Do you REALLY need to have a power transfer switch?

[pchicky]

This message was also posted on the "C Owners" site. A little background,....my converter was not charging coach batteries with the genset running. I traced the problem to only one line in the breaker box operating, and have traced that to a potential issue in the power transfer box....so, here's the question:

OK, I messed with the RV this weekend. Found that with the genset running I only have one line being powered in the breaker box, and the converter was on the dead line. So, for a quick fix, I switched the breaker for the washer/dryer (which I don't have) with the converter and my house batteries are charging on genset. However, this doesn't fix the root cause.

The best I can figure, I've got a problem in the power transfer switch for the genset to shore power that is not supplying fully 50 amp service down both lines...put another way, I'm only getting half of the genset output in the rig. All is fine with the RV plugged into shore power, so that tells me it's in the genset side of the power transfer switch.

Here's the question. What value does this power transfer switch do, other than make it a convenience to switch between generator and shore power? My last C Class didn't have one, and you literally just plugged the shore power line into an RV recepticle hooked to the genset in the storage area where the shore power line was stored....it was simple and easy.

Seems to me that you could do the same with the 50 amp double pole line, couldn't you? I mean, if you're running the genset on a trip, you pull into a campround and want to plug it in, you have to get the cord out, so what's the harm in just unplugging it from the genset and plugging it into shore power. Yeah, your A/C units will be off for two seconds, but that seems like an extremely minor inconvenience and it bypasses the power transfer switch which, to me, is just another potential failure point.

With that said, if the power transfer box is performing another safety feature, somebody please tell me. I'd love to learn about it.