Progressive dynamics 4045 DC wiring - Fiberglass RV
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Old 05-04-2014, 06:30 AM   #1
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Name: Kevin & Lisa
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Progressive dynamics 4045 DC wiring

Figured is start a new thread with all info right up front ( I'm sure someone can put a link back to whole thread about this)
- what I started with: a separate 12v system ran by just battery an 120 ran by shore cord. Had one black and one white wire running from battery looped inside scamp connected back to 7 pin and then another set of wires from battery to inside to power all 12v stuff.

- cut the wires straight from battery to scamp and pulled wires from 7 pin off the battery and inside the scamp.
- 12v BL+ then from 7 pin inside scamp to the main positive DC lug and tap battery wire into that right inside wall.
- same process with 12v WHT- wire from 7 pin and battery.Click image for larger version

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- the extra white wire in the main DC lug in the pic runs to the DC- bus bar that is external and you must buy. It can be a common bus bar - as in shared.Click image for larger version

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- the other 2 white wires on bus bar are. DC- line to the water pump- cause it was right there. And the other is the DC negative that runs to the whole scamp - originally this was the line direct from the battery- gets cut and one end hooked up here while the other end was spliced into the 7 pin white wire connected to main DC lug.
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Old 05-04-2014, 06:35 AM   #2
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- All 12 wires sticking out the back are 12v+ and need to be hooked up on one of the varieties of isolating bus bar to keep circuits separate. You must buy this.Click image for larger version

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- on the other side of this bar hooks up all 12v+ items and each item with have their own fused circuit.
- the one black wire I have hooked up was the line direct from the battery to the inside of scamp - gets cut, scamp end hooked here and battery end tapped into black 7 pin wire that is running to the main DC lug.
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Old 05-04-2014, 06:41 AM   #3
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- The DC+ lines sticking out the back are numbered corresponding to a fuse location on the DC side of panel. Keep them in order!Click image for larger version

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- fuse makes the circuit closed
- but what we missed was the power wire to power the converter hooked up in wrong location.
- the black, white and green wires that come prewired to the converter on one end need to be hooked up on the AC side of the panel. With the black power wire hooked to a breaker.Click image for larger version

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- 120v system was just like wiring a house... Will explain with pics if needed but the DC side of things was most confusing for us!
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Old 05-04-2014, 06:46 AM   #4
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..... It was a long day.... And night... Thanks for all the help out there!
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Old 05-04-2014, 06:49 AM   #5
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By must buy I just meant it doesn't come with the unit.

For me it was just easier to buy the bar and have them all "prewired" for additions later than butt connectin them all when needed I guess.
But yes I would say that makes perfect sense
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Old 05-04-2014, 07:00 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by summer scamp View Post
By must buy I just meant it doesn't come with the unit.

For me it was just easier to buy the bar and have them all "prewired" for additions later than butt connectin them all when needed I guess.
But yes I would say that makes perfect sense
That bus bar makes a lot nicer, cleaner installation than a bunch of seperately butt-connected wires. Good job!
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Old 04-09-2015, 02:24 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Timber Wolf View Post
That bus bar makes a lot nicer, cleaner installation than a bunch of seperately butt-connected wires. Good job!
True it looks nicer! After talking with a friend who has extensive automotive knowledge and works for a living building controllers for engines he has urged me to absolutely stay away from these!

his quote: "they aren't environmentally protected (may not be a big deal inside the interior of a vehicle - as long as you keep it up off the floor), and they leave all those 12v connections exposed to contact by foreign pieces of metal (causing shorts, blown fuses, etc), they force you to use those crappy parts store ring terminals (and their bretherin), and introduce a ton of failure mechanisms. you also have to mount them - half the time you see guys driving self tapping screw through their sheet metal bodywork, introducing water ingress paths, spots for rust to start, etc."

Butt connectors with heat shrink tube all done with a ratcheting crimper to produce the best connection possible.

Hope this helps for anyone considering a future installation. I'll post pic's in my build thread for anyone who is interested.
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Old 04-09-2015, 02:44 PM   #8
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I can't figure out from your post what you are supposed to "Stay away from".... Please explain.



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Old 04-09-2015, 05:09 PM   #9
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STAY AWAY FROM?

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Originally Posted by Bob Miller View Post
I can't figure out from your post what you are supposed to "Stay away from".... Please explain.
I have used the same nylon terminal strips for wiring machinery without a problem. The terminal strips are rated for 300 or 600 VAC I have never had any issues with shorting or grounding out of the terminals . The strips are not approved for wet locations and to my knowledge the interior of a trailer is not a wet location. If one is concerned about mounting the terminal strip directly to the floor they make stand off brackets or mount the terminal strip in a PVC junction box.
.
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Old 04-10-2015, 09:52 AM   #10
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I don't doubt that these strip terminals can be used without problem, I'm just suggesting that they are not necessarily "best practice"
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Old 04-10-2015, 10:03 AM   #11
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You have better let all of the worlds manufacturers know that they aren't using "best practice" as well.


