Hydraulic Pump Breaker Upgrade

[Carl n Susan]

It sure looks like they have changed the wiring to incorporate a *REAL* battery disconnect switch. Do you still have the disconnect switch in the convenience center?

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by Carl n Susan

It sure looks like they have changed the wiring to incorporate a *REAL* battery disconnect switch. Do you still have the disconnect switch in the convenience center?

Yes, I do. And, what it does, is just cut off all the "small" 12V stuff. Lights and fans, and everything that goes thru the charger...

The funny thing is that I have seen other 3741FK pics, and they look like the other pics on here, where the disconnect is ONLY for the inverter...

[CADman_KS]

I would rather it NOT be this way, though. I want a good/easy way to turn off the inverter ONLY, without turning off everything else. The inverter on this unit, is incredibly hard to turn off. You can't see the power button at all. You have to find it in a blind spot, and since it's a tactile button, you can't really tell when you're on it. If it was a hard ON/OFF switch, it would be easier.

I'm going to change it to the other way, so that I can turn off ONLY the inverter. Like everyone else's is set up...

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by CADman_KS

.........

The funny thing is that I have seen other 3741FK pics, and they look like the other pics on here, where the disconnect is ONLY for the inverter...

I agree. All the previous pics I have seen, that 150 amp breaker and cutoff switch has been for the inverter and residential refrigerator. On yours they have wired all 12 volts from it. Looks like that could overload that 150 amp breaker if the inverter/refrigerator alone really requires that much.

Have they ever wired two units alike?

[jcurtis934]

That is weird. The normal place for battery cutoff switch is in the convenience center where water connection is. Battery switch in front compartment is usually only for models that have a residential fridge with the switch before a 150 amp breaker that then feeds inverter in passthrough. A separate positive battery cable would feed the normal cheap auto reset breakers that feed hydraulic pump assembly and breaker panel for converter.

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

... On yours they have wired all 12 volts from it. Looks like that could overload that 150 amp breaker if the inverter/refrigerator alone really requires that much.

...

This is what my fear is as well, that it might be too much for the 150A breaker, and most likely too much for the wire going to the breaker, and from the breaker to the disconnect. That's fixable in the grand schema of things, just by changing those cables out to bigger ones. But, I still don't want that. I want this disconnect to only be the inverter.

Originally Posted by BB_TX

...

Have they ever wired two units alike?

As someone who works in manufacturing, I do NOT understand how two units could be different. There has to be a CORRECT (engineered) way to do this, and it makes no sense to me why one would be different than the next. I could see things like the wire ties not always in the same place. But when it comes to "mission" critical items like this, I just don't understand how they could be different.

Noncomprehendible...

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by jcurtis934

... A separate positive battery cable would feed the normal cheap auto reset breakers that feed hydraulic pump assembly and breaker panel for converter.

It's easy to fix. I just take the wire with the white stripe on it, , and move it to the battery connection...

[jcurtis934]

If it were me, I would move that cable to the battery as well.

[jcurtis934]

Don't know how they mounted your inverter, but I mounted mine on the forward passthrough wall to keep the 12vdc power cables as short as possible. I also mounted it with the panel facing the streetside passthrough door so I can see the lcd panel and use the power switch with ease. Difference of an owner doing an install versus a line worker doing whatever he felt like.

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by jcurtis934

Don't know how they mounted your inverter, but I mounted mine on the forward passthrough wall to keep the 12vdc power cables as short as possible. I also mounted it with the panel facing the streetside passthrough door so I can see the lcd panel and use the power switch with ease. Difference of an owner doing an install versus a line worker doing whatever he felt like.

I could look at moving mine to the front wall side, and turn it so I could see it. If I were to do that, though, I would have to make sure that the power cords are long enough to get over there. The 12V wouldn't be an issue, since it would / could be shorter, but the 110V would need to be checked.

Here is a link to a post that I had that shows the current location of the inverter, and how hard it is to actually see/operate. The picture doesn't really do it justice though, because that's only a couple of inches of actual clearance between the front of the inverter, and the back wall of the front basement. Not a good design at all.

http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...1&postcount=24

That sounds like a project for later down the road...

[rohrmann]

I think they have given you a full disconnect with that battery disconnect in the photos. It appears that the positive battery feed comes up on the left from below, goes through the 150 amp breaker, then to the disconnect switch. On the load side, there is one leg that probably goes to your fridge inverter, and the other leg goes to the line side of that small breaker that serves small loads. Tapped on that same large cable on the small breaker, the 12 volt feed goes to the 80 amp breaker. Off the load side of that breaker is one cable that goes to your hydraulic pump and the other large cable will go to your inside power panel via the battery disconnect switch in your convenience center. There are a couple of small wires coming off the line side connection of the 80 amp breaker, but it appears that they are separately fused with inline fuses, so that isn't a problem. From what I am seeing, they have you setup very well with the bonus feature of having a full disconnect switch that will disconnect all loads from your battery if you need to do that. Everything looks fine with how it's wired.

