Book or site for rv electrical

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Techdog

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Jun 19, 2011
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Hi where or what book would have a complete rewire of a rv besides a dealer ? I am planning to gut an old Argosy and redo it completely. Or is there a site ?
 
I was in CW today, and noticed they had a book on the shelf about RV electrical systems.  Sorry don't remember the name and I didn't flip through it to see how good it was.... Probably generic but maybe helpful.
 
A motor home or trailer has three independent wiring systems.
ONE: the "Vehicle" part, chassis wiring this includes the tail lights, marker lights, license plate lamp, on a trailer the electric brakes and on a motor home the headlights and all the Vehicle stuff..  Remove the entire body and replace it with a box truck body, and this wiring remains.

Second is your 12 volt house system.. Wiring a 12 volt system is no different from a 120 volt system  IN fact a good amount of my "HOUSE" 12 volt is wired with regular house (Romex) wire.  There is one thing they often do that is ODD.. .BLACK, is positive, (Usually on automotive and other low voltage black is chassis ground/negative).. OF course you can do it either way.

Finally there is teh 120 volt house wiring,, Same as a sticks and bricks.  No difference EXCEPT that the GROUND (Which is bonded to the chassis) IS NOT bonded to the neutral on an RV.  (Only on the park end of the cord). AND on RV's with a built in generator, there is some kind of transfer switch.. There are two kinds in common use (There are 3 types total)

First: Poor-man's .. This is an outlet, you plug the RV into itself using the regular shore cord in order to use the generator.
TWO: Automatic Transfer Switch:  This is a "Black box" it has inputs for Shore and Generator, and it has a load out,, Hook up is very logical.

There is some special stuff if you have a 30 amp RV with dual A/C.s in regard to this switch.

SOME RV's have an "Energery Managent System" that helps keep you up and running when on 30 amps.

Those are the only differences between RV and HOUSE wiring.

Oh, the 3rd type of transfer switch.. Manual.. Basicaly a 3 position center off toggle designed to handle that kind of power.  I have only seen one of those in an RV, and .. Qutie frankly,, I INstalled it,, it switches one 15 amp circuit in my Rig from "Mains" (Shore or generator only) To Inverter so I can power outlets next to my bed off the inverter after lockign the fridge on GAS.
 
Some helpful links:

http://dave78chieftain.zxq.net/ConverterInfo.html

http://www.fridge-and-solar.net/dual_bat.htm

http://www.metrotrekkers.org/utility/electrical.htm
 

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