Transfer Switch
- Thread starter Joe Isuzu
- Start date
wdk450
Well-known member
Re: Transffer Switch
Mine was located near the converter, but this is located in the middle of the utilities area on the floor. The transfer switch is a 5 or 6 inch square phenolic box about 4 inches high. I have a 2008 Bighorn 3670RL with generator prep. I rewired the system so that the shore power feeds my Progreessive EMS first then the transfer switch , which I have also wired to my battery to AC power inverter. When I turn the remote inverter switch on (in the control panel), the transfer switch kicks in. Supposedly the EMS doesn't like inverter power.
Mine was located near the converter, but this is located in the middle of the utilities area on the floor. The transfer switch is a 5 or 6 inch square phenolic box about 4 inches high. I have a 2008 Bighorn 3670RL with generator prep. I rewired the system so that the shore power feeds my Progreessive EMS first then the transfer switch , which I have also wired to my battery to AC power inverter. When I turn the remote inverter switch on (in the control panel), the transfer switch kicks in. Supposedly the EMS doesn't like inverter power.
Re: Transffer Switch
Thanks all for the help. I will check this morning for the location. Next question - My Bighorn is equipped with 50 amp service so I will assume my transfer switch is a 50 amp transfer switch. I would like to use my two Honda EU200i generators in parallel located in my truck bed and connect them with a 30 amp three wire cable (Walmart) to the transfer switch with the connection in the front generator prep box area. To do this I would like to cut the 50 amp female end off 50 amp RV female to 30 amp RV male pigtail adapter and wire the three wire male end to the four wire transfer switch input. This would allow me to use a standard 30 amp Walmart cable from generator parallel kit to front bay of RV. I assume the wiring connection would be L1 & L2 from the gen input on the transfer switch to the hot wire on the pigtail adapter. The neutral on the pigtail adapter to the neutral on the transfer switch and ground to ground. This would leave me with the loose mail pigtail end in the bay when using park power. This male connector should never be "hot" unless the is some kind of failure in the transfer switch so to protect myself I would keep the short mail pigtail end stored in a plastic junction box. Will this work OK? Give me some better ideas if not. I am trying to save costs but also don't want to sacrifice safety for money. I don't want to become a "Darwin Award" contestant.
Thanks again!
Thanks all for the help. I will check this morning for the location. Next question - My Bighorn is equipped with 50 amp service so I will assume my transfer switch is a 50 amp transfer switch. I would like to use my two Honda EU200i generators in parallel located in my truck bed and connect them with a 30 amp three wire cable (Walmart) to the transfer switch with the connection in the front generator prep box area. To do this I would like to cut the 50 amp female end off 50 amp RV female to 30 amp RV male pigtail adapter and wire the three wire male end to the four wire transfer switch input. This would allow me to use a standard 30 amp Walmart cable from generator parallel kit to front bay of RV. I assume the wiring connection would be L1 & L2 from the gen input on the transfer switch to the hot wire on the pigtail adapter. The neutral on the pigtail adapter to the neutral on the transfer switch and ground to ground. This would leave me with the loose mail pigtail end in the bay when using park power. This male connector should never be "hot" unless the is some kind of failure in the transfer switch so to protect myself I would keep the short mail pigtail end stored in a plastic junction box. Will this work OK? Give me some better ideas if not. I am trying to save costs but also don't want to sacrifice safety for money. I don't want to become a "Darwin Award" contestant.
Thanks again!
Re: Transffer Switch
If you use L1 and L2 at the transfer switch you would need to jumper across them if using one 30 amp input.
Where would the loose pigtail come from?
Are you using any type of electrical management system? If so you may get an open ground or neutral fault when using the two Hondas.
Peace
Dave
If you use L1 and L2 at the transfer switch you would need to jumper across them if using one 30 amp input.
Where would the loose pigtail come from?
Are you using any type of electrical management system? If so you may get an open ground or neutral fault when using the two Hondas.
Peace
Dave
Re: Transffer Switch
Thanks Dave,
In my previous post I said L1 & L2 connected to the hot on the 3 wire pigtail which would be the same as a jumper. Thanks, I'll give it a smoke test later. One last question. If my transfer switch is behind the panel in the garage near the converter then am I to assume the 2 breaker junction box labeled Esco Safe Guard Supplementary Generator Compartment Overcurrent Protector is where I connect the generator cable to the transfer switch? I opened it and there are red, black, white and ground wires. If that is true I guess there is no need for me to go searching for the transfer switch. Would that be true?
