RV Pad Question

[CurlyDave]

What are the short (maybe 3' high) electrical poles that RVs plug into at RV parks called, and where can I get one? They usually have a 30 A RV receptical, a 50 A RV receptical and at least one convenience outlet.

We are building a retirement home, already bought the land and we are just starting with the plans.

Anyway, there is a great spot for me to put in a pad for our RV, out of the way of the construction but within range of a source of electricity, water, and septic hookup, so we can stay there, off and on, while the house is going up.

The electrical is going to have to be up to code, and one of those posts seems like the ideal thing. I just have no idea what they are even called.

Plus, I have seen them with extra outlets, and I can legally put up a shed of less than 150 sq ft with no permits at all. I just can't put permanent electricity inside it. So, a couple of extra outlets on the pole which will be only 10' or so from the shed, and I can legally run electricity into the shed with an extension cord (properly shielded from the weather). This will effectively double the living space of the RV, and when the house is completed the shed will be a useful permanent addition to the property.

 

[midlf]

Posts like you are looking for are called pedestals. An electrician should be able to find them in the catalogs. Google on "RV pedestal" and you will get lots of hits.

 

[MikeIA]

Midwest Electric Products (midwestelectric.com) has an on-line catalog of nice ones, metal and plactic, underground and fed-from-above.
I have used a lot of their metal boxes, and really like them.

There is an electrical wholesaler on TBN that has offered to sell us all electrical equipment at a small markup....maybe he can have it drop shipped to you instead of paying shipping both to him and then to you.

Would it make sense to install a combination device (Meter and Breaker box) at your pad location? You will need to supply electricity for construction, right? So extra receptacles would be handy. You can even get ones with generator interlocks installed, so you could eventually power your house in an emergency with your RV generator, or a generator in the shed.

 

[RFB]

Mike,

"There is an electrical wholesaler on TBN"

Do you have contact info for this person?

thanx

 

[Hib]

I did just as MikeIA suggested when I first purchased my property. Had a sevice pole put in and directly under the meter box I attached a box like you're looking for. I purchased mine from a local wholesaler. Poured pad next to it for camper. I often have visitors that come with their RV's (since there is not room in the inn) and they feel right at home

 

[theboman]

The boxes with a 30/50 are RV outlet boxes and are available at many electric supply stores. You can get them at RV stores but the prices will be much greater.

We have a store in our area called State Electric and they by far beat any prices on electric boxes, wires, etc than Lowes, hardware stores and speciality businesses.

 

[EddieWalker]

Pedistals run around $150 depending on what you get with them. If you want all three outlets sizes, a light or meter will affect the price.

Both Home Depot and Lowes have RV outlets that you can mount to a PT 4x4 post and save allot of money. If you want top of the line, you can spend over $500 each for marine pedistals that they use on docks. Very fancy, but they don't do anything a PT 4x4 wont do anyway.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[MikeIA]

I knew that was going to be the next question, but I was hoping someone would beat me to replying!

I tracked down the thread with this quote:
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If you need to buy anything electrical, drop me an IM. I will sell you the stuff at cost and ship it to you via UPS.
I work for the largest electrical distributor in the world. We have over 800 stores around the world. Let me know what you may need..
That goes for anyone of my other TBN brothers or sisters too !!)</font>

The username was DTCOOPER. I hope the offer is still good, and he doesn't get mad at me!

 

[CurlyDave]

Would it make sense to install a combination device (Meter and Breaker box) at your pad location? You will need to supply electricity for construction, right? So extra receptacles would be handy. You can even get ones with generator interlocks installed, so you could eventually power your house in an emergency with your RV generator, or a generator in the shed.

Actually the RV pad is going to be over 300' from the house site.

In order to get the house up the hill and into a good view area, we are putting in ~600 ' of driveway. We have had the area dowsed for water and as luck would have it, the best location for a well is at a flat spot about 200' up the driveway.

The way power is done around here is a 7000 volt underground line to a transformer, which should be about 100' from the house.

Since the well is going to be so far from the house, I would either need to run 300 to 400' of 240 Volt wire to the well, or put in a transformer near the well, and a second one near the house.

I have opted for the two transformer route. The cost is only a couple hundred more, but it lets me run the RV pad & shed from the well house transformer & meter, and the lower voltage lines are shorter, which is a better installation. The couple hundred extra is only if trenching for the 240 volt lint to the wellhouse went just as nice & easy as anyone could imagine. A couple of big rocks, and the second transformer is not only better, but also cheaper.

Eventually, I can build a guest house near the RV pad and there will be electricity for it also. Plus when the kids come to visit, I can put them in the RV and/or guest house, so they can raise cain all by themselves.

 

[Highbeam]

I have a similar situation with a well by my driveway 50 feet onsite and then another 700 feet of trench to the house. I will run one transformer and meter by the house and then run the wires back to the well. Realize that you also have to trench in the water line and the 220 volt service for the pump only needs to carry enough juice for the 1 HP or less pump. 1 HP is 745 watts or 3.5 amps, that calls for pretty tiny wire. I plan to zip tie the wires to the waterline in the trench all the way to the well and down the well to the pump.

Extra transformers require extra meters and an extra base fee in my area.