My wiring plans

[BigWally]

I want to take this opprotunity to thank each and every one of you who contributed inthis thread. Wow, amazing work and the final wiring diagram is superb. Thank you for providing me with numerous ideas and solutions to the "Electical Nightmare".

You folks a truely TOP NOTCH!!!

Now all I need is for someone to come to Fresno and wire my trailer up while I supervise from the lounge chair, (Heck, it works for my wife). *

This forum is truely a blessing, my wife thinks I'm chatting to some hot mamma, for some reason she just doesn't believe I caruseing through this forms.

*Adult refreshments will be provided!!1

[bledsoe3]

my wife thinks I'm chatting to some hot mamma, for some reason she just doesn't believe I caruseing through this forms.

Joanne did author this thread.

[Lucky489]

Is Kerry's schematic somewhere downloadable in a PDF. I can't seem to find it anywhere, but that is the way I want to wire my trailer. When I start.

Thanks
Mark

[toypusher]

Is Kerry's schematic somewhere downloadable in a PDF. I can't seem to find it anywhere, but that is the way I want to wire my trailer. When I start.

Thanks
Mark

Just 'right click' on the image and 'Save Picture As..' and save it to your local computer.

[cracker39]

It's been a while since this post was started and I didn't go back to read all of it. Did I mention that I used the WFCO WF-8725 converter in the Squidget? That simplifies the whole wiring setup and the maintenance charge cycle keeps the battery up while the trailer isn't being used without overcharging. You just install it and connect the wires to your shore cable, battery, lights, AC, fan, etc. All it needs as it comes out of the box are some 12VDC fuses and one or two 110VAC circuit breakers if you're using standard household appliances or AC unit. Oh yeah, and a main breaker (you can get these at the box stores) whre the power comes in. The unit can be gotten cheaper now than when I bought one 2 years ago, $110 plus shipping at
http://rvpowerpartsplus.com/oscommerce/ ... 98787422b2

[Lucky489]

Ah thanks I was thinking they were shruk, but it makes sense now.

Is Kerry's schematic somewhere downloadable in a PDF. I can't seem to find it anywhere, but that is the way I want to wire my trailer. When I start.

Thanks
Mark

Just 'right click' on the image and 'Save Picture As..' and save it to your local computer.

[toypusher]

Ah thanks I was thinking they were shruk, but it makes sense now.

I think that I might have some larger versions somewhere still. Which one exactly do you want??

[01Sport]

Can I ask a few questions on all this stuff?

1. The switch for the Charging Vehicle, what is that used for? And do you run a seperate line from your Alternator and your ignition to the solenoid then a completely different line to the plug from the trailer? As in, it doesn't connect into the trailer lighting plug does it? Like my 7 prong connection?

2. This may be a dumb question, but can the battery and the electrical be put in the same area, like a box on the tongue? If so, so they have to be seperated and vented well to do that?

3. Instead of using 12GA and 14GA, can you just use 12GA or is 14GA necessary?

4. What converter/charger do I look for?

5. If you don't use Romex for the 110, you can just use 3 strands of stranded wire?

6. And since I have never plugged into shore power while camping, the NEMA 5-20 is plugged into the trailer from the shore power? As in the male end plugs into the shore power at the site and the female end goes to the trailer?

Thanks for your help, this thread has been very helpful.

[wlooper89]

Thanks Joanne for helping me to a good start with your excellent wiring diagram. I made a couple of changes but basically used a similar setup.

My hitch installer put in the trailer battery charge wire with an in-line fuse at the tow vehicle battery. The wire then goes straight to the socket at the hitch so the wire is always hot, even if the car is turned off. The tow vehicle originally had just the four wire hookup for trailer tail and running lights and the hitch installer put in the charge wire and 7-pin connector. I wish the power to the charge wire was somehow tied into the car ignition switch, but do not know how to do that. Any suggestions from anyone?

Bill

[cracker39]

01sport, you'll probably get different answers from different people. As for my experience,

1. I don't charge from the vehicle, only from an outside power source (e.g. a covered socket box outside my house or campground power)

2. NEVER put a lead acid battery where gasses from it can be exposed to an electrical spark. I but my battery in one side of my tongue box, and the shore cable to the 30 amp main breaker to the other side, but the two compartments are sealed pretty good and the battery side is ventilated with two round plastic soffet vents in the end of the box.



3. 12 ga wire is the heavier and will probably handle most 12 VDC uses. My vent fan and lights are wired to 16 g wire, the rest (12 vdc sockets, etc.) are all on 12 ga wire. My lead wires from the battery to converter are 10 ga.

4. A converter probably isn't a necessity, but nice to have as long as the battery is on a multi-stage charger and the AC voltage is separate through the appropriate circuit breakers. AS stated above, I used the WFCO multi-stage converter/charger and like it.

5. Not sure about the answer to this one. I used nomex for all of my AC wiring, but would think stranded would work...what about it you electricians out there?

6. I bought a regular 30 amp shore cable (25' long) from WalMart. I cut off the receptacle end and wired it directly to my main breaker in the tongue box. The cable feeds out through a cable port in the end of the box to plug into a shore socket. The cable is for 30 amp sockets and I have an adapter for connecting to 15 amp sockets (standard house type).

[reiltear]

2. Ditto what Dale said

3. The 12 gauge wire is rated 20A and 14 gauge 15A. What are you wiring? So, basically yes, you can use 12AWG instead of 14.

5. IMHO, the stranded wire would work better in this application - easier to feed through all the nooks and crannies in the TD and it should last longer for the same reason - it's more flexible.

[01Sport]

Thanks Dale. Some of these things I will have to think about as I'm going. I'm gonna hit the electrical so so I need to start thinking about it.

[01Sport]

2. Ditto what Dale said

3. The 12 gauge wire is rated 20A and 14 gauge 15A. What are you wiring? So, basically yes, you can use 12AWG instead of 14.

5. IMHO, the stranded wire would work better in this application - easier to feed through all the nooks and crannies in the TD and it should last longer for the same reason - it's more flexible.

Thanks.

Just basic stuff will be wired...lights, stereo, fan, nothing major for this build

[Lucky489]

Not necessary the ones above worked perfect

Thanks

Ah thanks I was thinking they were shruk, but it makes sense now.

I think that I might have some larger versions somewhere still. Which one exactly do you want??

[wlooper89]

This is a return to an older topic for this thread. My question concerns grounding the trailer chassis to shore power 120V ground. My Little Guy came with the 12V negative wire grounded to the trailer chassis. There were comments earlier in this topic about the desirability of grounding shore power to the trailer chassis. So I am wondering if there might be a problem mixing the 12V and 120V grounds together. Come to think of it none of my D/C lights are grounded to the trailer chasis except the ones powered from the tow vehicle. All the others have a dedicated ground wire going back to the trailer battery and/or converter. Now I am really confused.

Bill