Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Powering house from rv (Read 746 times) previous topic - next topic

Powering house from rv

I remember several people doing this but maybe someone can post the link or info,

As we are in shaky town I intend to have an electrican install a sub panel in out garage and a bypass switch so we can power our home from the coach in event of an extended power loss.

Our small detached condo home  has a driveway just  long enough that if we nose in the coach at an angle the mid entry will face our garage door and the front end where the gen is will be 10' or so from the main electric service entry.

We have a 10k powertech gen we would like to be able to use if needed.

Any info on how and what we would need for the coach end would be helpful.

I have the removed cut off  50 amp cord that came on the coach that I replaced the end on that I could install a male end on if necessary

Thanks in advance for any info. 
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #1 –
People like Brett could advise better where to tap power from the coach.
 Your transfer switch should have a male plug built into it.  The cord coming from the coach needs to be female, never male, and plugs into the male transfer switch.
 Energized male plugs are called "suicide cords".
 They have earned that name.
In restless dreams I walked alone.
Narrow streets of cobblestone.


'93 U225
Build 4337
'14 CRV Toad

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #2 –
You have to open the cover and make a couple of wiring changes so you can get 220V to the house from the generator. Someone here has a schematic for how to do it. We need to do the same thing as PG&E has blackouts when the wind gets high and we need 220V to run our well pump.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #3 –
You will want to have the "makings" for wiring from the junction box where generator power goes to coach house wiring since the front of your coach is close to your house breaker box.  The female end of a 50 amp shore power cord with, say 5' of cord/wire would work fine. I would not wire it ahead of time-- it would only take 10 minutes or so to make the modification and you may never need it.  Have wires stripped, everything ready to do, but I would not proactively wire it.

Then, at house end, a male 50 amp going to a manual transfer switch (THIS A MUST).  You only want one source of alternating current to reach your house and you do NOT want any possibility of "back-feeding" the grid-- that could kill a lineman working on restoring power.  Yes, you could use an automatic switch, but for the very few times you would use it, go KISS.

Then, just use your regular 50 amp shore power cord to connect the two.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #4 –
I have wanted to do this also, and will be very interested in suggested methods.
The front of the Foretravel is about 20' from my breaker panel in the house.
I would also like to have an emergency solar option where I could tap the solar panels and the solar battery bank in the Foretravel and direct it to my home for emergency use.
1995 U320C SE 40'
Jeep 4x4 Commander - Limited - Hemi
"The Pack"  Yogi and Diesel our Airedales -  Charlie our Boxer/Akita mix. Gone but NEVER forgotten Jake our yellow Lab.
NRA Law Enforcement Firearms instructor - Handgun/shotgun
Regional Firearms instructor for national Armored Transp. Co.

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #5 –
So rather than involve the coaches systems can I run a 220 volt female 50 amp rv cord plug in the gens area.

Does it take permanent wiring changes to the gen to be able  to power the house?

External switchable circuitry? 

My limited looking in the gen panel I thought there were 2 separate positive posts that had various circuits hooked to them.  Is that correct?

Are the  two into a female plug  house 220? 
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Caflashbob –
So rather than involve the coaches systems can I run a 220 volt female 50 amp rv cord plug in the gens area. THAT IS WHAT I POSTED.

Does it take permanent wiring changes to the gen to be able  to power the house? SEE ABOVE.

External switchable circuitry? 

My limited looking in the gen panel I thought there were 2 separate positive posts that had various circuits hooked to them.  Is that correct? SHOULD BE TWO HOTS (L1 AND L2), A NEUTRAL AND A GROUND.

Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #7 –
Quote from: wolfe10 –
Then, at house end, a male 50 amp going to a manual transfer switch (THIS A MUST). 

I may not know how to repair  AC units, but Brett, I will step in here.
If you are referring to the cord going to the transfer switch at the house, there is NO WAY you want that plug to be male.
It needs to be female.
Think of it this way.....
If the genset is running and the cord is charged there is the distinct possibility that you may accidentally contact two of the legs and get a shock.  This is the same logic used when connecting two extension cords together.  The end with the power that you plug into is the female, with the Male.  Then,  the new cord has power coming "out" of the female end.
In restless dreams I walked alone.
Narrow streets of cobblestone.


