electric wiring

[Pete Doriot]

I am planning on changing out the old fuse box in my 57 Trotwood Cub. I am planing a circuit breaker box. Now I have 1 outlet and 3 electric lights. I want to add 2 outlets and moving the lights around. I also have an old Bargman? jack plate outside I want to change it to the jack used in camp grounds today. Any help and suggestions are appreciated.

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  Pete, all you need is a small panel (Id look for an RV panel) with maybe a main breaker (20 or 30 amp, depends on size of power cord to RV) and 4 branch circuit breakers. For a smaller RV a main would typically be 30 amp provided the RV's incoming power cord is 30 amp 10 gauge. If the cord is only 12 gauge wire then a 20 amp main breaker is all you would use. At the minimum Id have outlets on one 20 amp (provided wiring to them is 12 gauge) branch circuit and 120 volt lights on a separate branch breaker. If it has an air conditioner they are usually on their own separate 20 amp breaker. If a circuit only uses 14 gauge wire (like some lighting only circuits) then its breaker needs to be a 15 amp. Any RV Ive owned had a GFCI outlet in the bathroom and in the kitchen if the outlet is near the sink it would also be GFCI.

 The incoming power cord has a Black Hot, White Neutral, and a Green/Bare Equipment Grounding Conductor. Inside the panel the Hot is what attaches to then passes through the main breaker, the incoming White Neutral attaches to a common Neutral Buss bar (its insulated off the steel case) where all the white RV circuit Neutrals attach, and a separate Ground Buss bar (its electrically bonded to the panels steel case)  where all the RV's branch circuit green/bare conductors attach. There's a copper wire that attaches to the campers frame and runs to the Ground Buss inside the panel so the campers frame and skin are grounded.    

 DISCLAIMER although much of my life I was an AC Power Distribution Electrical Engineer, I'm long retired and rusty as an old nail on the latest codes SO NO WARRANTY ON ANY OF THIS, its just my best recollection of how things were way back when.

 John T

[John "T" Nordhoff]

PS Above I was talking ONLY about AC distribution. Many RV's have a combination AC & DC distribution panel. Many RV's have a triple combination AC and DC distribution PLUS a Converter/Charger all built into a single unit.

 John T

[Pete Doriot]

thanks JohnT, I really appreciate the info

[Jimco_W001]

John has brought up a important point about using the right type of breaker box.The neutral and ground wires must be isolated.As to the new shore power cord you can add a electrical box and connect your new 30 amp rv cord to it.Then run 10 gauge wire to your new breaker box from there.

[Pete Doriot]

thank you Jimco, I'll be sure and double check my wiring

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  Yo Jimco, glad to see your statement  "The neutral and ground wires must be isolated" Many lay persons are NOT aware of that because that's NOT how the panel is inside their home where the Neutral and ground Busses are bonded together or sometimes theres only one buss for both. A mobile home or RV panel is considered as a SUB PANEL in which case the Neutral is insulated and isolated from the ground buss and the panels steel frame while the RV frame and panel steel and all the bare/green equipment grounding conductors go to the Ground Buss. Although I'm long retired from electrical engineering practice, I dont think those code requirements have changed????

 John T