Expanding AC distribution panel

road-runner wrote:

dedicated appliances, fridge, microwave, AC HWH etc. are required to have their own seperate breaker.

My 30 amp rig came from the factory with the microwave and water heater on the same breaker, and the refrigerator is on the same circuit as the power converter and 4 outlets.

they may have installed a load shed device, which is OK by NEC when connecting two high current devices to one breaker. Likely when the microwave turns on, the HWH goes off temporarily.

Otherwise trying to run the microwave and HWH element on one even 20A breaker isn't likely to work.

Fridge and converter likely are ok by NEC. My converter and one set of outlets were on the same breaker. While it may be ok by NEC, a converter at full output doesn't leave but a few amps available for the outlets. I moved by converter to it's own breaker to free up a full 15A load to the outlets.

no longer complies with NEC, but still IMHO safe, even safer, and less likely to result is unwanted trips.

The 2003 Komfort 5er came with their year 2000 manual (dealer supplied) It has wiring diagrams for the trailers they made in Oregon.

They had the 6300 for Canadian and the 6300 for USA set-ups. (ours has a 7300) The USA one had five branches all 20 amp as marked--no idea if built that way with 12 wire for all) and the MW and WH on own breakers.

The Canadian version had four branches, all 15 amp except the AC 20, and the WH and MW shared a breaker. The trailer has a big switch on the kitchen wall for WH,Off,MW, so you have to pick one or the other.

It has a few 120v lights too, which are on the receptacle circuit, which the fridge is on outside, and the converter shares that breaker.

Apparently, they felt it was necessary to have a different one from the USA NEC one, but I am not familiar with the codes for each country. I believe they are very similar though.

Andonso wrote:
I found this Progressive Dymanics 30 AMP 120VAC AC/DC DISTRIBUTION PANEL

https://www.ltdrvparts.com/PROGRESSIVE-DYNAMICS-30-AMP-120VAC-AC-DC-DISTRIBUTION-PANEL-PD50B2T2GP.htm

This will serve you well to completely replace the panel. I believe these come with a integrated converter so you will have a spare. Although at $58 I assume it is just a shell. Add your own breakers, fuses and converter.

NEC still limits to five 120v branch circuits but that is up to you. I would sooner add the additional breakers to this panel rather than add a sub-panel or power strip etc. to the old panel.

time2roll wrote:

Andonso wrote:
I found this Progressive Dymanics 30 AMP 120VAC AC/DC DISTRIBUTION PANEL

https://www.ltdrvparts.com/PROGRESSIVE-DYNAMICS-30-AMP-120VAC-AC-DC-DISTRIBUTION-PANEL-PD50B2T2GP.htm

This will serve you well to completely replace the panel. I believe these come with a integrated converter so you will have a spare. Although at $58 I assume it is just a shell. Add your own breakers, fuses and converter.

NEC still limits to five 120v branch circuits but that is up to you. I would sooner add the additional breakers to this panel rather than add a sub-panel or power strip etc. to the old panel.

Yes at that price there's no converter included. I did find 35, 50 and 60 amp dist. panels for considerably more cost, some are VAC only while others are AC/DC, however most do not include a converter.

I'm wondering who is going to actually inspect an upgraded dist. panel to determine if it follows NEC code?

In our state no electrical permit is required for travel trailers.

However I did once perform some work once on my own property that had a 44' 1956 ABC coach. Upgraded the PUD service from 100 to 200 amps and the RVs old bull dog 50 amp panel to a 200 amp panel. completely rewired the RV to 3-wire copper from that older 2 wire alum. with some sort of cloth jacketing.

So I obtain a permit from the county and from the state's labor and industries. I do remember an electrical inspector showing up to check mostly the PUD upgrade as I needed to dig a 100 foot trench 2 feet deep to lay a new higher amp service cable to the RV.

However I don't remember the electrical inspector spending alot of time checking out the rewiring of the rv or it's new 200 service panel. Though he must have looked it over.

Sort of confusing as the state shows online no electrical permit is required for a travel trailers. Perhaps it was the county that required a permit from labor and industries?

When I fixed up the old ABC Coach I was told I needed permits from the county and the state's Labor and Industries, however at the same time I was upgrading the PUD service and installing a service panel in the shed I built partially out of timber I picked up at a Saturday sale.

The RV was only on cement blocks with no permanent foundation. I did follow the Nec code when installing a new service panel and rewiring the RV.

I had new 200 amp service panel RV, new 200 amp service panel on PUD pole and new 200 amp service panel in the shed

BFL13 wrote:
The 2003 Komfort 5er came with their year 2000 manual (dealer supplied) It has wiring diagrams for the trailers they made in Oregon.

They had the 6300 for Canadian and the 6300 for USA set-ups. (ours has a 7300) The USA one had five branches all 20 amp as marked--no idea if built that way with 12 wire for all) and the MW and WH on own breakers.

The Canadian version had four branches, all 15 amp except the AC 20, and the WH and MW shared a breaker. The trailer has a big switch on the kitchen wall for WH,Off,MW, so you have to pick one or the other.

It has a few 120v lights too, which are on the receptacle circuit, which the fridge is on outside, and the converter shares that breaker.

