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10-26-2020, 09:57 PM
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#1
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 333
Year: 2003
Engine: DT530
Rated Cap: 84
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How do I interface a 120v system w/ 240v shorepower?
I am very comfortable with residential wiring but I am not sure how to proceed.
Here is what I have:
-3500 Watt Predator generator
-AIMS Power PICOGLF25W12V120AL Green AIMS 2500 Watt 12VDC to 120VAC Power Inverter Charger with Transfer Switch
-AC breaker box
-DC 12 space fuse block
Planning on 400ah AGM batteries to start with
I have no intention of running the rooftop A/C on the inverter but I do have a small apartment fridge.
What major components am I missing?
How do I interface a 50a 240v shore power with a 120v inverter/transfer and generator?
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10-26-2020, 10:03 PM
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#2
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Almost There
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 76
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 72
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Each pole of the 240v plug is 120v. So, just wire up the 30A style connector. Or if you have a 50A connector, only wire up one pole, and cap off the second.
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10-26-2020, 10:08 PM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 1,001
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: International
Engine: TE 444
Rated Cap: 12
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One leg of 240 volt power to neutral is 120 volts, the plug has 4 pins, 2 are not, one is ground and the other is neutral, the hot wires in the cord should be red and black, ground green and neutral white. You can just use one hot lead for 50 amps of 120 power and ignore the other
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10-26-2020, 10:11 PM
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#4
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Lafayette, Indiana
Posts: 333
Year: 2003
Engine: DT530
Rated Cap: 84
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kubla
One leg of 240 volt power to neutral is 120 volts, the plug has 4 pins, 2 are not, one is ground and the other is neutral, the hot wires in the cord should be red and black, ground green and neutral white. You can just use one hot lead for 50 amps of 120 power and ignore the other
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Is there a way to use both legs into a single 120v system? That would give me the power to run a second A/C when I install it.
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10-26-2020, 11:15 PM
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#5
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: California, Bay Area
Posts: 895
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Quote:
Originally Posted by T-Bolt
Is there a way to use both legs into a single 120v system? That would give me the power to run a second A/C when I install it.
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Why not install 240V A/C, they tend to be more common and more efficient from what I've casually observed.
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10-27-2020, 02:05 AM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,860
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas Built Bus
Chassis: Freightliner FS65
Engine: Caterpillar 3126E Diesel
Rated Cap: 71 Passenger- 30,000 lbs.
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Right. Then you can balance your loads between the two 120V legs of the 240V system. This is done inside the load center (AC distribution box). Usually, every other breaker are on the same leg.
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10-27-2020, 06:22 AM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 19,704
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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240 volt AC units seem like a bad idea as then you are forced to campgrounds or shore that has a 50a 240 available. . vs being able to still plug into a 120 volt 30amp and use 1 of your 2 A/C units
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10-27-2020, 07:47 AM
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#8
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Andrews,Indiana
Posts: 2,455
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: AARE
Engine: 3116 Cat 250hp
Rated Cap: Just the two of us.
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This picture explains it pretty well
At home I have a standard RV pedestal, with a standard 4 prong RV receptacle, that I plug my bus into. For my welders I simply use the RV plug with only three blades used. The only difference is the RV has ground and neutral.
Be aware that some campgrounds "cheat" and wire both blades to the same leg of the 220. If you only have 120V appliances that shouldn't be a problem but, if you have anything that is actually 220 it won't work, it isn't split phase.
A 50A RV plug is actually 2 120V circuits using a common ground and neutral.
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10-27-2020, 09:03 AM
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#9
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2014
Location: West Ohio
Posts: 3,813
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Did your generator include an rv adapter? The listing on amazon says they do, but I don't know if that's an amazon thing or if all the predator generators include it.
I'd have the ac breaker box connected to the output of the inverter charger. Have a cord to the AC input of the inverter charger, and then have a 30 amp rv plug on the other end of your cord. You can then buy different adapters to go from that 30 amp rv plug to a 50 amp rv plug, or from the 30 amp rv plug to a 15 amp garage outlet plug.
Some campgrounds only offer 30 amp service, so you'd be set with your regular cord then. Then if you want to be powered by your generator, and if your generator includes a 30 amp rv to 30 amp twistlock connector, you'd be in business that way.
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10-27-2020, 09:25 AM
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#10
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,806
Coachwork: Integrated Coach Corp.
Chassis: RE-300 42ft
Engine: 466ci
Rated Cap: 90
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Its always good to have an electrician familiar with ac/dc systems look over your work. Maybe post pics of your plan or installation, as many bus nuts are also master tradesmen.
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10-27-2020, 03:32 PM
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#11
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 13
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If you wire your bus with a 240 50a input cable and wire up the 240 inside the bus. If you only have 120 30a to connect to you can get or build an adapter (dogbone) that goes from 120 30a plug to 240 50a plug. You just are limited to 120 30a of consumption. So if you have and 240v appliances recommend turning them off or flipping those breakers off.
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10-28-2020, 04:47 AM
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#12
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: California, Bay Area
Posts: 895
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid
240 volt AC units seem like a bad idea as then you are forced to campgrounds or shore that has a 50a 240 available. . vs being able to still plug into a 120 volt 30amp and use 1 of your 2 A/C units
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I hadn't hadn't considered that. Its a good point.
That's a shame since it seems all the more efficient units are 240VAC, even the smaller 9k and 6k ones. But I suppose if you are plugging into shorepower efficiency isn't such a huge priority.
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10-28-2020, 09:22 PM
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#13
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New Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 7
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Just install 30amp RV plug on the left hand side of bus. . I run water heater, fridge, battery charger, 13,000 btu a/c And pull under 20 amps. Your generator does not even produce 50 amps.
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10-29-2020, 09:19 PM
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#14
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 1,001
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: International
Engine: TE 444
Rated Cap: 12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dzl_
I hadn't hadn't considered that. Its a good point.
That's a shame since it seems all the more efficient units are 240VAC, even the smaller 9k and 6k ones. But I suppose if you are plugging into shorepower efficiency isn't such a huge priority.
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Mini splits are much more common in europe and japan where outlets are 240 volt and are just catching on in the USA, most houses have 240 service at the main panel so it is not a problem to use those units, but they are now making more units that are 120 volt for us weird americans with our weird split phase electrical setup
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11-01-2020, 01:45 AM
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#15
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 16
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Wire size
Please have a journeyman electrician review your plans and go over them with you. Wire size, grounding, neutral, breaker and or fuse size and what wire goes where are critical. You don’t want to fry your expensive equipment or burn up wiring.
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