Simple Shore Power System

[Clayton]

I'm in the process of wiring my bus. I'm just keeping it simple. For shore power all I will have is 3 plugs in the bus. I plan to run off of 30 amp shore power hook ups. The question is, do I need to have a circuit panel? Or could I just have a GFCI at each plug and wire direct?

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by Clayton

I'm in the process of wiring my bus. I'm just keeping it simple. For shore power all I will have is 3 plugs in the bus. I plan to run off of 30 amp shore power hook ups. The question is, do I need to have a circuit panel? Or could I just have a GFCI at each plug and wire direct?

you need a breaker so you can shut the complete circuit down - a GF just shuts the breaker in the receptacle off

[miltruckman]

The breakers in campground are sometimes sketchy.

And the wire has to be sized for the breaker size. So without your own breakers all of your wire has to be 10 gauge. That would be more expensive than buying a small breaker panel.

[TheHubbardBus]

What Sledd said & milktruck said.

Your over-current protection needs to be sized to your wiring, which in turn is sized according to the loads you plan on running. Assuming the common case of 14awg, that's 15A. So what would happen if your loads - through accident or design - drew more? The 30A shore power breaker - if it worked (which is an assumption you don't want to make) - would happily supply it. But your wiring couldn't handle the load. Cue the pretty orange colors.

What you're considering is both dangerous and a code violation.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Sleddgracer

you need a breaker so you can shut the complete circuit down - a GF just shuts the breaker in the receptacle off

In my house the GFCI pops, shuts the whole circuit down.

[TheHubbardBus]

Originally Posted by o1marc

In my house the GFCI pops, shuts the whole circuit down.

GFCI outlets have 'line' inputs & 'load' outputs, which allows you to protect the circuit downstream of the outlet if wired in a manner utilizing this functionality. You could also wire them so that they didn't, in which case the circuit downstream wouldn't be impacted.

Regardless, GFCIs do not provide overcurrent protection, nor do they provide a means to manually open the ciruit. They're not circuit breakers (though you can have circuit breakers that also provide GFCI protection).

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by o1marc

In my house the GFCI pops, shuts the whole circuit down.

it must be throwing the breaker in your breaker box too - without a breaker box the line would still be hot after the GF disconnected