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Old 05-30-2020, 03:10 AM   #1
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Thor Challenger 37GT Inverter wiring

I have a 2013 Thor Challenger 37GT and I am trying to figure out how Thor wired the inverter for plugs in the coach for tv's etc. I cannot for the life of me figure out how they wired certain plugs to run on the inverter. I am looking for details as to how the AC output on the inverter is wired to the panel for only certain plugs. I eventually want to add 1 or 2 more plugs to run of the inverter.

I called Thor and they were of little help and I was wondering if anyone has a diagram or something similiar to help. Much appreciated.

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Old 05-30-2020, 08:59 AM   #2
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Not all inverters are wired the same. Some go from the inverter directly to the circuit they are providing. Some go from the inverter to the electricic panel and feed more than one circuit in that panel. This is done buy using a split bus panel. Think of it as a panel within a panel.

Provide us with the make and model # of your inverter along with a picture of the electric panel with the door open so we can see the breaker listing. Then I believe we can help you out.
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Old 05-30-2020, 10:29 AM   #3
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I have a '14 Palazzo with the 'split bus' panel, essentially a 'sub-panel' within the Main Panel, though you'd not know it without a lot of investigation. The sub-panel, which consists of a 30amp 'Inverter Main' breaker, where the power from the Inverter comes back 'into' this sub-panel, from the front of the breaker, and powers 4 individual 15amp circuit breakers via the power bus that they attach to.
This 'third' power bus is separate from the other two, which are the power bus's that are powered by the incoming 50amp 240v service, or two 'hot legs' of power, for all of the other circuit breakers for the air conditioners, water heater, battery charger, etc.

If this is how your Main Panel is designed, I believe mine is a 'Progressive Power' name brand panel, custom built for the RV industry, the only way I can see that you could 'move' a circuit of outlets to be powered by the Inverter is by moving that breaker's output wire over to one shared with an existing 'inverted' circuit. The issue, though, then becomes that the circuit will now have more outlets on it than it was designed to handle, which could lead to easy nuisance tripping quite often, unless you really manage how you use your outlets.

Most of the factories have always erred on the side of conservative wiring when it comes to these 'smaller' Inverters - meaning that a 1,500watt Inverter is not going to have ALL your outlets wired through it, but generally only the Residential fridge, and maybe one or two other 'essential' outlets, or maybe a TV, etc.
Larger 3,000watt Inverters are more designed for 'whole house' Inverter wiring - meaning that ALL outlets may be run thru the inverter, because it now has the capacity to handle close to 30amps just thru the Inverter, itself. This would include the 120v residential fridge, a GFCI circuit for the bath and kitchen outlets, a general set of outlets, and even a dedicated outlet for the microwave.
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Old 05-30-2020, 03:46 PM   #4
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Inverter wiring

I have uploaded the pics of the inverter and power panel. The inverter is located under the bed at the back of the coach. The inverter was wired via the romex 14/2 and then plugged into a regular ac plug...which is causing part of my not understanding. My guess is that inverter plugs into the ac plug to power the plugs in the front coach that can run on inverter power..just a guess??....I did pull out the power panel to see if there was a subpanel but not that I could see but there were 2 separate junction boxes behind the power panel

The existng plugs that work of the inverter are all located at the front of the coach for 5 plugs

Part of the reason I am trying to understand this is I want to upgrade to a larger inverter and move it closer to the batteries. In addition I want to add 1 or 2 more ac plugs.

Txs for the help much appreicated.
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Old 05-30-2020, 05:20 PM   #5
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That's a PASS-THROUGH inverter. When you have SP or generator power 120 VAC is passed through from the plug in to the circuits downstream. When you don't have external 120 VAC the inverter takes the 12 VDC from the batteries and inverts it to 120 VAC to power the downstream circuits.

I don't see the battery connection wires in your pic.
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Old 05-30-2020, 05:40 PM   #6
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Interesting.....So that is why there is a plug on the inverter to pass thru ac current to the downstream plugs wired to the inverter when plugged into shore power? Kinda like an internal transfer switch? I removed the battery connections...but the cabling runs from where the inverter is (at the very back of the coach)...long battery cable runs are not good....batteries are at the very front of the coach.

Now I have to figure out is how the AC output from the inverter is wired to the plugs when not on shore power....still puzzling. Could they have done separate inverter AC wiring runs to those plugs? That would seem like alot extra wiring and cost....if so then then that is how the inverter AC pass thru maybe powering those plugs....I am guessing probably not because when I took the inverter out, shower power still worked to those plugs.... any suggestions?

I am thinking that I want to put a 3000w inverter into the coach and connect more plugs to it but I need to figure out the current inverter wiring first.

Txs for the help
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Old 05-30-2020, 06:02 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by 16ACE27 View Post
That's a PASS-THROUGH inverter. When you have SP or generator power 120 VAC is passed through from the plug in to the circuits downstream. When you don't have external 120 VAC the inverter takes the 12 VDC from the batteries and inverts it to 120 VAC to power the downstream circuits.

