Advice on 30 amp Install at Home

[cekkk]

Our electrician will be coming soon for needed work, and while here I want to add 30 amp service so kids can use it when visiting and have more power available than what I have now, which is using an adapter and standard residential duplex receptacle. He's excellent but does residential and commercial work, not RV stuff. I've read here and elsewhere about problems arising due to the differences in RV wiring. He won't be touching the RV itself, but still, is there anything he should know now that might otherwise catch him by surprise and cause trouble when I plug the power cord into the new receptacle?

[myredracer]

cekkk wrote:
Well, I tried to buy a receptacle at Lowe's, an RV dealer and a plumbing outlet that has a lot of electrical parts. Nada. A lot were close, but none were right, like the TT30 mentioned here. I'm waiting to talk to Mark, my electrician, to see if he has one or if I should order online and hope it arrives in time.

I bought my TT-30R at Home Depot and the disconnect switch at an electrical wholesaler. Fastest online place is probably Amazon - order today (Wed.) and they say it will arrive on Friday. Your electrician should be able to get one from a wholesaler, but could take a while.

[DrewE]

smkettner wrote:
Lowes Item #: 246872 | Model #: 3830-CC6

http://www.lowes.com

Nema 30-tt outlet with box:
Item #: 242306 | Model #: CHU4S

http://www.lowes.com

Lowes also has a box with 30-tt and 5-20 GFI outlet and breakers but then it gets into the $200 range.

I installed the second of these for my RV. In my case, I thought it simplest to run the wires to the box from the soffit (inside of EMT), and I had to special order the hub adapter for the box to attach the conduit to. An alternative would be to use the knockouts in the bottom of the box and a couple of bends or elbows, but that seemed untidy and prone to collecting moisture.

Lowes also sells heavy-duty light switches rated at 30A. One on the inside of the house/garage makes a dandy disconnect switch that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

[time2roll]

Lowes Item #: 246872 | Model #: 3830-CC6

http://www.lowes.com

Nema 30-tt outlet with box:
Item #: 242306 | Model #: CHU4S

http://www.lowes.com

Lowes also has a box with 30-tt and 5-20 GFI outlet and breakers but then it gets into the $200 range.

[TexBohunk]

Put in 50amp service. Set up an rv spot at my home for my father's 5ver. He (retired electrical engineer) bought the required hardware and wired it up. I did the dirty work of running the wire under my mobile home. I just use a 50-30 pigtail for my TT. Breakers for the shore power are located in the box on my service pole. Running a double 30amp breaker, instead of single 50amp because it was cheaper.

[cekkk]

Well, I tried to buy a receptacle at Lowe's, an RV dealer and a plumbing outlet that has a lot of electrical parts. Nada. A lot were close, but none were right, like the TT30 mentioned here. I'm waiting to talk to Mark, my electrician, to see if he has one or if I should order online and hope it arrives in time.

I have a medical procedure tomorrow (6:45 a.m.!) and probably will be silent for several days.

[myredracer]

I highly recommend installing a disconnect switch at the new RV receptacle. Will prevent arcing and pitting and damage to the shore power plug blades every time you plug in. A "motor rated" disconnect switch works well as they have heavier contacts.

Good point on load capacity of the service in the house. For a residential service load calculation, it looks like an RV outlet must comply with NEC art. 551 and table 551.73(A) meaning a demand factor of 100%. For a house with a 100A service, a 50A RV outlet sure would take a bite out of it and would not be possible to do. I wonder how many installing an RV outlet do a load calc. and comply with the NEC requirements?...

A post found on an electrical contractor/engineer/inspector forum on RV outlets:
I have hooked up probably about 10 without an issue, however last spring I hooked up one up that was older and used that the guy had just bought. [snip] I couldn't get inside but it had a 30 amp. 3-prong plug. I connected it to a 240 volt source. [snip] I got a call from him a few days later saying that the light bulbs were "exploding" when he turned them on. I immediately went back and droped him to 120 volts and I assume everything is ok because I never geard back.
Now I'm gunshy on these installs

There's an awful lot of licensed electricians that just can't get this stuff right. Make sure you hire the right guy.

[D_E_Bishop]

Just a note about the box you have installed. I bought one from Lowes made for an RV hookup. Two things missing, first was a disconnect switch, the other was a 20 amp outlet.

