Electrical Plugs and Recepticals

[wlooper89]

I have a 25A converter in a tight space and would like to be able remove it easily to get to other items in spite of several wire connections. For the 12V DC wires that go to things like the master fuse and the battery for charging, I am thinking about using 30A plugs and connectors that are designed for AC current. Any thoughts on this or is it a no-no?

I do not see plugs and connectors online that are designed for DC with the amp rating I need.

Many thanks! Bill

[Kevin A]

I have a 25A converter in a tight space and would like to be able remove it easily to get to other items in spite of several wire connections. For the 12V DC wires that go to things like the master fuse and the battery for charging, I am thinking about using 30A plugs and connectors that are designed for AC current. Any thoughts on this or is it a no-no?

I do not see plugs and connectors online that are designed for DC with the amp rating I need.

Many thanks! Bill

I wouldn't use AC connectors on a DC system, it's too easy for someone to mistakenly plug AC power into your 12 volt system.

If you scroll down to the second half of this link http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=12276
You'll find a ton of electrical help.

[bobhenry]

I have a 25A converter in a tight space and would like to be able remove it easily to get to other items in spite of several wire connections. For the 12V DC wires that go to things like the master fuse and the battery for charging, I am thinking about using 30A plugs and connectors that are designed for AC current. Any thoughts on this or is it a no-no?

I do not see plugs and connectors online that are designed for DC with the amp rating I need.

Many thanks! Bill

Check the amp rating on a 4 ,6 or 7 pin trailer connector.( male and female for a quick connect ) The lugs will have to be big enough to accomidate 10 gage wire and each run should not exceed 8' but I would think this would be a neat and do-able way to handle the problem.

[bobhenry]

http://www.solarseller.com/anderson_sb_ ... connectors

Found some rated to 50 amperes

[Alphacarina]

I do not see plugs and connectors online that are designed for DC with the amp rating I need.

Many thanks! Bill

I wouldn't use AC connectors on a DC system, it's too easy for someone to mistakenly plug AC power into your 12 volt system

I agree - Mixing AC and DC connectors can only lead to a disaster on down the road

For others reading about this 'predicament' - A 25 amp converter in a tear is waaaaaay overkill - Unless you actually have a total of 25 amps of DC appliances that you'll be running all at once

Size your converter to match the anticipated load - Something around 5 amps would be fine for 95% of us. If your system has a battery, the converter can actually be smaller than the total load of everything you might run at once, because the battery can make up the difference for those infrequent times when your load exceeds the output of the converter

No need to waste extra space or lug around extra weight using an oversized converter. If you're using a battery charger for your DC power, smaller is actually better because batteries live longer when they are slow charged than when they are hammered by a larger charger

Don

[wlooper89]

Thanks everyone for your input. You are probably right about not needing a converter this large. But since it is already installed I will probably still use it. The biggest possible amp draw would be for battery charging, although the tow vehicle will also do that.

I totally agree about not using AC type plugs and connectors for DC wires. The 50A DC quick disconnects sound perfect for my installation.

Thanks again for helping me find the right solution!

Bill

[Alphacarina]

Check the manual on your converter and see if it is even designed for battery charging - Most of them are not

Usually, a 'converter' puts out a fixed voltage and since many times there is a battery connected in the system, that fixed voltage is a lower one, something around 13 volts since any higher voltage would boil the water out of the battery if left connected to it for any length of time because converters don't have any provision for checking the charge on the battery and reducing their output voltage once the battery is full . . . . like 'smart' battery chargers do

The problem with the lower converter voltage is it won't charge a battery to 100% of it's capacity so the battery will sulphate faster than if it was on a maintenace charger. A converter will however prevent the battery from being run down when loads are applied

In most instances, for a teardrop a smallish, 3 stage battery charger is better for all around use than a conveter, since it will properly (and automatically) take care of your battery, charging it to 100% and then floating it to prevent it from becoming sulphated - Up to it's rated capacity, it will also act as a conveter, powering the loads while you're plugged in and even if those loads are higher then the capacity of the charger, the battery can make up the difference and the charger will replentish the battery once the loads go away. A 5 or 10 amp 3 stage charger is a good choice for most teardrops with a single group 24 or 27 deep cycle battery

Don

[wlooper89]

Your comment is most appreciated and the information on converters and battery charging. My converter does have have three stage capability, but mostly I plan to charge from my tow vehicle enroute or a Battery Tender when I get home. Still there could be an occasion when I arrive at a camping location with a low battery and shore power available. This might be following a short drive from a site with no electric hookup. Probably it would not happen very often.

I have very little experience actually camping with the tear and look forward to doing more of that before too long. Lately I have been trying to design and build the electrical system and hopefully am staying on course thanks to all the help from people in this group.

[Caradoc]

Anderson Powerpoles are the way to go, and getting to be some sort of standard for a lot of 12 VDC connections. I've ordered them from Powerwerx.com before, and they work very well. The 30A connectors are very common for various connections.

Powerwerx.com Powerpole site

--Lance

[wlooper89]

Thanks very much for all the input about electrical connectors in general and those from Anderson Power Products. I ordered several 50A ones and they work great. There are seven different colors so it is easy to see where to plug them. Prices vary a lot so it is good to shop around on the web. I used a vendor named Helmar, Inc.

Bill