I don't see the battery connection wires in your pic.
He has it laying out by it'self. Wires aren't there but the red and black battery connections are on the end.
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Old 05-30-2020, 06:04 PM   #8
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I'm guessing that little 600 watt inverter is only feeding the TV outlets. Not 5 on one end of the RV.
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Old 05-30-2020, 06:38 PM   #9
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,
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Originally Posted by Fmoffatt View Post
Interesting.....So that is why there is a plug on the inverter to pass thru ac current to the downstream plugs wired to the inverter when plugged into shore power? Kinda like an internal transfer switch? I removed the battery connections...but the cabling runs from where the inverter is (at the very back of the coach)...long battery cable runs are not good....batteries are at the very front of the coach.

Now I have to figure out is how the AC output from the inverter is wired to the plugs when not on shore power....still puzzling. Could they have done separate inverter AC wiring runs to those plugs? That would seem like alot extra wiring and cost....if so then then that is how the inverter AC pass thru maybe powering those plugs....I am guessing probably not because when I took the inverter out, shower power still worked to those plugs.... any suggestions?

I am thinking that I want to put a 3000w inverter into the coach and connect more plugs to it but I need to figure out the current inverter wiring first.

Txs for the help
The romex you still have attached and cut is what powered the downstream circuits, both when SP is applied and when the inverter creates 120 VAC. There is an internal ATS in the inverter; there is no redundant wiring. With your inverter removed like it is, what other plugs are dead besides your fridge plug? At 600 watts it may be the only plug powered off that inverter.
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Old 05-30-2020, 06:46 PM   #10
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,

The romex you still have attached and cut is what powered the downstream circuits, both when SP is applied and when the inverter creates 120 VAC. There is an internal ATS in the inverter; there is no redundant wiring. With your inverter removed like it is, what other plugs are dead besides your fridge plug? At 600 watts it may be the only plug powered off that inverter.
Fridge was gonna be my first guess but OP stated that 5 plugs in the front were on the inverter so I went with the TV. I should have known better.
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Old 05-30-2020, 06:48 PM   #11
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Just went out and double checked....so the total number of plugs that work on inverter power is actually 7...2 tvs and 5 house plugs..all in the front of the coach.....the inverter does not power any appliances ie fridge etc....

when i took the inverter out all of those plugs are dead.
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Old 05-30-2020, 06:53 PM   #12
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Just went out and double checked....so the total number of plugs that work on inverter power is actually 7...2 tvs and 5 house plugs..all in the front of the coach.....the inverter does not power any appliances ie fridge etc....

when i took the inverter out all of those plugs are dead.
You don't have a residential fridge? If that's the case then this is probably an aftermarket add-on inverter
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Old 05-30-2020, 06:53 PM   #13
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Just went out and double checked....so the total number of plugs that work on inverter power is actually 7...2 tvs and 5 house plugs..all in the front of the coach.....the inverter does not power any appliances ie fridge etc....
All that on 600 watts. That ain't right. So all that is dead now with the inverter out of the RV? My money is on a breaker being tripped on the other 5. Are these 5 outlets near the kitchen?
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Old 05-30-2020, 06:59 PM   #14
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Ya that is what I thought 600 watts yikes.....how is it all those plugs could be wired to the inverter?
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Old 05-30-2020, 07:04 PM   #15
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Ya that is what I thought 600 watts yikes.....how is it all those plugs could be wired to the inverter?
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You don't have a residential fridge? If that's the case then this is probably an aftermarket add-on inverter
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Old 05-30-2020, 07:12 PM   #16
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The plugs are in the front of the RV .no kitchen, bathroom or back bedroom plugs are wired for inverter power...The inverter is WFCO 600 watt inverter....I borrowed a friends Samlex 2000 watt inverter and wired it up and the inverter plugs worked no problem so I wired it to the battery and then I disconnected that inverter and connected to shore power and those same plugs had AC power running to them...The Samlex inverter does not have an AC input power cord...
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Old 05-30-2020, 07:13 PM   #17
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the fridge is a rv dometic side by side...not a residential
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Old 05-30-2020, 07:18 PM   #18
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don't know what to tell you except that is a lot of plugs for 600 watts. Not all inverters have 120 pass thru capability.
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Old 05-30-2020, 07:21 PM   #19
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don't know what to tell you except that is a lot of plugs for 600 watts. Not all inverters have 120 pass thru capability.
Still very puzzling......so the bottom line is how do the inverter plugs get wired to accept power from the inverter and shore power..what a cunumdrum
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Old 05-30-2020, 08:01 PM   #20
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here is a scenerio...if the inverter plugs were wired for ac power as well and you turned on shore power...would ac power run back to the inverter and potentailly cause damage? If damage were to occur there must be some kind of protection that disconnects the inverter power when AC power is detected...thoughts?
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