Shore Power into ATS wire size

[gacgiv]

Hello Y’all,

I’m in the process of installing an inverter into my Voltage 3970. While I was accessing the ATS, I noticed the the wire size is #10. How do they get away with the 30 amp wire size on a 50 amp RV? Any thoughts??

[ATCguy]

How? Because there are no “code” requirements on your RV, and they cheap out every chance they get.

The only “code” the manufacturer is required to follow in building your RV is the DOT requirements for road-worthiness. (Brakes, lights, weight, etc). Everything else is whatever they feel they can get away with, and still get the customers’ money.

[gacgiv]

I didn’t realize the NEC wouldn’t apply to RVs, Crazy. I agree with you, the RV manufacturers should be ashamed!

Appreciate your response!

Godspeed

[franktafl]

Doesn’t the inverter just supply the 12 volt lamps and charging the batteries and any other 12 volt items?
How many watts is the inverter rated for?
Does the main 120 feed to the load center have 6 awg from shore power?

[dsol]

Originally Posted by gacgiv

Hello Y’all,

I’m in the process of installing an inverter into my Voltage 3970. While I was accessing the ATS, I noticed the the wire size is #10. How do they get away with the 30 amp wire size on a 50 amp RV? Any thoughts??

Isn’t the 50 amp service really two separate 25 amp circuits so that there is never more than 25 or so amps on one leg? This way you really only have 50 amps in the power cord running from the power supply into the RV but from there on there are basically separate runs throughout the RV. I assume this is like a power panel at your home where you would have a couple hundred amps or so coming into the panel but anything over 30 amps from the panel is only when two ore more circuits are combined like for an air conditioning compressor?

That is why you almost never see more than 30 amps unless an RV has two air conditioners because all that amperage is to allow both to run at the same time.

I don’t think a manufacturer would risk a fire potentially killing people by knowingly running insufficient wire gauge regardless of what they could get away with and I think they would be exposed if they did.

I know they do everything on the cheap and under size lots of things but would be shocked to learn they send these things out of the factory with fire risk. I hope I am not wrong.

Can some of you electrical experts out there shed some more light—no pun intended? [emoji3]

[franktafl]

"Although a 50 amp service for a recreational vehicle, or RV, is connected to four wires and uses a four-prong plug, it is still a three pole service with only hot, neutral and ground connections. It is different from a conventional 120 volt service in that there are two 120 volt hot feeds, or legs, each at 50 amps. A 50 amp service is not a 30 amp service and a 20 amp service joined together. Even the largest RVs, when plugged into 50 amp service, still almost universally use this double-hot-pole, or double-bus, installation to draw only 120 volts to two separate 120-volt circuits simultaneously, thereby accessing a possible 12,000 watts of power."

[persistent]

The wire from shore power connector on the side of the TT to the transfer switch should be 8 gauge at least. Under some conditions it must be 6 gauge. The ground wire may be smaller than L1, L2, and neutral.

10 gauge has an ampacity of 30 amps. However, it is enough to trip a 50 amp circuit breaker should there be a sudden catastrophic failure.

I would change it out to avoid cooking the insulation and connectors under heavy load conditions.

[gacgiv]

Good morning ☕️
Update to my inverter install.

Shore/ATS power wire upgraded from factory #10 to #6, Installed the Victron Multi Plus 12/3000w (it’s AWESOME) !!

DISAPPOINTED RV manufacturers are able to sell junk, but it’s a choice I guess.

Reading entertainment;

https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-electric...find-out-here/


Respectfully,
Matt.