Currently my shore power cord is just hanging out of the center bay door when in use (PO setup), I don't like it, especially since I keep it plugged in all of the time at home. So, what have you guys done for those connections? I was thinking of maybe running it out of AC motor fuel door since I am going to be pulling the basement AC stuff anyway and I was told the AC fuel tank leaks. Any other suggestions on where to have it come out?
Thanks,
Vern
Vern,
Mine now has a hole through the bay floor & a wooden plug. It only took one very expensive lesson involving forgetting to unplug the thing from the garage!
Steve Toomey
PAbusnut
I use a 4" pvc clean out cut into the floor and silaconed ,
a 6 " for the waste line
when open I use stainless steel wool to stop anything from getting in
http://www.lowes.com/pd_23308-1814-PVC+00106++1200_0__?productId=3132725 (http://www.lowes.com/pd_23308-1814-PVC+00106++1200_0__?productId=3132725)
dave
That is a great idea! I can put one on either side so that I can run it the shortest route.
Quote from: mung on September 09, 2014, 10:28:00 AM
That is a great idea! I can put one on either side so that I can run it the shortest route.
My sewer dump is simply a 3" rubber 90 that comes off a short 3" ABS (black), the rubber protrudes below the bay an amount that then allows a ABS bayonet adapter to be installed with a worm screw hose clamp. beats making a larger hole, it would take a really skinny and determined mouse to get passed it...
I have a Marinco socket mounted on the side of the bus.
Brian
I learned on my boat that the less junctions the better. Almost burned up my boat because of corrosion on the back side of the socket.
Quote from: bevans6 on September 09, 2014, 11:32:55 AM
I have a Marinco socket mounted on the side of the bus.
Brian
which is nice, but won't stop a steal-er....i have a 34 foot 4 wire 6ga cord hard wired that i cannot afford to lose ... :(
Put it in conduit then, the stealers use bolt cutters to cut the cable.
Brian
Quote from: bevans6 on September 09, 2014, 12:27:45 PM
Put it in conduit then, the stealers use bolt cutters to cut the cable.
Brian
Most crackheads would find that shocking...
My switch gear panel auto start generator and auto disconnect is all in bay behind front drivers side . My 50 amp cord on spool and the end comes out behind tire with a pivoting door . Works great I just pull cord how much I need . I do have to wind up after so I am going to make it reel up auto next.
We installed a floor hatch and roller kit ahead of our shoreline reel.
Very nice.
Quote from: eagle19952 on September 09, 2014, 12:40:40 PM
Most crackheads would find that shocking...
Oddly, a stealer (may or may not have been a crackhead) was killed near here recently when he was cutting cable out of an abandoned factory. He cut into a big cable that still had 600 volt three phase live in it... The stealers have figured out how to unplug the RV cord before they cut it off. I heard that the RV's that have the fairly common port on the side that you pull out the cable are getting hit, sometimes in parks, sometimes at truck stops when they go in for a meal. Just open the port and pull out the cable. I figure that I can put my cable inside the locked luggage bay if I think I should.
Actually, I heard of some guys stealing a couple hundred yards of cable off a live feed off the poles. They knew enough to take it after the step down transformer and into the house. I wonder what the conversation was "Dude, I got 200 yards of brand new 2/0, what are you paying for copper?"
Look into what can happen if you put a decent amount of power through a cable on a reel. It can over-heat enough to catch on fire. You are usually supposed to un-reel the cable fully before you use it, not just pull out enough to reach the socket. I had it happen once with a 12/2 extension cord that I was running my table saw with. Caught it before anything happened, but it heated up fast.
