Shore power hookup help

[marinetanker504]

I am extremely at a loss as I approach this portion of the Skoolie build because I do not understand any aspect of electrical at all. All I can do is provide you with the specs of what I have and see if anyone is able to lead me into the right direction, which is amazing at!

We just installed the following AC unit on the roof:
RV Rooftop dc Air Conditioner Unit 12 Volt, Treeligo High Efficient RV AC Unit-Cooling Only-Low Noise for Car RV Truck Camper
Power
Voltage 12 Volts (DC)
Wattage 3000 watts
Power Source Corded Electric

I have the following inverter:
5000W Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter 12V DC to 110V AC with Wireless Remote Control LCD Display 1 USB Port, 4 AC Outlets, 1 Terminal Blocks for RV Truck Cabin Off Grid
Details
Brand Mxmoonfree
Recommended Uses For Product Vehicle, RV, Solar System, Home
Power Source Solar and Battery Powered
Wattage 5000 watts
Model Name 5000W 12V inverter

I want shore power so need the following:
RV shore power inlet (I’ve seen 30 amp or 50 amp).
RV power extension cord (not sure which one)
Maybe adapters?

Which one should I get for what I described above?
I have no idea what to purchase and who can do the install for me?

Would there be anything else needed?

I plan on buying a generator as well so need to get that and someone to make a cubby hole area beneath the bus as I’ve seen on other builds.

Is there a simple way of telling me exactly what I need and what I need to do?

 

[desrtdog]

Check out faroutride.com...Look at the Learn / Electrical System Guide menu item at the top for a good overview of all things electrical. I used the tutorial and some of the tools listed to plan out my electrical system...

 

[DeMac]

Installed: 12v AC or no volt AC

I am extremely at a loss as I approach this portion of the Skoolie build because I do not understand any aspect of electrical at all. All I can do is provide you with the specs of what I have and see if anyone is able to lead me into the right direction, which is amazing at!

We just installed the following AC unit on the roof:
RV Rooftop dc Air Conditioner Unit 12 Volt......
(..........)
Is there a simple way of telling me exactly what I need and what I need to do?

I installed a rooftop AC, before I even finished the demo. You're welcome to read my electrical tutorial in my signature block below. I'm a hospital Electrician, so I did it the safest way I could. Over 100 photos with descriptions. .


It's really not that easy to describe custom electro-mechanical construction using only words. Sometimes words can be misleading. Even the pros must use photos, blueprints & drawings to accurately convey a message. Contracting is often done by blueprint. In cases where one party is a laymen & the other expert, it's nearly impossible. I find myself defining words and having to prove basic theory.

With electrical theory, It's best to educate oneself via a trusted source, so as to not conflict hearsay and legend with facts and science. Lots of internet electricians "its easy". pst

Desert Dog is a wonderful teacher. Follow the link he provided, study and make plans. In a few hours of reading, you'll likely be able to ask specific, detailed questions to which we can more accurately respond in kind.

And please post photos and drawing, it really makes a tremendous difference in our understanding of the desired outcome.

 

[Rucker]

Already a few good replies.

I would recommend considering 30 amp service-it should be adequate for your purposes.

I installed a small subpanel for shore power to feed in to, and ran a few receptacles straight off shore power, then fed a transfer switch (GoPower brand), to toggle between the bus inverter and shore power.

 

[marinetanker504]

Ok. I don’t understand any of that. I even looked at the very thorough site that a previous member sent and ultimately, do not understand when it comes to power, power boxes, a/c and all of these things. It’s like a different language. I had someone install the a/c today and it’s not blowing cold air. He says I need more power but again, I received vague instructions on building a battery box etc. no idea what he’s talking about.
At a loss.
Hard to believe there isn’t anyone in south Florida who is able to be contracted out to help. Feels a bit hopeless honestly

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

wish i was closer?
marinetanker how did yall fare with the storm?

