yarnkitty
Active member
My sister and I are talking about having an electrical hook up installed at her house for me to use when I park there (once I have an RV to park). Does anyone have an idea how much this might cost?
installing electrical hook ups at home
- Thread starter yarnkitty
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Water Dog
Well-known member
It depends on several things. How close you are to the main electrical panel, whether you want 50 amp service or 30 amp service, Whether there is any trenching/backfill and how much, whether there is any attic crawling, if the main service panel has the capability to handle an additional circuit of the size you want.....and a few others. The parts themselves are not expensinsive, save the wire, but the labor can be anywhere from a couple of hours to days depending on your situation. Your best option would be to call an electrical contractor and have them give you an estimate.....just be sure they are familliar with RV specific power.
Larry N.
Well-known member
A couple of years ago I put an RV pedestal (just like in an RV park) next to the pad where I park my RV. It includes 20, 30 and 50 amp plugs, and cost something over $1,000, including a 30 foot ditch to bury the conduit. A fair chunk of that was for the pedestal itself, but the electrician did spend a while on the wiring.
It's crucial that, whatever route you take, the electrician understand that wiring to plug in an RV is NOT the same as typical house wiring using similar looking plugs. Done wrong it can damage or destroy the RV electrical system.
It's crucial that, whatever route you take, the electrician understand that wiring to plug in an RV is NOT the same as typical house wiring using similar looking plugs. Done wrong it can damage or destroy the RV electrical system.
OP
OP
yarnkitty
Active member
The area where we would park the RV is actually right next to the breaker box on the side of the house. The main problem we foresee is running into previous poor electrical work, perhaps requiring even replacing the box. My sister's house was remodeled extensively (adding 3 times the square footage) by the previous owner, an amateur contractor who had interesting architectural ideas, but evidently not much understanding of building codes. Can you tell me why there are different size hookups (30 amp and 50 amp)? Is it just that some RV's are made for 30 and some for 50?
captsteve
Well-known member
Some are made for 30 and some are made for 50. Since you are right next to the box, you might be able to find an open slot in it and drop a circuit out. then all you have to do is put a small boxwith a socket in it under the box. This can be well under $50.00 (self install)
Steve
Steve
Why some have 30 amp and some have 50 amp hookups is because of the power requirements of the RV. The newer RVs have washer/dryers multiple air units, heat strips in the air unit as supplemental electrical heating. The pigtail on the unit is also different. you can't plug a 30 amp into a 50 amp or the other way around.
Wandering
Well-known member
A couple of responses have mentioned that there is a "difference" for RV power requirements. Can someone explain this difference? If I properly add a 50 amp breaker to an electric panel and wire to a 50 amp outlet (per code), how can the RV electrical system be harmed by using that circuit?
Water Dog
Well-known member
Wandering said:
A 30 amp RV outlet looks very similar to a residential 30 amp dryer outlet. Most electricians are very familiar with the 30 amp 240 volt dryer outlet and will automatically assume that the RV 30 amp outlet is also a 240 volt outlet because of the configuration. It is not. It is a 30 amp 120 volt outlet. There shouldn't be that much confusion on the 50 amp service, as it is a 4 wire service (two 120 volt legs) and is wired like any other 240 volt 4 wire circuit.
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
A 50 amp RV outlet is actually the safest for a "non-RV literate" electrician to wire. Both the outlet and the associated wiring and breakers are identical that used for a household electric range, just mounted in a weather resistant box for outdoor use. As said, it's the 30 amp RV outlet that they tend to screw up.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
After reading many, many threads where someone hired an Electrican to install a 30 amp outlet.. I suggest you don't go that route.. Have him put in a 50 amp instead.
here is why:
The 30 amp outlet looks a lot like a Dryer or other 240 volt device outlet, So much so that in fact there are SOME dryer outlets your TT-30 plug will fit.
The electrician looks at without really seeing the "120 volt" printed on it and wires it for 240 volts and ZAP, many hundreds of dollars in damage to the RV.
Install a 50 amp.. Well that is 120/240 volt, the electrician will almost always get that right (Total OPPS stories on web zero) and you can then use an adapter to hook up a 30 amp RV. (Or any other 30 amp device, including a dryer, air compressor, welder and the like)
here is why:
The 30 amp outlet looks a lot like a Dryer or other 240 volt device outlet, So much so that in fact there are SOME dryer outlets your TT-30 plug will fit.