Brian
I bought a plug door with cord cutout from Camping World. You open the door to get the plug through, then close the door with only the cord going through the cutout. Keeps little critters out of the storage area. Good luck, TomC
It is best to go through the floor in IMO then you can still lock the bay doors mine goes through the floor has a 3 inch opening and has cap you screw in after the cable is in or out
I bought one of the $$$ low profile motorized reel from Shore Line you diffidently want to spool all the cable off I had a mess when the cable melted on the spool ::) I had to redo that bay it melted the FRP board on the walls we were lucky to notice it when we came back to bus after being gone all day
Quote from: bevans6 on September 09, 2014, 01:41:27 PM
Look into what can happen if you put a decent amount of power through a cable on a reel. It can over-heat enough to catch on fire. You are usually supposed to un-reel the cable fully before you use it, not just pull out enough to reach the socket. I had it happen once with a 12/2 extension cord that I was running my table saw with. Caught it before anything happened, but it heated up fast.
Brian
I would not own a cord reel. Of any size, not even a USB cord.
Stealable...but definitely convenient.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-paIZwUCRzQw/TpbvvApBAZI/AAAAAAAAD5Y/QbQ6m4dgdyI/w737-h553-no/Coach-619.jpg)
Marinco on the drivers side waist high with chrome metal threaded cap. I have a reel in the bay for it but haven't mounted it yet. Intend to use it but just for holding it neatly and unrolling it when needed not plugged in while on reel. Got almost new reel for 3 dollars at yard sale. ;D
Ditto to the 12/2 extension cord reel. It turned into a big inductive coil and melted itself, down inside, had to toss it. Don't use them. Fortunately discovered it before it caused a fire or something.
I'm in the process of changing from a hard wired cable to a Marinco socket on the street side. Since we rely mostly on solar, we seldom use shore power. The detachable cable will be easier to store out of the way. At least I think it will. Our theft exposure is minimal.
Jim H
Like I said before, be very, very careful with those Marinco jacks. The vibrations will loosen the screws that hold the wires to the blades and if they start arcing they will burn up your cable and maybe your bus. Somewhere I have a picture of the chared cord and the char spot on the dock. Funny thing is it didn't burn up at the boat, it burned up where the 30 amp was going into a splitter, but it was for sure the Marinco jack that caused it. When I replaced the cord it was still getting hot, that is when someone told me to check the jack. Sure enough the back side of it was also pretty black and I could see where one of the wires had loosened up and was arcing. Hard wired the plug right into the fuse box and haven't had an issue since.
Take my advice, check those connections regularly.
I would watch the Marinco plugs I have had problems with those before just be sure it is locked in place, Country Coach has 3 on their conversions 2-30 amps and 1- 50 amps if you look close the paint is always blistered a little around all 3 in 4 or 5 years
I have my shore power hard wired to my breaker box. The only plug is to the power pole. Having another plug on the side of the bus is another maintenance spot to watch. Good Luck, TomC
Think about your boat... we used a deck plate.
http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--screw-in-deck-plate-8-smooth-white--11743069 (http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--screw-in-deck-plate-8-smooth-white--11743069)
Yep that would work as well.
If we used shore power extensively, I would be more concerned about the Marinco socket. We rarely plug in.
With that said, I appreciate knowing about this potential problem. I'll be extra careful. Will probably use dielectric grease in the wire sockets and blue thread locker on the screws.
Jim H
Very good idea.
Lostranger, just curious as to how you manage to not need to plug in regularly? I would love to have more electrical freedom but we are tied to the pole or the genset...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Clumsy fingers may contribute to mistakes.
Quote from: Scott Bennett on October 12, 2014, 04:42:25 PM
I would love to have more electrical freedom but we are tied to the pole or the genset...
Hey Scott,
I've seen your question, and I look forward to giving it the answer it deserves. It will take me a few days. We're swamped at the moment. In the meanwhile, you might skim both of Rob Gray's build threads at www.robgray.com (http://www.robgray.com) That's what got me started thinking independent power in a motorhome.
Jim H
Thanks Jim. I'm reading through it now :)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Clumsy fingers may contribute to mistakes.
Quote from: Scott Bennett on October 12, 2014, 04:42:25 PM
Lostranger, just curious as to how you manage to not need to plug in regularly? I would love to have more electrical freedom but we are tied to the pole or the genset...
