New Member TBC

[phorner]

Ed,

I've never needed the entire length of my cord. I would guess that 50' should be more than enough, especially if you carry an extension. I guess a lot depends on where your cord exits the bus. Mine is about centered, so I need 20' or more just to get to the end of the bus.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

While a long cord length can sometimes be convenient there is a downside. The longer it is the greater the voltage drop. When we are in campgrounds with poor electric service a volt of two sometimes makes the difference between the AC running or not.

But my biggest concern is the cord not used is usually left in the bin coiled up, and if the current draw of the coach is high the cord can get hot and there is a potential for fire. When I anticipate a high power draw I uncoil my entire power cord even if the power outlet is right next to the cord reel.

[jack14r]

Ed/Jon,I have a question about neutrals and grounds,there are 3 places that I go to events each year,all 3 have electrical boxes(square D,GE)that do not have the interior breaker covers but only the outer cover,these places expect the customers to snap in a breaker and hook up the ground and the neutral,which I do.By now I am sure that we are all thinking the same thing,how much insurance must the people have.I have seen on one occasion a box that had the ground and neutral connected together,I did not hook up to that box.My question is,what could happen if one did hook up to it and should I always check with an ohm meter neutral and ground.

[Kevin Erion]

I am no electrician but I think your bus won't let the power pass thru the auto switch.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Actually local codes generally dictate if the ground and neutral are to be bonded, or joined together.

I have power outlets in my garage for the bus and my local code is one that requires the two be bonded. I did not bond the two at the power outlet, but I may just as well have because 30 feet away in my circuit breaker box the two are bonded. I would feel more comfortable it they were separate, but even the UL standard to which the products are certified has provision for bonding the ground and neutral.

[phorner]

Jon,

I am guessing that in the situation such as you describe with outlets in your bus barn, if the neutral and ground were not bonded at the circuit breaker box, that GFCI protection on outlets in the barn wouldn't work? Could it be that local building codes require the bonding in order to afford GFCI protection?

[garyde]

This is per our local, state and Natonal codes.
On all seperate buildings nuetrals and grounds are connected together at the main service panel. Sub panels in the same building are not, they are kept seperate. The short circuit ratings of the breakers are designed to trip when encountering a short to ground and /or to nuetral. The devices and fixtures down stream from the breaker panels are desinged to have a ground wire seperately attached to metal enclosures so they are fully grounded. ie; stoves, dishwashers, hand held applicances or equipment.
The nuetral serves as a pathway for the power to return to ground to complete a circuit. This nuetral goes back ultimately to the main service and then to a utility transformer. The nuetral and the ground at the main service are grounded together to give a good ground reference for the main breaker on the panel for short circuit protection.
A pedestal could be considered a seperate service in which case the nuetral and the ground would be connected together.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Paul,

I cannot tell you if the codes are written that way due to GFCI.

I don't think any of our coaches, with the exception of Thompson Coaches can connect to a 20 AMP GFCI circuit because we will trip the GFCI.

Thompson has a unique logic to the electrical system and transfer switch so his coaches can connect.