I am looking ahead to plan B, if I can not get the Dometic generator running (without costing an arm and a leg) going to pull the Honda generator out of the Class-C. Problem is the 50amps is split 30A and a 20A, the manual says that the 20A goes to the air, can not figure how to wire it up to the transfer switch. If I tie them together wouldn't the 20A breaker trip? My wife wants to take our new baby to Redmond so I need to get something running. Just a side note, WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH SUM PEOPLE! Who ever converted this coach used 14 gage romex with 20 amp breakers, four circuits one for each air w/heat strips (this is OK barely), one for the left side, one for the right, did a mental add up, coffee pot, toaster, convection/ microwave, TV, and let's throw in a small portable heat. I know it scares me.
Robert
I made a simple electrical system. Everything is wired straight 120vac so I don't have to worry about "balancing" loads on the two legs of 120. That does mean that I can only use one leg of 50 amps coming in, but so far it hasn't been a hard ship-just timing. Basically used one circuit breaker per load. Have one box for the 2-50amp for gen input, and 2-50amp for land line input (only use one-did that so I could split the land line in the future if needed) that have a slider that only allows for either gen or land line but not both at the same time. Then have two breaker boxes-one that feeds through a 30 amp breaker through my inverter that powers my microwave & toaster oven, two kitchen plugs, two plugs in bedroom for the stereo, bathroom plug, bathroom wall heater, exterior plugs, front plugs for TV, main water heater. Of all those circuits, my toaster oven and microwave oven is on the same plug so only one at a time can be used at a time (just wish the wife could remember!), and the two plugs outside with the one plug under the dinette are on one circuit, two plugs in the kitchen are together also on one circuit. Otherwise with the inverter circuits, everything else is a separate circuit breaker per load. Then the main box has everything else. A separate circuit breaker for each- front, middle, rear roof air conditioners, ice maker, spare plug in circuit breaker area, refrigerator, freezer, washer/dryer, second water heater, 30amp to power the inverter.
Makes for alot more wiring to the electrical center, but then you know exactly what is being overloaded if a breaker trips. I used all square D equipment straight from Home Depot.
Just wanted to show you another way. Hope you can sanitize your electrical system! Good Luck, TomC
PS- all my wiring is in flex light plastic conduit with stranded 12 gauge pulled through (more work, but can replace wiring easily if needed). Good Luck, TomC
Tom: How did you connect the 12 gauge stranded to the 15 amp receptacles - wrap the screw, solder the wire and wrap the screw or crimp-on terminals? If you used crimp-ons, what brand of terminals and crimping tool did you use? I am just curious because there is so much controversy on this.
The red and and red&white wire are tied together. 30+20=50amps. Don't ask me any tech questions, this is as per Honda.
I do not know what you have for a transfer switch. Here is mine, the R&RW each go to a 30amp relay. They exit the relay as a red and black wire and tie together at the terminal strip to provide 50amps to the panel.
A downside to Hondas setup is if one circut braker trips, you do not know. You could wire in some indicator lights.
HTH Jim
Stan,
Not to step on TomC's response, I would offer that I have 12 Ga. stranded thru out the coach and have uses the Stacon insulated spade crimps quite successfully. I also use the T&B or Ideal crimp tool. If you wish not to use the crimp spade, you could use a Hubbell 120 volt receptacle with side screws with a platten plate under which the stranded wire will be secured. These are expensive, but widely used in commercial and industrial use. I believe they are a Hubbell 5425. That cat. number is from my memory, 15- 20 years ago, so they may have been discontinued by know. Kinda like many things I used to remember so easily, but now my mind has discontinued the memory of same.
Take care, Enjoy your Holiday !!!
Gary P.
Thank you Jim that is the answer I was kind of looking for and that is the problem, only as good as its weakest link. By the wiring diagram it looks like I could pick up the power before the two breakers going a single 50 amp breaker. The coach has a 6K generator and a Todd 30A transfer box (I just do not understand).
Robert
I used standard yellow crimp on full circle fittings. The key is to buy quality fittings, and for this I went to an industrial electrical supply house. The key I found is to look for the crimp fittings that are double walled-seem to work the best. I did my wiring once and have had no problems with it in 12 years. Good Luck, TomC
If you are talking about bypassing the brakers in the genset. No you cannot do that. Could you replace your transfer switch with a 50 amp? Or run genset power to a 50 amp receptical and plug coach into it?
50 amp transfer switch
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/IOTA-ITS-50R-50-amp-Relay-Based-Transfer-Switch-RV_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50073QQihZ009QQitemZ190128243987QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
HTH Jim
Jim, you said not to ask tech stuff, but what would be the difference on tying the red and red/white wires together before the breakers or after. If you leave the 20A & 30A breakers in the circuits wouldn't your weak link be the 20A Breaker or will a 50A load balance between the two breakers?
Robert
The best people to talk too about this is
Hicklin Power Systems
Grimes Iowa
800 234 8989
Ask for the service dept. They are real professionals, will really go out of the way to help you. If anybody needs to buy something Honda, get it from these people.
I connected my Onan5500w LP Marquis, which comes equipped with a 20a and 30a breaker system as follows...
The 30a wire from the Onan is conected to one hot leg of my Iota 50R transfer switch. The 20a wire from the genny is connected to the other hot leg on the transfer switch. Ground and neutral connected as instructed.
After exiting the transfer switch, the 20a leg goes to my main panel and runs the 'house' side of my coach...Roof ACs, electric heat, etc. If I turn my inverter off, that side of the panel only works on genny or shore power.
The 30a leg out of the transfer switch runs the other side of my panel, the inverter side...microwave, outlets, lighting, etc.
Jay
87SaftLiner