 

[marinetanker504]

Yes sir, me too!
It was not too bad down this way in south Florida. It really hit Tampa and that area hard. We had rain but nothing substantial. Thank you for asking. Praying for those who incurred major damage.

 

[marinetanker504]

Here are some photos of the ac unit and the inverter (which, subsequently won’t power a hair dryer for more than a couple of seconds). I am absolutely lost at this point. I am more than willing to hire someone who understands this stuff but again I’m having a lot of trouble finding anyone in South Florida

 

[desrtdog]

A few questions for you:

1. What is currently powering your A/C unit? I see the pretty stout wires coming out of it, going through the rear bulkhead, but where to?
2. What is the input to your inverter?
3. What are you looking to power from the inverter?

I note from your original post that you have the 12vdc A/C unit, and a 5000w inverter, but no mention of any battery bank - which would presumably be the input for both. Also, if you do have a battery bank, then you need some sort of charger to keep that topped off...even if you get a shore power hook-up, still need that to go through a charger...same for a generator...

For the inverter, 5000w seems a bit of overkill, as its function is to convert DC to AC power...but depends what you are trying to run.

If you can provide a broad summary of what you want your electrical system to do - i.e., what loads you will have (both 12vdc and 120vac), any solar or other charging sources, batteries, etc, I am happy to look at that through the the Faroutride tools for you (the van electrical calculator and interactive wiring diagram), or help you through that...unfortunately, I am not anywhere near you to actually help with the build...

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

not doing bad here the storms gone more in land than a direct hit so all good.
need more info on your unit and how you are trying to power it right now verses how you want to power it while going down the road or parked at a campsite.
you need a converter from 120v to 12v if your A/C is truly 12v. vehicle battery charger is the cheapest and easiest and easily replaceable. i do alot of mechanic work and hate the new digital ones and try to stay analog.
just some thoughts to help you get started sir.

 

[DeMac]

Rooftop AC & Shore Power Installation

What is your goal?

Cool the interior of the bus?
OR
Building a variable voltage electrical production, energy distribution and storage facility?

To be clear, I work in the Central Energy Production facilities of three local hospitals. Florida law requires our ACs to maintain back up power. Surgical rooms are powered even more autonomously.

It sounds like a silly question, but I'm serious. Do you really need to manufacturer & store the electricity which powers the appliance?

Assuming your bus has/had/will have factory installed AC, powered by the diesel engine belts....(just pretend for a moment that you have awsome road AC)

Would it be disadvantageous to use an extension cord or 30A RV cord to shore power?

Why the need to use BOTH an extension cord AND complex12v DC (Direct Current), inverter, charge control, monitor, batteries, cables...

Selecting a different air conditioner which runs on 120vAC (Alternating Current) would be soooo much easier. Just plug it in. Let the utility company produce the electrons.
(vibrate actually)

We could more easily help, if you had purchaced normal, RV Rooftop AC. Those run on 120v. Same s the electrical voltage in the wall of your home and also campsite power pedestals. Unfortunately, that air conditioner runs off of 12vDC, same as the belt driven alternator on the motor. (Large alternator). Continuing forward is a path not well traveled.

It's much easier to have a bus with both factory air and 120v AC for parking. Some well experienced ]/i]builders choose mini-splits to perform both. With thier education and their experience, they have AC while driving. So, it is possible, probably alot of reading involved. But that tiny DC unit is no split unit.

Those of us who already know the truth (and have AC) have nothing to prove. For EASY rooftop air, I wrote two entire tutorials with photos and details with circles and arrows with descriptions on the back. Like Alices Restaurant.

Rooftop AC and Shore Power
Baby Steps, Right Here

 

[Kentucky Dreaming]

Dude, things do not compute. You say it is a 12 volt DC unit. The closest I could
find to what you listed has 2600 watts of cooling capacity. that's roughly 9,000 to 10,000 BTU. It has a listed power consumption of 850 watts. At 12 volts, that's about 70 amps. Even with a short wire run, that would require wires the size of passenger vehicle battery cables.