Steve S.
Thanks Dave,
In my previous post I said L1 & L2 connected to the hot on the 3 wire pigtail which would be the same as a jumper. Thanks, I'll give it a smoke test later. One last question. If my transfer switch is behind the panel in the garage near the converter then am I to assume the 2 breaker junction box labeled Esco Safe Guard Supplementary Generator Compartment Overcurrent Protector is where I connect the generator cable to the transfer switch? I opened it and there are red, black, white and ground wires. If that is true I guess there is no need for me to go searching for the transfer switch. Would that be true?
Steve S.
evolvingpowercat
Well-known member
Re: Transffer Switch
Just make sure you don't tie L1 and L2 on the breaker box side of the transfer or the shore cable side of the transfer switch! In many cases L1 and L2 shore power outlets are opposite phase 120 volt power feeds and if you tie them together it will be like putting a dead short across 240 volts AC if you plug in your shore cable for the first time after L1 and L2 are tied together in the wrong place if the outlet has L1 and L2 180 degrees out of phase.
If you tie L1 and L2 together then you will have the ability to overload your Hondas in parallel if both AC try to start at the same time or too many things are in use at once, so beware of that. You may find that everything that you would want while running from 30 amp source or less is actually on the L1 side of the breaker box.
You should also think about making a way to bond neutral and ground together at the generator source, so that grounded outlets in the trailer and your GFCIs in your trailer have a ground return to your AC power source when running from the generator. Then run a lead from the ground bolt on the generator to a ground rod.
Just make sure you don't tie L1 and L2 on the breaker box side of the transfer or the shore cable side of the transfer switch! In many cases L1 and L2 shore power outlets are opposite phase 120 volt power feeds and if you tie them together it will be like putting a dead short across 240 volts AC if you plug in your shore cable for the first time after L1 and L2 are tied together in the wrong place if the outlet has L1 and L2 180 degrees out of phase.
If you tie L1 and L2 together then you will have the ability to overload your Hondas in parallel if both AC try to start at the same time or too many things are in use at once, so beware of that. You may find that everything that you would want while running from 30 amp source or less is actually on the L1 side of the breaker box.
You should also think about making a way to bond neutral and ground together at the generator source, so that grounded outlets in the trailer and your GFCIs in your trailer have a ground return to your AC power source when running from the generator. Then run a lead from the ground bolt on the generator to a ground rod.
danemayer
Well-known member
Why not just plug the RV power cord into the generator instead of doing all this wiring? With the generators in the truck bed, you're going to have to plug the RV into them either at the transfer switch connection or from the power cord. Even if you need an extension cord, a 30amp cord wouldn't be too expensive and would sure be simpler.
evolvingpowercat
Well-known member
I was thinking that - too. Just use your 50 amp shore cable and put a 50 to 30 adapter on the end of it. Chances are you already have the adapter for those campground spaces you might have to use occasionally that don't have a 50 amp outlet. This does not change the need to have neutral and ground bonded at the generator and the generator grounded to be safe. If you have a surge guard you may have to do this as it may not allow power to flow unless it sees a good ground from the generator outlet the shore cable plugs in to.
I understanding your way of thinking but for a short overnight stay in the boondocks it's a real pain to drag the monster 50 amp cable out of storage and drag it to the back and then crouch again between the unhitched truck and rv to stow it again. I'm an old man and wife won't do it. Just joking. I have the pieces I need to do this so the cost is minimal also by using a 20 amp extension cord with adapter from generator to trailer works great in the winter as long as I manage my power usage. Quick hook up, especially in the rain or snow and the generators are protected from the weather in the truck bed under the rv.
Cheers
Cheers
porthole
Retired
Re: Transffer Switch
Trailer's shore power cable --> 50-30 adapter ---> generator
Don't want to use the trailer shore power?
Wire a proper 50 amp inlet into the transfer switch (L1, L2, Neutral, ground)
Make up an extension cord the length you desire (6awg SO), 50 amp female on one end, 30 amp male on the genny end (L1 & L2 tied together in the plug) .
That way if you ever get a bigger portable generator all you have to do is change the male plug to a proper 50.
Trailer's shore power cable --> 50-30 adapter ---> generator
Don't want to use the trailer shore power?
Wire a proper 50 amp inlet into the transfer switch (L1, L2, Neutral, ground)
Make up an extension cord the length you desire (6awg SO), 50 amp female on one end, 30 amp male on the genny end (L1 & L2 tied together in the plug) .
