Need to add a 110v electrical outlet

[IBcarguy]

We have a new TT and I want to add a 110v outlet in the bunk bed area for the grandkids to plug in their Ipad chargers, TV, games, electric blanket, etc. The bunk area is against the back side of the pantry wall that also has the electrical panels, so I think it should be feasible to run wires a few feet. I've never done this kind of work but I'm generally pretty handy so I'm not afraid to tackle this with a little coaching. Are there outlet boxes that can be attached to thin paneling? I don't think there would be access from inside the pantry paneling to try to secure it to a stud without ripping out everything for access. Also, should I add another breaker and isolate this circuit or should I just add it to an existing breaker circuit? If I add a breaker what size? 15A? 20A? Thanks for any advice.

[IBcarguy]

cbshoestring wrote:
Sounds like you are a happy DIYer. Congratulations. :B

As a life long DIYer (before they coined that term), I take all advice seriously. Yes, some will sound as if they are belittling you, but I think they really mean well with the warnings. Don't just hear---listen----even the dissenters can teach you a thing or two. Soak it all in, then do it your way.

I hope you will consider the above when I make this added "peace of mind" suggestion.

Nicely put....and now that I've settled down a bit I appreciate your point of view but I'm not as forgiving as you. I'm regarded as a "good guy" by most and my post was not intended to create any controversy or conflict with anyone, but that guy really set me off. I was trying to engage in a friendly exchange of information to learn from others with more experience than me and in comes this guy to tell me how dangerous it was to have a dummy like me with no experience attempt to do this monumental project. It's not like I was trying to rewire the space shuttle. This guy might be very knowledgeable and good at what he does but I could never learn anything from a person that only talks from a critical, negative point of view.
Thanks for your input though... I appreciate it.
IBCARGUY

[cbshoestring]

Sounds like you are a happy DIYer. Congratulations. :B

As a life long DIYer (before they coined that term), I take all advice seriously. Yes, some will sound as if they are belittling you, but I think they really mean well with the warnings. Don't just hear---listen----even the dissenters can teach you a thing or two. Soak it all in, then do it your way.

I hope you will consider the above when I make this added "peace of mind" suggestion.

[D_E_Bishop]

I'm with the OP, some of us are very talented in our chosen fields and very adventurous and want to learn more about a lot of things outside of those fields. I for one have a degree in Management and have worked most of my life in the electrical/electronics fields, I have worked professionally, if only part time as a silversmith, auto mechanic, and EOD(explosive ordinance disposal)Tech. I am now learning RV body repair and painting. Last week my house batteries did not charge driving from LA to "Q" and because the Converter takes so long to put a charge to the batteries, I started the engine go give them a little boost. Didn't happen, turns out the Aux Batt. solenoid is bad. To insure I didn't screw the system up, I read old posts, looked up schematics and determined how to test the systems without a second pair of hands and eyes.

I think that the OP having decided what he wanted, set out to verify what he was planning to do. He is, to me at least, pretty da@ smart and understands and knows more than he said about himself. As a general contractor I made buckets of money doing what beemerphile said he has done. Most of the guys who passed themselves off as contractors were just plain old dumb. Never check on how to do things, never looked at how the work was done and a host of other errors.

IBCarguy did everything right and deserves kudos and I don't think he is going to go off doing this professionally. He learned, he did the work and he is justifiably proud.

Everyone can learn from his example.

[IBcarguy]

beemerphile1 wrote:

IBcarguy wrote:

Beemerphile, you are so predictable! I told my wife that guys like you would probably post something negative about me doing this job...and you did! People like you just want to chine in with your "I'm a guru" remarks and hope that some new comer might actually listen to your self-serving rhetoric so that you might feel important.
I hope this doesn't offend any of the guys that offered some great suggestions and information, I appreciated the input.
Btw, my next project is to install a 12V lighter outlet.....hmmm, maybe I should hire a professional?

I don't see my post as negative, I sincerely hope everything is correct and you have many happy and safe years of use. How is that negative?

Beemerphile1 - I've said enough so let's end this by saying if you see any future posts by IBCARGUY....don't bother responding, I'm not interested in your opinion.

[beemerphile1]

IBcarguy wrote:

Beemerphile, you are so predictable! I told my wife that guys like you would probably post something negative about me doing this job...and you did! People like you just want to chine in with your "I'm a guru" remarks and hope that some new comer might actually listen to your self-serving rhetoric so that you might feel important.
I hope this doesn't offend any of the guys that offered some great suggestions and information, I appreciated the input.
Btw, my next project is to install a 12V lighter outlet.....hmmm, maybe I should hire a professional?

I don't see my post as negative, I sincerely hope everything is correct and you have many happy and safe years of use. How is that negative?

[IBcarguy]

Beemerphile1 wrote - (Just be aware, I have found many installations that worked but were installed incorrectly and were dangerous. The fact that it works doesn't mean it is done safely.

I sincerely hope it is safe. My years of training and of fixing other people's mistakes make me very cautious.

I sincerely hope it is safe. My years of training and of fixing other people's mistakes make me very cautious.)

