Electric and propane inlets

[mothercoder]

I’ll be putting my battery box and propane tank on the cargo basket of my tongue. I’ve purchased 2 inlets for the wiring and the propane hose. I’m scared as hell to cut the openings for those inlets and now the trailer manufacturer is saying it’s best to go through the floor than the nose. I could really use some guidance. 

Here’s the thing: the trailer already has 110 power so there’s wiring there somewhere. Problem is, I don’t plan plugging in often and prefer to use solar. But I don’t want to damage any of the electrical already in place and I don’t have a schematic of where it is.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I agree with the manufacturer. If you drill or cut thru the trailer walls without checking behind the paneling, you risk hitting wires, and/or, frame members. 

So, I drilled one 3" access hole (using a 3" hole saw) in the wood floor of my trailer, front left corner, and installed a 3" RV access port with a flip cover. My 120v shore power cord passes thru this opening and forward to the tongue-mounted generator. The flip cover is INSIDE, facing upwards.

Then I re-purposed the air vent on the lower right rear corner wall: I removed the outside and inside plastic louvers, and inserted another 3" access port with a small flip cover facing outwards, in the existing hole. I can pass my portable solar panel cables thru there when parked, or I can close the port for travel. 

I also sealed the openings around the ports. 

Cross ventilation is not an issue, since I installed a sliding screened window and a pop-out vent on opposite sides of the trailer. 

These 3" ports have just enough width to pass a 15 amp or possibly a 30 amp plug.

You could do the same thing up front, installing the inlet for the propane hose in the floor. You will need to secure the hose so that it cant move, fall, or vibrate around.

 

[mothercoder]

There is already a 15 amp plug and 2 110V outlets in the trailer but I don’t often plan on being plugged in to power. I would have no idea how to tie that in to my batteries.

I have no vents and I don’t plan on mounting the solar panels for now. I just need to get my wiring from the battery box outside to the controller and inverter inside.

 

[mothercoder]

Okay, we put the inlets in the floor with the flip covers facing inside. They are sealed with silicone. One for the electric coming from the battery box (still need to mount it on the cargo basket) and one for the 20 gal propane tank. I just picked up the tank and the hose today.

Now I get to re-review solar set up videos so I can get everything wired. The inside needs some final touches then the solar and I’m done!!

 

[tx2sturgis]

Kewl!

See how easy that was?

 

[mothercoder]

Very easy. Now I just have to figure out solar.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Very easy. Now I just have to figure out solar.

That's just as easy....