A Little PD4045 Electrical Help please...

[Rbertalotto]

I just received a Progressive Dynamics 4045 converter that I will be installing this weekend in my Palomino Bronco Truck Camper

There is only room for 4 breakers. The main breaker will simply supply power to the main buss bar.
One of the remaining three breakers will supply power to the converter by feeding the terminal strip on the right edge of the box marked "120V Hot

The remaining two breakers will feed the 120V circuits in the camper







Do I have this correct? Do I need to "waste" a breaker just to power the converter? Or is there another way to accomplish this and leaving three breakers for camper circuits?

[Ron3rd]

BFL13 wrote:
If you ever go the inverter route where you plug your shore power cord into the inverter so it is "whole house" you will have to turn off the converter. If the converter is sharing with the receptacle circuit then you can't use the breaker as a switch to turnoff the converter without killing the receptacles needed to run the television or whatever.

So you want the converter on its own breaker to be its switch or else sharing with something that is not going to be on anyway on inverter---but if on real shore power everything on that breaker still has to be under its total rating 15a or 20a.

If too impossible then you need a separate switch (on the black wire not the white wire) for the converter before it gets to the breaker it is sharing with whatever.

X2, good advice. Being able to turn off the converter can come in very handy.

[Rbertalotto]

I asked the folks at Best Converter about whether I should use GFI breakers in the panel. They said I didn't need to use them unless I had a AC receptacle in the bathroom (which I don't).

So I picked up a 30A and two double 15A breakers. That will give me four 15A circuits. Which is plenty for a little truck camper.

[wa8yxm]

You can double (or nearly double) your breaker count by using dual/half width brakers (15/15 or 20/20 or 15/20 or 20/15) for all but the MAIN.

[BFL13]

If you ever go the inverter route where you plug your shore power cord into the inverter so it is "whole house" you will have to turn off the converter. If the converter is sharing with the receptacle circuit then you can't use the breaker as a switch to turnoff the converter without killing the receptacles needed to run the television or whatever.

So you want the converter on its own breaker to be its switch or else sharing with something that is not going to be on anyway on inverter---but if on real shore power everything on that breaker still has to be under its total rating 15a or 20a.

If too impossible then you need a separate switch (on the black wire not the white wire) for the converter before it gets to the breaker it is sharing with whatever.

[enblethen]

I would suggest a full sized breaker for the main.

[RoyB]

X2 on two different size breakers. My WFCO 8900 series power distribution panel has five large breaker slots. I use the first slot for a single LARGE MAIN BREAKER. Then I install eight half size breakers in the remaining four large slots.

Now I have a total of NINE 120VAC BREAKERS I can use...

The SIZE I am referring to here is the physical size of the breaker not the rating size.

You can find the exact size 120VAC breakers at LOWES in the electrical Dept...

This GOOGLE PHOTO shows two large size breakers installed in two full size slots and two half size breakers in the third full size slot.


Roy Ken

[RoyB]

X2 on two different size breakers. My WFCO 8900 series power distribution panel has five large breaker slots. I use the first slot for a single LARGE MAIN BREAKER. Then I install eight half size breakers in the remaining four large slots.

Now I have a total of NINE 120VAC BREAKERS I can use...

The SIZE I am referring to here is the physical size of the breaker not the rating size.

This GOOGLE PHOTO shows two large size breakers installed in two full size slots and two half size breakers in the third full size slot.


Roy Ken

[Rbertalotto]

Oh, that's right. I forgot about twin breakers. But now that I look at the available receptacles in the camper, two circuits might be plenty. I think there are only four duplex receptacles. And I wouldn't be surprised if Palomino put them all on one breaker!

Other than the AC receptacles the only other thing in this TC that is on AC is the refrigerator. The blower for the furnace , the water pump and all the lights and detectors run off the converter.

[enblethen]

The panel is designed for one inch thick breakers. You can buy "twin" breakers that gives you eight breaker locations. They come in different amperage configurations.Twin breaker
Look in manual for the brand and style of breakers that fit the panel.

[midnightsadie]

call them and ask there very helpful people.

[Bobbo]

You can have other things on the same circuit as the converter as long as you don't over do the amps. Add the possible usage and stay below the breaker's rating.

Winnebago put other "stuff" on the same breaker as my converter, but I can't remember right now what. It was low amperage stuff though.

Using the first, main, 30 amp breaker to power the converter would be difficult. Unlike ALL of the other breakers, it is the wire connected to the breaker that is hot. Then, the breaker transfers that power to the power buss. The other breakers take the power from the buss, and transfer it to the other wires hooked to the breakers. If the converter wire is under the screw with the main power wire, it would be hot all the time with NO breaker inline.

[ScottG]

The converters I've replaced always use the first "main" 30A breaker for their supply. The didn't use a separate breaker.