Full Rewire Advice - Need help from someone who has been there please...

[crabbey1]

Sorry that this will be so long, but I have a ton of info to go over. Please stick with me...

So I decided awhile back that I was going to rewire my trailer. I having been in the planning stages of the rewire for quite some time now and I finally started puling the trigger on all the odds and ends that I will need. For a novice like myself, this is daunting but I am very organized and feel confident... I would like to run my plan my you guys and see if I am missing anything or if it sounds about right... Thanks to anyone who can help...

Overall:

Batteries: Not 100% sure but I need between 250 - 300 Ah. I all now looking into Interstate RV-XHD batteries. I can get 2 6 volts for dirt cheap and have 232 Ah, which is a good start.

Converter: Inteli Power 4045

I went this route for ease of breaker panel and DC distribution power. I plan to mount this in the bathroom closet on a panel that I will build for all panels and gauges.

Monitoring:

I also got a Trimetric Battery Monitoring System so I know what is up at all times along with the wiring kit with the shunt.

I also picked up a Blue Sea Shut Off Switch so I can control the battery if something goes wrong or I need to work on the system.

Protection:

I decided to protect the system with A Surge Guard. I didn't opt for the more expensive LCD models based on cost.

DC System:

I am using all 15 Amp Fuses for the panels and I broke the circuits up the best I could.

Circuit 1:

Water Pump - 7.5 Amp - 35 ft.

Circuit 2:

Furnace - 6 Amp - 50 ft.

Circuit 3: 11 Amp - 60 ft.

Bathroom Light - 3 Amp
Shower Light - 1 Amp
Rear Overhead Light - 3 Amp
Rear Maxx Fan - 1.4 - 4.4 Amp

Circuit 4: 15 Amp - 100 ft.

Gaucho Light - 3 Amp
Gaucho DC Outlet - 3 Amp
Front Maxx Fan - 1.4 - 4.4 Amp
Front Overhead Light - 3 Amp
Porch Light - 1 Amp
Scare Light - 1 Amp

Circuit 5: 9 Amp - 130 ft.

Kitchen Fan - 1.5 Amp
Kitchen Light - 1.5 Amp
Water Heater Ignition - 1 Amp
Dining DC Outlet - 3 Amp
Dining Reading Lights - 2 Amp

Circuit 6: 9 Amp - 100 ft.

TV DC Outlet - 5 Amp
CD/DVD Player - 4 Amp

After all is said and done, I need about 500 feet of 10 gauge conductor to complete all the circuits. Does that sound crazy to anyone? Seems like a lot to me... but this is the first time I have tried to rewire a trailer so who knows?

I plan to use the 10 gauge conductor from Waytek... They have good prices and it is marine grade.

I also plan to use connectors like these to make all the connections on the DC side... and then wrap them in electrical tape. Does that seem solid?

On the the AC side:

Breaker 1: Converter - 30 Amp

Breaker 2: A/C - 20 Amp

Breaker 3: Refrigerator - 20 Amp

Breaker 4: Bathroom Outlet and Exterior Outlet Curbside - GFCI 20 Amp

Breaker 5: Gaucho Outlet - Kitchen Outlet - Dining Area Outlet - 20 Amp

I ordered some 12/3 Marine Wire on eBay for all the AC wiring. I got 100 ft for $70 which should cover it all. I also am using these outlets from cooper wiring as well as one of these with USB outlets.

I think that covers about all of it. I do plan on adding Solar in the future but that is a little ways off and I can wire for it later on down the road.

Please let me know if there is any glaring mistakes in my plans or if there is anything that I NEED to have that would make monitoring and using my system better or easier. Thanks for any and all comments and help !!!!



Chris

[TG Twinkie]

You don't need a 30 amp breaker for a 45 amp converter.
10 gage wire is a bit of overkill. But it will work.
Will your coach have 30 amp service?I don't see a main breaker listed. I may have missed it in the reading.
Sounds like an awful lot of wire for the DC side. Are you running 2 wires to each device?
Are you rewiring the trailer exterior lighting as well?
Sounds like you have the interior skin off.

[rumrunner]

I would rethink your connectors.
It would be silly to spend the money on top grade wiring then use the most basic connectors available. These were the type of connectors used in my 55 from the factory and several failed and shorted against the skin. Waytek should have heat shrink butt connectors which are filled with a silicone goo which when properly installed make a completely waterproof and permanent connection. My son gave me some which he uses on military aircraft and they are incredible! BTW do not get the soldered connectors, they make a hard spot in the wire which can be susceptible to vibration and fatigue. Also, remember to always leave yourself a little extra for repairs/modifications later.
As a final thought, consider changing as many of your lights to LED as possible. your battery draw will go down incredibly when your usage is in milliamps instead of amps.
tim

[crabbey1]

TG Twinkie - The 30 Amp breaker is for the the incoming shore power. That is the main breaker. My mistake.

It seems like a lot of wire to me too. The way I calculated the totals were to measure a path from source to device A in the circuit and then measure from device A to device B and so on... then once I reached the total to the last device, I doubled it for the neutral. It may be overkill but at least I will have enough wire

I am rewiring the trailers exterior lighting but I didn't want to wrap all that into this already long post. I am using 12 AWG for that application except for the main power cable from the TV. I plan to run a much larger gauge and use a seperate connector outside of the 7 - pin so that I can get maximum charging power from the alternator. I learned this trick from RV Electrical Systems.

rumrunner - I agree on the connectors to some degree but since I am new at this my research has turned up few alternatives. I looked into butt connectors, but how do you make 3 wires connect in one butt connector? Do you put 2 wires in one side and 1 in the other? Is that sound?

Also, I have read about not soldering so that is definitely out. I am also making all connections at the devices so all wiring is accessible.

FInally, I would love to change out to LED lights. My main concern has been that I dont have room for a large battery bank. I am going to end up with close to 230 Ah. After I did an estimate, our consumption will be around 125 Ah on average. That is with running the furnace in cold weather or running the 2 Maxx Fans in warm weather (biggest DC draws). Do you have any recommendations of where to get the LED bulbs?

[rumrunner]

For the LED's try Dan at LED4rv.com A forums member with a good selection.
As far as the connections are concerned there are Y connectors available but I dont know if watertight is available... Guess I need to do a little research myself. I have done just what you suggested with the butt connectors with no problems so far.
tim