100 amp, or higher, elec service

[exav8tr]

Cathy and I have considered just parking our Montana somewhere on a lot and living in it until, well, who knows how long. Is there a cost productive way to install a 100 amp service panel to the rig which would prevent any elec problems. Possiblyrun a full scale washer/dryer and such? OR will 50 amps be enough forever. I have heard that a full size dryer will take quite a bit of power. Any thoughts?????

[NCFischers]

Phil,
The 50 amp service will be more than enough to run everything in the trailer, even if you install a 240 volt dryer. Dave (exnavydiver) installed one. The wiring from the shoreline inlet to the circuit breaker panel is sized for 50 amps and the panel itself is sized for 50 amps. There is no reason to increase the service. You'll be fine with what you have.
Jim

[exav8tr]

Thanks Jim, Wasn't sure how that worked. How many amps does a homestyle dryer pull? I'm thinking the AC going, the microwave cooking and a large dryer drying might just use up those 50 amps quite easily. I guess I'm wrong again....Sure could use a crash course in electricity, maybe a personal tutor is in order.......

[richfaa]

you actually have 50 amps per leg.Go and look at your PT 50C and you will note that it monitors the voltage and amp draw on Leg 1 and leg 2.
It is more important to know which leg what is on or to divide the load between legs.

[Tom S.]

120 volts at a maximum of 50 amps will provide 6,000 watts of power. Considering you have two 120v lines on 240v that doubles the wattage to 12,000 (12kw). The average electric drier draws 4,400 watts. Here's the big IF... If your trailer has two ac units and both are on the same 120v leg (doubtful - but who knows?), you could exceed the maximum for that leg with the drier running under certain conditions. I think you'll be fine.

Code and/or the power company may require a 100 amp feed and panel but unless you plan on upgrading the trailer panel, the most you can safely use is still going to be 50 amps per side.

[Art-n-Marge]

This was quite the topic of discussion several times 2 to 4 weeks ago which included members who are professional electricians and it was determined that with 50 amp shore power your rig received 100 amps of AC and since this seems to be the standard power configuration for ALL rigs, including the largest and most capable CLASS A's, then I don't think you have anything to worry about except for one thing (hinted by Jim, Rich and Tom): The load is supposed to be divided evenly, but requires a human at the factory to get it right.

Fortunately, I think the installer for most electrical panel must be a electrical professional and therefore the odds are better this is good, but I don't know. Unfortunately, I have read enough posts about loose wires and the like which I would not expect from an electrician, but maybe they use some other careless employee "on the other side" of the power panel. Again I just don't know.

If you have run 50 amps on your rig and never had a breaker problem, then you're probably okay.

The only way I could know is to open up the rig and follow all the wires from end to end to know how the loads are shared.

This is only my opinion, but I would vote on the positive thinking and I would say you are good to go. Plug in the extra A/C, the W/D using the outlets designed for their place. Don't run wires anywhere if you don't have to. That's what I would do.

[Exnavydiver]

We have the Bosch stack washer and dryer and BOTH are 220 volt. All I had to install was the 30amp 240 volt dryer plug. When both are running I usually keep the ACs off not that it is needed but it is just my choice. I did notice that on my rig they have put both ACs on the same leg, a situation that I will eventually change. If we NEED to use the microwave during the laundry run I will just stop the dryer for a short time and turn it back on after the micro is finished. Since the washer is also 240 and plugs into the dryer it all comes off both legs. I doubt that I really need to shut the dryer off but it isn't that big a hassle. By the way, the Bosch units have the largest drums of any of the 24 inch units. We can do all the linens from the queen sized bed and the towels in the washer at the same time if needed. All the whites, or all the darks at the same time and that is a weeks worth for the two of us... Dave

[BB_TX]

Remember also that if you go with a 240 volt dryer, it will only take half the amps of a 120 volt dryer to get the same wattage.
20 amps x 120 volts = 2400 watts
10 amps x 240 volts = 2400 watts
But. There have been members speak of campgrounds that did not actually have 240 volts on their 50 amp hookups. It was actually two 120 volts lines on the same phase. That would give you zero volts if you tried to connect to a standard 240 volt circuit.
To get 240 volts, you must have two 120 volt lines 180 degrees out of phase.

[NCFischers]

You can go to the home page and click on the "Using a multimeter to check pedestal" link. That way, you can verify the ped power.

[jwedell]

A 100 amp service is the way I would go. If as you say you are on a lot with your own utilities you can use a 50 amp outlet for the 5er and still have enough power available for other pleasures (Jacuzzi ?)

[H. John Kohl]

Phil,
If you install a 240 dryer it will only work when you have 50 amp service. If you have only 30 amps the dryer will not work. For that reason I stayed with the Splendid washer dryer.
Dave will have to comment if the washer is also 240 volt. If so it also would only work when on 50 Amp service. Edit - Dave confirmed his washer is also 20 amp 240 volt.
Happy New Year.

[Mudchief]

Phil, I also went with the 120 for the same reason as John stated above.

[Chip]

Funny, I remember not to long ago that houses around here had only 60 amp service. It was a big deal to up it to 100 amps. Now its 200 amp service.

You can get energy efficient appliances now that save big on the power useage.


Drew

[richfaa]

We have a gadget called a Kill O watt meter. It can plug into any wall outlet and measure the power/amp/ect. You can also plug any device into it and it will measure the power draw. It is vert handy. We have checked and marked all our devices. floor heaters, toaster, blenders, vac cleaners, hair dryers all that peripheral stuff than we use...you may be very surprised.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by Chip

Funny, I remember not to long ago that houses around here had only 60 amp service. It was a big deal to up it to 100 amps. Now its 200 amp service.

You can get energy efficient appliances now that save big on the power useage.


Drew

60 amp services go back a long long ways! Now days 200 amp is the norm. It's also not uncommon to have the house on one service and the garage on another.

[Jdrobone]

These post are right on! BB's post is the scariest - 'cause that neutral is sized to carry 50A and when the two hots are out of phase the neutral only sees the difference in the load on the two legs, but . . . if they are in the same phase LOOK OUT NEUTRAL - melt/fire time.
Regards,
Jerry

[tbhd2]

A lot of people put up a small shed and put a residential washer and drier in it and it has it's own power panel. Just a suggestion.