Whole RV Inverter/Charger

MrWizard wrote:
thinking 'not correct'

its normal to have a main breaker in a house.
this is 'not backfeeding'

Yes, I know houses have main breakers - except that they're not usually down in the the same breakers as all the branch circuits. They're usually up above the branch breakers and separated. However, if you feed a small subpanel in a garage that doesn't have main breakers and you use 2 breaker slots where branch circuits would go to feed the panel, that's backfeeding. I can tell you which one mine looks like.

Backfed subpanel:


My breaker panel:


My "main" breakers even have the screw required when you backfeed a panel. I don't believe my description was inaccurate.

MrWizard wrote:
moving loads around for 'balance is good'
moving loads so all high draw items are on ONE LEG is 'BAD'

especially since you want the (2) a/c on separate legs
wh on one leg, MW on the other leg

I hear what you are saying, and I don't disagree. However, it would seem your advice would be better vetted with Fleetwood, as they certainly didn't follow your advice. This is how my panel came wired from the factory (refer to photo above if you doubt it).

L1: GFI (15A) [most outlets in camper], A/C 1 (20A), A/C 2 (20A), Microwave (20A), Water heater (15A) ----- TOTAL: 90A

L2: Fireplace / Washer-Dryer (15A), Refrigerator (20A), Ceiling Fan (15A) [other outlets, TV, stereo], Converter (15A) ----- TOTAL: 65A

Would you call that balanced? Cuz I wouldn't. Moving AC1 and AC2 onto L2 and bringing the ceiling fan circuit over to L1 doesn't look like that big of a change to me. It looks better, in fact. The converter circuit would become a spare as the inverter would take over those duties. New "total" amperages would be:

L1 - 65A
L2 - 75A

Better than it was before. Besides, you guys running 120V only feed all the same stuff I have on both legs from 1 leg, and are limited to less current (usually 30 amps). I have two legs and each one can carry 66% more current than that. I understand what you are saying from a theoretical standpoint, but it isn't relevant in practice.

MrWizard wrote:
NO NO do not feed the bottom panel lugs from the inverter
there is way too much chance of blowing up the inverter from shore power or generator

Dude, thank you for helping me pull my head out. I dunno WTF I was thinking. The Victron has a built in transfer switch. I could intercept the shore power wiring from the outside receptacle and wire that into the Victron on the L1 side and leave the L2 side feeding straight through, untouched. This would automatically feed the L1 leg from the inverter when not hooked to shore/gen and keep it completely isolated from L2. Duh!

I guess I saw open lugs and figured I was making out good. Who knows.

MrWizard wrote:
get a 50 amp rv transfer switch
install it after the existing TS, us it to choose between (existing) or inverter

if you want to isolate circuits automatically, instead of remembering that certain things need LP only

then install a sub panel for the inverter circuits and move them there

RV does not have an existing transfer switch of any kind (unless it came with one as part of the gen prep package and I can't find the **** thing).