The electrician looks at without really seeing the "120 volt" printed on it and wires it for 240 volts and ZAP, many hundreds of dollars in damage to the RV.
Install a 50 amp.. Well that is 120/240 volt, the electrician will almost always get that right (Total OPPS stories on web zero) and you can then use an adapter to hook up a 30 amp RV. (Or any other 30 amp device, including a dryer, air compressor, welder and the like)
Mark R.
Well-known member
If you have a rig that requires a 30 amp service put in a 30 amp service or a duel service, if you put in a 50 amp service you will have to use a adapter to go to the 50 amp outlet, not optimal, and your 30 amp rated line cord now becomes a fusible link (not rated for 50 amps). Make sure your electrician knows it is for a RV and not a dryer, not all electricians are stupid.
Molaker
Well-known member
Only if the "short" occurs before the RV input circuit box and if that occurs, the cord is bad anyway. I go with others and recommend having a 50 amp service installed.Mark R. said:
John From Detroit
Well-known member
One Option for those who only want 30 amps is a 50 amp outlet with 50 amp wires and a 30 amp breaker... Just in case you are worried about the cord..
That said I agree fully with Tom the odds of a short that will melt the cord without tripign a 50 amp breaker approach zero.. I won't say it is impossible.. But I will be very very very (many more very's) Surprised if I ever hear of such a thing.
As for adapters not being optimal. In truth, the difference between a 30 amp line to a 30 amp outlet and a 50 amp line to an adapter to a 30 amp outlet and cord is likely an IMPROVEMENT due to the heavier wire between outlet and service box. This is one of the reasons many 30 amp rig owners carry an adapter so they can use the 50 at the park, better outlet, better wire (in some cases).
That said I agree fully with Tom the odds of a short that will melt the cord without tripign a 50 amp breaker approach zero.. I won't say it is impossible.. But I will be very very very (many more very's) Surprised if I ever hear of such a thing.
As for adapters not being optimal. In truth, the difference between a 30 amp line to a 30 amp outlet and a 50 amp line to an adapter to a 30 amp outlet and cord is likely an IMPROVEMENT due to the heavier wire between outlet and service box. This is one of the reasons many 30 amp rig owners carry an adapter so they can use the 50 at the park, better outlet, better wire (in some cases).
dylandrewlukesdad
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2012
- Posts
- 35
Why not just find a qualified electrician to wire what is needed correctly? Just ask the right questions upfront. Can you install a 30/120V circuit from my RV or what ever is needed?
captsteve
Well-known member
The answer is above! Most electricians are unfamiliar with RV wiring. They will run it as a 240 volt circut and smoke your unit.
dylandrewlukesdad
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2012
- Posts
- 35
Then find a qualified professional to do it right! 
Mark R.
Well-known member
Yes you guys are correct, you should install your home dryer with 30 amp rated wire to a 50 amp breaker and use a plug adapter to boot, you are why the NEC exist, good advise.
Molaker
Well-known member
For one thing, few home dryers have a 30 amp circuit breaker built in like a RV does. But, let's back up a bit. If we run 30 amp rated wire to a 50 amp rated circuit breaker, and then run a 50 amp wire on back to the main circuit box when is protected by a 200 amp main, what makes the run between the 50 amp breaker and the main at 200 amps safer than the 30 amp cord running up to a 50 amp breaker?Mark R. said:
Mark R.
Well-known member
SORRY, YOU OBVIOUSLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND BASIC ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION PANELS. Call a real electrician ( license not required) and have your installs done properly.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The difficulty for most of us is "how do I know if the real electrician I hire is "properly qualified" to do RV work? I mean, if I ask him, "Are you properly qualified?", what is he likely to answer? The problem, as described by others above, is that most residential electricians do not understand the requirements for a 30A RV outlet. They are "qualified' to install one, but they install all-to-often install the wrong thing. And most of us (with the obvious exception of Mark R.) don't have the technical knowledge to realize that this "qualified electrician" has done us wrong. Sadly, he often has paperwork to show he installed what the customer ordered, since the customer also relied on the electrician to write up the work order. That usually means no compensation for the damages either.
