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Old 03-14-2009, 02:45 AM   #15
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Look at the decal on most coaches where the electrical supply cord is supplied. You will see that if you have a 50 amp service, that the voltage is 120/240 VAC 50 Amp 60 Hz. There is 240 volt available but since very few need 240 volts only single pole breakers are used but for the main. The circuit must contain 4 wires, L1, L2 neutral, and equipment ground. While we are on this topic I would highly recommend that these coach have a Surge Guard or equivalent protection for the service entrance. This topic has been well discussed and can be found through a search for Surge Guard.
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Old 03-14-2009, 08:32 AM   #16
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With your comment that nothing on your coach runs on 220 (actually 240 volts), then you have a coach that has the 50 amp shore cord which is delivering 2 - 120 volt circuits to your motor home (this is what the majority of us have ---- some very high end coaches have "stuff" that runs off of 240 -- commonly called "220" -- but the majority of us don't)

He is correct in that you do not want to plug into your welder connection. A separate plug in can be wired from the circuit box to handle your MH. If you want a 50 amp service plug in made for your MH, then I would suggest going up to:

http://www.dasplace.net/RVWiring/wiring.html

He gives a good description of how the wiring should be done and he also shows a wiring diagram with the 50 amp RV female plug in (14-50R). It shows you that one hot leg is wired from one side of the bus in a breaker box and the other hot leg is wired from the other bus bar (BOTH DO NOT COME OFF OF THE SAME BUS BAR IN THE BOX). Then he is very specific that the ground wire must come from the ground lug in the breaker box and the neutral wire must come from the neutral lug in the box. In effect you are sending 2 separate 120 volt legs to the RV. One of the 120 volt circuits supplies current (traditionally) to all of the appliances and circuits in the MH except for the air conditioning circuits. The other 120 volt circuit supplies current to the air conditioning circuits.

If you go up to the site shown above, it has a better explanation and there are also diagrams of what I have verbally described. Your electrician should be able to look at the diagrams and read the verbage and see what the correct wiring would be. As I said in my earlier post, I have run a 30 amp 120 volt circuit for my electrical needs and it allows me to do whatever I need to do -- just can't run the microwave and air conditioning at the same time -- LOL. The 30 amp 120 should be very easy to wire (the diagram for this is also at the site I referenced above)-- a single 30 amp breaker and the 30 amp female plug in on the other end (I have mounted mine on a post just like at the campgrounds) and then I use a 30 amp plug converter to a 50 amp plug and just plug my normal shore line into the converter cord.

Hope this helps.
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Old 03-14-2009, 08:44 AM   #17
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http://www.myrv.us/electric/

This might explain a lot. Some "good" information on these discussions isn't always so good. Please don't use the welder outlet. They look similar, but are not.
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Old 03-14-2009, 08:53 AM   #18
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Doc -- that is a good site also -- to the left hand side of the page is a listing of various topics -- click on the one that says "50 amp service" and it has diagrams of a RV plug in box and how it is wired. You will note that he has a 50 amp breaker in the box with two incoming hot lines (one red and one black) -- those lines do not come off of the same bus bar in the main house breaker box -- they come from the main hook in for the house breaker box (what is coming in from your meter). Not intending to "shout" but, just want you to know that you do not feed the breaker he shows from the same bus bar in the main house breaker.

He also shows wire gauges that should be used for different length runs -- good information also. That is another reason that I used 30 amp for my needs -- the wiring was cheaper (not as heavy gauge needed) which made the install cheaper and still did what I was looking for.
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Old 03-14-2009, 09:34 AM   #19
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As I type my 50 amp rig is plugged into a 20 amp 120 volt outlet

I can run both converters (it has a 2nd "house" system) and the television my Ham Radio, lights, Fridge (On electric or gas) and one of the following PROVIDED the batteries are full up

(If batteries are in bulk mode... Well, the two converters together can draw the full 20 amps)

1; 1500 watt heater plus 150 watt heater
2: Microwave
3: Water heater (on electric, on gas it don't count)
4: one, just one, air conditioner (either one)
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Old 03-14-2009, 10:13 AM   #20
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Am I right or wrong in my assumption? If I plug the MH 50 amp plug into a 240 receptical, that will be bringing 2 legs of 120 volt each to the MH, and the setup on the MH will handle these 2 120 volt lines? Vacman
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Old 03-14-2009, 10:18 AM   #21
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Standard 50 amp RV service is 2 120 volt 50 amp circuits for a total of 100 amps at 120 volts. The vast majority of RVs are wired this way.

The same service will provide 50 amps at 240 volts, but very few RVs are wired for 240 volts.
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Old 03-14-2009, 10:26 AM   #22
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VACMAN - you are being led correctly. A standard 240v circuit is NOT a 50A RV circuit, and will damage stuff. If you're lucky, the 240 outlet has a 4 conductor wire coming to it - but it probably doesn't. 240 is wired L1 / L2 / G. 50A RV is wired L1/ N / L2 / G, and is essentially 2x 120 circuits as opposed to a true 240.
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Old 03-14-2009, 10:43 AM   #23
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I think I get it now..L1-N-L2-Green earth G will work to plug in the RV...But L1-earth G-L2 will run the welder but screw up coach.. Simply by adding the N makes the difference..Is that the short of it?? VACMAN
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Old 03-14-2009, 10:46 AM   #24
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Pretty much.
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Old 03-14-2009, 10:52 AM   #25
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Good I have the wiring down, now for the curcuit breaker...On one of these legs, put in a single pole 30 amp breaker. And on the other leg, put in a single pole 20 amp breaker.. How am I doing ?? VACMAN
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Old 03-14-2009, 10:55 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VACMAN View Post
I think I get it now..L1-N-L2-Green earth G will work to plug in the RV...But L1-earth G-L2 will run the welder but screw up coach.. Simply by adding the N makes the difference..Is that the short of it?? VACMAN
I believe a 240 volt 50 amp welder circuit is a 3 wire circuit with one 50 amp breaker and is 240 volts only.

RV 50 amp service is a 4 wire circuit with two 50 amp breakers and can be used a 240 volts 50 amps across L1 and L2, or 2 120 volt 50 amp circuits, L1 to N and L2 to N.

RV 50 amp service is the same as an electric range service.

The link previously mentioned above explains it all, with pictures.
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Old 03-14-2009, 11:12 AM   #27
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Thanks guys for all the good info,,, We are lucky to have a source to answer our Rv questions..........VACMAN
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Old 03-14-2009, 11:19 AM   #28
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Put in whatever breaker is supported by the wire gauge.
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