6.5 KW Onan Auto Transfer Switch

[Ragingbull]

My 79 Pace Arrow has the above mentioned gennie. I also have the owners manual for both the MH and the generator and they both state to plug the 30 amp cord into the outlet located in the same compartment as the cord. Well there is no outlet there and this MH has dual AC. Am I correct in the unit having a auto transfer swich and if so where would it be located?
Thanks

[RJay]

The ATS is usually at the end of the power cord. It's about 8" X 8" and black. I may be wrong but I don't think your unit has one.

[Ragingbull]

After some more digging around I found an electrical schematic. Generator is wired directly to the converter. Two breakers. One marked generator and other rear AC. Surely it doesn't only power the rear AC though. It must have some type of automatic switch in it?

[Dave78Chief]

You have 30 amp service correct? Only one AC can be run from 30 amp shore power. You can only run both AC's at once from the generator. In 79 I doubt that you would have had a ATS. You plug the shore power plug into a generator recepticle. You may have a front/rear AC switch that allows you to select one or the other when just on shore power.

Dave

[Ragingbull]

It doesn't have a switch except for the breaker in the PD converter. Tomorrow I'll get a photo of what it shows.

[Ragingbull]

Its taken with my cell phone. Scanner isn't working right now.
Three boxes to the left are the 4.0,5.0 generators showing where they would use the 30 amp cord for plugging into the generator. The third box down is the 6.4 onan and it shows connecting to the PD converter. Model number is 764 SN BD8361.

[Dave78Chief]

Normally for that approach, there should be a 30 amp AC shore power and a 30 amp AC generator breaker in the panel. Only one of them should be ON at a time or you may have fireworks. Normally, there is a mechanical safety linkage between the 2 CB's that prevent both being on a once. Sometimes it is a see-saw like linkage; other times it is a slide bar. This was one of the ways they did things in the days before fancy ATS devices. I know, in this day of camara phones that have digital pulse tones it is hard to think in terms of rotary dial phones. That however, is the era your rig was born in.

Opp's now that I dig a little deeper, some PD models (like yours) had a shore power/generator selection relay in the AC/DC/Converter unit: http://www.progressivedyn.com/servic...l%20710778.pdf). That is an early form of an ATS.
Troubleshooting: pdf page 12
Picture Layout: pdf page 19

Operators Manual: http://www.progressivedyn.com/servic...0%20Manual.pdf

There normally is a seperate 20 amp AC breaker for the other (rear) AC.

Dave

[Ragingbull]

Thanks Dave that covers it well.