That way if you ever get a bigger portable generator all you have to do is change the male plug to a proper 50.
porthole
Retired
By using a 20 amp extension cord all you really need to do is use one genny, plug the male into the genny and the either use adapters on the other end or get a 50 amp female replacement end (Campers World, Amazon etc)and just plug into the trailer inlet.
Personally, I would not try and do it the cheapest way.
http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Cont...1385845464&sr=8-1&keywords=50+amp+power+inlet
http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-LL55...Generators/dp/B000HS0HQW/ref=pd_bxgy_lg_img_y
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-55242-3...85845692&sr=8-10&keywords=rv+30+amp+male+plug
or
http://www.amazon.com/Camco-55283-R...385845635&sr=8-1&keywords=rv+30+amp+male+plug
Get enough wire to go from wherever in the trailer you want to mount an inlet and from there to the transfer switch.
It is expensive to underestimate.
Run a string, measure and add a foot or two.
Here is 6 gauge, 4 conductor by the foot.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-4-6-Gauge-AWG-4-conductor-SOOW-TF-Cable-FLEXTREME-power-cord-1-foot-/221303989345?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3386bee461
Porthole,
I like the way you are thinking. I'm going to do it the way you suggested and since the transfer switch wiring already goes into the front storage bay I only need a short amount of wire. I use a reliance control six circuit manual transfer switch for my home so I already have a cable with the connectors for the socket you listed and that plus a short section of cable is all I need. I rode out hurricane Ike a few years ago and the two Honda generators, the reliance control switch with six circuits allowed me to hole up in my master suite with a 10000 BTU ac, a computer, tv and other circuits for my freezer and refrigerator. By juggling power we could even use the washer and gas dryer. They were a life saver.
Thanks everyone for all the help!
I like the way you are thinking. I'm going to do it the way you suggested and since the transfer switch wiring already goes into the front storage bay I only need a short amount of wire. I use a reliance control six circuit manual transfer switch for my home so I already have a cable with the connectors for the socket you listed and that plus a short section of cable is all I need. I rode out hurricane Ike a few years ago and the two Honda generators, the reliance control switch with six circuits allowed me to hole up in my master suite with a 10000 BTU ac, a computer, tv and other circuits for my freezer and refrigerator. By juggling power we could even use the washer and gas dryer. They were a life saver.
Thanks everyone for all the help!
wyndysweep
Member
Re: Transffer Switch
Question - Can you take an old 50amp twist & lock power cord, cut off the male end and put a 30amp male on that end to attach a 30amp extension cord to run to the generator? (Making a 50/30 pigtail with twist & lock) If you can, how would you connect L1 and L2 into 30amp plug? Would that be a safe way to run generator? Thanks
Question - Can you take an old 50amp twist & lock power cord, cut off the male end and put a 30amp male on that end to attach a 30amp extension cord to run to the generator? (Making a 50/30 pigtail with twist & lock) If you can, how would you connect L1 and L2 into 30amp plug? Would that be a safe way to run generator? Thanks
scottyb
Well-known member
Re: Transffer Switch
L1 and L2 both connect to the single hot leg on the 30A plug. It doesn't split it 15 + 15. One leg could be using 25A and the other 5A, or any combination as long as it doesn't exceed 30A. The simple solution is a 50A-30A adapter. It would be a shame to waste an expensive 50A cord, when you can buy a 50-30 adapter pretty cheap.
L1 and L2 both connect to the single hot leg on the 30A plug. It doesn't split it 15 + 15. One leg could be using 25A and the other 5A, or any combination as long as it doesn't exceed 30A. The simple solution is a 50A-30A adapter. It would be a shame to waste an expensive 50A cord, when you can buy a 50-30 adapter pretty cheap.
porthole
Retired
Re: Transffer Switch
I'm with Scott, even an anconda 50 amp is not worth butchering to do what you are trying.
Buy a 30 amp marine cord on amazon or ebay and buy a 50 amp female replacement end and make an easy to handle 30 amp extension cord.
Or, if you live near a marina - 30 amp cords end up in the trash a lot because of the male and female ends getting burned - loose fitting.
I'm with Scott, even an anconda 50 amp is not worth butchering to do what you are trying.
Buy a 30 amp marine cord on amazon or ebay and buy a 50 amp female replacement end and make an easy to handle 30 amp extension cord.
Or, if you live near a marina - 30 amp cords end up in the trash a lot because of the male and female ends getting burned - loose fitting.
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