50A vs 30A Pedestal

[cataska]

I vote 50a you won't be sorry

[Mudfrog]

Originally Posted by Isaac-1

Do the math for your specific installation and then decide, if it is a simple short run from an ample sized breaker box 50 amp may not cost much more than 30 amp, however there are a number of factors at play here that could make 50 amp considerably more expensive.

Our rig is only 30 amp. When I installed the 30 amp service last year, I thought about it and went to pricing the differences between 30 and 50 amp service for the 160 foot run. For the 50 amp service, the larger size of the wire, conduit, fittings, breaker, receptacle and box, added a bit more to the cost. Forget the exact amount but I'm thinking around $250. Not a whole lot but at the same time, an amount I didn't feel was worth the expenditure.

Yes, having the 50 amp service, just in case, would be nice. However, and this is after 40 years of RVing, I can't see us ever going to a larger coach than what we have now. Even if we did, I know already that I could make the 30 amp service to work for us.

[FL420]

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

EVO-Bob-

We used a 50/30/20A box, prewired. It has room under the cover for oversized plugs (such as the ones with handles). Link is here.

I really like that box. I wish every campground used them. I got real tired of muscling my 50 amp plug into and especially out of the outlets so I replaced the plug with the yellow Camco with the molded plastic handle. Much better.
During the blizzard last week I was concerned about blowing snow getting inside the outlets and causing problems because the pedestal's box lid wouldn't close over my big plug. I went out and bungee corded a plastic trash bag over the pedestal to keep the snow out. The 64 mph winds ripped that off in short order. Luckily the wind direction impinged directly on the lid and not from either side keeping the snow out.
As a side note, many traffic lights filled up with the blowing snow. If they were the older incandescent lights the heat from the bulbs could melt the snow enough for motorists to tell which lights were illuminated. If they were the newer LED lights there wasn't enough heat to melt the snow completely blanking out all the lights. Instead of treating the intersections as 4 way stops as the law requires when traffic lights lose electrical power many drivers didn't even slow down as they blew through the intersections. There were many collisions and many more hairy close calls.
Public works trucks with lifts worked non-stop blowing and hosing the snow out of traffic lights trying to keep the intersections from being destruction derby sites.

[Rkesselus]

ONLY cost difference I can see is the up grade to 10 3 wg and 50 amp box and plug would not be much,getting it from current serviced panel to the new location would be major cost if you are not DIY. As was said never have enough.

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Rkesselus

ONLY cost difference I can see is the up grade to 10 3 wg and 50 amp box and plug would not be much,getting it from current serviced panel to the new location would be major cost if you are not DIY. As was said never have enough.

Upgrade from 10-2 to 8-3 or 6 -3 wire for 50 amp service

[Gary RVRoamer]

The cost difference is highly dependent on what you now have and what it takes to get 50A/240v from your existing load center. It may not be much, as little as a hundred dollars, but in some cases it will be a lot more.


In my case I had a subpanel in my workshop that could handle an additional 30A/120v circuit, but 50A/240v required a new line from the main load center another 100 ft away. Big cost difference because of the logistics rather than the amps. My solution was to install TWO 30A outlets (same phase), which enabled me to run almost everything in the coach at once, even two a/c units.

[mrboyer]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

The cost difference is highly dependent on what you now have and what it takes to get 50A/240v from your existing load center. It may not be much, as little as a hundred dollars, but in some cases it will be a lot more.


In my case I had a subpanel in my workshop that could handle an additional 30A/120v circuit, but 50A/240v required a new line from the main load center another 100 ft away. Big cost difference because of the logistics rather than the amps. My solution was to install TWO 30A outlets (same phase), which enabled me to run almost everything in the coach at once, even two a/c units.

Not a safe solution. Doing so could cause the neutral wire to carry 60 amps when it is rated for 30 amps. In a 50 amp service, the neutral wire carries the difference between the two hot legs which at most would be 50 amps, the rating of the neutral wire.

[twinboat]

I ran 30 amp 240 volts to the shed. Then a 30 amp RV outlet.

If I get a 50 amp RV, I'll just get a double 30 amp breaker and supply it 30 amps 240 volts.

[EVO-Bob]

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

EVO-Bob-

We put in 50A service. Never can tell when you'll need a lifeboat or a guest house. Some of our friends and neighbors have RVs. Our driveway can host their RVs, if they get in a pinch, too. Our town is more likely to have electrical power than neighboring towns, for example. Thirty amps will do, but you never know...

We used a 50/30/20A box, prewired. It has room under the cover for oversized plugs (such as the ones with handles). Link is here.

Your profile says you are from Flemington, NJ. We go through there (31/202) on our way north and south. It looks like a nice area!

Thanks for making me check my profile. We moved from Flemington to Larkspur, CO about 5 mos ago after 38 years. But yes, Flemington and Hunterdon County are beautiful. Its a part of NJ nobody knows about.

[ScoobyDoo]

When I was putting in hookups for Dad's trailer I used much heavier wire, because I got a bargain on some rated for direct burial. Still have not got a RV that need more than 30 AMP. But when Dad needed some welding done while I had the engine out of the tool truck. Change breakers, change outlet, carry out the welder, finish the job. Change breakers, change outlet. Now that I no longer have the portable rig the camper is power thru a adapter...

[Tha_Rooster]

Best reason is no regrets, I installed a 50 amp.

[Skiddy]

I went with 50A one reason no adapters less connections the better.