What size transformer? and other daft questions from the UK!

Reyllock

Member
I am importing a 2011 BH3585RL to the UK, and will have to buy a tranformer to drop from our 240VAC to 110VAC, Does anyone know what sort of VA the coach will draw with all the factory fitted 110VAC equipment running?

I figured about 4kva but might be under estimating!

I will also have to change most of the power outlets to our 13amp 3 pin type, can I use the existing wiring? or is the wire gauge different?

Any assistance greatly appreciated

will keep you posted with my electrical adventure (ie, haven't done this before)
:confused:
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
How about an adapter for the outlets like you might use if you were traveling to 'across the pond' to the U.S.A. Then you would not have to change out the outlets. I know they sell European adapters here.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Here's an article you may find informative. A concern may be with devices that have a 120V motor and are not rated dual voltage. Ours run on 60 Hz, but your system delivers 50 Hz, forcing the motor to run slower and labor. I seem to recall that being a problem back in the day when I was stationed in Germany.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Electrical_systems
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
There is another issue now that it has been brought up and this is the Television, VCR, DVD, uses an NTSC standard and I believe the European standard is PAL. Meaning the TV, VCR or DVD may not work either.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
You might want to contact Heartland directly with your electrical compatibility questions. I'm a bit surprised that you can "import" something like this without it being already compatible with your electrical codes.
 

2010augusta

Well-known member
Factor 110 volt equipment:
Microwave ~ 1700 watts
Refer ~ 500 watts
12 volt converter ~ 1300 watts
ceiling fan ~ not listed
TVs ~ will they even work in UK
Audio receiver ~will it receive anything?
Any 110 Light in a BH?
You get a Washer/Dryer?
Fireplace?

So I would guess about 6.25kVa maybe more.
 

Reyllock

Member
Thank you all,
I work in the TV and Film Industry here in the UK, and we use a variety of US trailers, we have both 110v equipment ie TV's DVD, audio equipment and change some power sockets to UK type for additional domestic equipment such as kettles, coffee machines etc. Modern TV's are dual NTSC/PAL and we can run through our 'Freeview' boxes with switchable scart lead, which seem to work fine. I am lead to believe US wiring is rated to 600v, so existing wiring should be fine :-/ I thought of the adaptors, but not fussed on the idea of them.
As for exporting to UK without being compliant with UK/Euro codes?? well that's the beginning of the problems, all our trailer running light wiring/truck sockets are totally different to yours, but have that all figured out now! (I think) lol. BUt all in all it's a small price to pay for something we want, as there is no UK/European equivalent.
I have approached Heartland regarding a wiring diagram, but think due to copywrite or something they can't supply it. I have been doing some research, and think I may have a solution, I will keep you updated as I go along! :)
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
...I will also have to change most of the power outlets to our 13amp 3 pin type, can I use the existing wiring? or is the wire gauge different?...

I believe what is used for AC wiring is 14 gauge Romex style. I believe 14 gauge is rated to 15 amps. Should work nicely with your power system.
 

sunflower

Active Member
Have you considered using portable generators running on gas or diesel from Canada or the USA,seems to me it would be a lot simpler then starting to change outlets,etc.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Kinda going in a circle, but if your electricity is coming in a 240V in the UK, and your small appliances, lamps, etc., are designed to run on that, how do you plan on running them in your rig on 120V? Or are they dual voltage? Seems it might be easier to just change the plugs on the devices you want to bring into your BH, rather than replacing outlets.
 

Reyllock

Member
Kinda going in a circle, but if your electricity is coming in a 240V in the UK, and your small appliances, lamps, etc., are designed to run on that, how do you plan on running them in your rig on 120V? Or are they dual voltage? Seems it might be easier to just change the plugs on the devices you want to bring into your BH, rather than replacing outlets.

The easiest way is to run 240v 'shoreline' into 240v retro fit panel, then take a feed from that into a 240v to 110v transformer which feeds the 110v panel and the 110v sockets and fitted appliances.

