Got rid of the "double throw" three position switch and added another circuit from my electric panel....... The garage A/C is wired direct from the panel on a 20 amp breaker. There is another 20 amp breaker to the center position of the three position switch which allows you to switch between the bedroom A/C and main living A/C. I pulled a piece of 12/2 romex wire from the panel to the switch box, on a new 20 amp breaker, for my second circuit. I installed a black "over/under" double switch to turn on the bedroom A/C and living A/C individually. I had to amp out each phase of my panel with everything turned on to balance out the load on my panel, which was no problem. The 50amp service is more than enough to run all three A/C`s, but the generator power is not enough for all three. If ever just on the generator power, just switch off one of the units and there will be no issues.
3 air conditioners at once? no problem in my 3800.
- Thread starter tremma
- Start date
scottyb
Well-known member
Bingo! I suppose some code like RV1A or something prevents them from doing this from the factory, but I never understood why. You can already overload the system by running two AC's on a 30A plug. It should be the operators responsibility and choice how to run the systems.
Ultraclassic
Member
Wish Heartland would do that from the factory for the Cyclones. I spoke to AJ Jones at the rv show in Austin and suggested that at a minimum at least put a switch so that you can run any combination of 2 of the 3 A/C's. Your fix to run all 3 at once is great, going give it a shot once I absorb exactly how you did it. Good information if only Heartland would do it!
Ultraclassic
Member
Amen to that Scottyb!
HornedToad
Well-known member
That's because RVIA is in Virgina and not West Texas.
If I still have my Torque this summer I'm going to try the same, except I don't have a three way switch to deal with. I have already added a high efficiency AC to the garage wired to a exterior inlet that I use an extension cord to plug into the exterior outlet. If I add another high efficiency unit to the pre wire in the bedroom I should be able to run all three on the generator with room to spare. The two high efficiency units drawing 10 amps each on the 30 amp side and the main AC on the 20 amp side.
If I sell my Torque to get a Cyclone then I know from tremma's post you can still work around this switch.
alex00
Well-known member
Awesome first post. Welcome! I know many of us have thought about this mod. I'd love to see a wiring diagram, even if it was drawn on a napkin.
cycloneracer
Member
Interesting, Guess I didn't know that the 3 way switch only allowed the use of one AC unit at a time. Dealer didn't explain that was the way it functioned, I didn't as many questions as I just assumed that the center position was only the middle unit and top and bottom added the front or rear unit. Guess I was wrong!!!! Guess I will be digging for wires in the near future!!!
I should clarify the factory switch that was in my unit. It was a Pass and Seymour model #1226. It is a double pole, double throw switch. Meaning, in the up position, it controls one unit and in the down position, it controls the other unit. The factory used one side of the switch for the neutral (white)wire, and the other side for the hot (black) wire. The "throw" part of the switch is when you throw the switch to the up or down positions to move the power to each A/C unit. **The center position of the switch is the incoming 20 amp circuit from the breaker box.** Ok, longer story than I planned, but I replaced the factory switch with a Leviton 5634-E. (black switch and cover plate)
HornedToad
Well-known member
I've been trying to come up with some convoluted scheme to run three AC's on the generator, when I realized the solution is quite simple.
My garage AC is wired to an inlet that I use an extension cord to either plug into shore power or to an exterior outlet to power off the generator.
The simple solution... I still have my portable generator from my TT days. When I'm headed out on a hot summer weekend I can just bring the portable generator to plug in the garage AC, leaving the on board generator to run the main & bedroom AC's.
Problem solved!!!
On my 08 cyclone 3912 I only have 2 a/c's. Living room controlled by thermostat I believe. 1 in master is manually controlled. When I try an run both at the same time on the generator the generator can't handle it. Anyone else able to run trier 2 at the same time on their cyclone?
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alex00
Well-known member
So to summarize what I think I've learned...
With three air conditioners there are two breakers. One for the main a/c and one for the two shared a/c-s. The shared a/c-s are switched by the dpdt switch.
If one were to hijack the laundry room breaker and fish a lead from that breaker to the dpdt switch they could wire each a/c to its own circuit.
How easy would it be to fish a lead from the main panel to th dpdt switch in the 4xxx Cyclones?
alex00
Well-known member
Shore power will run all three, but the generator won't. Because they need to make the trailer as fool proof as possible, they put the selector switch in. It keeps people from expecting the generator to power them all, but limits those of us that understand. With some relatively simple rewiring, we should be able to eliminate the selector switch, and power all of them on shore.
So, when we have company and are using the beds in the garage, we can't run the AC in the bedroom AND the garage. The switch is bedroom, bedroom & living room, and garage & living room. You are saying that I can rewire to run all three? What does that entail? Obviously we are not trying to run all those with the generator. We are talking shore power only.
ScottyB, do you know if it's possible to fit the larger 10kw unit in place of the 5.5kw?
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