12v DC newbie
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5087
Printed Date: 15 May 2024 at 8:37am
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Topic: 12v DC newbie
Posted By: texman
Subject: 12v DC newbie
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2014 at 8:02pm
planning to add a 12V DC outlet to 182g direct from power box in pic. While i am familiar with AC wiring and using the hot to breaker, neutral to bar and safety ground to ground bar, i dont get the ground connection for DC. I have two open slots on DC side and i want to use 1 of those for the new outlet. Dumb question is: Where do i connect the ground(negative side) in the box ? ------------- TexMan 2015 182g 2018 Sequoia http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9122&title=texman-182g-mods - TexManMods |
Replies:
Posted By: GingerPod
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2014 at 8:15pm
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Well,the short answer is the whole trailer frame is the DC ground just like in a Car or Truck. The easiest place to run a ground without having to remove the converter to get to the ground bar behind it,is to just run it to the NEG terminal(the 2 white wires at the top). Just loosen the screw and ease it into position next to the larger wire making sure everything stays nice and firmly connected.On a DC system,a ground is a ground pretty much anywhere it is connected. ------------- FOUND OUR NEW-RETRO TEARDROP!!! |
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2014 at 8:35pm
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There will be a grounding terminal/bar (you'll see lots of white 12v wires screwed into it) somewhere behind your converter. In my r-pod, there were two bars screwed to the floor of the cabinet the converter is mounted in. Just add your wires in there. ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2014 at 9:16pm
CAUTION HERE: There will be a bus bar with lots of white wires (and no bare wires) which IS NOT the ground. It is the AC neutral which is not ground. DO NOT connect to this bus. The 12V DC negative can be connected to the true ground bus which has lots of bare wires connected to it. The bare wires are the AC grounds, but the bus is also true chassis ground. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2014 at 6:28am
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Note- the bars CharlieM are referring to are IN the front left of the convertor box- the 12V ground (negative) connection bar Outbound mentions is in the void behind the convertor- yes it is a little trouble to get to but that is where you should connect 12V ground side wires although the correct front one is electrically the same. ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2014 at 7:01am
Budward, Thanks for jumping in. I gather the 120V neutral bus is INSIDE the panel whereas the chassis ground bus is OUTSIDE and behind the panel? It's a little hard by remote control since I no longer have a Pod or a WFCO. I just wanted to be sure the chassis and neutral isolation were not compromised. We've had a lot of trouble recently on another forum with this. Thanks. [EDIT]: Looks like there is a safety ground bar for the AC connections INside the panel also. So the bus mounted OUTside and behind the panel is the chassis ground and the place to connect 12V DC returns. Hope that's clear if previously understood  ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2014 at 7:39am
That is correct- the 12V neg/ground bus bar is inside the compartment behind the WFCO enclosure. One has to remove the 8 screws holding the WFCO in to get to it  ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: texman
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2014 at 9:21am
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Thanks for all the help! be nice to have a 12v negative bus more accessible, but no big deal. Texman ------------- TexMan 2015 182g 2018 Sequoia http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9122&title=texman-182g-mods - TexManMods |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2014 at 11:37am
As they say in Elkhart: You can have all the things some of the time; and some of the things all the time; but you can't have all the things all of the time. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |