30 amp generator with 12 gauge wire?????
Ok, have a quick question for you electrical guys. I had to pull my Onan 4000 generator for some landing gear work. Noticed that the AC feed wires are 12 gauge and about 6' long before a junction box ...
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MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Try as I might, I have looked at hundreds of Onan generators, and not a one had umbilical wire sticking out of it. Must be a conspiracy between Onan and the vehicle manufacturer, huh?
Onan used to use a phenoic terminal block for OEM to connect to right inside the control box. Big gensets like >1MW used Kerny Nuts that did not come with the genset. Onan's liability ended at these terminations. Yotta try confronting a 12-wire connection that runs through a Scott Connection pair of transformers.
New RV manufacturers would be glad to hear from you if you could reach someone who speaks English.
Just for MECHANICAL STRENGTH alone I would hesitate to use 12 gauge on an 30-amp circuit. Even six-inches.
RV Onan Gensets come with the 120 wire harness attached from Onan. The length of that harness (some are 3 wire and some are 4 wire depending on the Genset), is about 6 foot. THIS 120 wiring is then connected to the RV at a 4x4 or 6x6 junction box. Then the RV OEM runs the 120 wiring from THAT box to the RV connections. In some installs the Genset is located close to the Transfer box or the 30/50 amp receptacle if no transfer box is used. In this case, the Onan is wired direct with no junction box. The wire Onan installs is within Code. Doug
