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Old 01-12-2023, 12:50 PM
 
23,597 posts, read 70,402,242 times
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Lots of popcorn material and little real info here.

I would install a standard 240 receptacle as commonly used in any RV park, then use a plug in adapter at the socket to pull out 120. That way when the "We'll NEVER use the AC" gets proven wrong on the hottest day of the year, no big deal and no major expense.

KISS.
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Old 01-12-2023, 01:51 PM
 
Location: Sunnybrook Farm
4,542 posts, read 2,674,170 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harry chickpea View Post
Lots of popcorn material and little real info here.

I would install a standard 240 receptacle as commonly used in any RV park, then use a plug in adapter at the socket to pull out 120. That way when the "We'll NEVER use the AC" gets proven wrong on the hottest day of the year, no big deal and no major expense.

KISS.
All the RV hookups I've ever seen are 120V.

There's no such thing as a "plug in adapter at the socket to pull out 120". What you're talking about is a TRANSFORMER, and a transformer 240/120 to yield 30A x 120V (as needed to run AC in an RV) is a sizeable transformer.

For example the following

https://www.grainger.com/product/ACM...mer-120V-4WUD9

a little oversized at 5 kVA since 120V x 30A = 3.6 kVA, but better to have it and not need it than not to have it when you need it.

Size is 10" x 14" x 7", weight not shown but I'd guess about 50 lbs, price $1400.

Again, though, if code permits it, you could potentially install a small sub-panel and use one leg of your three-wire 240V service to provide 120V service. That'd limit you to 20A, though, which is almost certainly too little to run the AC in an RV. Certainly enough to run microwave, lights, fan, heater, fridge, though.

Last edited by rabbit33; 01-12-2023 at 02:36 PM..
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Old 01-12-2023, 03:36 PM
 
Location: Durham, NC
2,618 posts, read 3,148,515 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mathjak107 View Post
Here in nyc we deal with 208v as well …that is the most popular voltage here , Long Island and westchester when a delta wye transformer is used on our 3 phase services
In North Carolina, most residential services are 240/120 volt, I think fed from 2 legs of a delta. Most commercial services are 208/120, fed from a wye. Most motors and other equipment labeled for one can operate on the other. I have seen a few things over the years that specifically require 240 and warn not to use 208. Some types of lab equipment I think. Has been a long time.

Always beware of any 3 phase delta 240 you run into. High leg is 208, can burn equipment in a flash. I'm sure you know this but I see guys who haven't dealt with it and get a rude awakening. I have warned many young starters to beware of any panel with 3rd spaces skipped, a huge red flag. 240 3 phase has become rare here but a fair number of older buildings still have it, such as warehouses and factory buildings.
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Old 01-12-2023, 03:44 PM
 
Location: Durham, NC
2,618 posts, read 3,148,515 times
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Being on a 20 amp breaker, this is most likely #12 wire, good for 20 amps maximum. It could possibly be #10, which would be good for 30 amps. Someone may have oversized it for any future changes or because he happened to have it on hand. With the 4 wires, you are good for either a 240 volt outlet, with or without a neutral or 1 or 2 120 volt outlets with a common neutral.

Do call an electrician to do this. I know it sounds simple but I have fixed a number of "simple jobs" where homeowners ruined appliances or nearly killed themselves connecting wrong wires. I have seen switches in one room control lights in another room. This will be money well spent.
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Old 01-12-2023, 04:27 PM
 
106,668 posts, read 108,810,853 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmellc View Post
In North Carolina, most residential services are 240/120 volt, I think fed from 2 legs of a delta. Most commercial services are 208/120, fed from a wye. Most motors and other equipment labeled for one can operate on the other. I have seen a few things over the years that specifically require 240 and warn not to use 208. Some types of lab equipment I think. Has been a long time.

