What Wire To Use?

[Sasquatters]

I have the bus pretty much wired but with 12/2 Romex, but recently I read about someone using extension cord wire since it is flexible and won't break like Romex has the potential to do.



What are your guys thoughts (that have wiring experience) and any tips on wiring? What do you do for the ground wires when there is only 1 ground screw on the outlet? I have read some flatten the wire with a hammer and attach both, and some coil one wire around the other. I have also been told to use a wire nut and branch a third wire off the two grounds to attach to the outlet.



Our next step is electric. Thanks

[PNW_Steve]

You will tie the ground wires together with "greenie" wire nuts.

I tried to link a video and it gave me fits. Click on the link below and there is a video about half way down the page that gives a good illustration.



https://www.google.com/search?q=gree...obile&ie=UTF-8

As far as wire goes: most RV manufacturers use conventional Romex. High end converters, like Marathon, use stranded "boat wire" like this: https://shop.pkys.com/Marine-W123-Tr...0aAmbQEALw_wcB

[2martins]

Originally Posted by Sasquatters

I have the bus pretty much wired but with 12/2 Romex, but recently I read about someone using extension cord wire since it is flexible and won't break like Romex has the potential to do.



What are your guys thoughts (that have wiring experience) and any tips on wiring? What do you do for the ground wires when there is only 1 ground screw on the outlet? I have read some flatten the wire with a hammer and attach both, and some coil one wire around the other. I have also been told to use a wire nut and branch a third wire off the two grounds to attach to the outlet.



Our next step is electric. Thanks

I read this too and I thought it sounded like a good idea. However, I don't know exactly what I am looking for to buy from an electrical supply house. Do they make this is in plenum vs non-plenum given that they aren't expecting you to run it inside a wall? Shielded or not? I was looking for CAT6 cable today and realized I have NO IDEA what all the differences are in all these different types. I just thought I need CAT 6!!! Any help would be appreciated. I live where it is dry, so stuff gets stiff and brittle faster here anyway.

[Sasquatters]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

https://www.google.com/search?q=gree...obile&ie=UTF-8

Definitely the way to go? BTW, I started a new post for our solar stuff. I got all the kwhs posted there.

[family wagon]

The greenie wire nuts are a great convenience when working with solid bare ground wires. If you go with stranded wire the greenies might be a headache, so a regular wire nut plus a "pigtail" going from the ordinary wire nut to the screw on the device could be done instead.

Definitely don't flatten the wire with a hammer, and putting two wires around the screw is sketchy too. What about a crimped spade or ring terminal? I'm not sure whether NEC has anything to say about multiple spades or rings on a single screw, but I have a feeling it would be OK.

I wouldn't use extension cord as permanent wiring. They're engineered to be out in the open where they can dissipate heat and the thin, soft jacket can be visually inspected for damage. For the relatively small amount of ac wiring in a bus use Romex like most RV builders or marine wire like the boat builders. Two advantages of marine wire are that it has a very wide temperature range (-20 °C-105 °C, compared to 60 °C for extension cords) and resistance to nearly every chemical you'll find in a vehicle.

I'm planning for boat wire -- it's expensive on a per-foot basis, but I'll be surprised if I end up using 200 feet for the whole job so in absolute terms it's not all that much more money. (shop around; I see an Amazon seller offering 50 feet for US$49.95 with free shipping, and here is a vendor offering it at US$0.85/ft)

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by family wagon

The greenie wire nuts are a great convenience when working with solid bare ground wires. If you go with stranded wire the greenies might be a headache, so a regular wire nut plus a "pigtail" going from the ordinary wire nut to the screw on the device could be done instead.

Definitely don't flatten the wire with a hammer, and putting two wires around the screw is sketchy too. What about a crimped spade or ring terminal?

Good catch.

[BlackJohn]

When stripping wire such as Romex etc, do not nick it when cutting the insulation back. That's where it will break first.

Don't forget to ground your outlet boxes too so connect any ground wires from devices to that and the main home run back to the panel.


John

[Sasquatters]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

Don't forget to ground your outlet boxes too so connect any ground wires from devices to that and the main home run back to the panel.

John

You lost me here. Sorry.

[BlackJohn]

Originally Posted by Sasquatters

You lost me here. Sorry.

Each receptacle needs a ground wire right?
Sometimes you end up with two or three ground wires or more in a particular box. One of those comes from your panel if wired correctly. The others are from other devices connected to that one.

So, on the inside of the receptacle/switch box, there is a ground screw. A wire/pigtail taken from that ground screw can connect all your green or bare copper grounds with wire nuts as mentioned above by others. Leave them a good 6 inches so you have lots of wire to work with to make joints and tuck them to the back behind the receptacle for easier installation.
Still lost?



John

[Sasquatters]

Originally Posted by BlackJohn

Each receptacle needs a ground wire right?
Sometimes you end up with two or three ground wires or more in a particular box. One of those comes from your panel if wired correctly. The others are from other devices connected to that one.

So, on the inside of the receptacle/switch box, there is a ground screw. A wire/pigtail taken from that ground screw can connect all your green or bare copper grounds with wire nuts as mentioned above by others. Leave them a good 6 inches so you have lots of wire to work with to make joints and tuck them to the back behind the receptacle for easier installation.
Still lost?



John

No, I thought you meant ground the blue plastic box. You're just stating to ground the outlets, correct? Which I have done, but I need to go back through and make some corrections.



Thanks

[BlackJohn]

Originally Posted by Sasquatters

No, I thought you meant ground the blue plastic box. You're just stating to ground the outlets, correct? Which I have done, but I need to go back through and make some corrections.



Thanks

I assumed you had metal boxes, not blue. Same should apply for ease of making connections.
Put up some pics of what you have, explaining doesn't work.








John

[Sasquatters]

Ah, thank you John. I should have specified. [emoji1360]