Scott, I apologize for taking so long to answer. If you've read much of Rob Gray, you probably already know more than I could tell. I read both of his build threads more than once, and I've also been reading everything I can from folks who live aboard sailboats. They are the real pioneers in mobile energy independence.
The critical issue was deciding that a degree of energy independence was important to us. Once we crossed that threshold, the rest of our bus outfit choices were made accordingly. We have been full timing for more than 2-1/2 years without shore power. I do occasionally plug in at my wood working shop when I'm making extensive use of power tools for the ongoing conversion, but we seldom sleep beside the shop because it's not level. With our original (too small) battery pack we used an old gasoline fired 4500 watt generator part of the time, but it's not been running (or needed) for over a year. With Rob Gray as inspiration, we examined each area of energy use and made choices that appeared to best suit our goals.
Cooking and heating water were easy. We use propane. We've ALWAYS cooked with gas and wouldn't have it any other way. We'll eventually replace our RV sized range with a 30" Peerless Premier model with battery ignition and a full size oven. We both love to cook and bake and we seldom eat out. We heat water on the stove top for hot tea. We do not use a microwave, coffee maker, toaster or toaster oven. We do use a blender and a KitchenAid mixer. I can imagine owning a small but high-quality espresso machine at some point. Our Rheem tankless water heater is more than adequate and does save gas compared to any tank heater we have used.
We do not use propane for space heat. We've never liked the noise or the constant hot-then-cold nature of forced air furnaces, and we do not have battery capacity to run the fans on long, cold nights. We learned by experience that unvented, radiant propane heat is a disaster in seriously cold weather. Rob Gray uses a diesel fired heater, but he never faces the cold that we do. Our original plan was to use radiant floor heat, but the energy numbers did not work for us. We consider both diesel and propane to be expensive sources of primary heat.
Most of the sailboaters who full time in cold areas appear to have wood stoves. We love wood heat, we have a ready supply and we don't mind the work and the mess. We started with this stove for inspiration, but we ended up building one with a similar size fire box: http://www.marinestove.com/codinfo.htm (http://www.marinestove.com/codinfo.htm)
Of course the huge energy load in most conversions is air conditioning. Most bus owners think they can't live without constant cold air. This is an area where Rob Gray did the most for my thinking. They live without AC in Australia. In his words, AC takes about 2000 watts, a fan takes about 20. When I read that, I recalled spending three weeks in Ghana in the summer of 2000. We spent most of that time in an unfinished house under mosquito netting. It was hot, but I always slept well. I got to spend one night in the home of a missionary who had recycled computer fans to use over each bed. I was amazed at what a difference that tiny, muffin fan made. We have no AC, but we use several small dc powered fans.
The core of our electric system is four Samsung 255 watt solar panels working through a MorningStar 60 amp MPPT charge controller. Our battery bank is four 8D AGM batteries wired series/parallel for 490 amp hours at 24v. I never seriously considered using 12v. Our Magnum 4024 inverter is overkill at 4000 watts, but it seemed to be the best choice for a 24v system. We are careful to keep it asleep as much as possible. We're still using some incandescent lighting, but everything will eventually be 24v LED. I use a 24v to 12v converter to power a few things like our cable modem and wireless router. Those stay on all the time when we're at home base. We use a 32" TV for our nightly Netflix fix, but a smaller one would make more sense. Especially in winter. Our largest AC load is a dorm-size refrigerator. Hopefully that will soon be replaced by a Sundanzer 8cf chest-type refrigerator running on 24v DC.
We have one more major upgrade planned for our energy system. Last summer I bought a ThermoKing TriPac auxiliary power unit that came out of a road tractor. This is an older unit and needs some work, but I bought it worth the money. After I get caught up with some of our interior needs, I plan to rebuild the two cylinder Yanmar diesel and install it where we were planning to keep a generator. It's rated at 13.7 HP and is efficient. The engine drives a 12v alternator and an automotive-style air conditioning compressor. I will add a second alternator putting out 24v. I'll also add a fifth 8D AGM battery and use that battery to start the APU and feed our few 12v loads.
