Has anyone tried one of these?

[Desert Satanna]

I was browsing through ebay listings for a 30-amp power distribution center. I know a lot of people go with WFCO, but has anyone tried any other brands, such as this?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ELIXIR-LC50-30-or-50-AMP-RV-DISTRIBUTION-PANEL-110-volt-and-12-volt-C4/140894395731?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D23490%26meid%3D5ed0e6931da24071be8ecb529fc4bbbd%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D10073%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D230558963977&rt=nc

As I said, I'm just looking around for the moment, but want to pick up a couple of these in the coming weeks. Any advice is certainly welcome!   

[Redwood]

  Mike,
   I went with the WFCO brand from the advice of a friend and Apache owner. Basically all they are is a 110 V breaker box and then on the other side next to the breaker box is a set up for your 12V wires and fuses. You would only need the 12V side if you are going to have a lot of 12V wires to run to it. On my Mesa I only used the 110V Breaker box to run my 30 amp breaker too and all the rest of my breakers to have my 110 Romex running too. I don't use the large battery with lots of 12V wires so I didn't need that part of the box.
  I can't really say what brand you should buy but I know you don't need a 50 amp box for your Apache. On my Roamer I still won't be using a big Battery so I'll probably be buying just a simple breaker box from Home Depot.
  I'll have a 30 amp shore power cord running to my breaker box and the 30 amp main breaker. The rest of the breakers will just be a 15 and 20 amp breakers. I'll wire my trailer with Romex and new wall plugs and a GFI plug on the outside of the trailer.
   You really just have to decide what kind of electric system you're going to have and then you can buy the box that's best for what your going to do on your trailer. If you want to have a box that includes a new converter you can do that too. Our old 15 amp converters are really not up to date and could be dangerous. I kept my converter in my Mesa because all it runs is the over head light and fan. It's hard wired to my breaker box.  But not used for anything else. Good Luck to you.
   

[79Ramada]

This particular panel is designed for larger RV and travel trailers with 50A AC shore power in mind. It can take qty-8 15-amps breaker circuits, and up to qty-15 DC circuits up to 100-amps. Also, just DC distribution panel, one AC to DC converter unit is needed to power the DC distribution panel. This unit may be too large and too much of a good thing. I went with 30 amps AC Converter/Charger unit, with DC distribution panel and built in AC-DC converter as below.

[PDXApacheRoyal]

I have a smaller one that I need to get rid off.  It fits on the apache real nice.  I bought it and then saw nearly identical that had red lights for when one of the 12v fuses blows.  It doesn't have the ac converter built in as some of the bigger rv models do.  I have done away with any ac conversion.  I can send pic and model number tomorrow.

[Redwood]

I have a smaller one that I need to get rid off.  It fits on the apache real nice.  I bought it and then saw nearly identical that had red lights for when one of the 12v fuses blows.  It doesn't have the ac converter built in as some of the bigger rv models do.  I have done away with any ac conversion.  I can send pic and model number tomorrow.

  This is the one I used on my Mesa. Is the one you have like this one?

[PDXApacheRoyal]

Mine is a little different.  I will get a model number and pic tonight.

[packsfan]

So I'm confused. Will this replace the stock converter and act as a breaker panel?

[Redwood]

So I'm confused. Will this replace the stock converter and act as a breaker panel?

  Yes it will as long as you buy the panel with the converter included. It also comes with a 110v breaker box and a 12v panel too. So a set up like this will tale care of all the electric in your trailer.
  Now my box only acts as a breaker box for my 30 amp system and as a panel for any 12 v system I install. I didn't want a new converter in my trailer so I bought the box without the converter included. In my trailer I am working to only have a 110v system with no converter at all. The only items my converter runs at this time is the overhead light and fan. Once I change them to 110 then I can get rid of the converter all together.
    But anyway it all depends on what kind of panel you buy and what's included in it.

[packsfan]

So the one on the link is basically just a box?

[Redwood]

Yep the one link that Desert Satanna posted is just a distribution panel for the 110v and the 12 v electric, mine is the same thing.
 But the picture that 79 Ramada posted is a distribution panel that also includes a new 30amp converter too.

[PDXApacheRoyal]

Here are the pics of the distribution panel.  This is nearly identical to the one I installed.  I did away with any need to convert to save amp-hours.  Its for sale $30 plus shipping. 

On my royal I turned one of the compartments on fold out bunk into a electrical cabinet. 

[PDXApacheRoyal]

Here are the pics of the distribution panel.  This is nearly identical to the one I installed.  I did away with any need to convert to save amp-hours.  Its for sale $30 plus shipping. 

On my royal I turned one of the compartments on fold out bunk into a electrical cabinet. 

[PDXApacheRoyal]

Here is mine installed and pics of my electrical cabinet. I used to have a converter in here to but found I really had no use for it.  So when it fried on me I yanked it out.

You can see the wf9855 55amp battery charger there too.  I have all my running lights tied to a nice terminal block.  Also my 12 volt from my now outside battery is distributed from big terminal blocks mounted on a piece of starboard with standoff spacers.  This makes for very easy maintenance and mods.