This topic contains 9 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by 
Eddie & Aileen 22 hours, 22 minutes ago.
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Wade Bissell
- Seabeck, WA. United States
Hello. I’ve been following Ray’s solar installs and others and all use the inverter powering dedicated electrical receptacle(s) inside the RV. I’ve often wondered why not just have a single 20 amp or 30 amp circuit from the inverter powering the appropriate type of electrical receptacle (maybe located inside a storage compartment) that you could just plug in the shore power cable? That way the entire RV is powered up. What am I missing?
Thanks!
Wade
I always have that option as my 30 amp power cable can reach my inverter and with an adapter, I can plug the whole rig in.
But I’ve actually never had the need to. Since my Inverter is only 1000w it would labor to run the microwave. I would have to remember to make sure the water heater electric switch is off as well as the fridge electric switch and the converter breaker or my batteries would be dead in no time.
Usually, my portable generator is out in case I need to top up the batteries when the sun isn’t shining so it’s just as easy for my to fire it up to make toast or use the microwave.
Once you get to the point of a huge battery bank and large amounts of solar I can see how installing a big inverter and using it to power everything makes sense. In that scenario, I would install an auto transfer switch.
I like my setup though, nice and simple and less chance of screw ups.
Unfortunately, most times you don’t know how the RV was wired from the factory or by the previous owners, it’s not like they give you a wiring diagram, so wiring a completely separate inverter output circuit can avoid any nasty surprises. So much weirdness can happen in an RV sight unseen, especially with grounds.
There is my 2 cents.
RVHH Chief Cook and Bottle Washer - LoveYourRV.comHi Wade, like Ray, Rush & Lola we also run a dedicated inverter electrical power run to extra outlets separate from the RV’s shore power system. This has worked very well for us, but as for systems like I just installed for Tim & Nani, there was too many slide-outs with the outlets they needed to power on inverter so we went with a auto transfer switch like Ray mention.
Their 5th wheel is a 50 amp service, so we made sure all the beakers for the loads they wanted were all on one side. Then used a auto transfer switch for when the inverter was in use.
Like Ray said, the simpler and less chance of screw ups is the best way to go. But sometimes you need to work with what you have in front of you.
Happy Trails!!!
Yep I agree completely.
We are retired as of July 1st. 2015.
Wade Bissell
- Seabeck, WA. United States
Thanks everyone for the replies. So what I’m getting is that it’s doable without issues but requires a little more management of power draws. I had forgotten about the converter drawing power.
Using and ABT is an interesting idea but I had questions about the quote below:
“Their 5th wheel is a 50 amp service, so we made sure all the beakers for the loads they wanted were all on one side. Then used a auto transfer switch for when the inverter was in use.”
If I’m understanding correctly (or incorrectly) in the quote, the RV electrical panel breakers were re-racked so the desired loads to be powered were on one side of the panel (one leg of the two in a 50 amp service). Was unbalancing the loads in the panel an issue? Why did you have to make sure all were on one side? OR did I read this too literally and they actually have another separate electrical panel with their desired loads and that’s what you meant by making sure all the loads were all on one side?
I understand how ABT’s work and normally a separate panel is used so just needed clarification in case there was some different method out there I wasn’t aware of.
Thanks!
Hi Wade, no you did not get me wrong I just get my fingers tied trying to “Hunt” and “Peck” this darn confuser. We installed a 2000 watt PS inverter and using a 30-amp / 120-volt auto transfer switch. Thay only needed the 120-volt outlets and microwave powered. Lucky all the loads were on one side, so we could run the inverter with the ATS.
Wade Bissell
- Seabeck, WA. United States
Eddie & Aileen,
Thanks for the clarification. One final bit of additional clarification if you don’t mind. How are just the breakers on the one side energized without energizing the entire RV electrical panel? Thanks!
Merry Christmas Wade! RV 50-amp service in most rigs is actually a twin (2-sides in the load center) 120-volt system shared on a 50-amp (2-pole) breaker one on each side of this breaker, with a shared neutral. Only in the very “Big” class-A RV’s have a true 220-volt system and run some 220-volt appliances like a household dryer, but this is not your average RV.
When the power is off and you want to use say, your 2000 watt inverter, the ATS swaps the leads from the shore power on one side (one 120-volt side of that 50-amp breaker) to the power of the inverter. Just like a small generator would be in a same set-up.
Happy Trails!!
- This reply was modified 1 day, 3 hours ago by Eddie & Aileen.
Wade Bissell
- Seabeck, WA. United States
Sorry I’m thick headed. So if I’m understanding correctly, using the attached diagram of an example of an ATS, the load-center connection goes to one side of the 2-pole 50 amp breaker in the RV panel? If so, wouldn’t the other side need to be open? In our RV, the 50 amp breaker is ganged together so it wouldn’t be possible to open one side without back-feeding the other.
I’m sure I’m missing a key concept or am not understanding the operation of the ATS and when I get it, it will all gel. Thanks.
Attachments:
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ATS diagram
Wade, the key is a 2 pole 50-amp breaker has two isolated sides to the breaker, we are only energizing one side/ and one half of the load center.
This is the reason I like people to run a dedicated inverter electrical power run separate from the main RV system, to keep the confusion out of the equation. As my dad once said KISS!(Keep it simple stupid) The less to brake the less to worry about.
Happy Trails & Marry Christmas!!!
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