The APU has a remote AC condenser that I'll mount on the bulkhead behind our bedroom. It's evaporator will be inside the bedroom. I'll also plumb the Yanmar's cooling system through a blower coil in the bedroom, but I'll equip that loop with manual valves so coolant will not circulate into the living area during warm weather.
The back half of our bus (bedroom, bathroom, laundry) can be closed off. The APU will provide supplemental heat OR air conditioning to the bedroom. Any time it's running, it will also be charging the house battery banks. That will give us lots of options including a cool place to sleep or recover when it's terrifically hot. Bottom line is that we MAY never use shore power, but I want to keep that option.
Scott, I'm sorry if this is more of an answer than you wanted. None of our system is dogma. What works for us may not be right for you, and we are constantly evaluating options. For instance, I can imagine lithium batteries in our future. I can also imagine a fifth solar panel to charge the 12v battery. One of the reasons I like to discuss our system in public is that I often get helpful feedback.
Hope some of this was helpful. I'd be happy to take a shot at specific questions.
Jim H
Wow Jim. This is fascinating. I'll be reading through this more than once and googling some of your equipment. Heather and I have access to RV hookups all over the county through our church but I've always felt we were way too tied to the pole or genny. Everything you mention is practical and doable. A/c is important for me cause I have a mold allergy confirmed clinically (not making this up) so keeping humidity and temperature levels controlled in the summer is important. That being said, we still could dramatically reduce our need for pole juice and our next conversion will be built with that in mind. I also without a doubt want wood heat. Just have to keep in mind some jurisdictions ban wood heat cause of smog issues.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Clumsy fingers may contribute to mistakes.
That little 2 cylinder Kubota on the Thermoking Tripac is an excellent engine. Only thing-it is literally a 4 cylinder engine with 2 cylinders lopped off. It is odd firing-it fires 1-2-0-0-1-2-0-0. Hence, it has (in my opinion) a very irritating sound. On a truck parked in a noisy truck stop, this isn't a problem. In a quiet parking place possibly with others, it could be. Once you get the engine overhauled, I would suggest using two mufflers in line (Diesel rated). The actual engine doesn't make that much noise, it just has a bad exhaust tone (not like the smooth 3 or 4 cylinder). Good Luck, TomC
Those fire just like the old 2 cylinder vertical Wisconsin gas engines from the past strange sound indeed
Tom, my ThermoKing engine is a Yanmar. I imagine it has the same issues. I do plan to make it as quiet as possible, and series mufflers sounds like a good idea. Thanks.
Scott, I plan to also install the smallest available window AC unit above our bed. I'm certain we can run that on sunny days without sucking batteries dry.
Who is Rob Gray....
Quote from: eagle19952 on October 28, 2014, 09:11:37 AM
Who is Rob Gray....
www.robgray.com (http://www.robgray.com)
Rob Gray is my motorhome hero. I mentioned him in an earlier post. He built, and toured Australia for years in, a world famous vehicle called Wothehellizat. Then he took it apart and rebuilt a smaller version. He's a genius, and his website is worthwhile reading for many reasons.
Quote from: Lostranger on October 28, 2014, 09:39:21 AM
www.robgray.com (http://www.robgray.com)
Rob Gray is my motorhome hero. I mentioned him in an earlier post. He built, and toured Australia for years in, a world famous vehicle called Wothehellizat. Then he took it apart and rebuilt a smaller version. He's a genius, and his website is worthwhile reading for many reasons.
Mine too. I think his interior designs of both versions of his WORT are inspirational, and if I can make my bus even half as nice as his then I'll be happy.
Has anyone here used Furrion stainless inlets instead of Marinco's? They're much less expensive than Marinco, look nicer, and seem to be decent quality: http://www.boatersland.com/frrf30insss.html?gclid=CNyu2smI0MECFU9efgod3yQABw (http://www.boatersland.com/frrf30insss.html?gclid=CNyu2smI0MECFU9efgod3yQABw) I won't ever need more than 30A of shore power, so a pair of these should work well for me.
