50 Amp Receptacle to Inverter
Hello all! Ok, so backstory is I'm doing research on installing a 3000w inverter in my travel trailer, and rather than go through a super complicated and expensive direct to panel wire install, I'm...
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Instead of fighting with the 50a shore power cord, you might be able to do a version of this. I think PT has a version of this method too. Mr Wiz has a wireless switch that does something like this too- he can describe how that works.
We only ever need 15a instead of 30 amp. (No air conditioner) We get the 15a from inverter or shore power or portable gen by plugging into one or the other.
The shore power cord is now a 25 ft 12/3 extension cord with a triple outlet that is under the sink. The cord can be pulled out to plug it in somewhere same as a real shore power cord. The real 30a shore power cord is under there too and has a 15/30 adapter under the sink.
A short 3 ft 12/3 with triple outlet goes into one of the triple outlets under the sink. (For ease to get at instead of the long cord's triple farther back.) The converter is a plug-in to one of the three in the long cord.
The real 30a cord has a surge guard and then a 15/30 (all under the sink area) that can be plugged into:
A. An extension cord from the inverter, or
B. One of the triple outlets in the short cord (for pedestal or gen).
So the no-work chore is to plug the real shore cord under the sink into one of those two places. The converter only gets power when the long cord is plugged into a pedestal or the portable gen. The inverter has a remote on/off.
Off-grid mostly. To recharge from the gen usually just plug the shore cord into the gen. Can leave the inverter on or not. Usually try not to have any 12v loads when recharging so not to waste gen time. Eg, getting 75 amps and then furnace comes on so charging amps drop to 67. So turn off furnace till batts done.
Too easy! :)
We only ever need 15a instead of 30 amp. (No air conditioner) We get the 15a from inverter or shore power or portable gen by plugging into one or the other.
The shore power cord is now a 25 ft 12/3 extension cord with a triple outlet that is under the sink. The cord can be pulled out to plug it in somewhere same as a real shore power cord. The real 30a shore power cord is under there too and has a 15/30 adapter under the sink.
A short 3 ft 12/3 with triple outlet goes into one of the triple outlets under the sink. (For ease to get at instead of the long cord's triple farther back.) The converter is a plug-in to one of the three in the long cord.
The real 30a cord has a surge guard and then a 15/30 (all under the sink area) that can be plugged into:
A. An extension cord from the inverter, or
B. One of the triple outlets in the short cord (for pedestal or gen).
So the no-work chore is to plug the real shore cord under the sink into one of those two places. The converter only gets power when the long cord is plugged into a pedestal or the portable gen. The inverter has a remote on/off.
Off-grid mostly. To recharge from the gen usually just plug the shore cord into the gen. Can leave the inverter on or not. Usually try not to have any 12v loads when recharging so not to waste gen time. Eg, getting 75 amps and then furnace comes on so charging amps drop to 67. So turn off furnace till batts done.
Too easy! :)
