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Inverter/charger installation help


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I don't know what my problem is, although my wife can probably tell you, but I am totally confused with how to do the simplest installation of an inverter/charger in my Teton fifth wheel.  

I have a 50 amp shore power connection, a thirty amp portable generator and an Aims 2000 watt psw inverter charger that will connect to 6 golf cart batteries.  I am looking for the simplest way to hook this up but have become so confused with all the different ways to do it.  I have a 50 amp auto transfer switch that I can use also.

I see some people putting in a secondary breaker box to avoid the necessity of turning off certain breakers like the air conditioner.  I've always been a handy guy, but now just feel overwhelmed  

Bill

 

Bill and Val #94867

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller

 

"The Rumblebee" 2001 Volvo 610 VED 12 385 with gen 2 autoshift

2003 Teton Frontier 3 axle

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Bill, you might find my website helpful on general layout and issues.

You basic issue that has to be addressed is that - assuming you have an inverter/charger - you only have a 30 amp transfer switch in the unit. So you can only transfer THROUGH the inverter 30 amps. The implication is that you cannot transfer ALL of you 50 amp house power through the inverter and have the inverter "standing by" to power your house circuits. Thus the reason that a subpanel is required. A 30 amp subpanel allows the inverter to wired inline to it, and "standby" to power all the circuits in the subpanel when shore power is not available. When shore power IS available the power runs through the inverter transfer switch to the subpanel. 

That's the basic gist of it.

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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Bill---you are confused because it is confusing. I still need to refer Jack's page after I have been away from things for a while. I was going to recommend Jack's website but  the man himself beat me to it. Read through his material and then look at the diagrams he has posted. 

Dave and Lana Hasper

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Adding a sub panel for the inverter is relatively simple.  

First, figure out where you have space to install the sub panel.  Ideally it would go in as close to the main panel as possible.

Second, identity which circuits you want to power with the inverter.  Typically in a whole house set up, this would be all circuits except high amperage ones like the air conditioner(s), electric element of water heater, electric element of RV refrigerator, converter (if leaving in place as back up to inverter/charger), electric dryer, etc.

Third, physically move the desired circuits from the main panel to the sub panel.  This is why you want the sub panel as close to the main panel as possible so you don't have to extend the wires of these circuits, just move them.

Fourth, install a new 30 amp breaker in main panel and run wire from it to the AC input on the inverter charger.  This can be a single pole ore a double pole breaker, depending on the capabilities of your inverter charger.

Fifth, run wire from AC output side of inverter charger to input breaker on the sub panel.

The inverter charger, obviously should be mounted as close to the batteries as possible and connected with the proper gauge wire.  The wire run from the main panel to the inverter charger and then from the inverter charger back to the sub panel is really the only new wire you need to run in an ideal install.

2000 Kenworth T2000 w/ Cummins N14 and autoshift
2017 DRV Mobile Suite 40KSSB4 with factory mods, dealer mods and personal mods - now in the RV graveyard
2022 DRV Full House MX450 with customized floor plan
2018 Polaris RZR Turbo S (fits in the garage)
2016 Smart Car (fits in the garage or gets flat towed behind the DRV when the RZR is in the garage)
My First Solar Install Thread
My Second Solar Install Thread & Photos and Documents Related to the build
My MX450's solar, battery and inverter system - my biggest system yet!

chadheiser.com      West Coast HDT Rally Website

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Yep Chad sums it up nicely. I just got a cheap subpanel at Lowes. If you go for specialty RV parts things become expensive.  I think jack has some recommendations in his write up.

 

Dave and Lana Hasper

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"Generally" you are not going to put in a subpanel and not have to extend the wires you are moving. But that is not a big deal...just use the main panel as a "junction box" and bring the circuits back to it to go out to the loads.

Sometimes you get lucky and the original wires feeding the circuits are long enough to reach the subpanel. I think that happened to me twice :)

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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Thank you so much. My mind is clear now.  I'm adding the subpanal and its very straightforward from there.

whew...

Bill and Val #94867

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller

 

"The Rumblebee" 2001 Volvo 610 VED 12 385 with gen 2 autoshift

2003 Teton Frontier 3 axle

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I've been thru this with my rig.  The original installation did not have a sub panel so everything went thru the Magnum 2812.  Both AC/heat pumps, hot water heater, everything.  Eventually the 110 board burned out.

The installer cheaped out.

eyl1dJDl.jpg

w9APubjl.jpg

The control panel is on the bedroom wall adjacent to the panel to make wiring easier.  The 2812 is int he battery compartment.

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7 hours ago, Jack Mayer said:

"Generally" you are not going to put in a subpanel and not have to extend the wires you are moving. But that is not a big deal...just use the main panel as a "junction box" and bring the circuits back to it to go out to the loads.

Sometimes you get lucky and the original wires feeding the circuits are long enough to reach the subpanel. I think that happened to me twice :)

I guess I have been lucky then.  I haven't had to extend any wires yet.  My library of work isn't quite as big as yours though. ;)

2000 Kenworth T2000 w/ Cummins N14 and autoshift
2017 DRV Mobile Suite 40KSSB4 with factory mods, dealer mods and personal mods - now in the RV graveyard
2022 DRV Full House MX450 with customized floor plan
2018 Polaris RZR Turbo S (fits in the garage)
2016 Smart Car (fits in the garage or gets flat towed behind the DRV when the RZR is in the garage)
My First Solar Install Thread
My Second Solar Install Thread & Photos and Documents Related to the build
My MX450's solar, battery and inverter system - my biggest system yet!

chadheiser.com      West Coast HDT Rally Website

event.png    

AZCACOIDIAKSMNMOMTNENVNMNDOKSDTNTXUTWYxlg.jpg

 

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22 hours ago, propertwb said:

I don't know what my problem is, although my wife can probably tell you, but I am totally confused with how to do the simplest installation of an inverter/charger in my Teton fifth wheel.  

I would consider Jack to be the best advice on the subject at hand, but I also caution you just a little bit. I made a living for 40 years repairing electrical things and have seen more than one disaster caused by mistakes in electrical work by an amateur. Be very careful and make sure that you understand what you are doing as wiring mistakes are a common cause of shocks and fires. If in doubt, get help and do not guess!

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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   When wiring and configuring Generators and Inverters etc. JUST REMEMBER your RV Panel (unlike a homes main distribution panel) has separate insulated and isolated Neutral and Equipment Ground Busses  IE No Neutral Ground BONDING, no Neutral to case/frame attachment. You therefore, need the Neutral and Ground BONDED and configured as a "Separately Derived Source" (similar to the utility) be it in a Generator or an Inverter. This may already be accomplished with relays or hard wiring when you purchased the Inverter and requires nothing nor any concern on your part, but I just can't  say absent your diagrams, sorry. Similar, the concept of single point grounding applies such as once the Neutral Ground Bond has been established, any downstream panels or sub panels (like your RV panel) needs separate insulated Neutral and Ground Busses.  Similar, how many poles your transfer switch requires depends on how a Generator or Inverter is configured. Some portable Generators have Floating Neutrals while some do not.

THAT HAVING BEEN SAID Consult and follow the manufacturers instructions and manuals NOT what we say as were not there and don't have your diagrams HOWEVER as far as I know ( too long retired power distribution electrical engineer)  the above still applies BUT NO WARRANTY as I'm rusty on this grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS NOT ME The above is likely all engineered and designed and configured to comply with this already, so no need for you to worry hopefully, but it never hurts to educate I figure, were never too old to learn.  

   John T

 

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