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Old 05-19-2020, 08:46 PM   #1
jashle6
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Default 50 amp or 30 amp service

Bought 2006 fema trailer, original Male plug removed from power cord, replaced with regular 3 prong plug. Cord has red, black, white and ground wire. With these 4 wires does this mean it is 50 amp? Want to get it wired right. Thanks
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Old 05-19-2020, 09:47 PM   #2
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To which pins of the regular 3-PRONG plug were each color wired? It may help us answer your question...


The four insulated wires of four different colors (Green is the ground wire and insulated and not bare copper...) in the cable would imply a 50 amp service, so if the wires used on the 3 prong plug were green to the U-ground lug, and white with red (or alternatively white with black) to the remaining to blades then that modification was only powering half of the potential loads in the trailer. The standard way to wire a 50 amp RV plug is shown below. The green wire goes to the round pin, and the white wire goes to the far blade...

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Old 05-19-2020, 09:51 PM   #3
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Red wire was not used in rewire
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Old 05-19-2020, 10:12 PM   #4
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Ok, then the cable supports a 50 amp service, and your present 3 prong plug is only providing power to half the trailer's circuits. you can wire the 50 amp plug per the diagram above -- you can always use a 50 amp to 30 amp 'dogbone' adapter if you need to plug the trailer into a 30 amp (or even a 20 amp service, with the use of the additional adapter from 30 amp plug to conventional three prong plug.)



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Old 05-31-2020, 01:39 PM   #5
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If the wires are #6 Gauge it is 50 amp 220volt 30 amp would be # 10 gauge
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Old 05-31-2020, 05:23 PM   #6
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Viking,


The OP was discussing the service cord wiring, not a service drop from a power breaker panel. Even a panel can use 8 AWG or smaller if the run is 25 feet or less (the 6 AWG presumes a 50 ft run.)


Some RV 50 amp extension cords use even smaller wire sizes as seen here for a 36 ft cord using 10 AWG conductors:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/VEVOR-RV-...yABEgI-TvD_BwE


10 AWG is a bit small for my liking, but it is clearly done for this application space...



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Old 05-31-2020, 08:23 PM   #7
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the easiest answer is to look at the MAIN PANEL's main breaker within the RV - it's self explanatory if it says '30' or it has a double that says '50'...
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Old 11-13-2020, 04:22 PM   #8
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50a is NOT using 240vac, it is wired for TWO x120vac CIRCUITS x 50a/each; No 240vac devices are used in trailers/ RVs, even clothes dryers are 120vac
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Old 11-13-2020, 06:15 PM   #9
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actually, 50amp RV Service IS 240v power, just like at your home, or anywhere else you have a double-pole breaker for appliances that need it, whether in your RV, and YES, many RVs DO have 240v clothes dryers, or your home for your needs there.

Don't confuse 50amp with 30amp, they are not ANYWHERE close to the same power output(AMPERAGE), as 30amp is 120v, but 50amp at 240v is over THREE TIMES as much, which equates to 100amps at 120volts.

My coach is a 50amp coach, and yes, uses a 50amp 240v outlet, bringing 50amp 240v power into my breaker box, just like it does anywhere else.
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Old 11-13-2020, 07:44 PM   #10
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All these seem to be indicators, but not direct evidence of what is the real capacity. Why can't one look at the input wiring to the fuse panel. If red goes to one set of fuse and black to another set it was wired for 220 Volt and the breaker size determines the amperage. 50 amp is really only 25 amp per input feed, ie 50 amp is total.
Some are confusing wattage with amps. Regardless of how
FEMA was specds , if your trailer could have been modified, AGAIN you should look at the wiring into fuse panel, look for wire gauge and circuit wiring. People seem to be confused with 50 amp vs 30 amp the amp capacity of 50 is 25 per L.
The only way you can run 50 amp per L is go to 6 gauge wire, 6 gauge will be very obviously larger than 10 gauge. 6 gage will be about .160 inches in diameter and very stiff to bend.
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Old 11-13-2020, 08:24 PM   #11
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hossross,


The service connection to a "50 amp" RV hookup is a dual breaker, with 50 amps of capacity on EACH LEG of the service...that means that 120 volts x 50 amps x 2 legs is a maximum capacity of 12,000 watts (12 KW.) By contrast, a 30 amp RV service is a single leg of 30 amps x 120 volts, or 3600 watts maximum capacity. What UAHaerospace posted above is correct, the 50 amp dual leg RV service is 3.33 times the capacity of the 30 amp single leg service.