John
Quote from: Iceni John on October 28, 2014, 12:20:31 PM
Has anyone here used Furrion stainless inlets instead of Marinco's? They're much less expensive than Marinco, look nicer, and seem to be decent quality: http://www.boatersland.com/frrf30insss.html?gclid=CNyu2smI0MECFU9efgod3yQABw (http://www.boatersland.com/frrf30insss.html?gclid=CNyu2smI0MECFU9efgod3yQABw) I won't ever need more than 30A of shore power, so a pair of these should work well for me.
They look nice. Only one photo, so can't tell what the inside looks like.
Why would you need a pair?
I'd recommend putting in the 50A unit for $20 more and running the wire to support 50A. You may not need it now, but might find in the future that you do. Or a future owner of your bus might.
It's not much more money now, and definitely worth it when you do need it.
Gumpy,
Maybe I'll buy just one of the Furrion inlets, and if it seems good quality I can get more later. I want one for each side, and/or maybe also a third up front, to reduce the need to drag cables too far or under the bus - yes, I know that all inlets are live when one is plugged in, but an LED idiot light next to each inlet will remind me to not touch or lick it when connected. I'd thought about 50A inlets, but my bus is definitely going to be a low-power-usage conversion, so I can't think why I would need all that power - heck, most of the time 15A will suffice for my meager needs! (With a roof-full of solar panels I don't plan on often needing shore power.)
If the Furrions are good quality (or if they're junk), I'll post my findings here to let others know.
John
Quote from: gumpy on October 28, 2014, 01:31:47 PM
I'd recommend putting in the 50A unit for $20 more and running the wire to support 50A. You may not need it now, but might find in the future that you do.
As much as I've ranted about having little use for shore power, I decided early in the process to wire for 50 amp and put in a 230v outlet somewhere. Just as a prophylactic measure.
Whatever cord setup you use, just remember to unplug it and stow it BEFORE you back out! One new baggage door and a 4 ft shorter cord , I think I learned a lesson!
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Quote from: pabusnut on October 29, 2014, 04:27:11 AM
Whatever cord setup you use, just remember to unplug it and stow it BEFORE you back out!
I've recently broken TWO wires that feed our cable modem. One should never move the bus while thinking about the next project. I need to use an airplane-style checklist before switching on the ignition.
But I've not yet made that list.
For some stupid reason.
Quote from: Lostranger on October 29, 2014, 05:10:30 AMI've recently broken TWO wires that feed our cable modem. One should never move the bus while thinking about the next project. I need to use an airplane-style checklist before switching on the ignition.
But I've not yet made that list.
For some stupid reason.
I've made that list ... it's a good thing. DAMHIK!
I've made the list. Now all I have to do is remember to use it. I've driven into the garage with the slide out extended. I've driven into the garage with the top extended. I've even backed out of the garage with the garage door partially closed, but I've never driven off still plugged in---yet---give me time!?! I think this qualifies for the adage "its hard to get good help when you do it yourself". :-[ Jack
Quote from: Iceni John on October 28, 2014, 03:32:01 PM
I want one for each side, and/or maybe also a third up front, to reduce the need to drag cables too far or under the bus - yes, I know that all inlets are live when one is plugged in, but an LED idiot light next to each inlet will remind me to not touch or lick it when connected. I'd thought about 50A inlets, but my bus is definitely going to be a low-power-usage conversion, so I can't think why I would need all that power - heck, most of the time 15A will suffice for my meager needs! (With a roof-full of solar panels I don't plan on often needing shore power.)
Take another sip of wine...................................... mmmmmmmm.......................
<Rant on>
Well, I'll just say this and leave it be ....
