Setting up camp--rookie needs some advice

[David Handley]

If I am running the roof air off the generator when I pull into camp, do I need to shut the roof air down during the process of switching from generator to shore power?

[Mike Groves]

Looking forward to these opinions...

I would shut down the generator after removing all loads and letting it run for a couple minutes.  Then connect to shore power, then turn on the loads again.

Some coaches can sense shore power and roll over to it, but I would think that might cause some damage perhaps to the AC unit as the power switches over.  However, it could be that the AC unit wouldn't "notice" the voltage change if the change over is fast enough.  My guess would be that its not going to be fast enough and I wouldn't test it.

Mike

[Ron Johnson]

I always shut the air off before shutting the generator down .. also have them off when starting the generator up. I don't know the specific mechanics involved but it is definitely easier on the generator to have as few loads on it as possible at startup and shutdown.

[David T. Richelderfer]

I have my generator programmed for a 30-second warmup period (used to be 2 minutes, but I changed it) before it starts supplying power.  I rarely run the generator while on the road - did it once that I can remember and I forgot to shut it down after getting out of the RV park and discovered it was still running some forty minutes later.

I have had the generator start up automatically a few times before I got plugged in to shore power at an RV park.  I didn't worry about it... just went ahead and plugged in to shore power and went back inside to shut down the generator after about five minutes.  My surge protector has a delay (230 seconds?) before it allows shore power to pass through to the coach.

I have learned that the first thing I do after getting parked is to plugin into shore power.  I plugin before putting out the slides, before leveling, before putting out the shade awnings, etc.  I prefer the hydraulic and electric slides, and hydraulic leveling to have shore power to operate on, rather than just battery power.  Putting out the slides and hydraulic leveling seems to take quite-a-bit of power out of the batteries.

[Lee Welbanks]

I run my gen fairly often when traveling especially if its hot out, pull into camp site, get out and check that all the utilities will reach and that coach is in a good location, jump back in and shut off the A/C units then the generator and go back out and connect shore power. Back in coach and look at the power screen on the Aladdin to make sure we are getting power. The coach is still running at this time, now I hit the air leveling buttom, once that done shut down motor.

[David Handley]

Thant's the way I've been doing it--just wondered if there was a way to avoid all the back and forth.

[Chuck Jackson]

My manual says:

DO NOT have appliances on or AC
loads plugged into outlets when hooking
to shore power or starting the generator.
Damage to the transfer switch contacts
may result.

So the way I understand it for my coach is to not have any electrical loads when starting the generator, connecting to shore or switching from one to the other.

[Edward Buker]

No significant loads is wise while switching. You do not need to worry about small electrical loads like electronics. One item often forgotten is the electric element in the Aqua Hot or whatever water heating arrangement that you have. That element is 1500watts alone. If you have the electrical element from water heating and the air units off that goes a long way towards adequate load shedding.

Later Ed

[Lee Welbanks]

Great point Ed about the electric element for a water heater, for those of us that have a AquaHot I always turn off the electric element when taking off for the next camp as the AquaHot will then be heated by the coach motor. Great point for coaches with a gas/electric water heater.

I heard and read different points of view concerning the transfer switch and not harming it by having the gen running while connecting to shore power. Personally I'm not going to take that chance, I shut everything down and then connect, I've had a couple of park power supplies that were not up to snuff, low voltage, high voltage, open ground you name it. My PT will not even connect with bad power as it is always monitoring the incoming source.

[Jerry Emert]

I'm probably going against the grain here and as a newbie to my Beaver (18 months), maybe I should keep my mouth shut.  With 20 years working in electronics I have a few thoughts/questions.
If we weren't supposed to plug in shore power with genny running or vice versa:
1. why have a automatic transfer switch (TS)?
2. why have a TS that automatically favor (prioritize) the genny power?
3. Why not just do it the old way (or maybe less expensive way) of just moving a plug or cable from one power source to another?
I think the answer to the questions are that:
We have a TS, that is more expensive, to make life easier by allowing us to run up the genny while plugged in.  It makes it easier on the passengers in a place like Orlando where temps are routinely in the high 90s with 100% humidity.  Coach temp can rapidly rise to 90s itself.  Having the "AUTOMATIC" that prioritizes the genny power allows that.
When I am plugged into shore power, I start the genny.  As soon as power comes up on the genny, the TS should automatically switch to genny power.  The AC won't see a long enough loss of power to hurt anything.  The opposite is true when I am setting up camp, I plug in shore power and shut off the genny.  When the TS senses that genny power is gone it switches to shore. 
The relay contacts are closed or open all the time when power is applied or is taken away.  That's what they were designed for.  Yes they will fail eventually. 
They would not have bothered to spend the extra money for a TS and wiring if we weren't meant to use it.  Picture a building with an emergency back up genny.  When the power goes out, the TS automatically switched to the gennerator.  When power comes back it automatically switches back to normal (shore) power.  That TS is prioritized to use "shore" power as it's default setting, where ours default to genny.
I've been using mine like that for 18 months and it works fine.  If I have to spend a couple hundred in 8 or 10 years to replace it, I'm OK with that.  Just the thoughts of a grumpy old Sailor.  Google was not required though maybe should have been!

Jerry

[Fred Brooks]

                  Hi Guys,

     Warms my heart to read just how smart you guys are! After changing approximately 40 transfer switches over the years, I've always asked the customer to share with me how he is using the shore cord and generator in relationship to the applied Loads running at the time, Had these people been on this forum they would never have had a failure.
      When I started back in 1971 all you had was a 30amp plug and your choice was shore power or the generator recepticle. What ever happened to Open Road, Revcons, Condors, Appollos, The original Executive and of course Winnibago who is the only survivor. Regards, Fred

[Joel Ashley]

Don't know that I've fretted the details that much, David.  On the very, very rare occasion we've run the roof airs on the road with the genset, I've probably shut the AC down, then the genset, before going out to plug in.  The brief lack of AC inside would not be debilitating, and I'd likely have played things safe.  I'm not sure there is any real back-and-forth, David;  you have to go out to plug in regardless of when you shut down the genset, maybe once extra if you find you have to adjust coach position.

On the road we never even keep the diesel side of the hydronics on, much less the electric;  the engine circulates hot coolant through the HydroHot regardless, keeping it ready for camp when we get there, or for any minor hot water use or coach interior heat needed in between.

I'm no expert on the transfer switch engineering, for sure, but what Jerry says makes sense too.  Conversely to anything in my owners manual that I've forgotten or missed over the years that says otherwise, I'm inclined to think that the transfer from genset to park power under load may not be disastrously hard on the switch or the AC.  Depending on precisely how the mechanics and timing of the switchover occurs, there may or may not be significant arcing to detrimentally burn contacts.  If the AC is already running, then it's not switching over under startup load, the maximum current.  Nevertheless, it's still no small load.

What Chuck's manual indicates may apply, except what if the genset is already running... the default for a TRC switch favors the genset.  So no transfer occurs until the genset is shut off;  his manual implies it but doesn't specify regarding switching from genset over to park power under load - it talks about connecting directly to one or the other. 

Notwithstanding multiple opinions here, mostly erring on the cautious side, I'm sure a more definitive answer could be obtained from Technology Research Corp. (TRC), the mfr. of Surge Guard transfer switch units that a good number of us have, or perhaps from BCS.  Anyone here that's now undergoing service in Bend might run the question past them tomorrow, and then chime in.

And Jerry, having spent some time on the waves myself, albeit not in military service, grumpiness isn't a necessary consequence.  Your experience with your coach, electonics, and your service is all much appreciated here!

-Joel