gina
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Post by gina on Feb 8, 2016 6:26:04 GMT -8
Have installed a power converter/charger from a Toyota motorhome in my '65 Shasta. Have hooked up 110 outlets and 12 volt lights. Have a bare copper wire coming out of converter from 110 grounds. Been getting conflicting answers.. Should this be grounded to frame? And the battery negative to frame also?  ? |
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gina
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Post by gina on Feb 8, 2016 6:38:44 GMT -8
The Toyota was a 1985. Do I have to go into the converter and separate ground bar and neutral bar if they are bonded???
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Feb 8, 2016 8:58:38 GMT -8
We are very careful when giving electrical advice here. There are some discussion threads posted. Listen to vikx ; will have good advice for you. Be patient, vikx will be here later. |
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Post by vikx on Feb 8, 2016 13:16:05 GMT -8
Hi Gina,
The bare copper wire goes to the trailer frame and should be securely attached via a lug.
The 12 volt ground should also go to the trailer frame with a different (usually white) wire. I always attach this ground with it's own lug or bolt.
I highly doubt the converter commons and grounds are bonded. Unless you are very experienced with electrical work, I would not recommend doing anything to the converter.
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gina
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Post by gina on Feb 9, 2016 5:40:54 GMT -8
Thanks!
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gary350
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We should have gone camping today it is going to snow 6" tonight.
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Post by gary350 on Feb 14, 2016 11:46:05 GMT -8
I use a 12 volt DC to 120 volt AC inverter sometimes on my camper trailer when we camp in National parks they do not have 120 volts at any camp sites. I always put the car battery and 120 volt inverter under the camper trailer near the camper trailer 120 volt hook up on the outside wall of the trailer. I have a 120 volt wire 4 feet long from the inverter to the 120 volt AC plug on the side of my camper. Naturally the plug on the side on this old vintage says 110 volts but there is no such thing in this country these day. If we don't need the car battery and inverter we leave it at home. No point in hauling around a 50 lbs car battery, inverter, and cord, if we don't need it. I learned my lesson the hard way, do not use your vehicle battery for the camper if it goes dead you have a problem, always take jumper cables.
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SusieQ
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Post by SusieQ on Feb 14, 2016 20:48:23 GMT -8
Here's a little explanation of the interchangeable use of 110 and 120. The standard term changed to 120 in the 70's but some of us still use the term we grew up with. 110. And both terms are still used interchangeably and generally understood as one and the same. The power at its beginning is 120 but when the voltage reaches its outlet, the reading will vary anywhere from 107 - 120.5. It depends on the distance from the source and the load. The average mean reading is 117. Probably, 110 was used because it is half of 220 (the source into the house and the outlets required for BIG appliances) and long ago, there was even more instability in the current. If you deal with anything that requires really big power, like ships, you'll hear 440, but it's actually 450. You might think Europeans have 220 power, but actually it's 230. So, it fluctuates between its source and the actually delivery... everywhere.
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