Any Electricians Out There?

I’m wanting to add a 50 amp receptacle for our motorhome to the outside of our garage. The house we live in was my fiances’s and her late husbands house so this is how the electrical was when I got here.

There are two electrical boxes… one runs off the other one. See pics. The main box has a 60 amp breaker that feeds the little box. There are no more spots for 2 breakers (50 amp RV is double pole so need a two breaker spot) in the main panel. But the little panel has spots. But because it is only powered by a 60 amp breaker..can I put the 50 amp in the little box? Or should I take out the 60 amp in the main panel and put in a 100 amp to feed the little box and be able to then put in the 50 amp? The little box looks like it has 60 amps worth of breakers in it.

We are selling the house soon and will live in the motorhome until next year where we hope to find a new place. But need the 50 amp now to power the motorhome. We only need it for another month before we move south to warmer temps.

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Since you are selling you house in a month. I would save the money on hooking up a 50 amp outlet and use that money to get a nice generator that you can take with you. I don’t think your subpanel box is rated for 100 amp nor is the wire going to it. What size is the main panel breaker?

You also need to look at the what your main panel breaker is, (100amp, 200amp?) Also if you do put a 100 amp in the main you’ll need to run new wires to the sub panel to handle the additional current. If it were me I wouldn’t spend the money on adding an outlet. Like Tuma said buy a generator to power it for that month and then take it with you or resell it, lots of people looking for generators to use during ice fishing season.

First off, what you need is for a licensed electrician to take a first hand inspection and tell you what will meet “code” for where you live.

That said, a 50amp outlet downstream from a 60amp breaker will handle a 50amp load. Just because you have a 50amp outlet, does not mean that the load on that outlet will be 50amps. If you are judicious in the number and type of appliances you have running at any one time, both in the home and the RV, you may be just fine.

If you need full capacity of the 50amp outlet along with full capacity of the other outlets drawing from the 2nd breaker box, you will need an upgrade to that box and or possibly an upgrade to the main box as well.

Speaking 100% in terms of utility and making the most of your situation, I would probably add a 50-amp breaker to the sub-panel. Looking at the labels on the existing breakers on that panel, it’s not like you have a lot happening there. If you can remember for 1 month to keep things turned off in the basement and laundry room when you have the RV plugged in, you’ll probably never have an issue. If you forget, no worries, the breaker will remind you if you try to pull more than 60 amps down to that sub-panel right?

That said, I’d have that new outlet and breaker installed by a licensed professional. Have someone come out and give you an estimate. Weigh that vs the cost of a generator and make your decision.

Huntindave wrote:

First off, what you need is for a licensed electrician to take a first hand inspection and tell you what will meet “code” for where you live.

Yep. You can either pay the electrician now and enjoy the piece of mind while you’re still living in the house; or you can pay the electrician later when you’re trying to close the sale and the home inspector finds evidence that you consulted the internet (“any electricians out there?” when modifying your electrical system.

I knew this was the right place to ask! Thank you for all the suggestions!

Actually our 42′ motorhome has a generator on it. But I don’t want to run it day and night to keep the AquaHot (RV heating) system going on it. Right now we are hooked up to 110 which will run a few things but not all that we need it to run. And I plan to dismantle the 50 amp hook up when we leave. But I will get an electrician to come look at it. I’m thinking that is doesn’t look right to begin with? Too many circuits or looks overloaded

My guess is you’re overloaded. 60 amps for ywo panels? Somebody didn’t wat to upgrade the service too 100 plus amps.

An rv heating system? What is yhe amp draw? Sounds high.

Grouse

Licensed electricion.
Thread closed.

I love that line pug.