Mount service entrance disco on mobile home shell?

[rt66electric]

Long interesting story ... dude from south africa w/german accent moves to BFE near Podunk OKlahoma, 40 acres-out-in-the-sticks. He digs ditches better than AL.
(1) CRAPPY old 50amp w/cord mobile home
(2) 200 amp meter/ 200amp main breaker panel under it
(3) future 200amp house to be added later
(4) It is decided to mount 100 amp main breaker panel on outside of metal shell and hardwire to existing 50 amp panel. This arrangement provides breaker spaces for well, shed,etc without reworking the indoor panel.

(5) Local poco hands refuse to power-up......because a panel is attached to the metal shell of trailer... and under "certain conditions may energize the siding????

(6) if we space out (using 3/4 plywood) between panel box from the trailer shell It is acceptable.

(7) I handed him the code book and asked for a reference, and he refused to look at it.

(8) Has anyone heard of not being able to mount a panel/ diso to outside of mobile???

 

[kwired]

2008 NEC -

550.32 Service Equipment.
(A) Mobile Home Service Equipment. The mobile home service equipment shall be located adjacent to the mobile home and not mounted in or on the mobile home. The service equipment shall be located in sight from and not more than 9.0 m (30 ft) from the exterior wall of the mobile home it serves. The service equipment shall be permitted to be located elsewhere on the premises, provided that a disconnecting means suitable for use as service equipment is located within sight from and not more than 9.0 m (30 ft) from the exterior wall of the mobile home it serves and is rated not less than that required for service equipment per 550.32(C). Grounding at the disconnecting means shall be in accordance with 250.32.

Add:

since you mentioned well, shed, etc

See 530.32 -

(D) Additional Outside Electrical Equipment. Means for connecting a mobile home accessory building or structure or additional electrical equipment located outside a mobile home by a fixed wiring method shall be provided in either the mobile home service equipment or the local external disconnecting means permitted in 550.32(A).

 

[norcal]

Remember PoCo's have their own rules & they have final say. I am not defending or condemming them, just stating the way it is.

 

[One-eyed Jack]

Make your 3/4 plywood self supporting and isolated from shell of mobile home. One half inch is plenty. Use pvc to hard pipe so they can not say you have an electrically conductive connection. I know the fourth wire is going to connect the shell anyway and there is no way to avoid that and if the Poco thinks there is they need to go back to school.

 

[benaround]

I don't think the POCO is worried about energizing the siding on the MH, there are too

many buildings and homes with conductive siding. I have no back up, but I believe the

reason the service must be adjacent to the MH is simpily because it ' is' mobile, it has

wheels under it, also there are times ( like a reposession ) when highly unqualified people

are sent to retrive the property and this gives them the means to do it. It is the same

reason that sheds, other types of out buildings, pad mounted a/c or similar equipment

shall be fed from the provisions required at the service and not the MH's indoor panel.

 

[ty]

2008 NEC -

550.32 Service Equipment.
(A) Mobile Home Service Equipment. The mobile home service equipment shall be located adjacent to the mobile home and not mounted in or on the mobile home. The service equipment shall be located in sight from and not more than 9.0 m (30 ft) from the exterior wall of the mobile home it serves. The service equipment shall be permitted to be located elsewhere on the premises, provided that a disconnecting means suitable for use as service equipment is located within sight from and not more than 9.0 m (30 ft) from the exterior wall of the mobile home it serves and is rated not less than that required for service equipment per 550.32(C). Grounding at the disconnecting means shall be in accordance with 250.32.

Add:

since you mentioned well, shed, etc

See 530.32 -

(D) Additional Outside Electrical Equipment. Means for connecting a mobile home accessory building or structure or additional electrical equipment located outside a mobile home by a fixed wiring method shall be provided in either the mobile home service equipment or the local external disconnecting means permitted in 550.32(A).

Just repeating the NEC reference.

Move the loadcenter off of the Mobile Home.
End of discussion.

 

[growler]

(8) Has anyone heard of not being able to mount a panel/ diso to outside of mobile???

When dealing with mobile homes you not only have the NEC to deal with but also many local codes.

For some reason every jurisdiction has their own way of dealing with mobile homes. Some jurisdictions will let you use the NEC and others want an act of God just to issue a permit. Mobile homes are not very popular in some areas and they will make things hard for you. You can get into some real zoning issues with mobile homes and the efforts of certain areas to keep them out.

 

[One-eyed Jack]

See my post 4. I could have already moved the disco and gotten power to the service in the time that has passed. POCO has a thing called conditions for service. Meet them or they will not serve you. Like Ty said,end of story.

 

[LarryFine]

He digs ditches better than AL.

Them's fightin' words!

 

[zappy]

Them's fightin' words!

I have too ask, who's Al?