RV wiring basics

[Ian G.]

Stranded wire is used in mobile equipment (cars, trailers, etc) because it is more flexible and will withstand vibration and flexing more without breaking. Copper work hardens with vibration or movement and can become very brittle and eventually break. Yes solid core wire such as Romex is usually used in RV 110V AC systems but in these applications the wire is very securely attached to prevent movement, Romex should never be used where there is any chance of flexing.

[Joe MacDonald]

My Trillium has what I think you are calling romex, but here I would call it NMW, as it has a jacket designed for wet locations, where typical romex is usually designated as NMD for DRY locations


Joe

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by Steve_N_Janna

Electrons, schmectrons! Everyone knows that the way electricity works is based on the conduction of smoke.

The proof is that whenever the smoke is allowed to escape from the wiring - like the time I crossed two hot circuits - the electricity stops working.
Don't let the smoke escape!

If I didn't know better, I would say you owned a car with Lucas electronics.

[Spanke]

Originally Posted by Jared J

If I didn't know better, I would say you owned a car with Lucas electronics.

Lucas car electronics. AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Been there done that!

Spanke

[Bob Miller]

Are we talking about Sir Joseph Lucas, The Prince of Darkness?????
If so, don't miss these:
a collection of Lucas Prince of Darkness jokes

http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.p...5&d=1259096206

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Steve_N_Janna

Electrons, schmectrons! Everyone knows that the way electricity works is based on the conduction of smoke.

The proof is that whenever the smoke is allowed to escape from the wiring - like the time I crossed two hot circuits - the electricity stops working.
Don't let the smoke escape!

This weekend I let the smoke escape from the $35 1000 W inverter I purchased on kijiji to run my $40 700W microwave. The fellow who sold it to me went to the trouble of connecting it to a battery and had an AC trouble light and a drill plugged into it to demonstrate that it works. I read the labels and it said that connecting the DC input in reverse polarity would harm the unit. So the next day, when I did exactly that. I was kicking my self when I saw a rather large spark when I connected the battery clamps. The inverter was dead.
I looked up the manual on line. In the trouble shooting section, under totally dead inverter, (paraphrased) it said, "the inverter may have been connected to 12VDC with reversed polarity, return for service". Not acceptable.
I disassembled it and found four 30A fuses soldered to the board. I replaced them, and now it works again.
I have never before successfully put the smoke back in.

[Spanke]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Are we talking about Sir Joseph Lucas, The Prince of Darkness?????
If so, don't miss these:
a collection of Lucas Prince of Darkness jokes

http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.p...5&d=1259096206

Indeed!



Spanke

[Otters]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

I read the labels and it said that connecting the DC input in reverse polarity would harm the unit.

Great job David. I'm installing my solar and its controller next week. You can bet, I'm going to be EXTRA careful to ensure I don't reverse the +-

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Spanke

Lucas car electronics. AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Been there done that!

Spanke

LOL brings back memories. Had a sports car with lucas wiring.... 22 wires under the seat just for the seat belt buzzer.

[Steve Hammel]

Originally Posted by Jared J

If I didn't know better, I would say you owned a car with Lucas electronics.

LOL! I wonder if Lucas designed the wiring for Fiat. I used to be a big fan of Fiat 124 spiders, had 10 of them. I liked them because I could pick them up cheap. The reason they were cheap is because no one could figure out the wiring. I practically learned to "read" Italian figuring out those damn wiring diagrams.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Steve Hammel

LOL! I wonder if Lucas designed the wiring for Fiat. )

Pretty sure they were Lucas!

I know the Triumph was for sure. Turn right the horn would honk and turn left a little bit of smoke would come out of the steering column. The car also needed to be gentle rocked from side to side sometimes before it would start - due to a wiring issue with the alternator. Also had to disconnect the seat belt buzzer - if it was plugged in you could smell something burning. That was a brand new car - dealer was at a loss to fix it all.

Took it to a local electrical shop and they sorted it out - as it turned out the only party in town who was able to sort it all out later went to jail as he was the person found responsible for having built all the Air India bombs Was shocked as he had spent a lot of time on various occasions working on my car - he even worked on it on week-end evenings for me at his home as I needed the car to get to school and he charged me very little to fix it as I was a poor student at the time and working to try and make car payments on what was a brand new car I had purchased due to the long drive I need to take to school. I thought a needed a new car for reliable transportation. I would never have guessed he could do anything like that. About a 2 years after he had sorted it all out I got a re call letter from Triumph advising me that I needed to take my car to a dealer as due to wiring issues it was a fire hazard. LOL Seriously! LOL Did I mention it also went through 3 transmission in a year (first one went while driving it home for the first time & it took six weeks to get a transmission sent from the UK for it and no loaner car given to me from the dealer while we waited for it to arrive) apparently the bolt holes for holding the transmission where misaligned.
But I loved driving that little car!

[Dennis Clinton]

Loved my Triumph TR3-but never went anywhere without my toolbox and enough wire to splice where ever I needed to. Went for a week with a taillight that wouldn't turn off.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by Steve Hammel

I've always understood that 12v must be stranded wire as the electrons only travel on the outside of the wire and stranded wire offers more surface area for them to travel.

I read that because everything touches everything, stranded wire acts as a single conductor and those silly electrons insist on travelling on the surface of "the whole".

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by jwcolby54

I read that because everything touches everything, stranded wire acts as a single conductor...

Yes, but it doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by jwcolby54

... those silly electrons insist on travelling on the surface of "the whole".

No, this was covered months ago in post #17.

[Borden]

Originally Posted by Steve Hammel

I've always understood that 12v must be stranded wire as the electrons only travel on the outside of the wire and stranded wire offers more surface area for them to travel.

For DC think you are right on that one

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Borden

For DC think you are right on that one

I call MYTH on that one.

The reason for stranded wire is wire movement. Stranded will withstand a lot more movement than solid wire will. AC DC makes no difference.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Borden

For DC think you are right on that one

12 VDC wiring does NOT require stranded conductors . Stranded wire is used in areas requiring flexibility and it enables one person to pull long runs of wire without assistance . Brian B-P is correct skin effect is not an issue with low voltage ,small amperage DC circuits . For years all DC Fire Alarm Systems were required to use "solid copper conductors", stranded wire was illegal in that application. Conductor size ,load ampacity ,conductor flexibility, type of insulation ,proper wire termination., protection from physical damage , ambient temperature, wet or damp locations, color coding , polarity and proper overcurrent protection are some of the concerns in installing DC wiring . If you plan on using crimp terminals ( fork stakons , crimp butt splices , ring terminals ,slide terminals) be aware that many crimp terminals are not approved for use with solid wire

[rabbit]

Do the electrons travel? I thought they just got excited.

jack

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Borden

For DC think you are right on that one

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

No, this was covered months ago in post #17.

Was post #17 not clear on this?

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Lets try this
Wiring Simplified - YouTube

It's a very instructive video.