I have some serious problems with your plan here. You are conceding that you will have multiple inlets around your bus which will have 125V hot prongs in them. You say it's ok because you know they're hot, but you don't account for the wayward child or curious busnut who just happens by while you are not home and wants to take a better look at your electrical inlet setup. You're brewing a recipe for disaster of both life (someone else's) and property (your's when you get sued). It's dangerous, and since you acknowledge that you know about it, it's irresponsible.
<Rant off>
If you're going to do that, at the very least, put shutoff switches on each inlet so you can turn off the unused ones!
Now addressing your comment regarding pulling cords...
I set up two long cords, about 50 ft each. One is a 30 amp cord (10 ga wire), and one is a 50 amp cord (6 ga wire). They each have a male 50A twist lock on one end and a female 50A twist lock on the other end. Then, I have two short cords, one about a foot long, and the other about 12 ft long. One has a 50A male plug on one end, and a 50A Female Twist Lock on the other end. The other has a 30A male and 50A female Twist Lock. I can connect both long cords together to reach up to about 100 feet away (limited to 30A on that setup due to wire size and distance). Normally, though, all I need is the short pigtail connected into one of the long cords to power the bus. Going under the bus is not a big deal. I just slip one end under. Normally, though, I just snake the cord around the front wheels and along the side and sling the cord under the bus along the side to keep it out of the way (snowblower, etc). This has worked very well for me. I've needed the extra length of both shore cords only a couple of times. Sometimes I luck out and the power pole is withing 10 feet of the inlet and I can just use the short cord.
I've never really had a need to have a power inlet on both sides of the bus.
I also have a buddy plug receptacle on the front corner of the bus, and outlets in each of the bays.
If you're going to do that, at the very least, put shutoff switches on each inlet so you can turn off the unused ones!
ADDITIONALLY YOU can put locks on the switches and devices.... >:(
If you are going to build an inherently dangerous system, then as suggested, you should add as many protections as you can. However, as Mrs Murphy once said, "What can go wrong will go wrong." Her husband did not agree. Hence, his famous epitaph.
Country Coach used a 2 plug system on their Prevost conversions and I kinda like it, 1 was a 50 amp the other is 30 amp they have used it for years
Both my bus and truck are wired straight 120vac. I can only use one leg of the 50amp shore power. That's still 6000 watts. My generator is also wired straight 120vac which makes for not worrying about balancing the load. I can easily run two A/C's off the 50amp. The shore power cord is wired directly to the breaker box so there is no plug to reduce power because of resistance. Good Luck, TomC
just because something is 4 wired doesn't mean you have to use 220v.
I fail to see why you would want a separate hookup/cord for 30 or 50 amp when an adapter is cheap and easy to store.
Just a feature CC has had for years they usually have the 2 together in the service bay area and another 30 amp towards the front people love the setup that have it I personally don't care for adapters of any shape or form
Quote from: luvrbus on October 30, 2014, 09:06:58 AM
Just a feature CC has had for years they usually have the 2 together in the service bay area and another 30 amp towards the front people love the setup that have it I personally don't care for adapters of any shape or form
I get that... you wire your house at 220v... that doesnt mean that you need an electric dryer or stove or any other 220v appliance... just the way it is done.
Consequently I do not see any advantage to doing it any other way....
especially 120v...
Quote from: eagle19952 on October 30, 2014, 08:54:58 AM
just because something is 4 wired doesn't mean you have to use 220v.
I fail to see why you would want a separate hookup/cord for 30 or 50 amp when an adapter is cheap and easy to store.
In my case, I pitched the dogleg 30A to 50A adapter because it has a built in crossover between the hots which I could not undo. I built my own transfer switch,
and do the crossover in there so that when I'm plugged into 120v, all power goes through my inverter so I can use the input current limiting and load sharing features
of the inverter. Couldn't do that if the lines were split before they got to the inverter. So I have a short 30A plug that connects into my 50A or 30A long cords. It works
for me.
Quote from: eagle19952 on October 29, 2014, 08:46:15 PM
If you're going to do that, at the very least, put shutoff switches on each inlet so you can turn off the unused ones!