For my Tour Master coach, just the on-board generator was a 7.5 KW capacity so clearly it could not all be consumed on single 120 volt leg. The generator fed both legs equally, so that would be 31.125 amps continuous per leg delivered -- hence the 35 amp dual breakers, one on each leg on the generator. So even the on-board generator was more capacity than a 30 amp RV single leg service.


Hope this helps clear things up!
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Old 11-13-2020, 10:41 PM   #12
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Well, HATE to argue, but for giggles and GRINS, I would LOVE to see you find an URL/ website ad for any RV device, including clothes dryer that states it is for a RV and lists suing 240vac? I did research (curiosity) some months back, including larger paper RV catalogs... ditto= ZIP, NADA, nothing 240vac as a device? I will humbly apologize if I am wrong, and I have been frequently wrong, LOL
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Old 11-14-2020, 02:40 AM   #13
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stop trying to 'prove' that you are right when you clearly don't understand how electricity works - and if you don't own a larger rig where 240v appliances and needs are more common, then don't assume they don't exists. Try any Prevost, Newell, Foretravel, higher end Newmar, Entegra, Winnebago, and even many larger fifth-wheel coaches, and you'll easily find many 240v appliances and devices.

just because you don't know about them doesnt' mean they don't exists.

stop saying that 50amp 240v RV service is simply two 25 amp 'sides', as this shows your ignorance - please apologize. The rest of us DO understand that it is 50amps per 'side', just as it has always been, and will always be. : )
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Old 11-14-2020, 10:04 AM   #14
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Here is a simple illustration of how shore power is wired for a 50 amp RV service, along with how the coach appliances can be wired.




We ran a PrevostH45 coach as a commercial demonstration of our product line of video equipment for cable head ends some years ago...that coach had a 10 KW genset and a 50 amp shore power connection because we had lots of instrumentation and video processing equipment inside and used 4 air conditioners (two of which were in the basement...) Yes, that is an automatically positioned 5 foot dish on top that had flux gate compass and GPS positioning.



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Old 11-14-2020, 10:18 AM   #15
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The King Aire by Newmar has a standard Bosch stacked laundry pair that utilizes a 220 volt dryer, see the link here:

https://www.newmarcorp.com/luxury-mo...aire/features/

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Old 11-14-2020, 11:10 AM   #16
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I came across maybe obstinate in my last post, maybe waking up too early on the wrong side of the bed, because, actually, when I first started I had little knowledge of electrical and may have assumed some of the same 'things', when it comes to the difference between a 30amp rv outlet and a 50amp one.

Lessons learned. Yes, some big rigs have not only 240v appliances, but 240v output from their onboard generators. Many of the touring Prevosts hardly EVER plug in, but run their generators almost 24/7 since they are not in 'campgrounds' or 'rv parks'. If you take a tour bus with 12 beds and 6 air conditioners on the roof, you start to realize the power needs of these big rigs. Their generators can provide much more power than the typical 50amp rv outlet, for sure.
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Old 11-14-2020, 04:10 PM   #17
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Yes, even that King Aire high end residential coach has a 12.5 KW diesel generator which replaces ALL of the capability of the 50 amp dual leg RV shore power connection....


Aerospace, you did not seem obstinate in your recent posts -- just very sure of your facts. I am sure we will both graciously accept THenne's apology, although these nuances of coach wiring are not understood or even within the awareness of most casual campers...


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Old 11-15-2020, 12:10 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck v View Post
The King Aire by Newmar has a standard Bosch stacked laundry pair that utilizes a 220 volt dryer, see the link here:

https://www.newmarcorp.com/luxury-mo...aire/features/

Chuck
THANKS AND MY APOLOGIES, as promised. I knew possible, just never seen, I had looked/ internet searched, and asked other users previously too, without affirmation. I do know/ understand 240/50a is not 25a x2. Anything 220/240 besides stacked clothes dryers? Some folks drive $1-mil+ rigs and fly small/ large airplanes, beyond my budget, but mostly outside my desires/ aspirations
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Old 11-15-2020, 10:19 AM   #19
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The biggest diesel coaches can be "all-electric" and therefore would not have any propane on board. Of course they use Aqua-Hot diesel space heat and hot water, but all cooking, refrigeration and clothes drying appliances are electric, with some being 220 volt. I did not find any references to "RV specific appliances" for these applications...since these appliances are really just residential versions.


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Old 11-16-2020, 07:56 PM   #20
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If your Red/ Black connect to seperate Breakers, you may have some dead circuits, but you can tie the RED/ Black together AT THE 30A PLUG; that is what the dogbone does; it will limit to 3600 watts (120vx30a), but should be fine?
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