Inverter wiring - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-24-2008, 01:34 PM   #1
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ok, my cabin is wired same as an RV but WITHOUT a 12v supply. It only has the 3 pin big 220ish looking typical RV powper cord and plug. The cabin is designed to be installed in RV parks as a rental unit that is why it is wired like an RV's 110v system.

I bought a 3000watt 12v inverter/charger to run this off of a 12v battery bank. The cabin is set to be totaly off grid. I have a generator for charging the battaries.

Unfortunately the inverter is not a hardwire setup. It has four 1500W 120vplug recepticals on the back of it.

Sooooo... how is the best way to get the full 3000/6000 Watt into the RV Plug to power the whole rig off one 3000w at 120v feed?

Can I make a pig tail that consist of:

. Use a thick power cord for each of one 1500W recepticals from back of inverter's and put them into into a small power box. Each power cord handeling potentially 1500w

. Place in this box a female RV receptical.

...Wire all set of power wires coming in off the inverter's 1500w recepticals into the one RV female receptical in the box

... Hot to hot, Ground to ground etc. for a total of 3000W continuouse 6000 surge.

. RV plug from cabin would then plug into this giving me 3000w/600w total capabilty within the cabin all thru the one circuit as it is desinged.

certainly hope I dont have to rewire the cabin into more than one set of wirng and breakers, ... it's prewired with.
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Old 07-24-2008, 04:26 PM   #2
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ok, my cabin is wired same as an RV but WITHOUT a 12v supply. It only has the 3 pin big 220ish looking typical RV powper cord and plug. The cabin is designed to be installed in RV parks as a rental unit that is why it is wired like an RV's 110v system.

I bought a 3000watt 12v inverter/charger to run this off of a 12v battery bank. The cabin is set to be totaly off grid. I have a generator for charging the battaries.

Unfortunately the inverter is not a hardwire setup. It has two 1500W plug recepticals. Two wall plugs for each 1500W receptical are mounted on the back of it.

Sooooo... how is the best way to get the full 3000 Watt into the RV Plug to power the whole rig off one 3000w at 120v feed?

Can I make a pig tail that consist of:

. Use a thick power cord for each of one plug from each side of the inverter's 1500W recepticals and put them into into a small power box. Each power cord handeling potentially 1500w

...or would it be best to use all the plugs splitting the potential juice per power cord into 4 loads of 750w instead of two loads of 1500w

. Place in this box a female RV receptical.

...Wire all set of power wires coming in off the inverter's 1500w sides into the one RV female receptical in the box

... Hot to hot, Ground to ground etc. for a total of 3000W.

. RV plug from cabin would then plug into this giving me 3000w total capabilty within the cabin all thru the one circuit as it is desinged.

certainly hope I dont have to rewire the cabin into more than one set of wiing and breakers, rather it be two of 1500w each or 4 at 750w. Much rather stick with the one power in and breaker system it is made for.
Do you know what the cabin's original load in Amps was? (Do you have a 30 A cord attached to your cabin...a 50 A cord, or what?) And where does that cord go to? A fuse box? All AC or some AC/DC?

I encourage you to follow NEC code...as if it burns down and they find out it wasn't done to code...insurance replacement could be challenged, thus I don't advise tying two 1500W lines together to get 3000W. If a short develops, your full current carrying capacity can exceed the limits of your 1500W rated lines.
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Old 07-24-2008, 07:15 PM   #3
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I encourage you to follow NEC code...as if it burns down and they find out it wasn't done to code...insurance replacement could be challenged,...
hahaha... insurance... whats that? No insurance. Thats out of my league at this point in time. Maybe in a few years. If I had insurance I couldn't afford to even have a home. Beside the home only cost me 17grand. Cabin was a Model unit and 2 years old. Normal price is 47grand.
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Old 07-24-2008, 08:46 PM   #4
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found more data on the preinstalled electrical

Quote:
Electrical Package

50AMP box with breakers includes 1 interior & 1 Exterior GFI receptacle, outdoor coach light, 2 light fixtures & all wiring, wall switches & receptacles to NEC code.

Kitchennette Package

. 2 burner electric cook top stove,
. 4.3 cu. ft. under counter refrigerator
. 10-gallon Electric Hot Water heater
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Old 07-24-2008, 09:19 PM   #5
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Insurance might be a question if bad wiring caused damage to the property or person of others.

Just because someone in past printed up something that said it met the (then current) standards doesn't mean that any modifications you make to it will meet today's standards.

