2023 Tab 320 S Boondock - Automating Inverter or Shore Power

ranger1

This is a design that I am working on. About to build this out in my 2023 Tab 320. Any feedback about the design? Trying to have a fully automatic shore power AC or an internal inverter. The 30 amp automatic transfer switch is key.  Did not want to turn on the Inverter and have the WFCO try and charge the batteries from the converter turning on.

RMo

Hello and welcome!   Your equipment may be different than mine, but in my 2019 400 I added a switch that would disconnect my added battery bank from the WFCO if the inverter was turned on - to ensure I wasn't charging the battery while using the inverter.  I also added an a/b/off switch to be able to select which battery bank I wanted to be active (I have dual AGMs as one bank and a single 400ah lifepo as the other).  I'm not an expert, and again, maybe your WFCO is different than mine and doesn't charge when getting power from the inverter.  Or maybe I wasted $30 on a switch

MuttonChops

ranger1 said:

Welcome to the TaB Family, great little trailers and wonderful folks on this forum.

Based on your diagram it does not appear the Transfer Switch will achieve your goal of stopping the WFCO from applying voltage to the battery bank when in "Inverter Mode".  And as @RMo referenced additional manual switching maybe required.

The WFCO Power Center when supplied with 120VAC will a) power the 120V Outlets and b) power the 12VDC Convertor.  Normally ACV Breaker #1 controls the 12VDC Convertor, so switching that breaker off would stop the WFCO from trying to drive the battery . . . however, that would also remove power from all 12VDC appliances (Fan, Fridge, Lights)

On the special Li-Ion Package rigs nüCamp replaces the typical RV WFCO Power Center with two different products.  The WFCO MultiPlus and a basic AC/DC Distribution panel . . . part of the reason for this is to stop the 'charging loop' you have noted.

Additional comments on your Wiring Diagram:

1)  Suggest the trickle charger be a Manual Switch controlled addition.
2)  Adding more detail to how the Transfer Switch is actually wired would clarity and
      could prevent errors.
    The Transfer Switch can only Control Two different 120VAC Power Sources
     It switches both the Hot and Neutral wires, this diagram shows the Hot Options.


3)  I have attempted to map your diagram Transfer Switch Names to the actual
      Transfer Switch Terminals.  Your Second WFCO ACV In connection is ? ? ? ?

Side Note:
    Why make things so complicated?  It is hard less difficult to add a manual controlled Inverter with a select number/location 120ACV outlets than re-wiring.

Yoshi_TAB

Hi,

I have a similar set up in my '21 and used a T-30 transfer switch.  If you have not seen it, here is the link to my install that you may find helpful.  Start at the back, as I went through a few  iterations.  2021 320 Lithium and Inverter Install (Complete) (vanillacommunity.com)

@MuttonChops is correct. This is how I wired the T-30 so the WFCO charger will only charge the battery while on shore power (vs when on inverter power).  I pulled the WFCO charger AC wires off the WFCO breaker ( Branch #1) and wired them to T-30 relay terminals 6 and 5.  The T-30 diagram shows a fuse which  is not included.   Since you remove the battery charger  circuit protection  (the breaker #1 in the WFCO) you replace it with a 15 amp AC fuse inside the T-30 as shown in the diagram.  I bought a small 15A fuse and fuse holder and wired it inside the T-30.  You will need to lengthen the WFCO charger AC wires if there is distance between your WFCO and the T-30.  Here's a good video that I found helpful.

Bing Videos

The other thing you need to be aware of , which I had to change, is the T-30 shows the inverter circuit as dominant (normal closed) over the AC shore circuit (normally open).  I wanted them the opposite, so I switched the inverter and shore terminal connections (so shore was dominant).  But it depends on you how you want  yours to operate.


A couple of other questions.  Not that anything is wrong just trying to understand.

1.  How did you arrive at a 400 amp fuse.  Seems to be on the large size, but you don't say your inverter size.

2.  What size wiring are you using for your inverter circuit for a 400 amp fuse?  You will need some big wires.  For a 2000W inverter, I used a 225 amp Class T fuse and 2/0 AWG wire.

3.  It appears that your solar circuit from the Battleborn born batteries is tied into the DC inverter circuit.  It probably isn't, but that is how the wiring looks like.  Same for the future solar.  I would recommend you seperate those circuits, otherwise you will need the larger AWG wire more throughout your wiring circuits.  I would keep the 10 AWG wire circuits seperate from the large AWG wire by using bus bars.  It seems like your set up is a bit more challenging, because if I follow you, your Battleborn born batteries are outside and the battteries 3 and 4 will be in inside.  Is the correct?

4.  Where is the new charger wired into?  

5.  I would add an ON/OFF switch near the inverter so you can cut the power off to it.  

Hope this helped...

elbolillo

When I installed an inverter in my '21 Tab 320 I simply added an additional breaker to control the converter. I would leave the breaker off when not using shore power. This would allow me to turn on the inverter when needed. When, and if, I connected to shore power it was as simple as flipping the breaker to allow for charging by shore power. Most of the time I just left it off as I could charge sufficiently with solar power.

ranger1

The Transfer switch has a built in Charger connection which is a bit different than the normal transfer switch (or so I thought).



yes, the battleborn (bats 1&2) are outside and that was one of my concerns - looks like #14  combining all batteries need a change in wiring. The inside batteries and the inverter are 6 inches apart. 

The new charger will be a manual plug in