NEMA 14-50 Outdoor Box

[Brian Black]

I’m 6 weeks into owning my Lightning and I love it. I have the FCSP at our house and it works great.

I am looking ahead to the warmer months when my family and I spend time at our camp (that’s a lake house for anyone not from Maine). My plan was to have a local electrician install an outdoor rated NEMA 14-50 box at the camp, and use the mobile power cord that came with the truck to charge. I realize this will be slower than the FCSP, but that’s okay. I typically arrive at camp on Friday and don’t go anywhere until Sunday.

Are there any significant cons to this plan? Electrical hazards? Is that mobile cord okay left out in the rain? I’ve only used the mobile power cord for 120 charging at home in a garage. Anything else I should consider?

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[Heliian]

It works great on 240v. I would just put an awning over the plug and evse to keep water out but still allow airflow around it.

 

[The Weatherman]

The portable Ford charger has a max of 32 amp rate of charge. So if you are doing much driving while you’re there it could be tight. You might consider a Grizzl-e 48mini. It’s small and portable and will charge up to 48amps.

Have a great spring outing.

 

[iam-s-Hon]

The portable Ford charger has a max of 32 amp rate of charge. So if you are doing much driving while you’re there it could be tight. You might consider a Grizzl-e 48mini. It’s small and portable and will charge up to 48amps.

Have a great spring outing.

if there are dcfc chargers between Home and Camp, as back up, a new charger may be an unnecessary expense. And on a 14-50 would never use the full 48amps

 

[Maquis]

Just make sure the receptacle is either a Hubbel or Bryant 4950.

 

[TaxmanHog]

48 hours parked at camp with the FMC running 30 amps at 240v will have you fully charged from 10% to 90% well before it's time to return home.

 

[flyct]

Watch this YouTube video. Starting at 12:00 minute mark.

Great advice to buy a Midwest Outdoor box and modify it for a Hubble 9450A receptacle.

 

[mrau]

Are there any significant cons to this plan?

No cons. It is a great idea and you will enjoy the convenience of charging at camp.

Agree with the recommendations to use a Hubbell or Bryant 9450 outlet. They have heavy duty connectors and are designed for constant long loads. You may also need a bit larger cover (depending on outdoor box used) since these are just a bit bigger round than the normal use outlets.

Zoro sells them but they are available at many places.

 

[Brian Black]

Thank you fellas. If I hadn’t asked about this here in the forum, I would have definitely bought the cheap outdoor box from Home Depot and the electrician at camp would have no idea that the plug wasn’t intended to EVs. And my camp is a is a tinderbox…

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I would spend a few extra dollars and install a GE/ABB/etc 70A (50A + 20A receptacles) RV load center with a breaker at the load center.

 

[GDN]

The 240 plug is a perfect setup for use with the mobile EVSE. There are a million ways to skin this cat, but yes, your idea is one that meets the needs for sure.

 

[WilliamRobert]

That’s what I did! You can buy an outdoor 14-50 weather box and you also need a EV rated 14-50, sold at Home Depot . You should buy the receptical and box, most electricians are still clueless about EVs. The EV 14-50 has a larger diameter socket than a regular, make sure it fits the box!
I’ve had this Leviton EV 14-50 in my garage for six months now with no problem. I would suggest a 50amp breaker, that would give you a 40amp maximum for the evse. The Ford chargers are not known for reliability so you will probably end up buying an after market 40 amp. Most just keep the Ford evse as a spare.

 

[Joe Dablock]

What everyone said is great advice. For a lot of precipitation, you could cover the charger with a trash bag. Pick an optimum location for the plug. You could also run a heavier gauge wire in case you want to upgrade to a higher current charger some day.

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