Beemerphile, you are so predictable! I told my wife that guys like you would probably post something negative about me doing this job...and you did! People like you just want to chine in with your "I'm a guru" remarks and hope that some new comer might actually listen to your self-serving rhetoric so that you might feel important.
I hope this doesn't offend any of the guys that offered some great suggestions and information, I appreciated the input.
Btw, my next project is to install a 12V lighter outlet.....hmmm, maybe I should hire a professional?

[RJsfishin]

And the purpose of this post was........trying to scare him ??
Should he still go out and hire an elec tech to inspect his work ??

beemerphile1 wrote:

IBcarguy wrote:
I finished this job this afternoon and it was no big deal....To those negative people out there that insisted I should hire a pro, I TOLD YOU I COULD DO THIS!

I'm glad you accomplished the task and it works.

Just be aware, I have found many installations that worked but were installed incorrectly and were dangerous. The fact that it works doesn't mean it is done safely.

I sincerely hope it is safe. My years of training and of fixing other people's mistakes make me very cautious.

[Dusty_R]

First you need to be sure that the wall is deep enough to for the box that the receiptal will be mounted in, the size of box depends on size of wire and how many wires and devices.
Also be sure that you can get a cable from the breaker box/panel to where you want to install the receiptal.

PM me if you want and I'll try to help.

Dusty

[DutchmenSport]

Sometimes "professionals" make real blunders too. How many posts have there been on these forums about hired electricians, pros, experts, that hook up a 30 amp RV outlet and it was wired in 240! I believe the OP did a good job and his work is perfectly safe! He asked lots of questions, did lots of research, planned and executed carefully, and is happy with his work. If there is a problem with his wiring, I would think the camper would have caught fire the instant he plugged into shore power.

Good grief folks, it's a camper, not the electric power plant! Sheesh!

[beemerphile1]

IBcarguy wrote:
I finished this job this afternoon and it was no big deal....To those negative people out there that insisted I should hire a pro, I TOLD YOU I COULD DO THIS!

I'm glad you accomplished the task and it works.

Just be aware, I have found many installations that worked but were installed incorrectly and were dangerous. The fact that it works doesn't mean it is done safely.

I sincerely hope it is safe. My years of training and of fixing other people's mistakes make me very cautious.

[RJsfishin]

See there, now you can classify yourself as a wannabee elec tech....like me !!:)

[IBcarguy]

I finished this job this afternoon and it was no big deal. Installed 2 outlets, one for the upper bunk and one for the lower. I installed a 15A breaker and ran a new circuit. I used the thin boxes with double outlets and double USB ports. Another great tip from here was to glue pieces of wood to the opening I cut to thicken the paneling. The only problem I had was there was a big vent pipe in the wall that made the box a little tight so I had to move the hole over a little but the outlet trim covered it.
I was careful, took my time and it turned out to be a nice addition to the new trailer.
Thanks to all that offered good ideas and encouragement. To those negative people out there that insisted I should hire a pro.....I TOLD YOU I COULD DO THIS!

[j-d]

I found that the 120VAC breaker box part of our IOTA Load Center (120VAC Breakers, 12VDC Fuses, Converter/Charger All-In-One) had a spare position for an additional breaker. I found that one breaker (actually one side of a paired breaker setup) had TWO circuits on it. By breaking the dummy tab out and installing another breaker(15A/15A) I was able to divide that doubled circuit into two, and add another outlet to use for an electric heater. Didn't do anything for the overall 30A capability of the RV, but it added convenience and reduced the times a 15A breaker would trip. I had plenty of depth and access to the back side. Used an Old Work box. Straightforward, useful result, satisfying project.

Oh, our bathroom is where Jayco located the GFCI outlet, so it's not a mobile home-type installation. It's in a box that protrudes from the wall surface. Not sure if there's a cutout under it or not, never looked. Wiring itself, though, is in the wall and not a surface wiremold.

[Lantley]

IBcarguy wrote:

Lantley wrote:
As others have mentioned from your questions you don't sound very knowledgeable when it come to electric. However lets back up a minute.
Are you OK with simply adding another circuit via an electric cord that plugs into the CG pedestal?
If not are you capable of running a wire from your desired outlet location to the breaker box of the RV. You can run wire within cabinets or beneath trailer. However it needs to be done in a neat secure concealed manner.
Installing the box and making the connections is not the difficult part.

No, I am NOT going to run another circuit from the CG box. All I am going to do is add another outlet in the bunk bed area. My questions are mostly asking if I should run a dedicated circuit with an additional breaker or if I should run if off of an existing circuit. Granted, I am not an electrical expert but I am mechanically inclined (former auto tech) and I know that this isn't rocket science. With a little research and coaching, this shouldn't be any big deal.

Whether you tie to an existing circuit or install a dedicated circuit depends on availability of existing circuit and what is already on that circuit. You also want to consider what you will be plugging into the new outlet as well.
Just lights and chargers connecting to existing circuit is fine.
If you going to use a space heater or a high amp draw appliance a dedicated circuit is preferred.