ADDITIONALLY YOU can put locks on the switches and devices.... >:(
OK, based on the feedback to my idea, I'll put solenoid latches on the inlets' covers to prevent unused inlets from being opened if there's power connected to any inlet. That's an easy fix.
My thinking to have more than one inlet is quite simply for redundancy. This is why I have two city water inlets, two water pumps, separate gravity fills for each water tank, two gray water dump valves, multiple ways to heat water, and my PV setup has two separate arrays of panels each feeding its own charge controller for its own bank of house batteries. As much as possible I want to reduce having single potential points of failure for my house systems - I'm building my bus for possibly long-term off-grid boondocking, when the failure of a single pump for example would be a big problem. At this stage it's not much extra work to provide back-ups during the build process.
John
We also have a 50 amp, 120v house connection. Since I did not plan on using any 240v appliances, a single 50 amp leg was completely adequate. This allows us to use a 3 wire (2+ground) rather than a 4 wire shore cord, which would be 33% heavier and thicker.
Wiring a house with 240v is different since aside from possibly needing 240v for an appliance, you would generally need the 2 legs of 120v for all the circuits that a modern house would have. I do not need so many circuits in the bus.
Here is a picture of my set up, from the electrical panel box the input cable goes to a disconnect switch, coming out of the disconnect switch I have a typical welders male plug, I manually move the male to the appropriate female receptacle, you can see the writing, I either plug it into the shore, gen, or inverter, This is pretty simple but it works and the transfer switch ( ie: my right arm :) won't ever fail on me)
I feel I have a fail safe hook up and gives me the warm fuzzy feeling anyway.
Quote from: Paso One on October 30, 2014, 03:06:46 PM
Here is a picture of my set up, from the electrical panel box the input cable goes to a disconnect switch, coming out of the disconnect switch I have a typical welders male plug, I manually move the male to the appropriate female receptacle, you can see the writing, I either plug it into the shore, gen, or inverter, This is pretty simple but it works and the transfer switch ( ie: my right arm :) won't ever fail on me)
I feel I have a fail safe hook up and gives me the warm fuzzy feeling anyway.
KISS, absolutely fool proof.
I have the same hook up as Paso One. I've tried every power combination I can think of including having shore, genny and inverter on at the same time--no feed back, no cross talk no nothing since the male pigtail coming from the breaker box can only be plugged into one source at a time. I've made sure that the respective grounds and neutrals each return to their point of origin to safeguard against "hot skin". I suppose that someone who had eaten a big enough bowl of stupid for breakfast might find a way to hook up 3 pigtails--one for him and one each for two buddy's rigs or try to figure out a way to get 240 volts out of a 120 volt system. Hmm, I wonder how that would work out, phasing being what it is?
That system of plugs is truly the simplest way of going. But, it also looks like this is accessed from outside. And it is always raining, and storming when the power pole goes off. I know I wouldn't want to be outside in the rain changing the plug from one socket to the next.
Just to give another idea-I have three circuit breaker boxes. 1st is for either shore power or generator. This leads to the second circuit breaker box that has all circuits that are not run by the inverter plus the 30amp circuit feeding through the inverter to the 3rd breaker box that is for inverter run items only. The advantage to this system is that it is inside the bus (mounted above the left front wheel well). And also, if I'm plugged into a 20amp plug, I can turn off the 30amp circuit to the inverter and have both inverter power and power pole power at the same time. It is so easy to operate, please look into upgrading to simple flip circuit breakers. I've been using this system for 20 years and like it so much, I'm repeating the exact system on my truck. Good Luck, TomC
what ever happened to simple transfer switches ?
Quote from: eagle19952 on October 31, 2014, 06:31:20 AMwhat ever happened to simple transfer switches ?
I have a simple auto transfer switch. It was reasonably priced but not cheap. It has worked perfectly (with the Outback 2000/watt 12V inverter) every time I've needed to switch between shore, generator or inverter power. Three of the 4-pin sockets would be about $70 at places near me, the 4 pin plug another $15, so add a bit for cable between them and the plug-in system runs to nearly $90 in parts.