There is a risk, however infinitesimal, with almost anything one does, ranging from wiring 12 volts in an RV to building a space craft. But I think that your friend will find himself one of very few electrical professionals with his concerns, especially when wiring 12 volt circuits in an RV.



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Old 04-10-2015, 10:40 AM   #12
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can you provide an example of "all of the worlds manufacturers" and what application they use these? It's my understanding that manufacturers will use elementally sealed fuse blocks, but not these lower grade terminal strips.
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Old 04-10-2015, 11:06 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by ferniebiker View Post
can you provide an example of "all of the worlds manufacturers" and what application they use these? It's my understanding that manufacturers will use elementally sealed fuse blocks, but not these lower grade terminal strips.
Very few equipment manufacturers use "sealed "fuse blocks or terminals . You need access to the terminals and fuse blocks for testing and troubleshooting .
I was an electrician for over 40 years and have used this style of terminals by the thousands in multiple types of industrial / commercial equipment . They are not "LOW" grade and are UL listed for the purpose the OP pictured. They are used in equipment designed for dry locations. I have no intentions of arguing a subject you obviously have no knowledge of . The OP's installation should be applauded not condemned IMHO
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Old 04-10-2015, 11:13 AM   #14
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The one thing I did was get a label maker and make labels for the wires as I went along connecting circuits. My thinking as I get older that would be most useful. Right now I can remember where each wire go but 10 years from now? Makes it even easier for the next guy/gal behind you since these things have a longer lifespan than I do. This is especially at the battery where I want the battery cables marked and labeled where everyone gets battery connections messed up mixing 12 volt RV and automobile 12 volt battery wiring differences and color codes.
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Old 04-10-2015, 11:37 AM   #15
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I think screw terminals is something Progressive Dynamics should have provided along with a proper fuse block. Might add a dollar to the price. Raz
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Old 04-10-2015, 11:53 AM   #16
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Brady makes a book of self adhesive terminal /wire markers . The book has markers for 0 thru 15, +/- , Pos / Neg and A to Z. They also make books with
1 thru 45 & 46 thru 90 . Brady also make a printer for making wire markers that uses a special tape to adhere the wire markers to the wires insulation. There are also wire markers that are printed on nylon rings which slip over the wires insulation and then shrink. I have wired systems that had over 2000 control wires and the numbering / marking of the wires is critical. On larger equipment which have multiple voltage systems IE 480v -380v- 230v- 120v- 48v-12v & 5 VDC we used color coded wires for each system along with numbering.
Relying on your memory does not work .
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Old 04-10-2015, 01:00 PM   #17
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Terminal Strips

Quote:
Originally Posted by ferniebiker View Post
can you provide an example of "all of the worlds manufacturers" and what application they use these? It's my understanding that manufacturers will use elementally sealed fuse blocks, but not these lower grade terminal strips.

Terminal strips aren't used in the construction of new RV's or most other motor vehicles simply because they are too labor intensive for mass production applications. However they have been extensively in industrial applications for years.

But, as long as we are looking for references, what is the documentation/reference declaring what is best practice for RV repairs/referbishing. Again, if there are any real (not hypothetical) examples of the risks in using terminal strips when rewiring RV' 12 VDC systems, let us all in on that news.



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Old 04-10-2015, 01:34 PM   #18
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As an electrical engineering tech, (EET) I have used terminal strips often. I see no better alternative for a dry location.
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Old 04-10-2015, 04:28 PM   #19
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Jameson@PD said

not to wire 7 prong 12V charger line to panel breaker 12V line. He told me to wire it directly to the battery (+) with an in-line fuse. I didn't ask why, I just "obeyed".

Also I need to know something, maybe one of you know...if a car say an F150 comes prewired with a 7 prong, do you need an ISOLATOR off the alternator?
So say you're parked and didn't unhook the trailer-to-car wiring. On the drive to destination it charged the trailer battery...but now as the trailer discharges will this drain the car's engine battery if you don't have an isolator IF the car came with the 7 prong set-up?

Also you can buy block terminals with fused or fitted plexi tops, or just screw a plexi top over it, or what I did finally is put them vertically and tucked away under a ply-box so nobody'd get zapped (I had to move the entire arrangement from front to back of trailer, arg). The ground block terminal is not hot but the 12V ones are. Here's one for $1.95
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Position-...item1c50cdce8b

Also don't forget to wire a hot 120 from a 15A breaker to the vertical 120 bar to power the converter.
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Old 04-10-2015, 04:42 PM   #20
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Block Terminal Debate

In my case with 8 switches (24 wires, an extra 16) plus 2 lights, vent, 2 chargers not on switches (5 more), I'd have had an entire unrecognizable ball of spaghetti without block terminals. I think they're more secure in that you can really squeeze down the attachments and if something doesn't work 99% of the time it's due to a bad connection at the block terminal. It's also more organized, logical.
The PD of course like all panels uses block terminals for the 120s.
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