"Plug In" generator transfer switch/relay?
When we purchased our used 2017 Coachman Leprechaun Class C I failed to notice that we have to plug in the power cord into a receptacle every time after starting the generator. I didn't think of th...
Forum Discussion
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Pray tell WHY would you ever select a generator over a shore power pedestal?
Sometimes I wait a week before going outside because of a tropical storm. Hate to get wet just after taking a shower?
One obvious reason to choose the generator over the pedestal is because the power is out at the pedestal (and may be for some time).
One slightly less obvious reason is to operate the generator from time to time to make sure it's still working and to keep the gas in the carburetor from turning to varnish and keep the slip rings free of excess crud and so forth.
Sockets and plugs can have failures just as transfer switches (automatic or otherwise) can. Probably it's less commonplace, and usually it's less painful to repair, but it's not as though there's one means of switching that's forever and always trouble-free.
For the OP: There are (readily available) 30A rated double pole switches (with the same general size and shape as ordinary household light switches) that could be pretty easily wired into the generator output line and placed in the RV interior somewhere. That would permit one to plug the shore power cord into the generator socket whenever it's not connected to shore power but still start the generator unloaded. I tend to avoid using circuit breakers as switches on a regular basis, particularly if they are not rated for switching duty (e.g. SWD breakers). They're not really designed for repeated switching use on a regular basis. Obviously, occasional switching of them is just fine, such as for working on wiring or whatever, but preferably not as a regular activity.