I greatly respect the KISS system, and the plug-in system is the simplest, but I also like the auto function of my setup -- and it doesn't seem too complicated or unreliable. (Of course, it also automatically switches the bonding of grounds and neutrals properly, too.)
Another "do it your way" thing, I guess. Both seem to work OK.
But here's another way to look at it. It's 3:30 AM and 30º outside with a couple of space heaters on and the power on the pole goes off --
1) I run downstairs, push the generator glow-plug button then "Start" - in 7 seconds, I have power.
2) I run down stairs, find a flashlight, open the eleck-trickle cabinet, check out which sockets, pull the plug (pull it once, pull it again, look to see if there's anything jamming it, pull it again, wiggle it a bit and then give it a big pull) and get it lined up with the correct socket, push it in, and then go to the generator start. Power in ??? seconds, with juggle factor?
Yeah, I like KISS but there's something to be said for quick, easy and automatic.
it definitely works well in the rain :)
Quote from: eagle19952 on October 31, 2014, 06:51:26 AMit definitely works well in the rain :)
Yeah, I wouldn't even consider running outside in the rain/sleet at 3AM and 30º outside to change over a plug. If I were using the plug-in system, it would deff be in the eleck-trickle cabinet inside the bus! I'm not knocking the plug-in system, just saying I see advantages to the auto switch.
Bruce add auto-start to your generator then you don't have to worry about the power pole going out. Good Luck, TomC
TonC, I like the system you devised and I agree that it would be a PITA to have to go outdoors to switch power sources. That's why I installed the recepts in the power control panel inside the bus. The panel occupies an area just inside the entry door which would otherwise have been of little use. With a tiny bus like mine, maximum use of minimum facilities is the name of the game.
This is a "during construction" shot of the power control panel. From it I can select shore, genny or inverter as well as start and stop the genny. The panel is located directly (though separately) above the battery bank thereby eliminating long, power sucking connections. (https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1075.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fw435%2Foltrunt%2F1d0acc18-60d5-45d0-aa6a-d23d51d06816_zps3d91e74f.jpg&hash=979c51c90db5dc3548911ad99bc9e2f1f17af42f) (http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/oltrunt/media/1d0acc18-60d5-45d0-aa6a-d23d51d06816_zps3d91e74f.jpg.html)
Quote from: Oonrahnjay on October 31, 2014, 06:59:46 AM
Yeah, I wouldn't even consider running outside in the rain/sleet at 3AM and 30º outside to change over a plug. If I were using the plug-in system, it would deff be in the eleck-trickle cabinet inside the bus! I'm not knocking the plug-in system, just saying I see advantages to the auto switch.
I have a access panel from the inside so I don't have to leave the bus to switch plugs. Of coarse the picture you can't see the panel.
I too wouldn't go outside to switch plugs but I can :)
You guys are soft. My favorite part of going outside in the winter to fire up the genny (pull start) and switch plugs manually (luggage bay) is after breaking the ice jamming it closed, you rest your hand on the stainless edge of the bay so you can lean in and switch plugs and your hand sticks to the metal....yep, tongue on fencepost syndrome
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Clumsy fingers may contribute to mistakes.
Ha, Ha, Ha! That does sort of put it all into perspective ;D ;D
Go with all auto switching, auto gen start, only way to go. Let the bus take care of itself, allowing it to decide which power source is available and to use it.
Quote from: Scott Bennett on October 31, 2014, 03:02:05 PMYou guys are soft. My favorite part of going outside in the winter to fire up the genny (pull start) and switch plugs manually (luggage bay) is after breaking the ice jamming it closed, you rest your hand on the stainless edge of the bay so you can lean in and switch plugs and your hand sticks to the metal....yep, tongue on fencepost syndrome
Starting the second week of January, forward my mail to St. Croix US Virgin Islands (record low temperature, 61 degrees) until spring. Just reading this made me want to go sit in the hot tub.