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Old 02-14-2017, 11:35 PM   #1
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Installing an RV outlet with 40 amp service

I’m planning on installing an electrical outlet at home for my 40’ DP. The outlet will be installed inside my detached garage and I would like to use a 50 amp outlet – NEMA 14-50R outlet. However my garage only has 40 amp service supplied from my house circuit breaker panel via a double pole 40 amp breaker.

So in order not to allow more current than the wire from the house circuit breaker panel to the garage circuit breaker panel can handle, I’m going to use a 30 amp double pole breaker to feed the RV outlet. (14-50R outlet). My question is, will I likely need to be careful in managing the power usage in the coach so as not to overlaod the 30 amp breaker, or is the 30 amp double pole power enough to power most everything?
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Old 02-15-2017, 12:25 AM   #2
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Generally speaking a single 120V 30 amp service will power a single air conditioner up to 15,000 BTU plus typical lighting and similar loads, where the problem comes in is when you try to run the air conditioner and the microwave oven while charging batteries. In your case you would have in effect a pair of common 30 amp 120V outlets at your disposal, so I suspect you could have life as normal in most RV's. This assumes you don't have more than 2 air conditioners.
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Old 02-15-2017, 01:40 AM   #3
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As I understand the question you will be wired as a 50a connection with two 120vac circuits, but with a 30a breaker instead of a 50a breaker. This differs from the usual 30a RV connection, which is but one 120vac circuit. I think you will be fine for the most part, as the loads in the coach are distributed across the two circuits. If you turn on two air conditioners / heat pumps, the microwave, water heater on electric, battery charger on full, etc. you may find it drops the breaker.
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Old 02-15-2017, 05:18 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaac-1 View Post
Generally speaking a single 120V 30 amp service will power a single air conditioner up to 15,000 BTU plus typical lighting and similar loads, where the problem comes in is when you try to run the air conditioner and the microwave oven while charging batteries. In your case you would have in effect a pair of common 30 amp 120V outlets at your disposal, so I suspect you could have life as normal in most RV's. This assumes you don't have more than 2 air conditioners.

see, here we go again. the OP stated TWO POLE 30 amp breaker!!!!!~ not 30 amp 120 volts. Big difference. To the OP, a 50 amp system fused down to 30 is fine. I have a 50 amp plug along side my garage, I ran #10 4 wire to it and fused it at 30 works great. Lets see how many more head up your fanny post we"ll get today
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Old 02-15-2017, 05:21 AM   #5
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As I understand the question you will be wired as a 50a connection with two 120vac circuits, but with a 30a breaker instead of a 50a breaker.
Yes, exactly. I have only 2 air-conditioners. My intention is to occasionally bring the coach home and work on it as necessary but to also use it as overload accommodations when friends visit. Sounds like I shouldn't have problems and will instruct any visitors that you can't turn everything on.
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Old 02-15-2017, 05:27 AM   #6
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see, here we go again. the OP stated TWO POLE 30 amp breaker!!!!!~ not 30 amp 120 volts. Big difference. To the OP, a 50 amp system fused down to 30 is fine. I have a 50 amp plug along side my garage, I ran #10 4 wire to it and fused it at 30 works great. Lets see how many more head up your fanny post we"ll get today
I think Isaac-1 clarified that in his last two sentences:
"In your case you would have in effect a pair of common 30 amp 120V outlets at your disposal, so I suspect you could have life as normal in most RV's. This assumes you don't have more than 2 air conditioners".

But this is still quite a bit less than the 50 amp service a camp ground has. 50 amp service yields 12,000 watts of available power where as dual pole 30 amp service yields 7,200 watts of power.
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Old 02-15-2017, 05:30 AM   #7
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why not just leave the 40a dbl pole breaker? anything 50a or less will work.
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Old 02-15-2017, 05:33 AM   #8
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I have successfully run 2 air conditioners on just a single pole 30A hookup, so you should have no problem with the 2-pole setup, even if you have larger air conditioners. I just plug in and wait until the batteries are fully charged before turning them on.

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Old 02-15-2017, 05:42 AM   #9
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why not just leave the 40a dbl pole breaker? anything 50a or less will work.
The 40 amp dual pole breaker is located on the main house breaker panel. The garage breaker panel located about 60 feet away is fed power from a cable sized for 40 amps from that 40 amp breaker. I will need to add a dual pole breaker in the garage breaker panel for the RV outlet so my thinking is that in order not to overload the wire between the house and the garage breaker panel (sized for 40 amps) I will limit the power to the RV outlet to 30 amps. That keeps the loads well below the wire capability and allows me up to 10 amps of power if I want to use something else in the garage.

Am I answering your question correctly?
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Old 02-15-2017, 05:56 AM   #10
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You should be OK. As mentioned by others, you'll be limited to 30 amps available on each leg instead of 50.
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Old 02-15-2017, 06:01 AM   #11
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Go for it, it'll work just like you expect it to.
You won't be able to turn on every electric appliance in the coach all at the same time, but it doesn't sound like that's your intent anyway.
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Old 02-15-2017, 08:24 AM   #12
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Suggestion: Take a look at your Generator...
What does that have to do with your question.

On my 50 amp Rig I have an Onan Emerald 5500 RV type generator

It has two circuit breakers.. 30 amp

And I almost never trip one via overload. At least not unless I'm feeding a 2nd RV (I can do that).

So, if you can run everything on a generator with 2 30 amp outputs, You will do just fine with your plan.

IN fact. i suggest it.
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Old 02-15-2017, 08:35 AM   #13
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Thanks folks, I just hope Lowes has a NEMA 14-50R outlet.
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Old 02-15-2017, 08:41 AM   #14
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Thanks folks, I just hope Lowes has a NEMA 14-50R outlet.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-5...Outlet/3775483
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