WFCO Distribution Center Removal-318SAB

[Seniorchief]

Hello all...trying to sort out an inverter installation for my 2012 318SAB fifth wheel. Simple thing today, wanted to pull the AC distribution panel out to look at wire lengths, etc., and figured this has gotta be easy....not so. After removing the plastic "door", there are four screws, one in each corner. Still easy, right? Well, I turned those screws for a long time, nothing happens! I can't imagine they have nuts on them, does anybody have any experience with this?

The panel in the basement near the water pump is removed, and I can see that it is a double wall (wood paneling) but I can't see the fasteners.

Trailer is in inside storage, cold and dark, so I didn't spend a lot of time and figured I would reach out and see if anyone had been here before. Suggestions/knowledge appreciated!

[randy69]

The screws seem to be striped . Try to use a drill motor with a screw bit and pull on the box at the same time in the corners where the screws are.

[Mike L123]

Yup, it would seem like the screws are somehow stripped. Have you had this cover off before? Try the gently pulling backward while unscrewing thing and that may work just fine. May I ask what inverter issues you are trying to resolve? I have been at the back of our power box a couple of times and I may be of some help to you?

Cheers!

Mike

[Seniorchief]

Well, I figured out my problem with the help of my trusty borescope. To begin with, I have never been in this panel before, we bought the unit used at one year old. In retrospect, when we picked up the trailer, the seller handed me the manuals for the converter and distribution panel separately, not in the plastic bag with all the other documentation. A previous problem? Now I wonder...

Anyway, the back housing of the distribution panel has plastic bosses with small brass threaded inserts pushed in. The plastic around the top two brass inserts is broken, and the inserts just turn and turn with the screws. It looks like it was over tightened and broke the plastic.

The screws hold the breaker faceplate on, and I am not sure how I will get it apart just yet. I'm sure I will wait till warmer weather which greatly increases my patience level!

We will be dry camping for a couple months next winter at a military campground, and I would like to add an inverter to power three outlets, one for the coffee pot, one for the blow dryer and one for a Dyson fan in the bedroom. Even the blow dryer isn't an absolute, I can always fire up one of the generators after coffee.

I was thinking of using a Blue Sea rotary 3 pole transfer switch and routing the shore power to it and then to the distribution panel. I would jump the X and Y wires in a junction box and feed the inverter to the distribution panel via the other side of the transfer switch. I would shut off breakers for AC and hot water and fridge, powering only the AC outlets on inverter. I think I will also need to shut off the converter so I am not discharging the two 6v batteries to charge the house 12V battery.

The inverter out is 30A 2 wire and the incoming service is 50A125 V three wire split into two legs in the panel, as most of you know. I am beginning to think my plan may be flawed on a couple of fronts mad that it may be best to just run three dedicated outlets on the inverter out through a sub panel let the solar panels do their job and run the gen or two as needed.

Thoughts anyone?

[Festus2]

The inverter out is 30A 2 wire and the incoming service is 50A125 V three wire split into two legs in the panel, as most of you know. I am beginning to think my plan may be flawed on a couple of fronts mad that it may be best to just run three dedicated outlets on the inverter out through a sub panel let the solar panels do their job and run the gen or two as needed.

Thoughts anyone?

I think if I were you I'd prefer to go this last route. It is less complicated and adheres to the K.I.S.S. principle. What is your output with the solar panels?
Having a coffee pot, hair dryer, and a fan running at the same time off an inverter is a hefty load and would quickly deplete your 6v's - especially if you like to drink coffee and do your hair.......

[gkainz]

Doesn't answer your question at all, but it continues to amaze me that folks think the electric coffee maker is the only way to make coffee. I use an old fashioned stove top glass percolator ... way better coffee than an electric drip, in my opinion, and no electricity required. :)

[WaltBennett]

I don't have that brand panel, but installed an inverter last year. 50 amp service, two 30 amp legs, same thing. On mine, I took one of the 30 amp legs and ran it to the inverter (has an auto transfer switch in it) and the inverter output back to the panel. The other leg I left alone. I had to move a couple of circuits from one leg to the other, but now all the heavy current draws (air conditioner, ref. AC, water heater AC, etc.) only run on shore power. All the other things will run off the inverter even without shore power (microwave, living room tv, most outlets, etc.).

One thing that I found surprising is how much current the ref. will draw when on electric. It's enough to drain my four T-105 batteries in only a few hot days when I accidentally left it in the wrong mode before switching it to the other leg.

[Seniorchief]

Thanks, WaltBennett. It sounds like you are the closest to what I would like to do. I'm fine with the hot going to the auto transfer switch, but how did you treat the neutral and ground?

[PARAPTOR]

Thanks, WaltBennett. It sounds like you are the closest to what I would like to do. I'm fine with the hot going to the auto transfer switch, but how did you treat the neutral and ground?

If that inverter transfer switch works like a normal transfer switch the hot and neutral go along together and get switched together. As far as the ground it is a continuous non switched ground connecting all devices together and to ground

[Festus2]

One thing that I found surprising is how much current the ref. will draw when on electric. It's enough to drain my four T-105 batteries in only a few hot days when I accidentally left it in the wrong mode before switching it to the other leg.

Walt -
We have a Dometic fridge (Model DM2652) with a manual "Climate Control System". This feature evaporates the water droplets when they form inside the fridge especially during times of high temperature and humidity.

This small rocker switch is mounted on the exterior of the fridge and is located beneath the top decoration panel that houses the control panel.

If this switch is left ON it will draw 12v DC power continuously - which is ok when you are plugged into shore power. If you are dry camping, having it ON will deplete your batteries in a fairly short time.

Not all fridges have this feature - yours may not but it might be worth looking into to see if that is the culprit in having your batteries drain so fast.

[Seniorchief]

Paraptor,
The incoming 50A 125v service has 2 hot legs, one neutral and one ground. If I run one leg and the neutral through the inverter transfer switch, it leaves the other hot leg with no neutral. I don't want the high draw items like hot water and AC running through the inverter.

[PARAPTOR]

Paraptor,
The incoming 50A 125v service has 2 hot legs, one neutral and one ground. If I run one leg and the neutral through the inverter transfer switch, it leaves the other hot leg with no neutral. I don't want the high draw items like hot water and AC running through the inverter.

You had not identified where you were going to split your 50 AMP legs so I assumed that you were going to do something like this. On the rig end of the 50 AMP shore power plug you where going to cut the cable and add a JB. out of the JB would be the other end of the cable you just cut going to your power distribution panel. the second cable would be a new cable say 6-2 with ground running to the new inverter (hot, neutral, ground) transfer switch connections.

In this new JB one leg of the 50AMP cable coming in will connect to the existing cable going to the Distribution panel, the other leg will get connected to the new cable going to the Inverter transfer switch.

Never seen an inverter transfer switch, pretty sure the normal transfer switch wants to see power (hot , neutral, ground) on the each of the power source terminals. Running a hot, neutral, ground over there should meet that requirement.

Another cable 6-2 w ground would be required to go from the output of the inverter transfer switch to the distribution panel

Not an expert just my two cents as they say :D

EDIT: at the Distribution Panel you will need to disconnect the one leg from the distribution panel no longer powered in that original cable (NEW JB ) and connect the new cable to the now open leg of the power distribution panel. You will need to move breakers around to match the combination you want for the inverter.