Don't understand the inclusion of the inverter in the setup for 12 volt A/C. the battery bank is already giving you 12 volt DC. But at 70 amps, a small bank ain't gonna do much for you.

You need shore power and a converter/charger, and help from an automotive or RV electrician, not residential.

Like Desrtdog, I am also too far away to help in person.

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

i dont see a battery bank?
i see 120 in to a inverter/converter or whatever you want to call it.
no battery bank yet.
so just an assumption?
he is powering a 30 amp shore power connection off a 12-guage cord connected to 15 amp breaker.
my outside GFCI or GCFI depending on who you talk to?
i dont know and i aint a sparky so listen to DEMAC.

 

[Kentucky Dreaming]

He doesn't have shore power yet.

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

no shore power no solar no battery bank i guess he has wind power.
i dream every night.
remember a dream can be a nightmare as well?

 

[Kentucky Dreaming]

For EASY rooftop air, I wrote two entire tutorials with photos and details with circles and arrows with descriptions on the back. Like Alices Restaurant

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant. (except for Alice)

 

[turf]

im glad the experts weighed in before me......

here i go with my limited understanding.

i think the op wants to run his 12volt AC off of a converter or shore.

so 3000 watts divided by 12 volts means he needs a 250A converter. thats really big! good luck finding that.

to actually run the AC, he'll need some lifepo batteries to discharge reeally fast. im just guessing that no converter/charger would keep up at that rate.

is that close?

to the op, - Start learning your electricity. we can help, but we cant do it all for you. everyones needs are different, so... its up to you to do it right.


it may not be in your best interest to hook up the AC now. maybe a shore connection is more important. in a month you may not need ac for a while. for the 12v ac to work, i feel like you're going to need a big battery bank. and some sort of charging for that battery bank.

 

[desrtdog]

A/C is already installed, so it's probably too late for the the 120 vac option. What I could find online for a unit that's (maybe) similar to what he has (10KBTU cooling only??) indicated that the current draw was 35-60 amps, so yeah, big cables required. Don't know where it's made (probably China) but suspect that something got lost in the translation re the 3000 watts capacity...

What we really need to know to help here is what OP wants from the electrical system - questions I posted above...then figure out what will provide that, and at what budget. My electrical system was the most expensive part of the build, but that is because I went with the higher end (Victron) components and LiFePO4's...not seeing that here...

For sure, you don't want to go running a bunch of wires here and there without any sort of breaker or fuse protections - not yet factored in to this build, but maybe not needed...just depends...

 

[DeMac]

What's The Time?

A/C is already installed, so it's probably too late for the the 120 vac option...

Unfortunately, it's not installed. It's only attached.

"It's too late"
Is an age old quitter sentence.
I wont speak those words. It's never too late. There is only perfect.

Do any of us know the power requirements?
If its off grid or stationary?
I don't.

I'm only offering easy. Plug & play fast, 120v is 1/4 of the expense. Best of all, no hired labor or learning curve. Cord connected is the safest. Hands down.

If 240v equiptment arrives but I only have 277v, do I install new transformer & gear or tell the engineer he messed up, order the right stuff.

Too late. Pst.

Contracting.
Write it.

 

[marinetanker504]

I looked through all of the responses and am even more confused by all of the responses.
Again, full disclosure...I have less than zero skills and understanding of any of this, which is why I am trying to hire someone to do it.

To be clear:'
I do not have shore power (i want it)
I got the ac unit that the install mechanics recommended to me
I got an inverter based off of their recommendations as well
I thought I was hiring guys who understood this type of work but was mistaken
I have since stopped using them for all things on my bus
I believe they hooked up the ac to the alternator. I have no idea

I do not have a battery box (trying to figure that one out but simply do not understand)
Do not have a generator, although will buy one if needed

DeMac:
Ultimately, I wish to have cool air while driving (other than front vehicle ac which works)
I want to run the ac when parked off of generator and/shore power

At this point I cannot return the ac unit, although I am confused as to why the one i have is bad?