I am redoing a vintage Camper

[mancave]

You might want to start that process now. If it's a case of lost title and all you have is a bill of sale (or maybe not even that) then you have a bit of a hill to climb.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

well I will be going that way tomorrow so I may stop by there and see what they say. I also read that I can get a vin or serial number from the sheriff office as well but don't know how true that is.

But a update on my progress I have the stuff to start wiring my running lights and stuff so once Im done I will show you a picture of the completed work.

 

[mancave]

hey would anyone know how I can strip the paint off the tongue of the camper. I plan to prime and repaint but i need to get as much off as i can. i have it smooth but old is still on there.
I thought about something called citrus paint stripper. if anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

The "good stuff" (methelyne chloride) was banned 5 years ago but the same brands like "aircraft stripper" still exist. You could try that and see if it works on whatever paint you're removing. Sand blasting is another option which offers nice surface prep (and mess) at the same time.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[mancave]

hey can someone give me their opinion about this water heater. I am just looking at different ones.

I hope its not to bad

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Didn't see it on the amazon page but the number to look for is temperature rise at different flow rates. That will give you an idea if it can keep up with a cold tank and a hot shower. Consider that tankless heaters and the start-stop nature of RV water use aren't the greatest match so make sure this is a solution for your use.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[mancave]

Didn't see it on the amazon page but the number to look for is temperature rise at different flow rates. That will give you an idea if it can keep up with a cold tank and a hot shower. Consider that tankless heaters and the start-stop nature of RV water use aren't the greatest match so make sure this is a solution for your use.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Yeah I am trying to find on that I can hook to shower/kitchen sink and bath sink but not run at same time.

 

[mancave]

I have 80 percent of my trailer lights wired. I just have to mount the box and run the brown wire and blue wire. It is coming along though

 

[mancave]

hey can someone tell/give me a idea how I would be able to have each section on a breaker like have front outlets on a breaker,kitchen and bathroom on breaker and back half outlets on breaker while running it with 30 amps. I also wanted to do this with lights per section but I just wanna see how you would do it. would you put all lights on breaker then all outlets on breaker?

I will have lights as 12v but it has to be powered from breaker when battery not in use.

anyway I am open and willing to hear all ideas. I know I need a single pole 30 amp breaker and outlets need 15 amp but I don't see how I can have more then 2 15 amp breakers with 30 amp service.

anyway let me know your method of doing it.


also can someone verify that this here is the correct end I need for my shore line

 

[ferfer]

12v but it has to be powered from breaker when battery not in use.

You need a Converter/charger. When on shore power (batteries not used) the 30A circuit breaker is connected to converter/charger. The converter/charger is connected to 12V fuse panel and converts 120V ac to 12V dc and power the 12V system and charges the batteries.

 

[ferfer]

put all lights on breaker then all outlets on breaker?

120V system is wired to the circuit breakers. Whatever plugs into house style socket is 120V and will only be powered when on shore power.

12V system is wired to the 12V fuse panel. Typical 12V system powers lights and anything with a circuit board, such as the absorption fridge eyebrow and light (even when on 120V electric mode vs propane), hot water heater, thermostat which controls furnace and AC. Note AC can NOT run on 12V.

Jennifer

 

[mancave]

120V system is wired to the circuit breakers. Whatever plugs into house style socket is 120V and will only be powered when on shore power.

12V system is wired to the 12V fuse panel. Typical 12V system powers lights and anything with a circuit board, such as the absorption fridge eyebrow and light (even when on 120V electric mode vs propane), hot water heater, thermostat which controls furnace and AC. Note AC can NOT run on 12V.

Jennifer

so I am over thinking it. the lights would not be on a breaker then just outlets

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I don't see how I can have more then 2 15 amp breakers with 30 amp service.

Go look at the service panel for your house. You may have a 200A main breaker, and 40 or so 15 or 20A, maybe some 30A dual or 240V breakers totaling far more than your 200A input. The breakers are not there to limit service current, but to protect individual circuits.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[mancave]

Go look at the service panel for your house. You may have a 200A main breaker, and 40 or so 15 or 20A, maybe some 30A dual or 240V breakers totaling far more than your 200A input. The breakers are not there to limit service current, but to protect individual circuits.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

ok so I am not limited to what the main breaker is then.

So I should be able to have a 30amp for main,and 15 for outlets, and 20 for ac and I should be fine correct?

 

[Kirk]

So I should be able to have a 30amp for main,and 15 for outlets, and 20 for ac and I should be fine correct?

