Whole RV Inverter/Charger
Not a lot of information out there so I figured I'd post here. If like to add an inverter for my 5er, mainly to limit inconvenient trips out to get the generators running for small things. One of ...
Forum Discussion
Okay guys, I pulled my breaker panel apart and found some promising things.
As suspected, half the circuits are fed from L1 and half from L2. They are staggered, so every other {full} breaker position on each half of the panel is fed from L1 and L2.
I checked all the outlets and found every outlet in the camper is fed from one of two breakers, and neither of those breakers serve any high draw items, like AC, refrigerator, etc. The TV and stereo system are also fed from one of those breakers. The microwave is on its own breaker.
My breaker panel accepts "half-breakers" in all positions, so I could add up to 3 more breakers (all breaker positions are currently occupied, but 3 of the positions use "full" breakers and could be substituted for "half" breakers).
Lastly, the panel has two big lugs at the bottom that could be used to feed either L1 or L2 from the inverter. They look like they were intended to be the actual L1 and L2 feeds into the panel, but I have separate 50A breakers in two positions that serve as the feeds. I guess to borrow terminology from house wiring, the panel is "backfed" through two 50A breakers.
My thinking was that I could move all the circuits I want to power from the inverter onto either L1 or L2 (whichever makes the wiring easier). Worst case, this would involve moving breakers and branch wiring from one position to another in the fuse box. It looks like there is ample slack in all the branch wiring to do so, as long as I don't try and move breakers from one side to the other.
I would then leave all the high-draw items on the opposite leg. My thinking tells me that this would accomplish the goal of powering what I want to power from the inverter without also powering high-amp stuff or having to worry about accidentally leaving the fridge on "Auto" and running the batts down when running on the inverter.
First of all, is my thinking correct?
I did think of one potential problem that I'd love to hear your guys' solutions to. For the sake of argument, let's say that I want my "inverter leg" to be L1. When I have my 30A shore power cord connected to the camper, L1 and L2 would be connected together. This would power both L1 and L2 from the inverter because inverter power would "enter" the CB panel from the L1 lug on the bottom, "leave" the CB panel through the L1 main 50A breaker, jump over to L2 in the shore power cord, then "re-enter" the CB panel through the L2 main 50A breaker, thus feeding all the L2 circuits as well.
Having L1 and L2 connected when on shore power or generators is preferable, having them connected when on inverter power is not. Is there an easy way to fix this? I was thinking some sort of "transfer switch" or relay that cuts off L2 when shore/gen power is not present on the L2 leg. When you fire up the gen or plug into shore power, the switch/relay would close, thus allowing AC power on the L2 leg. When off, power to the L2 leg would be cut off and inverter power would not have a path to the L2 leg.
Am I thinking about this correctly? Overthinking?
As suspected, half the circuits are fed from L1 and half from L2. They are staggered, so every other {full} breaker position on each half of the panel is fed from L1 and L2.
I checked all the outlets and found every outlet in the camper is fed from one of two breakers, and neither of those breakers serve any high draw items, like AC, refrigerator, etc. The TV and stereo system are also fed from one of those breakers. The microwave is on its own breaker.
My breaker panel accepts "half-breakers" in all positions, so I could add up to 3 more breakers (all breaker positions are currently occupied, but 3 of the positions use "full" breakers and could be substituted for "half" breakers).
Lastly, the panel has two big lugs at the bottom that could be used to feed either L1 or L2 from the inverter. They look like they were intended to be the actual L1 and L2 feeds into the panel, but I have separate 50A breakers in two positions that serve as the feeds. I guess to borrow terminology from house wiring, the panel is "backfed" through two 50A breakers.
My thinking was that I could move all the circuits I want to power from the inverter onto either L1 or L2 (whichever makes the wiring easier). Worst case, this would involve moving breakers and branch wiring from one position to another in the fuse box. It looks like there is ample slack in all the branch wiring to do so, as long as I don't try and move breakers from one side to the other.
I would then leave all the high-draw items on the opposite leg. My thinking tells me that this would accomplish the goal of powering what I want to power from the inverter without also powering high-amp stuff or having to worry about accidentally leaving the fridge on "Auto" and running the batts down when running on the inverter.
First of all, is my thinking correct?
I did think of one potential problem that I'd love to hear your guys' solutions to. For the sake of argument, let's say that I want my "inverter leg" to be L1. When I have my 30A shore power cord connected to the camper, L1 and L2 would be connected together. This would power both L1 and L2 from the inverter because inverter power would "enter" the CB panel from the L1 lug on the bottom, "leave" the CB panel through the L1 main 50A breaker, jump over to L2 in the shore power cord, then "re-enter" the CB panel through the L2 main 50A breaker, thus feeding all the L2 circuits as well.
Having L1 and L2 connected when on shore power or generators is preferable, having them connected when on inverter power is not. Is there an easy way to fix this? I was thinking some sort of "transfer switch" or relay that cuts off L2 when shore/gen power is not present on the L2 leg. When you fire up the gen or plug into shore power, the switch/relay would close, thus allowing AC power on the L2 leg. When off, power to the L2 leg would be cut off and inverter power would not have a path to the L2 leg.
Am I thinking about this correctly? Overthinking?
