My toy hauler thread

[Poboy kartman]

IDK...it hurts my head to think about these things....

I'm a simple kinda guy....so...what I'm wondering....is why you would have all this complicated stuff for the 12v stuff?

I mean, how much is 12v, how much could it draw, and wouldn't just a deep cycle battery handle that for a day or two?

So...a built in charger...(switched) coild charge that when plugged into AC....

Soooo...I guess what I'm saying is: why go from AC to DC to AC to DC again? In other words, separate the circuits...(if they're not)... by power source...independent batteries....(I think you'll find you need several deep cycle batteries to run much of anything on power inverters anyway.....

Maybe a small quiet generator would actually serve your needs better?????

Anyway....have fun in Yosemite....(and say Hi to Sam for me!)

 

[supermanotorious]

I would love to have a pair of these Yamaha inverter generators! But even if I did, Yosemite limits the use of generators so they wouldn't go far on this upcoming trip.

I do not want to convert from DC>AC>DC again as that can not be efficient. I think maybe a switch is necessary on the blue CONV POS line going in to the 12V circuit board. This would prevent the batteries from trying to charge themselves and would make for the most efficiency IMO.

 

[supermanotorious]

ah ha! I think I've figured it out! This DPDT relay will serve as my automatic transfer switch, a 120V relay will trigger the blue CONV POS on or off depending on the presence of shore power. I am genius!

 

[supermanotorious]

I picked up the 110V relay from Radio Shack and tried to ask the elderly clerk for assistance with the wiring. He could not focus on the circuit but kept getting distracted by the entire system. I asked him multiple times to focus on this circuit and he simply couldn't, a very frustrating experience.

Hopefully you guys can tell me how to wire this up. Here I have a 10amp 110V relay that is only to provide a signal to the 30amp 12V relay so that when shore power is present, the CONV POS is bridged, but when shore power is absent, CONV POS is open.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

So you're saying that Radio Shack is still a thing? That is the revelation of the day.

 

[supermanotorious]

I think this is how I should do it.

 

[supermanotorious]

makin some sweet solderins!

 

[supermanotorious]

OMG I am a genius.

 

[landuse]

Lol. Did it work

 

[supermanotorious]

Well I'm still waiting on the 30amp 110V relay, but after some additional thought, I believe there is no need for 110V pass through on the inverter, the output is all that will be necessary. There will not be a scenario where shore power is present and passing through the inverter, it would be diverted at the relay. This is simplifying the project even further.

 

[supermanotorious]

One thing that is bothering me is that the 7-pin truck outlet is not producing 12v + to charge the house battery while in tow. I read somewhere that you might have to have the running lights on for this function but that is not working. I've tested the fuses for the 7-pin and they are good, any ideas?

 

[supermanotorious]

Ah ha! THIS solved the problem!

 

[supermanotorious]

Wiring it all up was something of a PITA, esp without anyone's help but I got it done. I used some marine grade electrical boxes from Home Depot to house all the relays.

This system is beautiful and intelligent. Shore power- powers converter, charges batteries. Inverter/Battery power- powers converter, disconnects the converter charging loop. It all happens automatically.

By default, the RV elects Inverter power, however, in the presence of shore power, it automatically switches over.

 

[supermanotorious]

locked the battery to the tongue, still wrestling with how I am going to set up the battery bank though.

I eliminated the 110V "IN" to the Inverter- no need for that!

also cut the mattress topper to fit the 45 degree angle of the front bed

 

[landuse]

You are doing an awesome job there.

 

[Badot]

Little late, but as per the diagram on the side: Pins 86 and 85 get energized at voltage to throw the relay. 30 and 87A are connected when the relay isn't thrown, 30 and 87 when the relay is thrown.

 

[supermanotorious]

I knew there were mice droppings under the tub and tried to vacuum them out but also knew some were impossible to reach. When I started the inverter project I found more mice nests and even a dead momma and several dead babies so I said the helll with it, the tub caulking was bad so I decided to pull the tub. Made a tool to help, check out our homemade tools section for that one. I destroyed the tub shoe removing the tub and have replaced it. Now that the area is cleaned I'm trying to reinstall the tub and getting my tail kicked. I can not get it to not leak.

It's a difficult install since the p-trap is on the opposite end of the tub from the access hole in the crawl space which you can see in the installed inverter pictures. I haven't been truly scientific with figuring out the leak so I'm going that route now. I drained the tub and gray water hold tank, with the slice valve open, I blasted pressurized air down the tub drain forcing all water out of the trap and confirmed with a flashlight. I have filled the tub and will check for a leak in the morning. If there is a leak, I know it is the tub shoe fitting despite my use of plumber's dope and tape. If no water on the floor, then I will drain the tub, essentially filling the trap again and will let that sit, checking for leaks a few hours later. This should help me figure out what to focus on.

This photo is very misleading BTW, I am holding my phone at arm's length in the service area, there is about as far as my hand gets so I need a long tool to reach the fitting.

 

[J_Walker]

quick question. just curious. why a tub and not a shower? In my logical standpoint, if I was gonna remove the tub anyway, I would of installed a shower. seems like a shower would take up less space too.. get one of those fiberglass shower basins that you see in boats and high end RV's and coat the walls with some white acrylic sheets. and you're good to go.

 

[2SlickNick]

Nice progress!

 

[supermanotorious]

honestly my budget is about tapped, I would prefer the shower too but for now trying to make lemonade if you get my drift. at a minimum, this should have been a left hand tub instead of a righthand tub, the kids still fit in this tub so it will suffice for now, assuming I can get the plumbing to stop leaking