Always beware of any 3 phase delta 240 you run into. High leg is 208, can burn equipment in a flash. I'm sure you know this but I see guys who haven't dealt with it and get a rude awakening. I have warned many young starters to beware of any panel with 3rd spaces skipped, a huge red flag. 240 3 phase has become rare here but a fair number of older buildings still have it, such as warehouses and factory buildings.
Same here , residential is 120/240 while 3 phase commercial is 208v
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Old 01-12-2023, 06:17 PM
 
23,597 posts, read 70,402,242 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rabbit33 View Post
All the RV hookups I've ever seen are 120V.

There's no such thing as a "plug in adapter at the socket to pull out 120". What you're talking about is a TRANSFORMER, and a transformer 240/120 to yield 30A x 120V (as needed to run AC in an RV) is a sizeable transformer.

For example the following

https://www.grainger.com/product/ACM...mer-120V-4WUD9

a little oversized at 5 kVA since 120V x 30A = 3.6 kVA, but better to have it and not need it than not to have it when you need it.

Size is 10" x 14" x 7", weight not shown but I'd guess about 50 lbs, price $1400.

Again, though, if code permits it, you could potentially install a small sub-panel and use one leg of your three-wire 240V service to provide 120V service. That'd limit you to 20A, though, which is almost certainly too little to run the AC in an RV. Certainly enough to run microwave, lights, fan, heater, fridge, though.
Well, I will agree that pulling out 120 INCHES would be a problem.

You have absolutely no idea what I am talking about. None. NADA.

Read this please.

https://www.myrv.us/electric/Pg/50amp_Service.htm

I will not repeat myself about split phase, and how 120 volts to neutral plus 120 volts on the other side of neutral combine to form 240 volts.

The adapter I'm talking about simply grabs ground, neutral, and ONE leg of the 240 volts and comes up with (wait for it...) 120 volts.

In effect, it does the same thing people are suggesting doing in the house circuitry, but as an adapter.

If you want to buy a transformer, go ahead. I don't have that spare cash.
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Old 01-12-2023, 07:58 PM
 
15,431 posts, read 7,487,193 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harry chickpea View Post
Lots of popcorn material and little real info here.

I would install a standard 240 receptacle as commonly used in any RV park, then use a plug in adapter at the socket to pull out 120. That way when the "We'll NEVER use the AC" gets proven wrong on the hottest day of the year, no big deal and no major expense.

KISS.
If OP's RV has a 30 amp connection, there's no point in installing a 50 amp service that will never be used. If there's one air conditioner, a 50 amp connection isn't needed.
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Old 01-12-2023, 09:17 PM
 
23,597 posts, read 70,402,242 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WRM20 View Post
If OP's RV has a 30 amp connection, there's no point in installing a 50 amp service that will never be used. If there's one air conditioner, a 50 amp connection isn't needed.
You're probably well over 70% right in that supposition. Some points to consider though:
How many into the hobby trade up to something larger?
How many have friends with a large RV that want to come visit for a week? (That was common in Florida)
What is the difference in hardware cost to go larger?
How is resale of the property affected, if at all?

The largest cost in something like this is the callout and time for the electrician. In such situations, I usually opt to slightly overbuild. Reliability is better because equipment is more robust, and the chances of having to re-do are almost eliminated. However, if this is just something like "Hey, I got this, I can do this with it and spend less than $100 for the job cause Joe owes me a favor" then heck yeah, save the money.
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Old 01-13-2023, 03:13 AM
 
Location: The Triad
34,090 posts, read 82,964,986 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WRM20 View Post
If there's one air conditioner, a 50 amp connection isn't needed.
Correct. The 120V 20A will be fine for one. For two? ... then you'll want the 30A 120
(OP doesn't have the 10g wire needed for 30A)
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Old 01-13-2023, 08:38 AM
 
Location: Sunnybrook Farm
4,542 posts, read 2,674,170 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WRM20 View Post
If OP's RV has a 30 amp connection, there's no point in installing a 50 amp service that will never be used. If there's one air conditioner, a 50 amp connection isn't needed.
It would also be deeply against code to put a 50A 240V receptacle on a 20A 240V circuit. Personally rather than doing a bunch of klugey stuff I'd have an electrician out there, discuss with him what's wanted and the best (most economical) way to achieve it.
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