Adding electrical outlets

[Andre517]

Is this hard to do in RVs? Is it the same as your house? I'm pretty ignorant about these things.

Andre

[chuckster57]

Hard is a relative term. If you know where you want to put the plug, where to run the Romex, and what circuit you want to add ito it's easy.

[B-O-B'03]

I posted this, in another thread.

Adding outlets is really easy to do.

-Brian

[Outback 325BH]

Originally Posted by Andre517

Is this hard to do in RVs? Is it the same as your house? I'm pretty ignorant about these things.

Andre

The hardest part would be running the Romex. Depending on where the receptacle will be, that may not be an issue.

They are done the exact same way as your home, except you will be fastening the receptacle to cheesy paneling instead of studs. (Unless you camper is different.)

I plan to install one or two on a wall very close to my breaker box, so running Romex will be easy. I would like more in other places but they are harder to access. I'll have to think that over a bit first. If you have access to under your camper it should be easier. Mine is all covered with coroplast so I can't see anything. I'll probably cut into that someday.


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[xrated]

I'm probably going to add one outside, on the passenger side towards the rear of the Toy Hauler......basically in the garage area, only outside. I need a place to plug in my tire warmers for the track bike and there's nothing there except in the front of the trailer by the T.V. ant. hookup. Coroplast under mine too, but hopefully I'll just be able to remove a bunch of the self-tapping screws they install and let it drop down enough to run the Romex down out of the breaker panel and over to the other side of the trailer and mount the box/recept.....then put the Coroplast back in place without cutting it.

[Bob Landry]

Depending on where you want to add them, you will likely run into styrofoam insulation in the walls and it will be next to impossible to run any kind of wiring through it.
I've done a lot of wiring mods on my Outback including adding an additional 30A service I and ran romex under the trailer and up into open areas of the cabinetry. Kitchen cabinets are the easiest to snake your wire through.
Don't be afraid to cut access opening in the coroplast. It's easily patched with Gorilla Tape.
Don't forget that any outlet exposed to the elements needs to be either wired off of a GFCI outlet or it's own GFCI breaker.

[Pull Toy]

More info please? Inside, outside... etc,

[Andre517]

Inside at this point. I'm thinking in kitchen and bedroom

[PARAPTOR]

Originally Posted by Andre517

Inside at this point. I'm thinking in kitchen and bedroom

Keep in mind that any plugs near water such as bathroom, kitchen, outside plugs need to be protected with a GFI. You can either add a GFI receptacle or use a standard receptacle and daisy chain off an existing GFI receptacle. Determine where you are going to get your power for the new plug 1) if off main Power Distribution Panel you will need to install a GFI receptacle 2 if tapping off a nearby plug check to see if it is powered from an existing GFI (generally at least one is located in the bathroom). Trip that GFI and see if you still have power to the plug you want to tap off of. If power went off when you tripped the GFI, that plug is protected and your new plug you want to add can be a standard receptacle. If not, and you are sure there is no other GFI receptacles in the rig you will need to install a GFI receptacle.

Keep in mind when adding to existing circuits it is nice to know what is all on the circuit that you are adding to

ADDED: Remember to reset all the GFI's when done testing

[xrated]

Another option, if your GFCI receptacles are already approaching load capacity, is to install a GFCI breaker in the panel and use it to feed your new receptacle. Any receptacles added onto that circuit would be GFCI protected also

[Outback 325BH]

The GFCI should be rated for the circuit.

If adding a new circuit, just install a GFCI receptacle at the beginning... and all downstream receptacles will be protected.

The only time I would use a GFCI breaker is if the first receptacle was outside and didn't want a GFCI outside.


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[xrated]

Originally Posted by Outback 325BH

The GFCI should be rated for the circuit.

If adding a new circuit, just install a GFCI receptacle at the beginning... and all downstream receptacles will be protected.

The only time I would use a GFCI breaker is if the first receptacle was outside and didn't want a GFCI outside.


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And that is exactly where my new circuit is going..........outside, towards the rear of the trailer for plugging tire warmers into.....approx. 1100 watt load.