'93 U225
Build 4337
'14 CRV Toad

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #8 –
Does the gen in its control box have the 4 needed connections?
"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #9 –
This might be a good time to seek the aid of a qualified electrician.  There are some very specific parts and procedures involved not the least being the transfer switch along with the proper cord caps, wiring and receptacles.  Remember, the 40,000 volts on the line that the transformer steps down to 240 for your house works exactly the same in reverse when it's fed 240 volts.  A question in my mind is exactly how the neutral and ground are handled from a generator insulated from earth.  Making it work is sure doable, making it code compliant is a good idea as well. 
"Not so  long ago we were a nation of risk takers, riding five million pounds of  thrust straight into space."  Joe Gresh
Chuck Pearson
1996 U295
2018 Can Am X3 TurboRS

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #10 –
Or you could just get a generator and wire it up, takes up less room that your rig, safer for you, your rig and the house.
1992 U225 36'
Build #4134
1987 Rockwood 32'
Ham radio/Motorcycles and old cars
Both of us are Retired
Married 32 years
Other half is "Old Toolmaker"
Dog named Duke.

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Chuck Pearson –
This might be a good time to seek the aid of a qualified electrician.  There are some very specific parts and procedures involved not the least being the transfer switch along with the proper cord caps, wiring and receptacles.  Remember, the 40,000 volts on the line that the transformer steps down to 240 for your house works exactly the same in reverse when it's fed 240 volts.  A question in my mind is exactly how the neutral and ground are handled from a generator insulated from earth.  Making it work is sure doable, making it code compliant is a good idea as well. 
In layman's terms an absolute disconnect device so no coach power can backfeed the grid in any way, shape or form. Incomplete neutral or ground may fry everything in your house. Not diy for most and many limited experience electrician.
Old Phart Phred, EIEIO
89 GV ored 36' #3405 300 hp cat 3208 ATAAC side radiator, mountain tamer exhaust brake

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #12 –
OP said he was gonna have an electrician do the job
In restless dreams I walked alone.
Narrow streets of cobblestone.


'93 U225
Build 4337
'14 CRV Toad

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #13 –
Would suggest a switch that disconnects the coach completely and has a female plug connection for the house feed, you only have 50 amps which is half of a small house which normally has 100 amps or a larger house which would normally have 200 amp service,
There are small generator sub panels that are not expensive at Lowes and Home Depot that will support 10 or so circuits, you will have to decide what you want to power and move the wires from the main house panel to the generator panel,
It's is best to have an electrician do this unless you are sure what you are doing,
None of what you want is hard or particularly expensive to do, just do it safely.
David & Emma Roche
Dino (Golden Doodle)
1999 U270 WTFE 36' Build # 5534
Xtreme "Lights, Stripes & Roof"
Motorcade# 18321
Dayton, Ohio
Towd: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Two Townie Electra Bikes

Life is made to enjoy, the Foretravel helps!
 

Re: Powering house from rv

Reply #14 –
This is two separate questions:

The first is "How do I get 220V from Foretravel generator?"

It's been documented here that as delivered our coaches run a dual 110 configuration ( Both hot legs in phase) which can be changed to 220 fairly easily. There is talk of instructions on how that done but I have never seen them posted...


(Link on edit)

Two Generator Questions

Adding a 50A RV female plug in a protected location would be handy for this purpose as well as sharing power with another coach.

In its most simple form it would be dual 110 the majority of the time and 220 when the pole changes are made at the generator. I imagine a good electrician could wire in a 4 pole rotary switch at the generator that could automatically go from dual 110's to 220 wiring configuration. This would provide a level of protection to the coach systems as there are component that could possible get 220 that shouldn't. (This would be unusual but not impossible)

Expensive but cool

Blue Sea Systems 9093 AC Selector Switch, AC 120+120/240VAC 63A OFF+2


The 2nd question is "How do I get power to the house?"

There are two and ONLY two ways here...

Wire in a transfer switch, manual or automatic are available but if you are moving an RV and running power cables you might as well go manual.

Good reference reading here:

Manual Transfer Switch Buyer's Guide - How to Pick the Perfect Manual...


The other way to do this is less common but very clean. Genre link makes a transfer switch that plugs into your meter base...

GenerLink, Backup Generator | Global Power Products

They are not cheap but eliminate any and all electrical changes inside the house. ( You will need your power company to install it...)

If you are working on a solution that has an energized male plug STOP and let somebody else do it.






Chris 1999 U320