Charging Strategy, 1994 RoadTrek, Part 2 (shore power split)

I think you're right. I've been in the guts of the rig more now so I have a better idea of what can and can't be done. I plan on sticking to sunny places so solar was probably the right answer the whole time.

4gnomad wrote:
The original distribution panel is still in it, AC and DC, along with a simple converter/charger (MagnaTek). The system is 30amp. So the shore power cable runs to the current distribution panel. My plan was to set up an entirely separate system with the two L16s, a charger and inverter. When I plug in to shore power I would get a y-splitter AC cable and plug one side in to the charger (to charge the L16s) and the other side would be to my shore power cable (which runs everything in the coach). I was just wondering if this would cause any problems, but I don't think it will.

The truth is I bought these L16s without realizing all of the additional work I would need to do to support them (with a higher amp charger, bigger cabling to support that amperage, rerouting cabling because they don't fit in the current battery compartment, etc). I'm starting to think I should have just thrown a few solar panels on top instead, but then I've got to figure out how to off-load these two L16s, which don't have a single cycle on them yet.

I think you have hit on a better solution. Unless you are big power user, you don't need that much battery or weight to haul around. The upgrades to implement them, and take good care of them are going to be very significant. Selling them and getting a couple of batteries that fit your area, upgrade the charging, add solar, etc, and you should be able to have a better system for less money and hassle.

The original distribution panel is still in it, AC and DC, along with a simple converter/charger (MagnaTek). The system is 30amp. So the shore power cable runs to the current distribution panel. My plan was to set up an entirely separate system with the two L16s, a charger and inverter. When I plug in to shore power I would get a y-splitter AC cable and plug one side in to the charger (to charge the L16s) and the other side would be to my shore power cable (which runs everything in the coach). I was just wondering if this would cause any problems, but I don't think it will.

The truth is I bought these L16s without realizing all of the additional work I would need to do to support them (with a higher amp charger, bigger cabling to support that amperage, rerouting cabling because they don't fit in the current battery compartment, etc). I'm starting to think I should have just thrown a few solar panels on top instead, but then I've got to figure out how to off-load these two L16s, which don't have a single cycle on them yet.

Seems all fine to me.

Be aware that the progressive dynamics converter likely uses a 20 amp receptacle - the kind where it looks like a regular 15 amp but the neutral prong is horizontal. Just google Nema 6-20R.

When splitting your shore power, how were you going to accomplish this? Do you still have the original AC distribution panel in the van? If so, you could simply wire the 20 amp receptacle into the main panel for the van, and if you want to have the inverter power things, you need to turn off the breaker for the converter, and then plug shore cable into inverter.

In my honest opinion it would be more practical and possibly safer to wire the van in a traditional fashion. ie 30a shore cord -> van AC dist panel -> 15a plugs, 15a fridge, 20A for converter etc.

Since your van is not a large RV it shouldn't prove too inconvenient to wire the inverter to the main 12v system / batteries, and just plug what you need 120 for into the inverter 120v socket only, and forget about making all the 120v receptacles work when on inverter. If you needed more you could simply use a power bar or current tap on the inverter outlet for more sockets.

While I don't see anything overly dangerous about your plan, my concern would lie with the splitter portion of the shore power. Circuits not using adequate wire size ie 14 gauge or 12 gauge for outlets need to be protected at less than 30 amps. Using the existing AC distribution panel solves that issue, since everything runs off the appropriately sized breaker.

Maybe I need some more info about how exactly you plan to split the shore power.

I haven't bought the inverter or the charger yet. Space limitations mean I can't use Magnum, so I was thinking to buy them separately. Thanks for the recommendation on the Progressive Dynamics charger - I was wondering where to start after discarding the combination idea.

Yep, that's exactly what I was planning to do - plug the shore power line in to the inverter to make all interior AC hot. And if I actually have shore power, use the Y connector to plug both my charger in as well as my shore power line in. I think that works, just wondering if I'm missing something / not thinking of something.

I forget, do you already have the inverter? And if so is the reason you want to plug the shore cable in to the inverter when no power is available is to make all your interior AC outlets usable on inverter power?

Your plan should work, but do you have the charger yet? If not I would recommend getting a progressive dynamics 9280 3 stage converter. It is an 80 amp unit and progressive units are high quality and made in the USA.