Then by removing an existing ring main wiring from the 110v panel, and connecting that to the 240 panel and changing the relevant sockets I should have the best of both worlds! The slight problem I have, is I haven't got a wiring diagram, so will have to hunt down the relevant ring main circuits

Apart from that it's easy...lol
:)
 

Reyllock

Member
Did think of that Sunflower, but would have to replace all our existing 240v appliances and equipment! and then living with a constant generator running, when there's a perfectly good mains supply just feet away just doesn't make sense.
 

Reyllock

Member
No we haven't got dual voltage appliances JonDar, wish we did! but everthing in this country is 240v, but it would save a lot of hassle!
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Now I think I see where you're going with this. I think I can see how to do it, but I don't have a diagram handy of my breaker panel layout. I'll try to run over to the storage yard in the morning and get a photo of how they're labelled and that may shed some light on it. It could be as simple as just disconnecting circuits from the original panel that are not dedicated to appliances/devices and reattaching them to your 240V retro fit panel (the new "main" panel) and replacing the outlets for them. The existing 120V panel becomes a subpanel dedicated to the factory-installed appliances. I had to look up what a "ring" circuit was. Sounds like series circuit wiring, not parallel.
I'm not an electrician, but I've shot a spark or two between my fillings. ;)
 

Reyllock

Member
Now I think I see where you're going with this. I think I can see how to do it, but I don't have a diagram handy of my breaker panel layout. I'll try to run over to the storage yard in the morning and get a photo of how they're labelled and that may shed some light on it. It could be as simple as just disconnecting circuits from the original panel that are not dedicated to appliances/devices and reattaching them to your 240V retro fit panel (the new "main" panel) and replacing the outlets for them. The existing 120V panel becomes a subpanel dedicated to the factory-installed appliances.

I'm not an electrician, but I've shot a spark or two between my fillings. ;)

That's the idea John, so breaker panel info would be good, and can I assume all the later Bighorns would be wired roughly the same way (give or take a socket or two)?
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Things with AC motors will run a bit slower. If the motor runs intermittently, it should not be a major problem. Anything running on the 12V DC supply will not be affected.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Better late than never. I would have posted this sooner (as promised), but I had to respond to a possible structure fire. Ended up being smoldering ash in the fireplace clean out...which did not have any access from below in the basement.

Anyways, I took some photos of the breaker panel and put labels on the breakers (hard to photo the actual ones). I've also included the 12V fuse layout, so you can get an idea of what it might look like. For what you want to do, based on my breaker set-up, you'll need to disconnect the GFCI, and BEDROOM circuits from the 120V panel and run them over to your 240V panel. According to my owner's manual, the GFCI breaker controls the bathroom (where the GFCI outlet is) along with the kitchen and exterior outlets. They way it's jerry-rigged, the basement outlet for the central vacuum (or TV) might be on that, too. I'm not sure, but the one marked SLIDE-OUT might be for all slide outlets (other than the bedroom). None of the breakers are dedicated to the refridgerator, so you're going to have to do some circuit tracing to figure it out.

For the breakers, from left to right, the MAIN is a double 50A. The ten circuits labelled are: 20, 15, 20, 15, 20, 15, 20, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15 Amp breakers, in that order.

In my fuse panel, there are more fuses than labels, so I don't know what the last two are for, or if they're even connected to anything. One might be for the electric awning, but I don't know what the other might be for. Maybe the Fantastic Fan?

Although HL won't/can't give you a wiring schematic, perhaps if you contact them they can give you some idea of how they wired it. I still think it's bogus that they don't have a wiring diagram for these rigs.

I'm sure you know this, but our 240V connections are different. The four prongs (just like on the trailer plug) are two 120V hots, a neutral and a ground. The trailer is not using a true 240V input, since the two hot lines are separated to be individual 120V supply lines to the neutral. With your three-wire system, you've got 240V between the single hot and neutral lines.

I hope this helps, but it's not as informative as I thought it was.

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