Upgrading power plug from 30 amp to 50 amp

[Gary_Phoenix, AZ]

Am I correct that using a 50 amp 230 volt outlet is what I would need to be able to connect my coach hook my coach up to 50 amp service?

[Gary_Phoenix, AZ]

Am I correct that using a 50 amp 230 volt outlet is what I would need to be able to connect my coach hook my coach up to 50 amp service?

[Pusherman]

Gary, need more information on your request. On the surface, the answer to your question is 'yes', but you cannot just install a 50A line cord without changing some wiring in the circuit breaker panel in your coach.

Can you elaborate on what you want to do?

[Gary_Phoenix, AZ]

Have a 30 amp breaker in my panel which works find on my old coach which only had 30 amps.
Now with my new Vectra with 50 amp service I want to put a 50 amp double pole breaker in so I have 50 amp service to my coach.

[TXiceman]

Your old 30 amp is a 3-wire and you will have to run a new 4-wire service with two 50 amp breakers now. The new 50 amp will have a common neutral, two 110 volt hot leads and a ground.

Ken

[Harry B]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Have a 30 amp breaker in my panel which works find on my old coach which only had 30 amps.
Now with my new Vectra with 50 amp service I want to put a 50 amp double pole breaker in so I have 50 amp service to my coach. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Gary,

You also need to change the wiring from the breaker to the outlet. The 30 amp circuit uses 3 wires and 10 gauge wire. A 50 amp circuit for the coach will need as you said a new outlet but also needs 6 gauge wire to handle the additional load and 4 wires ( neutral , ground and two hot feeds)

You could run only 30 amps to a new outlet and just add the additional 10 gauge wire. This would give you a total of 60 amps (2x 30) instead of 2x 50-= 100 amps

60 amps is all the coach would ever need to run everything.

I installed this 30 amp setup (2x 30) at my daughter's house for when we visit and with both compressors and electric heaters working, etc, I have yet to pop a breaker

Make sure you install a dual 30 amp breaker instead of a dual 50 amp breaker, if you decide to hook it up this way.

Remember 30 amps needs 10 gauge wire thickness and 50 amps needs 6 gauge wire thickness. 6 gauge is thicker!!!

[ichn2go]

Do a search on 50 AMP wiring. You will find a diagram of how the wires should go to the box.

If you can't find it on this forum do a google search for 50 AMP RV Wiring.
There are many ways to sking a cat, but the best way is four wires of the right guage hooked up correctly. Good Miles and Be Safe

[dirko]

Hi Ho: I think you have already got the info you need. What you are really asking is: How do I get a 50 amp service at my house? If there is a place for two 50-amp breakers in your box and you can run new wires to a 50-amp outlet, this is probably the way to go. I think it is confusing to call it 50-amp service since it is really two 50-amp breakers for a total of 100 amps. We are not talking 220-volt service here, but if they were hooked in series that is what you would have. If you don't have much experience with house wiring, get someone who can help you figure out the details. You can always use bigger wire than is required. For example, I used four #6AWG wires for my 30-amp service because it is about 80 feet from the breaker box and because we may want to put "50-amp" service in some day. The cost to do what you want will depend on the distance and how much work it is to put in new wires. Good luck.

[Pusherman]

One caution relative to the advice in the above posts: Be sure that the circuit breaker is a double pole 50A breaker, not 2-single pole 50A breakers. The reason for this is if you have a fault in one side, you want both sides to trip to prevent serious damage or injury.

Same holds true if you go the 30A route as described above: 1-double pole 30A breaker.

Note in either of these scenerios you need an additional neutral wire -- thus the need for 3-conductors with ground. 30A requires 10 gauge wire; 50A requires 6 gauge wire. Converting an existing single pole 30A service to a double pole 30A service would require rewiring to 10/3 with ground. It's normally a 10/2 with ground.

My recommendation is to rewire it properly to a 50A service as designed. Use 6/3 with ground romex and a 2-pole 50A breaker at your house panel.

P.S. Yes, it is a 50A 230V service. The motorhome just does not utilize the 230V internally; only uses single pole breakers for all applications; thus only uses 110V for all utilities internal to the motorhome.

[Gary_Phoenix, AZ]

Thanks everyone. Wanted to confirm I was doing it right. Well better go finish the project before it get to hot suppose to get to 104 today. It 83 degrees and it only 8:00 AM.

Thanks agin for the information
Gary

[JC2]

This might be of help also.
http://www.myrv.us/electric/

[dirko]

Hi Ho: I agree with Don that the best thing is a real dual 50 amp service. However, I don't see any reason that the breakers should be ganged a would be the case for a 220-volt installation. There are some bus conversions that use 220 volts, so in that case there would be an arguement for 2-pole breakers. Since most MH's use each side independently, I don't see why they should be ganged. Or, am I missing something?
Viel Spass

[Pusherman]

One reason why they should be ganged (dual-pole) is so that they pass the National Electric Code. If they are not ganged, it would be in violation and may be a safety hazard.

Here is the reason: You are using one wireset (6/3wg) where you can disable one of the hot conductors without disabling the other with 2-single pole breakers - thus a threat of electrocution to a person working on the service, thinking it was disabled.

A better reason is with 2 single pole breakers, it is possible to put both breakers on the same leg of the panel, thus the 2 positive conductors not being 180d out of phase. This would actually overload the neutral wire, causing the amperage to be double on that conductor, causing it to overheat and potentially cause a fire w/o popping the circuit breaker.

So whenever you use a common neutral for 2 positive circuits, the two positive circuits must be 180d out of phase with each other. This actually cancels out the amperage on the neutral wire if there is equal current on the 2 hot legs. By using a double pole breaker it guarantees you are drawing from the opposite legs of the panel.

And yes, you must use a double pole breaker in this wiring configuration for it to meet the National Electric Code.