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Old 11-28-2022, 10:25 AM   #1
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Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Southern Michigan
Posts: 2
Year: 2004
Chassis: Bluebird International 11 Window
Engine: 7.3L Diesel
Electrical Diagram Check & Advice

Hello All - typing this up a second time because apparently the post didn't like it the first time!



I have a 2004 Bluebird 7.3L that my wife and I picked up over the summer. We will never go full time with it - primarily a recreational vehicle with some plans to rent it out on a stationary basis. We have completed the interior tear down - glad that's over! - and have built the subfloor, framed walls, and are almost finished with insulation. Before I get much further I wanted to dial in the plans for electrical, plumbing and propane lines to rough in what makes sense. I have a pretty good grasp on most elements of the build, but electrical is where my knowledge and confidence starts to run a little short. Fundamentally these are our plans:



- Will be plugged in to shore power majority of the time
- No solar (we will likely add this down the road, but for now lets say its not a thing)
- Generator on-board - want to setup to run mini-split OR charge batteries via selector switch
- Also charge batteries via alternator while bus is running
- 400AH lifepo4 batteries onboard
- 300AH total daily usage (max, not including AC)



Basically, I want to isolate the AC to only use it when the generator is running if not plugged in to shore power. This allows us to have a smaller battery bank, not worry about solar right now, have a relatively smaller generator on-board, and also charge batteries with the generator when needed.



I've attached a 5 minute sketch of roughly what I would think this should look like - please give your feedback! I'm certain there are errors or holes you can help me to see. You can even roast me... but at least give some helpful feedback in that case


Thank you in advance!
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SCoolie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2022, 12:32 PM   #2
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Northern California (Sacramento)
Posts: 1,424
Year: 1999
Coachwork: El Dorado Fiberglass
Chassis: Ford E450
Engine: V10 Gas
The diagram is pretty easy to follow. I think you need to add a positive wire to add to the inverter with a breaker or fuse.

Will your inverter be an inverter/charger combo?

You might also look at a couple of autotransfer switches in line to preferentially draw from 1) shore power, 2) generator and 3) battery to save the trouble of manually flipping a switch all the time.
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Old 11-28-2022, 01:04 PM   #3
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Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Southern Michigan
Posts: 2
Year: 2004
Chassis: Bluebird International 11 Window
Engine: 7.3L Diesel
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rucker View Post
The diagram is pretty easy to follow. I think you need to add a positive wire to add to the inverter with a breaker or fuse.

Will your inverter be an inverter/charger combo?

You might also look at a couple of autotransfer switches in line to preferentially draw from 1) shore power, 2) generator and 3) battery to save the trouble of manually flipping a switch all the time.

Thanks for your response. Positive to the inverter makes sense. The only reason I have the inverter to be separated from the battery charger is to avoid the inefficiency created through the inverter. I figure if the generator is running the AC, it doesn't need to go through the inverter, so may as well isolate it to the other 120v loads. This made sense to me, but I could be overlooking something?


Love the auto transfer switch idea.
SCoolie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2022, 01:43 PM   #4
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Northern California (Sacramento)
Posts: 1,424
Year: 1999
Coachwork: El Dorado Fiberglass
Chassis: Ford E450
Engine: V10 Gas
Quote:
Originally Posted by SCoolie View Post
Thanks for your response. Positive to the inverter makes sense. The only reason I have the inverter to be separated from the battery charger is to avoid the inefficiency created through the inverter. I figure if the generator is running the AC, it doesn't need to go through the inverter, so may as well isolate it to the other 120v loads. This made sense to me, but I could be overlooking something?


Love the auto transfer switch idea.
Here's a way to tie them all together:
-A 30A Shore Power inlet into a load center. Either shore power or generator plugs into this.
-Coming out of the load center is a branch circuit for the split system and battery charger, and another branch circuit that feeds a 30A autotransfer switch.
-Then a 30A autotransfer switch with the above branch circuit as one input (normally closed) and the output of the inverter as the second input. This preferentially uses genny or shore power instead of battery for the branch circuits, and keeps the inverter downstream from the split system and battery charger.
-Coming out of the autotransfer switch is a feed to another load center for branch circuit receptacles.

This ensures shore or generator are the only sources for the split system, and when neither generator nor shore power are available the inverter kicks in to power the receptacles.

The first load center is to be able to shut off everything feeding the house circuits except for battery charger and a couple of 20A receptacles so if I need to completely disconnect electrical to work on it I'll still have at least one receptacle for power tools and to keep the fridge cold, and can shore power or genny charge the battery bank.

One thing to note is some inverters are charger/inverters and switch from battery to shore power and back without intervention. In this case you won't need the autotransfer but you will need a load center at the 30A inlet to make a branch circuit dedicated to the split system, upstream from the inverter.

I also have another autotransfer switch because I added a generator inlet at the back of the bus for convenience. It just switches between the two 30A inlets (only one is powered at any given time, but normally closed for the shore power inlet).
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