Generator: do you have to plug it into the shore power line in the converter

[jipjob]

Sent: 5/28/2004

Hay while were on batteries and power, I've got two questions? The first one is and I read it in my old 74 winnie manual that when you run your generator you haft to plug it into the shore power line running to your converter, Right? I installed a generator last summer but only tested it with a light bulb and it works just great but I was a little bit hesitant about plugging it into the shore-power jack. Is this what most of you guys do when  you want to power up your 110 side of the house?

Now the second is their any 110 outlets on the outside of these old units? If their is where are they located at? Thanks Jon

[jipjob]

Sent: 5/28/2004 12:18 AM

The reason I asked if their are any outside 110 plug is, and that would be on the driver side as I do not have electricity at two of my outlets (One above the Ref. and the other above the sink. I do have juice to the other side and I checked all the wires that lead away from the converter and their juice their but no juice at the plugs. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jon  PS their are two separate leads and the one is ok and the other is dead. DO you think a mouse might have eaten the wire?
Jon

[denisondc]

Sent: 5/28/2004

jipjob: On your 74 it might well be that you plug the generator and the shore power cable together in order to power the 110V outlets, but on my 72 you flip a double pair of breakers to do it - instructions printed right above the ckt. bkr. box. And from my time spent in junkyards this spring I learned that with some brands of RVs in different years there were automatic switchover schemes using large relays. -- And I didn't see any two RVs that had the same -switchover- setup.
The only external 110V outlets Ive seen all looked like they were added by the owners. My 72 has the drop down door on its back compartment, and inside there is a 110V duplex outlet. Since that door drops down to a horizontal position and the outlet is right there - it makes a handy worksurface

[HeavyHaulTrucker]

Sent: 5/30/2004

denison, on my 77 Winnie, I have a large 30-amp AC breaker in the generator compartment with a duplex outlet -- courtesy of Winnebago.  My Winnie is 100% original, and that is what she came with.

[RV Mech Tech]

JJ1 - if your manual says to connect the generator to the shore cord then the generator wiring will usually go to a 30 amp receptacle (30 or 50 amp on some RV's)  and you plug your shore cord into this outlet - look for that 30 amp outlet box somewhere near where the cord is stored - as the other members have said on those earlier RV's they may have different ways to bring the high voltage into the coach - new RV's still have this method of plugging the shore cord in or they have an automatic transfer switch (this can be retrofitted to your coach if you want)  - for any outlets  on the outside there may be a GFCI  (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) (if equipped) that the outside outlet(s) are downstream of and if the GFCI is off then there will not be any power to the outside outlet- if you do not have a GFCI consider installing one for your safety.  Y!

[Froggy1936]

I just installed a 30 Amp IOTA transfer switch in my 1977 Mini Winnie so now i dont have to plug power cord into generator supply whnen disconnecting from shore power anymore just dissconnect & roll it up. Bought it on E bay for $59.00 + $15.30 S&H  (new from IOTA is $ 145.00)  Thanks again Tim   Frank