Commercial/Shore Power Connection

[mikebulriss]

Crabber82, BTW, got real name?

Wow, you are stressing the gray cells as I sold my 83 PT40 11 years ago. I had forgotten about the manual transfer switch for the power source. Let me randomly address your questions. I am on an iPhone, so ignore funny spellings!

OK, in the back of the bus where the power plugs in. I think that you will find on closer inspection that the single power plug is 50A and the other two are 30 A. My 83 had one 50A shore cord and 2 30A shore cords. The breaker panel in the BIrd has two power busses in it. When you use the 50 A cord, both sides are powered and everything in the Bird has power (assuming the breakers are on and everything actually works as designed). If you use the 30A cords, each cord powers one of the breaker box busses, so only one half of the coach (whatever is on that buss) is getting power. With both 30A cords plugged in, you get full power. To test this, move the 30A cord from one inlet to the other and different things in the BIrd will work. What you need to do is to get your hands on a a 50A to 30A dog bone adapter, then use the 50A cord and put the 30-15A adapter on the dog bone
and plug it into the 15A circuit in the garage. You will have power to both legs in the breaker box and everything in the Bird will have access to power.

As to not having the power cords plugged in at the same time, it makes no difference. They can all be plugged in. The manual transfer switch only allows the power source you select to flow into the breaker box (gen, 50A or 30A, was there an inverter setting? Don't remember).

Oh yeah, some of the lights are 110V powered only and some are 12V powered running thru little inverter devices to power the 110V bulbs. So yes, different lights will work on 12 V battery power versus when plugged in to 110V power.

OK, this nostalgia exercise is fun after all! What's next? ;-}

Enjoy the learning curve!