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by rohrmann

I think they have given you a full disconnect with that battery disconnect in the photos. It appears that the positive battery feed comes up on the left from below, goes through the 150 amp breaker, then to the disconnect switch. On the load side, there is one leg that probably goes to your fridge inverter, and the other leg goes to the line side of that small breaker that serves small loads. Tapped on that same large cable on the small breaker, the 12 volt feed goes to the 80 amp breaker. Off the load side of that breaker is one cable that goes to your hydraulic pump and the other large cable will go to your inside power panel via the battery disconnect switch in your convenience center. There are a couple of small wires coming off the line side connection of the 80 amp breaker, but it appears that they are separately fused with inline fuses, so that isn't a problem. From what I am seeing, they have you setup very well with the bonus feature of having a full disconnect switch that will disconnect all loads from your battery if you need to do that. Everything looks fine with how it's wired.

Yeah, and that's what it does. Most of the time, I would like to keep the fridge off, but have everything else on, and with this system, you can't.

I'm changing it back to the way that all of the others seem to be...

[mbjam359]

I agree.

[rohrmann]

All you need to do, if you want a separate disconnect for the inverter, would be install another 150 amp disconnect switch above the other one in the photo on the line to the inverter, and you will maintain the ability to turn off everything from the battery and you will have the easy disconnect for the inverter. One short cable with ring connectors on each end and the switch. Otherwise, you are going to need a much longer cable to reach the battery and you again will lose the full disconnect ability.

Or, on edit, an even simpler thing would be to move that cable with the white line on it down to the load side of the 150 amp breaker, then you have the inverter independently controlled by the 150 amp disconnect, and if you want to turn off everything, you can trip the 150 amp breaker and that will drop all loads off the battery

[CADman_KS]

Originally Posted by rohrmann

All you need to do, if you want a separate disconnect for the inverter, would be install another 150 amp disconnect switch above the other one in the photo on the line to the inverter, and you will maintain the ability to turn off everything from the battery and you will have the easy disconnect for the inverter. One short cable with ring connectors on each end and the switch. Otherwise, you are going to need a much longer cable to reach the battery and you again will lose the full disconnect ability.

I haven't done it yet, but I think that the cable will come off of the disconnect and go to the battery. It should be long enough.

Your solution, however, with the separate breaker, or even disconnect would do it, since it already has a breaker in the circuit would be a good idea too. Then, I could still have the "master" disconnect.

I'll try changing it to the normal way, and if that doesn't work, I can add the second breaker.

[masterdrago]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

Here you go.

https://www.amazon.com/Magnum-Energy.../dp/B00OM9AE4W

Magnum Energy also makes inverters. So maybe those fuses are paired with Magnum Energy inverters. Doesn’t seem like an auto reset breaker would be appropriate for that application.

If one is looking for fused protection for their inverter 12vdc side, there is no reason to spend that kind of dough. Do an AMZN search for InstallGear 0/2/4 Gauge Ga ANL Fuse Holder + 100 Amp ANL Fuses (2 Pack)

[masterdrago]

Originally Posted by CADman_KS

This is what my fear is as well, that it might be too much for the 150A breaker, and most likely too much for the wire going to the breaker, and from the breaker to the disconnect. That's fixable in the grand schema of things, just by changing those cables out to bigger ones. But, I still don't want that. I want this disconnect to only be the inverter.



As someone who works in manufacturing, I do NOT understand how two units could be different. There has to be a CORRECT (engineered) way to do this, and it makes no sense to me why one would be different than the next. I could see things like the wire ties not always in the same place. But when it comes to "mission" critical items like this, I just don't understand how they could be different.

Noncomprehendible...

150 amp breaker/fuse/etc should be plenty to protect all 12vdc circuits. Under full load, the reefer when defrosting might pull 4-5 amps on the AC side. This might convert to 60-75amps on the DC side. If we add what might be max for the hydraulic pump which is normally very momentary, I think that it would be highly unlikely to overload a 150amp fuse/breaker. A re-settable breaker might be ideal. Like a Bussmann CB185-150 150 Amp Type III Circuit Breaker

[masterdrago]

Originally Posted by CADman_KS

Yeah, and that's what it does. Most of the time, I would like to keep the fridge off, but have everything else on, and with this system, you can't.

I'm changing it back to the way that all of the others seem to be...

Sure you can keep the reefer off by turning off the inverter. Who kills the power to the inverter?

[boisesmith]

Based on all the discussions about the hydraulics problems, I bought an 80 ampere re-settable circuit breaker while my 2017 3000RE was in storage. Thought I would find a similar (just smaller) breaker to replace. Here is a picture of what I have. What am I replacing?

[boisesmith]

I have read and re-read this thread and finally getting a better understanding but not ready to proceed. I bought an 80 amp re-settable breaker without looking at my set up thinking a would find a similar (Just smaller) breaker to replace. In my photo I have a 10 amp fuse (black) and a sealed unit (red). I now assume the 'sealed unit' is the breaker I should be replacing. Right???