. Use four wires.

Very Good advice!

To the OP, you state you are coming directly off the power pole, is this before or after the meter??

If before the meter you will also require a meter base (This would also be best as you would get a separate bill).

If post meter, and you are truly hooking up to her 200 amp panel, you should be sure that she can share that much amperage, and how are you planning to share the bill?

Learn to read, I told him to wire by code as I do even if not getting a permit. If he doesn't want to wire it to code as many do then that's for him to expierence

You need to be less than 3% voltage drop. For your distance you need either #1 copper or 2/0 Aluminum to stay under 3% voltage drop.

That's based of 240', 120 volts, 50 amps, single phase, single conductor per leg.

The smaller wires look like #8 or #6, and go a couple of feet to a small breakered panel that feeds a well pump.

WIRE SIZE: I don't know the sizes of the bigger wires. My thought was to use double mechanical lugs, one side for the bigger wire, the other side for the RV wire and the well pump wire. COULD have combined the well pump and RV into one larger panel, but..... this seemed better.

FUSE SIZE: Don't know the fuse sizes, can't read the labels without pulling them. A good bit thicker than the 100-amps I saw at the hardware store.

#10 GREEN WIRE: There is a #10 green in the conduit from the main disconnect to the RV panel, not sure what if anything to do with it.

I have an 8' ground rod hammered in close to the RV panel, and the clamps for it. Actually, I bought a 2nd rod, in case it made sense to pound that in a few feet away.

There is a ground bus in the RV panel, behind the receptacles. The #10 green wire is rolled up in there.

Meter base neutral and ground are not isolated.

Where would the #10 green go in the disconnect? Then it just goes in and out of the meter base, into the RV panel, and secured to the ground bus.
Or is it okay to not use the #10 green, and ground using bare copper to 2 ground rods?

dup

The photos are a bit on the small side to see exactly what's going on. A wiring diagram would also help. This is kinda what I'm thinking:

In the main fused disconnect, there are smaller wires running off the load side of the lugs. Not legal and not sure what they're for. If the main switch feeds two loads, there should be some kind of panel after it with a breaker for each downstream load. What size are the main fuses and what are the wire sizes connected to the load side lugs?

It looks like there is a reduced neutral in the main disconnect switch. This works and is permitted in houses where there is generally a somewhat balanced total load and the neutral sees less current than the hot wires. Not sure if that affects anything or if you need to try and better balance loads, but just putting it out there anyway.

Main service grounding should happen only in the main disconnect with ground rods (or code alternative). There would normally only be one size (not sure what the code size would be) main ground wire but sometimes there can be a small gauge ground wire for the telephone or CATV service. In the remote RV panel, grounding should definitely happen there if there is no ground wire in the overhead run back to the main disconnect. The neutral and ground should NOT be interconnected in the RV panel, but the enclosure must be grounded and connected to the ground bus inside the enclosure and to the ground connections on the receptacles. There should be a ground bus somewhere inside the RV panel. I *think* the NEC now allows grounding at remote RV panels/pedestals but does not require it - if there is a ground all the way back to the main service.

The meter base looks correctly wired as long as the neutral is isolated from the ground connection there. The ground bus needs to be connected to the enclosure which it looks like it is.

The RV panel is just like any "ordinary" house panel except that it has receptacles in it. There needs to one or more ground rods as per code which also depends on soil conditions.

The work looks great. Just add a faucet and sewer connection and you've got your own personal one-site RV park... :)