IMHO, your situation appears complicated enough that you should find a competent electrician for some advice.
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Old 07-24-2008, 09:23 PM   #6
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Quote:
....
IMHO, your situation appears complicated enough that you should find a competent electrician for some advice.
Yeah Im beginning to be assuming that too. Asking here first though gives me insight on what information I need for the electrician and also some thoughts on what to expect of them.

So THANKS for previous replies and for any future ones to roll in.
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Old 07-24-2008, 10:53 PM   #7
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updated top post.

changes:

1. each plug (4 of them) on the back of the unit are rated at 1500w max. Makes since with total surge wattage at 6000w. Unit is 3000w continuous / 6000 surge
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Old 07-25-2008, 07:13 AM   #8
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if your planning to be off the grid and running off battery's, you would probaly have better luck converting the camper to 12v led's or other 12v lights.

problem with inverters is they draw power just converting the power from 12v to 110v ac, that why they usaly have aluminum fins on them, disapate the heat that is generated during the conversion, and heat = energy
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Old 07-25-2008, 07:19 AM   #9
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if your planning to be off the grid and running off battery's, you would probaly have better luck converting the camper to 12v led's or other 12v lights...
This was the orginal path I sought, but as elluded to earlier was discovered that this was not a viable option.

Reminder.... this rig has NO 12v DC WIRING OF ANY KIND INSTALLED IN IT. 120v ONLY
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Old 07-25-2008, 08:44 AM   #10
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If it were me, I would do what Scott recommends and convert to LEDs and go all 12VDC.

Then when U R in a campground and connect to AC have it power a battery charger that runs the 12VDC system.

The LEDs will last a lifetime, your 12V battery will power the LEDs for a really long time.
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Old 07-25-2008, 08:53 AM   #11
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folk please read the information before responding.

This unit is PERMANENT it does not move. It just happens to be wired like RV's since it is made to be PERMANENTLY parked in an RV park.

again rewiring to 12v is NOT AN OPTION. Returning the inverter I have sitting here beside me is also not an option. Wiring the inveter into the cabins main power feed (50amp RV power cord) is the only option Im considering.

Thank you.
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Old 07-25-2008, 01:09 PM   #12
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ok, some good news.

after talking to two people in the know, well one of them addmitingly 1/2 in the know it looks like it won't be too difficult.

The 1/2 fellow said... "it may well be that the full power is split into the plugs at the back of the unit right by the plugs. So .. I took the back off of the inverter and he is correct. Its all right there by the plugs. Only Two lines feed; they are obvious +Red -black, so if I jump off these two lines it should have full copacity. so it looks like I can just wire into the inside in the back and pull full wattage from there and into a female trailer receptical.

Looks like If I pull the power source AFTER the first 15A breaker I can use the on board breaker too.

The second Gent.... is in the know. An electrician. He felt twist locks on would be fine and I do not have to soder. Now that I think about it. Homes are wired with twist locks

Is "twist lock" the right term?
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Old 07-25-2008, 01:43 PM   #13
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Is "twist lock" the right term?
I think you mean "Wire Nuts".
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Old 07-25-2008, 02:00 PM   #14
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I think you mean "Wire Nuts".
WHO YOU CALLING A [b]WIRED NUT

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Old 07-25-2008, 02:58 PM   #15
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WHO YOU CALLING A [b]WIRED NUT

Isn't there something about shoe and fitting?
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Old 07-25-2008, 03:04 PM   #16
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if the output on your inverter has only 2 wires, it is only 110 volt- any plug designed for 220 won't give full voltage.
half of your circuits will probably not work because of the 220 input normally required ( a jumper would have to be installed in the panel or at the rv plug). You also don't mention a ground wire. 120 volts with no ground connection can be a real hazard.

How many prongs on the factory plug...3 or 4?
if three i think it would be 120v 50 amps
if four i think 220v 50 amps.

Joe
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Old 07-25-2008, 03:05 PM   #17
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phew..... knew there was a reason I go barefoot when I can.
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Old 07-26-2008, 12:28 AM   #18
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I believe the two terms 'wire nuts' and 'twist locks' are more or less interchangeable. They are just fine for use in something that isn't going to move much, like a park model. Some of us on here are 'weird nuts'.

I was at a BLM CG in Utah and they gave the camp host an interesting arrangement for comfort -- In addition to having constructed a big lean-to to park his rig in shade, they provided a trailer that had a large solar panel on it, a big bank of 12VDC batteries and a generator.
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Old 07-26-2008, 12:35 AM   #19
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After removing the back of the inverter and seeing only one +Pos and -Neg feeding the 4 outlets on the back of the unit the conclusion seems to be to just plug in two cords too two outlets... wire them togehter for 30amps and feed this to a female RV outlet. Then Im good to go.

Thanx for ya'lls bit in figuring this all out
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