Chinook RV

Anyone know if there is a good way to separate the 15 A outlets circuit from the rest of the AC circuit (i.e., the microwave, charger, and the rooftop AC)? The reason that I want to do this is to power the outlets only when I turn on the inverter. My plan is to get a ATS (auto transfer switch) and take the output of the gen set/shore and inverter and send it to the outlets. When there is shore power or generator power, everything (mw, charger, AC, and outlets) will be on. When the inverter is switch on, only the outlet will be on. This way, I won't have to deal with adding a relay to shut off the charger when the inverter is on, and simplify how I power the outlets. I hope I do not need to completely replace the Parallax panel with one that support two phase power.

I'm not going to be much help here, but....

A friend of mine and I were re-wiring his trailer. Now, keep in mind I'm not an AC guru (barely amateur). The way the trailer came was it had one set of outlets like in the Chinook. Then a completely separate set of outlets for the inverter. Talk about a pain: You had to go around on hands and knees un-plugging and re-plugging everything depending on what you were doing.

So part of the project was to put in new AC and DC panels, new/different inverter, better charger. BUT, unlike his previous RV, which had a big whole-house inverter/charger, he was going with just a plain inverter (but just upgrading it a tad from the original, which was tiny, because we also put in a bigger/lithium system.

So okay, let's get rid of that crazy separate outlet system. Yes!

But it wasn't so simple. Because if you just put the inverter on the same outlets, then as you have figured out the inverter will be in a "loop" where you don't want it (sorry, I am bad at explaining this part, but I think there were bonding issues and something else too (WHY I can't describe this; I don't know but I never can). This would not be a problem with a combo inverter/charger (which has its own switching) but he didn't want that because he only uses the inverter once in a blue moon.

My buddy is a little on the, well not lazy side, but let's say go with the flow side. So he decided just to keep the separate outlet system (also, he only uses the inverter once in a blue moon, so that helps).

But another fellow with the same trailer used a (IIRC) 5-pole switch to make and break all the appropriate connections so that shore and inverter could be on the same set. It was this type, I believe (but I think it had five poles?)

https://www.bluesea.com/products/8366/A ... OFF_2_Pole

I can't remember the brand name of these right now, but they are not actually made by Blue Sea and you can get them without the panel plates for less money elsewhere. I think it was a German name (would look it up but on way out door).

Blue Sea also makes AC panels with manual selector toggles - not sure if that would work plus those are $$.

But maybe your relay way is actually better and cheaper? I'm kind of out of my depth. I only posted because we did run into that exact same issue, and while my buddy decided to just keep the separate outlets the other fellow did use one of the switches I showed to make it all work.

PS: I just spent ten minutes searching for that fellow's post but I can't find it and I have to head out now.

No one leaves until I am done with the mod!

I called a few places, and it sounds like I need to get something like the Parallax 5300 series. It is not going to be a good option for me, since it is a way overkill for the rig, and I can't use the Progressive Dynamics converter in it. I think I will just go back to the original plan of using switch to shut off the converter.

I looked at the manual switch option before, and there is a economical 5 pole switch from China. I decided not to go with that due to the lack of data on the reliability of the switch. I think I will look at some automated switch mechanism for this instead. Back to the planning phase.

Ha on the nobody leaves

It seems to be working as I just cannot get out of here!

I'm sure at some point today the name of the switch manufacturer for those "Blue Sea" switches is going to come to me. I still don't think they are cheap, but less than from Blue Sea probably. But maybe that's not a route you want to go anyway.

Kraus and Naimer!

Whew, I can stop trying to remember that now.

Thanx, Blue.

This looks like just what you need, a transfer switch made for an inverter/shore power switch:

https://www.donrowe.com/KISAE-TS15A-Aut ... /ts15a.htm

Just plug into your inverter and wire it in-line to the outlet circuit.

Here's one on Amazon with pigtails for the AC outlet in-line connection:

https://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-8080915- ... B004S5Y158

Clay, these are perfect ATS if I can get the panel mod, but after talking to a few vendors about what is available and what can be done to existing brown box, it seems like I have to use other alternatives

chin_k wrote: March 7th, 2019, 10:28 am Clay, these are perfect ATS if I can get the panel mod, but after talking to a few vendors about what is available and what can be done to existing brown box, it seems like I have to use other alternatives

It looks like a very easy installation to me, without modifying your panel. The AC outlets already have their own dedicated circuit and breaker in the "Brown Box". All you have to do is wire your transfer switch in-line between the black wire to the breaker, and the breaker. You can pick up neutral and ground from the bus bars in the AC box. The outlet circuit is the far right breaker, according to my box pictures: