30 AMP service okay to use?

[vsheetz]

Originally Posted by Pexring

Spend the money on a really good surge protector and you won't have any worries about whether power is correct or not. This one is the best you can buy in my opinion. Cheap insurance.



Progressive industries,Surge protector rv,

Yes!

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by montyhp

30 Amp is hot, neutral, ground, just like every receptacle in your house. It can still have open neutral or have the wires switched, but electricians probably won't make this error often.

50 Amp is different for a motor home than, for, say, a welder outlet. It is not just a 120, neutral, ground, or a 240, neutral ground (well that would be odd). It is actually two separate 120v (50A) circuits that are out of phase. They actually deliver 100A (confusing), that is why they are often wired improperly.

There is no such thing as a 240 volt, neutral, ground.

ANY 50 amp residential service is a 120/240 service. The only way to get 240 volts is with two, 120 Volt lines.

Check out post #10, that's how it works for RVs and welders.

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by H. Miller

50 amp is the system that is easier to get wrong - not 30

Originally Posted by montyhp

30 Amp is hot, neutral, ground, just like every receptacle in your house. It can still have open neutral or have the wires switched, but electricians probably won't make this error often.

50 Amp is different for a motor home than, for, say, a welder outlet. It is not just a 120, neutral, ground, or a 240, neutral ground (well that would be odd). It is actually two separate 120v (50A) circuits that are out of phase. They actually deliver 100A (confusing), that is why they are often wired improperly.

30A is the one that gets wired wrong and causes issues with RVs


30A can be 240V (2 Hots and 1 Neutral) used for welders and dryers
30A for RV is 120V (1 Hot, 1 Neutral, 1 ground)

50A has 4 wires (2 hots, 1 Neutral and 1 Ground) so it is 120/240V service but one would need to pickup both hots and the neutral for 240V

[4x4van]

Wow, amazing the complexity of the answers given here for a simple question. Invariably, these questions always end up taking a long and convoluted path towards proper/improper wiring in outlets, RV vs Dryer vs welder configurations, surge protectors, breakers, etc, etc, etc. I'm just surprised that overloaded axles and water pressure regulators didn't somehow get thrown in as well.

Let's get back to the OPs situation/question; You've been using your 30A RV outlet for 8 years...it will be fine for your new rig (with a 30A-50A dogbone), but of course you will only have 30A available, not 50A.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by 4x4van

Let's get back to the OPs situation/question; You've been using your 30A RV outlet for 8 years...it will be fine for your new rig (with a 30A-50A dogbone), but of course you will only have 30A available, not 50A.

It is amazing, but the facts are the facts.

If you use a dog bone, you will have 30 amps available from your 30 amp receptacle.

If you were to plug into a 50 amp, 240 volt receptacle, you would have 100 amps available.

Just keep that in mind when turning lots of things on.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by H. Miller

50 amp is the system that is easier to get wrong - not 30

Nope, it's the 30 that confuses electricians all over the place since the receptacle looks kind of the same for a 240 volt 30 amp service as it does for a 120 amp 30 amp service.

[Scottybdivin]

Originally Posted by Cricco

So, when I built my house 8 years ago, I had a travel trailer. We built a camper port with 30 amp service, hot & cold water and a sewer connection. We are picking up our 2006 Monaco Monarch tomorrow. I've read about 30 amp service being wired wrong for an RV. How can I tell if mine is wired correctly? I don't want to fry my new Monaco. We did have issues with our 1996 Coachmen TT cooking batteries when it was left plugged in, but maybe that was due to the older charging system?

Cricco, I did the same thing 20 years ago, when we built our home. I was not even thinking about owning an RV at the time, but my grandmother had a vintage class C. I had the electrician install a 30A outlet on the side of the garage for her. I have since used it many times, but now have a 50A pedestal for it.

[Cricco]

Well, we brought our Monarch home. I was happy to see that the previous owner had installed a transfer switch with surge protection. It has a 2 minute delay before switching to/from shore power/ generator. I did plug it in using a dogbone, and we have no problems. In fact, the EMS is allowing me to run everything on 30 amp. Service. Even the 2 AC units and both televisions. Thank you all for the advice.

[LETMGROW]

Before anyone runs out and buys a 50A. plug and some wire to hook up an RV plug they should look at the entrance box in their home. There are still some older homes which have 100A. or even less entrance boxes.
What else are you running inside your home? Do you have AC in the home, electric hot water heater, electric clothes dryer, microwave, electric heat, several TV's running at once, power tools, compressors, computers, electric stove? See where I'm headed with this? If all the appliances are running at once have you overloaded the circuit by trying to run two AC units in your TT or MH?
The added protection of a surge protector for your RV sounds like a great idea but what about the rest of the home? Even if you think you know how to wire up a 50A. or even a 30A. plug you should evaluate your total electrical usage before doing it. You might save your home by checking with a certified electrician before making a decision on installing that extra plug.
Lynn

[gemini5362]

Originally Posted by dabrooks

I think the 30 amp is easier to get wrong. It can be mis-wired for 240 volts instead of 120 volts. I think the 50 amp would always be wired correctly. I am not a licensed electrician but that is my opinion.

they can be wired wrong too. I pulled into a campground and my power monitor would not let power through to the coach. The owner of the campground was helping to direct me into the spot. He told me he did not know why I could not get electricity. This was a new section of his campground and his electrician had been sick so he had wired the post himself just that day. The advice for power monitors is exactly right.

[gemini5362]

Originally Posted by Pexring

Spend the money on a really good surge protector and you won't have any worries about whether power is correct or not. This one is the best you can buy in my opinion. Cheap insurance.

Progressive industries,Surge protector rv,

Me too. I like the progressive. I even will recommend it after they told me that My unit was a b version and not a C. The b version is not lifetime warrantied and I had to pay full price for it.