There was a select switch in the cabin to switch between AC units when on shore power. When you used the generator, you put it on the front and it would power both AC units. On shore power it would only power whichever unit you selected. So, I could only run 1 AC unit at a time on shore power.
There was a also wiring that ran from the rear AC unit down to a junction box by the generator. The main power for the coach also ran to that same junction box and it all tied together there with the generator to power the whole coach. So, I ran some wiring and connected it to the rear AC unit wiring (which I disconnected from the generator wiring). I ran the other end into the power cord storage area with a male 20A plug on the end. I ran another group of wires back to the junction box and it was connected to the generator. At the end of that one was an 20A outlet - which was located in that same power cord storage area. The outlet is essentially a generator outlet.
So, if I wanted to run the rear AC off the generator, I plugged the male plug in to the generator outlet. If I wanted to run the rear AC off a 20A shore circuit, I would plug the male plug in to a 20A extension cord that ran to shore power. I would also make sure the selector switch was on front.
OK, Here is the "gotcha" that I have found. There is only one circuit breaker in the distribution panel that provide power to a "Front/Off/Rear" power selector for the A/C units located in a cabinet. I can't find how the second circuit of the generator (20 amp) gets switched to power the rear A/C unit. On generator power the "Front/Off/Rear" selector is not in the circuit. Ideas?
Mr. Jeff wrote: OK, Here is the "gotcha" that I have found. There is only one circuit breaker in the distribution panel that provide power to a "Front/Off/Rear" power selector for the A/C units located in a cabinet. I can't find how the second circuit of the generator (20 amp) gets switched to power the rear A/C unit. On generator power the "Front/Off/Rear" selector is not in the circuit. Ideas?
The "Front/Off/Rear" selector switch is powered by the distribution panels CB.
There is a junction box in the Gensets compartment that routes, via the gensets 20A CB, power directly back to the rear AC on it's own wire set. The other CB at the genset & it's wires, go to the distribution panel. Because of the transfer switch, it's not possible to apply AC back to the genset from shore power.
Note that a small genset, like 4500 Watts, may only wire to the selector switch and not separately to the rear AC.
Thanks Jim. You confirmed what I was able to trace out, and what is shown (without detail) on the schematic provided by Fleetwood. The confusion (mine) comes with the "Front/Off/Rear" selector - it receives the 20 amp secondary circuit from the genset but there does not appear to be an ATS between them, and I don't have to do anything with the switch when going to gen power. How is this working? This obviously is where my ATS and second shore power line should be connected (between the genset and the selector).
Mr. Jeff wrote: Thanks Jim. You confirmed what I was able to trace out, and what is shown (without detail) on the schematic provided by Fleetwood. The confusion (mine) comes with the "Front/Off/Rear" selector - it receives the 20 amp secondary circuit from the genset but there does not appear to be an ATS between them, and I don't have to do anything with the switch when going to gen power. How is this working? This obviously is where my ATS and second shore power line should be connected (between the genset and the selector).
Thanks!
In order to shorten wire runs, and to avoid having two wire cables to the rear AC, the genset is wired to the switch...but it's only there using a terminal as a tie point. I think if you ohm it out, you'd find that the rear AC wire is connected directly to the wire coming from the 20A CB on the genset.
And, look at it this way...the genset has a 30Amp and a 20Amp CB. Your rig is 30A. What happens to that other 20A?
The switch is necessary when you're on shore power with only 30A available. Then you need to switch between the two ACs because (for safety reasons) you don't have enough power to power them both at the same time.
When running a 6500 Watt genset, it IS capable of 54 Amp, more then enough to supply 30 amp to the whole house, AND run the additional AC.
Since the genset has that extra 20Amp CB, it doesn't need to go through the distribution panel since it only runs the rear AC.
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