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Posted: 4/14/2016 6:11:15 PM EDT
My wife and I bought some land on a lake and are parking our camper there. We need a power hook up for two campers (an extra for friends). I have experience in machine control electric and some residential but I have never done a service panel from scratch.
Basically, the electric company said I need to put a meter pan and a breaker panel on a piece of plywood 10 feet from the pole by the road. We are getting 100a service. I plan on putting up the panel with one outlet on the plywood for the inspection, then running the power to plugs by the camper later.
What I know I need to do:
Nema 3r panel
2 ground rods 8' apart
I think 15 amp is enough, probably wrong, for the camper so 12/3 romex should be fine.
4/0 from pole, to meter, to breaker box.

Is there anything else as far as codes go that I need to know? What are the specs for the ground rods and ground wire?  Bonding grounds and neutral, and how?
Link Posted: 4/14/2016 6:21:51 PM EDT
[#1]
Think a combo Like this might be the way to go
Link Posted: 4/14/2016 8:20:20 PM EDT
[#2]
I think most RV circuits are 30 amp 120 volt so at least #10 wire.  No romex exposed or in conduit.
Link Posted: 4/14/2016 8:45:34 PM EDT
[#3]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I think most RV circuits are 30 amp 120 volt so at least #10 wire.  No romex exposed or in conduit.
View Quote

So cross off romex and use #10 UF wire with a 30 amp breaker? Should I run two circuits, one for each camper, or will one be enough?
Link Posted: 4/14/2016 10:54:33 PM EDT
[#4]

30 amp for each camper if they are small campers with only one A/C unit. For larger campers, especially ones with two A/C units, you need 50 amp service. Personally, I would run 50 amps to each camper. Cost will be a bit higher, but you won't ever have to deal with overloaded circuits and tripped breakers. Nothing more aggravating than breakers tripping  when it's hot out and the A/C is running, oven is on, electric smoker going etc.
Link Posted: 4/14/2016 11:25:35 PM EDT
[#5]

Another thing to consider is line loss. How far will the campers be from your main breaker box? You might be further ahead running one 220v line from your main panel to where the trailers are going to be, then breaking out to 110v for the trailers.
Link Posted: 4/15/2016 4:59:29 AM EDT
[#6]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

Another thing to consider is line loss. How far will the campers be from your main breaker box? You might be further ahead running one 220v line from your main panel to where the trailers are going to be, then breaking out to 110v for the trailers.
View Quote

That is a good point. It is about 80 feet away.
Link Posted: 4/15/2016 8:49:25 AM EDT
[#7]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

So cross off romex and use #10 UF wire with a 30 amp breaker? Should I run two circuits, one for each camper, or will one be enough?
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
I think most RV circuits are 30 amp 120 volt so at least #10 wire.  No romex exposed or in conduit.

So cross off romex and use #10 UF wire with a 30 amp breaker? Should I run two circuits, one for each camper, or will one be enough?

Romex cannot be used in damp applications, even if you run it in watertight conduit. You must use UF, or one of the multiple other wet location rated cables.

As a poster further down mentioned, I would run a 50A for each camper. If you run separate 120V lines, you'd need 6AWG copper. You could run a single cable to the camper location and put a subpanel there.

I'd also suggest running a 12AWG cable and putting at least one duplex 20A GFCI receptacle near where the campers plug in. That way, you can plug in outdoors stuff even if you don't have a camper hooked up.

Also, what kind of campers are we talking? A little pop-up, or a motorcoach?
Link Posted: 4/15/2016 1:27:51 PM EDT
[#8]

Another option might be to install the meter base and shutoff panel w/in 10' of the service pole, then run direct burial wire in #2 or #3 (not sure of the specs on this) the 80' to your 100 amp service panel where the campers will be parked. Install breakers and outlets right there.

Not sure if this would meet your service providers requirements, but I don't see why it wouldn't. I think it would be cheaper in the long run. I would personally go with this option.
Link Posted: 4/15/2016 4:19:26 PM EDT
[#9]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

Romex cannot be used in damp applications, even if you run it in watertight conduit. You must use UF, or one of the multiple other wet location rated cables.

As a poster further down mentioned, I would run a 50A for each camper. If you run separate 120V lines, you'd need 6AWG copper. You could run a single cable to the camper location and put a subpanel there.

I'd also suggest running a 12AWG cable and putting at least one duplex 20A GFCI receptacle near where the campers plug in. That way, you can plug in outdoors stuff even if you don't have a camper hooked up.

Also, what kind of campers are we talking? A little pop-up, or a motorcoach?
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I think most RV circuits are 30 amp 120 volt so at least #10 wire.  No romex exposed or in conduit.

So cross off romex and use #10 UF wire with a 30 amp breaker? Should I run two circuits, one for each camper, or will one be enough?

Romex cannot be used in damp applications, even if you run it in watertight conduit. You must use UF, or one of the multiple other wet location rated cables.

As a poster further down mentioned, I would run a 50A for each camper. If you run separate 120V lines, you'd need 6AWG copper. You could run a single cable to the camper location and put a subpanel there.

I'd also suggest running a 12AWG cable and putting at least one duplex 20A GFCI receptacle near where the campers plug in. That way, you can plug in outdoors stuff even if you don't have a camper hooked up.

Also, what kind of campers are we talking? A little pop-up, or a motorcoach?

Just your standard 26' campers. Nothing special.
Link Posted: 4/15/2016 6:02:50 PM EDT
[#10]
Quoted:
My wife and I bought some land on a lake and are parking our camper there. We need a power hook up for two campers (an extra for friends). I have experience in machine control electric and some residential but I have never done a service panel from scratch.
Basically, the electric company said I need to put a meter pan and a breaker panel on a piece of plywood 10 feet from the pole by the road. We are getting 100a service. I plan on putting up the panel with one outlet on the plywood for the inspection, then running the power to plugs by the camper later.
What I know I need to do:
Nema 3r panel
2 ground rods 8' apart
I think 15 amp is enough, probably wrong, for the camper so 12/3 romex should be fine.
4/0 from pole, to meter, to breaker box.

Is there anything else as far as codes go that I need to know? What are the specs for the ground rods and ground wire?  Bonding grounds and neutral, and how?
View Quote


12 gauge wire is good for 20 amps so use  a 20 amp breaker for your panel outlet which will need to be a GFCI. As for the trailers you need to check and see what each one needs before you go buying supplies it would suck to put in a circuit that is to small. The 4/0 wire is good for 200 amps and  I wouldn't go any smaller than a 200 amp panel and meter can that way if you add something or get a bigger unit you will have the extra power. Personal I would put a meter can/breaker panel combo down where I was going to put the camper and have the power company run the wire from the pole to the meter can. As for the ground rods don't forget  the #4 bare solid copper wire and two direct burial clamps also the ground rods have to be a certain distance from each other but I don't remember what it is
Link Posted: 4/27/2016 6:17:31 PM EDT
[#11]
Finished last weekend and passed my inspection today. Power company will hook it up on the pole within 48hrs. I upped it to 200a.   The whole thing wasn't as painful as I thought it would be.  I am thinking I will run underground to a sub box by the campers like was suggested above. Thanks
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