Wiring Diagram Review - Both AC/DC

[cwaet]

Hi all - I've been reading these forums for months now and have decided to jump head first into a CTC. While receiving the trailer (EZ Hauler 7x16) is still a month out, I figured I would get started on designing the electrical system and purchasing components. Electrical is definitely the area I have the least experience with, so I'd appreciate any feedback on the attached design.

A couple of questions I have are:
1) Grounding to all aluminum trailer
2) Should I stay away from any of the components or manufacturers?
3) wire gauge and fuse sizing
4) Can I eliminate any of the components safely? It all adds up quickly...

We will boondock most of the time and I am yet to decide on a generator or solar to start, and will hook up to shore power occasionally.

[saltydawg]

Okay I have 4 suggestions,other wise it looks great.

One, dont both with the a separate master switch for the inverter,its just unneeded
two change the size of the master switch and fuse to 100 to 150. The battery has a built in over load shut down, going that big on the switch is wasted money
Just run the solar charger and shore charger in to a fuse on the 12 volt fuse box, saves buying a breaker and it injects power where you may be using it.
Lastly your charger/converter needs to go thru the shunt or the power meter will never know its getting a charge. Also dont use a cheap charger converter, my victron powers everything fine when the batteries are disconnected.

[saltydawg]

Oh and because I always see more as time goes on. you can loose the surge protector. wire size, run your lights and fan in 18, run power point in 16. all direct back to the switch or fuse.

With a lithium battery I would not bother with a breaker going to the 12 volt box. The over load in the battery is fast enough that a short will trigger it.

I also would not bother with the breaker panel, just get a blue sea fuse box. Then a small square d 2 gang breaker panel. I dont even think you need a breaker panel for the 120 volts, Bring power in to a recpt that you plug your shore charger in to, run out of that to a transfer switch, out of the transfer switch to your plugs. The inverter out put to the transfer switch. This gives you the ability to use the same plugs on inverter or shore power. when it comes time for the ac power it from the same plug the charger is on.

this switch is way over kill to use as a transfer switch but not bad price
https://www.amazon.com/Peissy-Changeove ... =8-25&th=1

if you want something a little smaller this is the one I used

https://www.amazon.com/GAMA-Electronics ... 51&sr=8-77

[cwaet]

Really appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback. I also read some of your other posts on electrical and I think I may have ended up with more questions. I revamped the attached diagram with your suggestions, and it definitely simplified it a bit it, especially with the charger/invertor. I saw the AIM 2500 Watt for half the price of the Victron, open to thoughts if that is a truly a "pay for what you get".

A few other questions:
1) Is the recommendation to lose the breaker panel due to size and/or cost? Seems like it's the same from a cost perspective as a fuse and 2 gang box, and one less component.
2) It looks like the Charger/Invertor has an automatic transfer switch, but if I wanted a manual one as well, which side of the charger would I put it?

Once again, I appreciate all of the help. A lot of this is new to me, and I obviously want to get the electrical right from the onset.

[saltydawg]

Really appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback. I also read some of your other posts on electrical and I think I may have ended up with more questions. I revamped the attached diagram with your suggestions, and it definitely simplified it a bit it, especially with the charger/invertor. I saw the AIM 2500 Watt for half the price of the Victron, open to thoughts if that is a truly a "pay for what you get".

A few other questions:
1) Is the recommendation to lose the breaker panel due to size and/or cost? Seems like it's the same from a cost perspective as a fuse and 2 gang box, and one less component.
2) It looks like the Charger/Invertor has an automatic transfer switch, but if I wanted a manual one as well, which side of the charger would I put it?

Once again, I appreciate all of the help. A lot of this is new to me, and I obviously want to get the electrical right from the onset.

edit what I have listed would work with the pd1200. see next post for more info

Okay i dont have the fancy editing skills you have just mspaint.
You maybe able to control the transfer switch in the inverter that you listed. which would make the below work just fine. As for the charger my opinion that the custom charge profiles you can put on the victron chargers which will make your very expensive battery last as long as possible make a 120 buck charger vs a 60 buck charger worth it.

edit dont take the positive for the power meter to the main positive block take it to a fuse on the fuse block, it only needs like a 1 amp fuse.

and put the fuse next to the battery



2 pole box 14.88 lowes
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Square-D-70-Am ... lsrc=aw.ds

how to wire, I ignored the neutrals as they are pretty self explanitory

[saltydawg]

Okay I personally would not go with a combined inveter/charger too exspensive to replace if one part fails.

I would get a victron charger, power it directly from the incoming shore power, that way any time you plug in it chargers. You could put a tandem breaker in the left position, a 20/20. This would make one of those your main the other the charger, if you want the ability to shut if off. see below


Then buy what ever inverter you want, but honestly a 700 pure sign is probably more than you ever need.

[saltydawg]

Now to simplify more and cut down on parts. buy the below link. That saves you buying the off switch and the fuse, as it will do both, just hit the button to turn it off.

https://www.amazon.com/OUHL-Circuit-Tro ... 0cnVl&th=1

[cwaet]

Took me longer to think through that then it probably should have, but attached is where I ended up.

[bobhenry]

It is just food for thought but it is super easy to make the same light ac powered and dc powered just add a 1157 tail light socket and bulb to the fixture......

[saltydawg]

Took me longer to think through that then it probably should have, but attached is where I ended up.

I like everything except I would do 14 to the usb and 16 to the reading lights and interior fan. Yes you want a fuse on the charger, but the easy way is if you have a spare fuse on the blue sea fuse block you can just run it to that.

The usbs can draw 2 amps at 5 volts, they dont really step down the voltage properly so they can draw 2 amps at 12 or close to it, if you have two and charge a couple of things on them at once they could pull 4 amps. Bumping the fan to 16 is just because they can draw a few amps depending on the fan,

I like the drawings and layout enough I am saving it for futures questions, sorry I wont remember who drew it but I wont take credit.

[saltydawg]

If you going to run each of the devices of the switch bank from one fuse circuit I would run a 12 to the switch bank, and fuse it at 20. if your running separate feeds to each switch and then out from there just run them at the wire size your have speced.

and if your truely running all the inside lights in a loop, run 14 thru at least the first couple lights then step down to 16, this way the last few lights wont see any real voltage drop. Basically 14 for the long part of the run, ie if the trip to the first light is 10 feet and 1.5 feet between them. 14 to the first then 16. if it was 8 to the first and 2.5 between the rest run the 14 to light number 3 or 4.

[cwaet]

I really appreciate all of the help. I'll make sure to put up pictures and the final diagram after installation in my build journal.

[rjgimp]

It is just food for thought but it is super easy to make the same light ac powered and dc powered just add a 1157 tail light socket and bulb to the fixture......

My 1969 Steury popup that I will be stripping has combined ac/dc light fixtures. I will be salvaging them for my build.