Apparently, they felt it was necessary to have a different one from the USA NEC one, but I am not familiar with the codes for each country. I believe they are very similar though.

looks like you have a "manual" load shed device. Intent is the same, allowing connection of two high current devices on one circuit, while only allowing ONE to be on at a time.

It could be Canadian codes are different than U.S. or that the manual switch is less expensive than a automatic load shed device.

Here's a Progressive Dymanics dist. panel with converter.

PROGRESSIVE DYNAMICS 35 AMP AC/DC DISTRIBUTION PANEL & POWER CONVERTER PD4135

I ended up getting the 30 amp dist panel from the seller's auction on eBay.

My current dist. panel the cover's missing. so this one will provide more AC breakers and a cover, which I think is necessary to protect the dist panel and converter, especially ones installed on the floor.

ebay 30 amp dist panel ac/dc

One thing to note is that RVs are plug-in items and not hardwired as part of a building or system on a property. Inspectors generally don't look at things that plug in (which are usually UL or CSA listed but not always). If you hardwired it to a metered service, that'd be different.

RVs are unique in that they are made in a particular state and can be shipped/sold and towed/driven all over the US & Canada. Electrical authority/inspections are governed by state or province and sometimes down to a local municipality/city jurisdiction. There is no federal electrical AHJ that covers electrical inspections in RVs. RV dealers, repair shops & owners don't have to have to obtain a permit, or have a licensed electrician or get work inspected. RV manufacturers aren't required to get electrical work inspected by an AHJ or have a licensed electrician on staff. The RVIA doesn't have authority to enforce the NEC.

You're free to make all the electrical changes you want. If it burns down or someone gets electrocuted, you *might* be in trouble... :(

It's a major flaw on the electrical side of things in RVs IMO. I've found plenty of bad electrical workmanship in 3 US-made TTs and there's nobody to file a complaint with. Some work I've seen looks like it was done by an elementary school kid...

We happened to be in a CG once with a Canadian electrical inspector next to us from a city close to us. Got talking shop and then showed him some of the electrical mods I've done in our TT (some extensive). No comments except for compliments on the work. But we were in the US and it was kinda outside his jurisdiction at that time. :)

Andonso wrote:


I'm wondering who is going to actually inspect an upgraded dist. panel to determine if it follows NEC code?

In our state no electrical permit is required for travel trailer.

ktmrfs wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
The 2003 Komfort 5er came with their year 2000 manual (dealer supplied) It has wiring diagrams for the trailers they made in Oregon.

They had the 6300 for Canadian and the 6300 for USA set-ups. (ours has a 7300) The USA one had five branches all 20 amp as marked--no idea if built that way with 12 wire for all) and the MW and WH on own breakers.

The Canadian version had four branches, all 15 amp except the AC 20, and the WH and MW shared a breaker. The trailer has a big switch on the kitchen wall for WH,Off,MW, so you have to pick one or the other.

It has a few 120v lights too, which are on the receptacle circuit, which the fridge is on outside, and the converter shares that breaker.

Apparently, they felt it was necessary to have a different one from the USA NEC one, but I am not familiar with the codes for each country. I believe they are very similar though.

looks like you have a "manual" load shed device. Intent is the same, allowing connection of two high current devices on one circuit, while only allowing ONE to be on at a time.

It could be Canadian codes are different than U.S. or that the manual switch is less expensive than a automatic load shed device.

Somebody from the States said he had the same MW /WH switch in his rig.

My 1991 MH, RV part built in Canada, has a 6300 too. It has a 30a Main and five branches, all 15s except the AC 20a. The WH is propane only so no sharing 15a breaker with the MW. So it is all circumstantial besides whatever codes there are in effect at the time of build. (Codes do change over the years)

Let common sense be your guide. I imagine sticking an inductive pickup in there would be a real chore. I've never seen one but an 'extendo" attachment for an AC inductive pickup would be a real blessing sometimes.

And keeping "inrush" for inductive loading in mind may help to avoid parallel connections and future problems.

Received the Progressive Dymanics AC/DC Distribution panel and was able to f install the AC breakers after some struggle with the romex.

However the DC Distribution panel is proving to be more difficult to install as I'm left with a bunch of unidentified DC wiring some of which has continuity to the main ground wire.

I have approx. a dozen wires some of which are the same color, green, blue, yellow, black, orange and red.

A large ga. red which is POS+ for the battery and a large ga. white which is NEG- ground.

Some of the dozen smaller ga wires the same color, one of the wires has continuity to ground. However all of the smaller gauge wires were originally connected to the fuses. Which doesn't make sense as fused wires shouldn't have ground continuity.

Parallax 6300/6700 DC distrubtion: all of the smaller ga wires (some doubled up) connected to the fuse terminals shown in the pic below.



The Progressive Dymanics DC dist. is a little different as it doesn't have the two 30 amp fuses and the fuses connections are on the back of the panel




I do have some electrical schematics however I'm uncertain of fuses sizes and which wires connect to what.

I'm still testing trying to find the `12 volt wire for the frig.

I'm still trying to figure out why some of the same colored wires connected to the fuses (12volt hot) have continuity to the main ground (white) wire?

Schematics (uncertain if accurate)

15 amps 14 ga lights yellow
15 amps 14 ga lights green
15 amps 14 ga lights / range hood black
15 amps 14 ga furnance blue
15 amps 12 ga red