Newbie Question ref 50 amp service

[Festus2]

Mike - Anne -

No need to apologize --- you didn't create confusion -- it's always been a part of the forum (LOL). Differences in opinions and friendly disagreements are as well. We have our little squabbles from time to time but usually manage to work them out --- just like a family does.

[hotroddin72]

This is just my input but being a master electrican I can tell you having a 208 volt service is completely legal.company's do it all the time.hope this doesn't make anyone upset.my concern would be if any single leg had a voltage higher then 120.happy camping everyone and let's be safe.

[SAD]

Originally Posted by hotroddin72

This is just my input but being a master electrican I can tell you having a 208 volt service is completely legal.company's do it all the time.hope this doesn't make anyone upset.my concern would be if any single leg had a voltage higher then 120.happy camping everyone and let's be safe.

If you're a master electrician, then you'd recognize that having 120/208 in a residential application is unexpected; and an RV application is purely residential.

A NEMA 14-50 for RV (or household electric stove use) is 125/250 60 hz 50 ampere supply.

I hope my post does not upset anyone.

[Bob Landry]

208V may be legal, but it's certainly not the norm for a campground or RV park. Split that for 50A service and that comes out to 104V which is about the point where you need to start shutting down your inductive loads. A power transformer at a utility station, maybe, but certainly not in any residential or RV application that I have seen.

[bobbecky]

Sorry, but a 208V service is a wye connected voltage, which provides 120V hotleg to neutral voltage. A 240V service which also provides 120V hotleg to neutral voltage is a delta service. The reason a lot of commercial services that don't need 480V, use the 208y/120V power because it provides three 120V hotlegs which can be balanced so all legs have about the same electric loads. When you think about it, the RV parks are actually commercial customers to the electric companies, and if the park is large enough, they have the ability to give the RV customer very good electric power with the 208V service. There are also quite a few large apartment complexes I have seen that are powered with the 208V, and the renters never know any difference. My background is, I am a retired electric utility lineman with over 34 years experience.

[Bob Landry]

No one is going to argue this, and while we can all appreciate the education, training, and experience that goes into obtaining journeyman status in any craft/trade, I would submit that this is too much information for the inexperienced or unknowing RV owner who is simply trying to troubleshoot a problem at the user level. When I'm looking for a problem or trying to tell someone how to look for one, I don't care how something got there, only if it is there or do I need to keep looking. To make an analogy, when a person asks what the score was from last night's game, they are asking for the score, not a narrative on how to play the game.

[bobbecky]

I totally appreciate that, Bob. Just fear that some RV'er out there will run into a situation with a 208V service and panic. I see many posts on this forum and others worried about looking for 240V at the pedestals, and that should not be the concern. We need solid 120V, with good neutral and ground connections, and with the advanced electronics in the newer rigs, it is also a very prudent argument for us to have some form of protection, either portable or hard wired, to save us from damage. The best thing here, is having a dialog on this subject, and getting everyone thinking about checking before plugging in.

[SAD]

Originally Posted by bobbecky

I totally appreciate that, Bob. Just fear that some RV'er out there will run into a situation with a 208V service and panic. I see many posts on this forum and others worried about looking for 240V at the pedestals, and that should not be the concern. We need solid 120V, with good neutral and ground connections, and with the advanced electronics in the newer rigs, it is also a very prudent argument for us to have some form of protection, either portable or hard wired, to save us from damage. The best thing here, is having a dialog on this subject, and getting everyone thinking about checking before plugging in.

Even if you don't have portable or hard wired protection, a volt meter (and knowledge of what to do with it) should be in everyone's toolkit.

One year we were at a campsite where a couple was having electric problems. I pulled out my meter and the 30 amp outlet was putting out 240 volts. Someone had rewired it with two hots to run a welder.

[randy69]

Reading everyone's post I would assume running two 110 from my 220 sub panel and a neutral plus a ground to the correct rv 110/50 amp recepitical. Would this be correct? To run my 5th wheel

[SAD]

Originally Posted by randy69

Reading everyone's post I would assume running two 110 from my 220 sub panel and a neutral plus a ground to the correct rv 110/50 amp recepitical. Would this be correct? To run my 5th wheel

It would be IF hot 1 and hot 2 are from alternate legs on your panel.

[Bob Landry]

If the RV is set up for 50A service, the inlet on the trailer is going to be for 240/50A.