I am an old electrician and forgot these two things. Most here suggest turning off the power before plugging in the RV. I agree. A CB somewhere else is not a disconnect switch and should not be used as one. When we had the house built, code called for ONE 15 amp duplex outlet in the garage and no exterior outlets. I upgraded to an outlet every six feet all on GFCI outlets and one 15 amp exterior outlet. I should have gone with multiple 20 GFCI's including a 20 amp exterior outlet.

I pulled #10 and #12 wires and have now upgraded. Would have been easier to do it all the first time.

[joebedford]

I have two 30A RV plugs on my garage for when friends visit and the odd time my RV is on the driveway.

I would really like to have buried power for my RV storage spot which is on the other end of the house. Right now, my 50A power cord plugs into my 30A extension through a dogbone which plugs into a 30/15 adapter plugged into an outdoor GFI receptacle on the house. All of that is lying on the ground. Only problem is the RV is about 50 cable-feet from the house and that corner of the house is about 100 cable-feet from the breaker panel. Mucho moola. I'm toying with the idea of burying properly sized cable but hooking it in the house to an existing 15A circuit until my budget can afford heavy cable to a 50A breaker on the panel.

[joebedford]

rr2254545 wrote:
I would put in 50 amp - most 5ers and MH have 50 now, if they have 30 now I am sure they have a pigtail for using a 50 connection. Then you will not have to upgrade later when they upgrade

Why would they have such a pigtail? (dogbone). I have a 50A RV with a 50 to 30 dogbone. I don't think most people have a dogbone for the other direction.

[Dave_H_M]

Are you REALLY sure your "home" has a "50A" service drop from the electric company?

That would have to be one heck of a old house/building to have only 50A electrical service entrance..

Pretty much all newer construction homes are required a minimum of "100A" 120/240V service drop in order to get the electric company to hook up to your home..

Not all worlds are the same. The REA here out in the sticks put a 200 amp drop on the power pole where the line terminated. I checked with them about hook up. They said that i was on my own.

So I have a 200 service box in the home and a 100 in the barn.

Just saying, there are exceptions.

[RJsfishin]

RJsfishin wrote:
DON'T put in a 50 amp service !!!

Wow, senior moment,....I forgot to explain why.
We don't want our visitors getting too comfortable and forget when its time to leave !:B

[Gdetrailer]

cekkk wrote:
I really am impressed at all the helpful advice, but Soundguy woke me up to something I hadn't thought of, but my electrician probably would have caught. We live where the summer daytime temperatures rarely hit 80 mid day and nights drop into the low 40s, so no one has ac. As a result we have 50 amp service in the home. And for us at least, every major energy using appliance runs on propane. So even if th next rig has 50 amp service, which I'm sure it will, a 30 amp install will suffice. Most of our camping is in the desert nearby and wintering in the Phoenix area. So we miss not having 50 amp for more ac in the summer campouts and not being able to run our WH, microwave and toaster, etc., at the same time while full timing in winter. So 30 amp is what I'll have put in. And guests with their own RVs will have to do with that.

Are you REALLY sure your "home" has a "50A" service drop from the electric company?

That would have to be one heck of a old house/building to have only 50A electrical service entrance..

Pretty much all newer construction homes are required a minimum of "100A" 120/240V service drop in order to get the electric company to hook up to your home..

[cekkk]

I really am impressed at all the helpful advice, but Soundguy woke me up to something I hadn't thought of, but my electrician probably would have caught. We live where the summer daytime temperatures rarely hit 80 mid day and nights drop into the low 40s, so no one has ac. As a result we have 50 amp service in the home. And for us at least, every major energy using appliance runs on propane. So even if th next rig has 50 amp service, which I'm sure it will, a 30 amp install will suffice. Most of our camping is in the desert nearby and wintering in the Phoenix area. So we miss not having 50 amp for more ac in the summer campouts and not being able to run our WH, microwave and toaster, etc., at the same time while full timing in winter. So 30 amp is what I'll have put in. And guests with their own RVs will have to do with that.

[Rick_Jay]

I second Bobbo's advice. That's exactly what I've done...in 4 different places (our house, 3 relatives we visit). Do it once & do it right! 🙂

I got mine from RVPowerOutlet.com. And if you shop, you might be able to find it even cheaper.

It's nice having the 120V 20A AC outlet for tools, lights, radio, etc. while working outside. I use the 30A outlet to keep the rig plugged in during the winter so my 50A cord isn't exposed to the winter elements. During the Spring/Summer/Fall I connect to the 50A outlet.

~Rick

ON EDIT: I did some shopping for you. Here's something similar even cheaper, but I can't comment on the company. 50/30/20 RV Outlet from RVParkSupplies.com