Need help for travel trailer wiring!!!

[robertmdrew]

Hello all,
I could use a bit of help from some of you savvy electrical types. I have a small travel trailer ('18 Jayco Hummingbird FD) and I just finished installing 230watts of solar (in series) on the roof, which heads down to a renogy 30amp MPPT controller and then onto my 100aH Lifepo4 battery. My next project is to install the Renogy 2000Watt inverter, which I'd like to hardwire into the system so that all of the outlets in the trailer work when I want them to. The control panel is a WFCO Model WF-8735P which appears to be both the battery converter and breaker panel all in one. We plan to mostly dry camp and are never plugged into shore power, except for the 24 hours or so before we leave for a trip. I'm running into some trouble figuring out exactly how to do this. I know I can buy an automatic transfer switch and wire both the shore power plug and converter to one side and the inverter on the other, but since we're almost never plugged into shore power, it seems easier just to switch off the converter breaker when we are dry camping. The problem is - how can I hardwire the inverter into the panel? I've heard of 'backfeeding' the panel, but not sure exactly how to do that. Couldn't I just splice into any of the outlets closest to the inverter to connect my inverter hardwire into the rest of the AC system or am I thinking about this incorrectly and electricity won't flow to all the outlets if I do it this way? Any assistance is appreciated! See photos of my panel below. Thank you!

 

[Lucien Nunes]

No, you cannot tee the inverter output into an outlet circuit as then when you do connect the shore power, it will feed into the inverter output and kill it unless it is intended for grid-tied operation. Also, when the inverter is in operation, the prongs of the shoreline could become live with inverter power. It is not sufficient to rely on remembering to switch the correct breakers etc to prevent shock risk, there must be a proper interlock that forcibly prevents mis-operation.

Obviously the transfer switch is the best option, it does not need to be automatic. A manual rotary camswitch could be wired to select either inverter or shoreline, and to switch off the converter power when inverter is selected. Consider also whether the neutral-ground bond needs to be made locally when inverter is selected, to enable GFCI operation on the outlets.