120V Wiring Help Needed

[Van]

®&®, COOL Sean!! Tanks!

[Sean]

...  Basically, when you're running the generator, you want the grounding to go to the generator and to be bridged with the negative.  When on shore power you want the generator bridging to be inactivated and only be grounded the normal way through the power cord.  If you have an inverter, they typically do this automatically.  If I got this wrong-I'm sure Sean will correct me. ...

Indeed I will

Grounds are always connected full-time to all points, and must never be switched.  It is the neutral that must be properly switched between generator and shore, so that the ground-neutral bond in the generator does not conflict with the one ashore and vice-versa.

You can also use MC Cable which is the same wire but it comes in the flexible aluminum jacket. It is nice because it protects the wire in exposed places from damage. ...

Yes, just remember that using MC will lock you in to using all-metal boxes.  In a coach, plastic boxes, which often come in shallower sizes than their metal brethren, can be more convenient.  To use a plastic box you need to use all non-metallic cable or conduit assemblies.

You can also use the "alt codes" in the character map.  For instance pressing ALT and 0174 on the number pad will give you ®, ALT-0169 for ©.

Indeed.  I'm on a laptop, though, so there is no full-time numeric pad to make this work.  This trick does not work with the numbers across the top row of keys.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[JerryC]

In an RV you must always keep the neutral and ground systems isolated - in the RV's main breaker box you should have separate bus bars for the neutral (white) and ground (green or bare) and you do NOT put in the special screw that electrically bonds the neutral bus to the box -- this should NOT be used.  The main reason this is done is that if ever polarity is reversed when/where you plug in, your coach body will be electrified!  HOWEVER once you are on generator or inverter power I'm not sure but I believe the neutral and grounds have to be connected but better read on for further opinions/facts on this.

For my ac's I used 10 gauge wire and 20 amp breakers and a separate circuit for each of the 2 roof AC's - with their motors they are the most sensitive to voltage drop and the little extra expense for the 10 gauge over 12 was minimal.  AND - I think I read some where when a circuit runs at over a certain percentage of its rated load "continuously" you should use the next bigger gauge wire size. 

I too liked the armored type of cable but care must be used in connections to a box - use the correct connectors.

I have a "sub-panel" a second circuit breaker panel that my invertor can supply BUT I wanted flexibility in what it can power (front or rear AC, clothes dryer, microwave -invertor is big enough for one at a time). Yet wanted the capacity a 50 amp 3 wire service can provide when pluggen in.  So I put in 20 amp DPDT switches in a panel box between my main and sub panel that switches BOTH the hot and neutral wires from a source of either the invertor or what ever is powering the main panel.  This has given me the most flexibility in ways of powering each appliance I may want to run at the same time from limited power sources.

[MEverard]

Thank You for that clarification Sean. I neglected to mention the metal boxes. I also neglected to mention that protection such as bushings are needed to protect the wire from damage depnding on which connection is chosen. I suppose that's why it's important for more than one person to offer advice. We all need to be checked on once in a while.

Mike