The reason for a main circuit breaker that is 30A is to limit the amount of current that could be drawn from the power cord for safety reasons. It really doesn't matter what the total of all of the separate circuit breakers is because of that limiting main circuit breaker. It would be extremely unusual if all of the circuit breakers in a distribution were to attempt to draw their maximum current at the same time. Most 30A RVs will have a 30A main, at least one 20A circuit breaker for the roof air conditioner, a 15A circuit breaker for the microwave, another 15A circuit breaker for the outlets, and typically one more 15A circuit breaker for the 120V/12V converter. You may see distribution panels with another for a 120V heating element in the water heater and possibly one or two others. If the owner then attempts to operate the air conditioner, the electric water heater, and the microwave all at the same time, the main 30A circuit breaker will open to protect the RV power cord. Each of the other circuit breakers is there to protect and limit the circuit it supplies.

 

[CharlesinGA]

The A/C is 12-3 w/grd Romex® and standard RV receptacles accept only 14-2 w/grd solid wire (Romex®). Really not much sense in going to 12 gauge on electric outlets in an RV.

I mis-stated, the A/C will use 12-2 W/grd

***************************

The power connection on the outside of the camper is known as an power inlet. Yes, it has to have the same gauge wire as the shore cord, 10 gauge. I used blue flex smurf conduit and ran individual stranded THHN wires as they were easier to work with and I was running into a generator transfer switch. Some people will use a piece of cord, with fine stranded wire in it, but this does not work well as its difficult to capture all of the strands in the terminals, without using ferrules. THHN wire is coarse strands and in this installation works well, but has to be in conduit.

Last two pics I did are a previous install on a Thor trailer. I did use Romex on it and while it worked, I really didn't like it. Very difficult to work with 10 gauge solid wire Romex®

Charles

 

[CharlesinGA]

I will have lights as 12v but it has to be powered from breaker when battery not in use.

12v interior lights, like all 12v devices and appliances, are always powered from the fuse panel, with automotive type blade fuses. They have no relation to the 120v AC side at all. The battery and power converter always power the 12v DC side of the systems. 120v AC is totally separate and the only place the two come together is the power converter, which takes 120v AC and makes 12v DC, to run the 12v side and charge the battery. Don't confuse fuses and breakers, it makes us wonder what you are doing wrong.

Did anyone point out the 12v side of life and part 2 to you. It will help.

Charles

 

[Kirk]

Did anyone point out the 12v side of life and part 2 to you. It will help

You may want to read those again, if you read them back when I first suggested it. The author, Mark Nemeth has been a friend of mine for more than 20 years and he is also a tech writer for the Escapees Magazine. He knows his stuff.

 

[ferfer]

opinion about this water heater

May I ask why you want a tankless hot water heater in a trailer with size limiting tanks? Without reviewing this water heater I question how you envision it would work for you?

For me I would never want a tankless hot water heater. Even if you stay only in campgrounds, many will have water and electric hookups but not sewage at each site. To dump tanks you move a community site.
When no site sewage hookup campers generally take 'navy showers' to max. time before tanks dump.

In the RV world how you plan to use the trailer often suggests the must have vs would be nice to have limited by size, weight and system requirements.

I think you mention thinking mountain camping less then 5 times. Do the campgrounds have full hookup or water/electric or no hookup at camp site?

Jennifer

 

[mancave]

hey everyone. I got my running lights all done. Took a bit to figure out the tail lights but I was able to get them to work. the crawling under the camper and pulling wire was hard as I am not young as I use to be but I enjoyed it.I have attached some pics of them running.

I am now going to be looking into getting my wire to run my 12 volt items, the AC, and then outlets.

Here is what I plan to use
14/2 - outlets
12/2 - AC and furnace and water heater(my current one)
10 gauge single wire to run from Battery to distribution panel(when the time comes), or 10/2 and connect each wire to battery accordingly

16 gauge single wire to run from fuse to 12 volt items, 16 gauge wire ground to run from ground bar in panel to chassis(since panel will be grounded from battery)
HERE is what I was going to get to use for wiring 12 volt items.

If I am incorrect on anything please let me know and please correct me as I am relying on YOU guys to keep me straight.

Talk soon

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

10 gauge single wire to run from Battery to distribution panel

I would recommend at least 6 gauge, or better 4 gauge. This isn't an ampacity question, it's about minimizing voltage drop. You may also want to review where your heavy-hitter 12V draws are going to be and put your primary chassis ground at that point, using same gauge or heavier copper.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM