replace transfer switch with 50amp plug?

hertfordnc wrote:
I have a friend who's on some hard times and living in an older HR pusher in a park.

It sounds like his transfer switch has croaked. For a while he would lose power from the pole and it would only run on generator.

Then it stopped getting power from either source.

He really does not have $150-200 for a new switch.

My suggestion is that he wire it the way my much older coach is wired,

The AC cord goes to the breaker panel. The generator goes to a female 30 amp plug. Instead of a transfer switch i plug the RV cord into the plug to operate from the generator.

I am a fair electrician but i have not been out ot see just what htis would entail

Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated.


thanks

I'd first take a look at the transfer sw. and it's doubtful, that the whole thing needs replaced, as it's made up of separate relay contactors, if it's like mine. However, the most common cause of failures is with the connections getting loose, then building up heat and crystallizing some of the wiring. A few short runs may need replaced, along with tightening the connections all down and hopefully that will be all it takes.
Replacing the switch with an outlet for the genset is an option as well and I did have one of those on my old gasser. I did notice it also having a relay, for transferring the rear ac to the genset 20amp breaker, so that might have to be looked into, or both ac's will probably want to run on the genset 30.