Transfer Switch & Surge Guard Installation

Sunday & Monday, October 10 & 11 – Transfer Switch Install

We bought a Lyght 50A Automatic Transfer Switch from Amazon.

It’s the same switch we installed on our 2001 Newmar so we felt comfortable installing it. This transfer switch uses DC relays to reduce hum. It works.

Tuesday thru Friday, October 12 thru 15 – Surge Guard Install

This was a PITA.

The RV electrical compartment is very small, so there were limited (ie, one) options . . .

The Southwire 35550 Surge Guard had to be mounted ON the transfer switch itself.

The wiring into and out of the Model 35550 surge guard leaves a lot to be desired. For example, while the screw-down wiring posts secure the wire well enough, there is no protection for the wires into and out of the unit. The surge guard installation instructions tell you to secure the wires within 7″ of the unit, that didn’t seem enough for us, especially in this cramped electrical compartment.

So we installed a plywood faceplate over the entire Model 35550 . . .

Friday thru Sunday, October 15 thru 17 – Surge Guard Monitor Install

This was especially tricky. Here’s the finished product . . .

Next, we have to give a shoutout to the no-longer-existing National RV company for their workmanship.

One of the biggest PITA when running wire under an RV is getting it from compartment to compartment without drilling through walls. In this case, our thick steel Sea View walls.

But National RV provided a VERY CONVENIENT solution: Knockouts. You know, those circular tabs on metal electrical boxes that you can “knock out” to run wire.

National RV put knockouts on our Sea View’s compartment walls . . .