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Old 06-17-2006, 05:20 PM   #1
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I would like to add a 110 volt electrical circuit to run my Xantrex Trugcharge 20 for my chassis batteries. Currently, I am running an extension cord to the entertainment bay. Has anyone attempted this? As I recall there is room for another circuit breaker on the panel under the foot of the bed.

Should I seek an electrician or an RV specialist to do the work?

By the way, the Trucharge 20 works great for keeping my chassis batteries charged while on shore power.
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Old 06-17-2006, 05:20 PM   #2
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I would like to add a 110 volt electrical circuit to run my Xantrex Trugcharge 20 for my chassis batteries. Currently, I am running an extension cord to the entertainment bay. Has anyone attempted this? As I recall there is room for another circuit breaker on the panel under the foot of the bed.

Should I seek an electrician or an RV specialist to do the work?

By the way, the Trucharge 20 works great for keeping my chassis batteries charged while on shore power.
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Old 06-17-2006, 06:03 PM   #3
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Hi LK23,
Why not add the charger to the electrical compartment and make the connection to the chassis battery via the terminal on the AUX START SOLENOID. Electrically, it the same point as the chassis battery terminal and you can plug into the engine heater outlet or add a spare outlet fairly easily (better access to the breaker panel).
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Old 06-17-2006, 07:41 PM   #4
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Mr. Transistor,

The charger is already installed and connected to the chassis batteries. I need to wire the 110 volt input which is now on an electrical cord plugged into the entertainment compartment (i.e. cord is run on the ground to the ent. compartment). I want to wire it directly and have it on its own circuit with a circuit breaker.
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Old 06-18-2006, 09:11 AM   #5
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Rex - I don't know why this couldn't be done but you would need to be super careful about routing the wire and use lots of chafe protection.

I would NOT use solid conductor romex like you would find at a DIY store; I WOULD use "Anchor" brand stranded cable designed for 120V marine use. It is designed to flex and the wire is tinned (as I recall) for harsh environments.

You would probably need to wick some solder at the connection ends of the cable because the circuit breakers and outlets are designed for solid conductor wire capture.
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Old 06-18-2006, 11:48 AM   #6
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John,

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I am hoping I can find someone familiar with motor homes to do the work.
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Old 06-18-2006, 11:55 AM   #7
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Hi LK23,

I will assume that you want to wire the charger from a source that is not on the output of the inverter. Several outlets are configured this way on your coach. The Washer/Dryer outlet is wired before the load shedder. The refrigerator and vacuum (if installed) are wired after the load shedder and are not on the inverter. It is unclear if the dishwasher is switched on and off by the load center or if it is powered by the inverter or not. Since your 20 Amp. charger is quoted as drawing 4.6 Amps. typical (the math doesn˜t work on this one, it should be less than 2.5 Amps.), it could be wired to any of these circuits. Once the chassis batteries are charged, the current for the charger should drop to under .5 Amp. If you choose to add a breaker, use the load center panel. It is before the inverter and will avoid charging the chassis batteries via the inverter from the coach batteries.

I can't think of a reason not to use the same (Romex type) 120VAC wiring that is already used for the rest of the coach but by all means, use what you are comfortable with. Finding a route from the load center panel to the entertainment compartment will be the tricky part. On our coach, I know the routes from under the bed to the hot water heater and the power compartment but I haven't dug deep enough to find how to access the forward compartments. It should be doable even if you need to drill a hole and then RTV caulk around the cable after passing it through. I have accessed the dash area that way for the AGS control wiring.

Note: I have rewired the refrigerator from before to after the inverter so that the ice maker can work all the time. This is great with the AGS and the fridge on LP. Iced Tea, not just for the summer.
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Old 06-18-2006, 07:43 PM   #8
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Mr. Transistor,

I want to charger to run when connected to shore power primarily. I also want it to run when the generator is operating. Does this mean before or after the inverter?
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Old 06-19-2006, 03:38 PM   #9
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Hi LK23,
Before.
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