4x4 Tour's Sportsmobile Build: Interior

[4x4tour]

Obtained a Snap on extension bar today, solar completed.

[rockbender]

I really like your control panel - nice and clean. I especially like the way you ran the wires for the fuse block in through the back so you have nice easy visible access to your fuses without a bunch of wires sticking out. Well done!

[jage]

Can't tell if that main plug is GFI, I think GFI at the head of all your 110v is a good idea for the vans.

[4x4tour]

Jage,

I sliced an outdoor extension cord and connected it to the back of the AC wall receptacle, which will then plug into my Aims 1500 Pure sine inverter/10 amp 3 phase charger. The inverter has a MAX AC rating of 12.5 amps.

I thought of installing one, but they are all 15amp. i was thinking the inverter fuses would go before the GFI, anyway. Would an AC spike of 15 of more trip the GFI, beofr it had a chance to blow the inverter's 12.5 limit? I think i will do a GFI regardless, would just nice to know...

Thoughts?

[jage]

A GFI won't pop from amps, that's what the circuit breaker is for... I don't know how you would protect your inverter if that's your goal. I've run a sawzall on an undersized invertor- not for long though, it just got hot and stopped powering the sawzall, and then wouldn't run my much lighter draw drill either. Later it seemed fine, cooled probably.

The outdoor extension cord won't do anything to protect you either. Doing a 10A breaker (exists??) and a 15 amp GFI is fine. It just means the breaker will pop before the GFI melts... you wouldn't want a 20A breaker and a 15A GFI for example. That said, the GFI won't be any worse than the current outlet, but will protect you if, say you're on the side of the road in a rainstorm running a drill and drop it in a puddle...

[4x4tour]

I just pictured that with an electric impact I have, it sucks, but I have it... lol It's a harbor freight one that doesnt have enough oomph to loosen my lugnuts. The AC will probably just be used for the microwave and TV monitor stuff.

[LenS]

No there are 20amp GFI's out there.

My rear (aka: bathroom) van wiring:



Lwr switch and timer is for house battery charger when on shore power



Two duplex outlets at sink. Right one is a 20 amp GFI (note the shape of the female connections under "SHORE" label).



Shore power comes into this outlet first and then all others are down stream of it and are GFI protected. I originally located the plug as shown. Never, NEVER had it trip....so wanting 4 outlets I could use all the time I moved the 20 amp GFI under the sink and had 4 outlets at the side of the sink that could run on shore or inverter power. MISTAKE. Started tripping the GFI a lot and always had to crawl under sink to reset. So, I moved it back to were it was very easy to get at.