NHRA_Racer wrote:
So, I take the coach to an RV tech to install. Several friends have used this shop (and the particular mechanic) before and he does the install.
No subpanel installed. He says one was not needed and I can't see exactly in the manual where it is required.
Should I be worried?
Here's the situation you have now. On the input side the Magnum has a 30A breaker protecting it. The wiring to the inverter is probably 8AWG cable.
On the output side you have circuits wired with 12AWG or 14AWG. Those circuits used to have the breakers in the Xantrex's subpanel protecting them. Now there is nothing protecting them except the 30A breaker on the input.
IMHO this was installed incorrectly. Nowhere in the National Electric Code can you have an incoming service connected to wires of thinner gauge without having a subpanel with breakers protecting them.
You have a significant risk of fire the way things are currently wired. You could put 30A through the output circuit wires before the input breaker would trip. That's dangerous.
By way of comparison, in my install 8AWG cable is used from the Magnum's output to the subpanel. That cable is rated at the full 30A rating of the input breaker. That way if there was a fault ahead of the subpanel the wire could take the load until the input breaker tripped.
