This is for all you dry-campers with inverters. I have installed a kinda large one (3500 watts) in the next compartment over from my batteries. I used a (I think) 300 amp fuse and a bayonet type switch with 02 welding cable from batteries to inverter. Now the inverter has a double 120 volt receptacle, so I have an extension cord run up under the sink slide area. This is a pretty jury-rigged set up, but I don't know how I would hook up the inverter outlet to the 5er breaker panel and not overload the inverter. (I know, I would probably burn down the forest if I used 3500 watts at once, but I thought if big is good, bigger is better!) Anyone have a set-up similar to this and hooked up the inverter to the panel?

Your fuse link is probably not large enough. With no loses the 3500watts will draw around 285AMPS from your battery bank.It will take a rather large battery bank to produce 12VDC at 285AMPS plus loses for any length of time. One of my experiences was with a 1500WATT PSW Inverter running some HP TEST EQUIPMENT from the trunk of a rental car. INVERTER was connected directly to the single rental car battery terminals. The TEST EQUIPMENT added up to just under the 1500WATTs. It lasted about 15 minutes before going dead. This was with the rental car motor running...I would look at some battery specs and look at the RESERVE POWER. i.e. two 6VDC Trojan T105 batteries in series to give you 12VDC will only produce 12VDC @25AMPS for approximately 447 minutes (7.45 hours). If you want to keep using these batteries you will have to not let them get discharged to 0% charge state before recharging so you can really only count on using them for only 4 hours in this situation.This is a long way way from the 285AMPS current draw. If Two batteries give you 4 hours of use time, 2 more added will give you 50 AMPs capacity, etc etc etc...INVERTERS are very BATTERY hungaryjust saying...Roy Ken

I run a cord from the inverter to the main power hook up. Where I hook up in the campground. Then, I make sure the 120v circuits I do not want to use are turned off in the circuit breaker box, to save my battery.I am not sure what you want to run with 3500 watts? That would run electric water heater, microwave, toaster, and a few other, small things at once! Unless you have about 1000# or more of battery, you will run them down in about 15 minutes! 3500 watts is a HUGE draw for a normal battery bank, even of 6 big batteries.I would suggest NOT using that much. Space out your use, do not use everything at once. If you need anywhere near 3500 watts for more than a few minutes a day, you need to either plug in to 120, or run a generator.

Hi,Use a #10 cord.I plug my shore power cord into the inverter. The converter needs to be turned off. Most folks move the fridge and water heater to their propane powered settings.What make and model is the inverter?

Okay! They say "A mind is a terrible thing to waste". Well, sometimes, I think my mind is just a "terrible thing". I have a 2300 watt inverter. I went out and looked. Also there is a plywood wall behind the breaker box in my signature 5er and I'm not real sure how to get to the back of the box, easily. Thanks for the responses, though. david

I put in a professional RV 3500 watt inverter also. It was free so it was worth doing. It is also installed with 2 gauge welding cable to my battery bank. It has 4 outlets, and i ran a number ten extension cord to an outlet above our sink to plug a coffee maker or toaster in. Also ran a second one to the TV area as that is the thing we use it for the most (nascar stuff at the race). It has saved me in a pinch when i needed to air up a tire or run an impact to change a tire. Mine has the inside power switch with battery level indicator which makes it nice. As all my lights are LED now I dont worry about plugging in the main cable. When i need to charge the generator gets started and all plugs get moved to the normal AC outlets.

inverter hook-up | Good Sam Community

18 Replies

dannytas
Explorer
Mar 31, 2014
oldtrojan66 wrote:
BoonHauler/quote wrote:

I don't get it...:h....is it a 3500 or 2300 watt inverter??

I'm always amazed at how something that seems so plain to the writer can be misunderstood by a reader. No offense intended, BoonHauler. I meant I thought I had a 3500 watt inverter, but it is instead a 2300 watt inverter. The mind comment has more to do with my failing memory and the joys of the "golden years"! Can somebody say "Amen!"

...AMEN!!!
oldtrojan66
Explorer
Mar 31, 2014
BoonHauler/quote wrote:

I don't get it...:h....is it a 3500 or 2300 watt inverter??

I'm always amazed at how something that seems so plain to the writer can be misunderstood by a reader. No offense intended, BoonHauler. I meant I thought I had a 3500 watt inverter, but it is instead a 2300 watt inverter. The mind comment has more to do with my failing memory and the joys of the "golden years"! Can somebody say "Amen!"
pianotuna
Nomad III
Mar 30, 2014
Hi Gordon,

The shore power plugs into the inverter when you wish to use 120 volt devices when there is no power pedestal. Turn off the converter, and any other items that may drain the battery bank too fast.

When there is 120 volt power, the shore power cord is plugged in to the land line.

GordonThree wrote:
My turn to be confused. How are the batteries get charged if shore power plugs into the inverter ... some sort of perpetual motion generator? Is the shore cable coming in through the door / window, what about bugs / rain / cold weather?
GordonThree
Explorer
Mar 30, 2014
My turn to be confused. How are the batteries get charged if shore power plugs into the inverter ... some sort of perpetual motion generator? Is the shore cable coming in through the door / window, what about bugs / rain / cold weather?
BoonHauler
Explorer
Mar 30, 2014
oldtrojan66 wrote:
Okay! They say "A mind is a terrible thing to waste". Well, sometimes, I think my mind is just a "terrible thing". I have a 2300 watt inverter. I went out and looked. Also there is a plywood wall behind the breaker box in my signature 5er and I'm not real sure how to get to the back of the box, easily. Thanks for the responses, though.

david

I don't get it...:h....is it a 3500 or 2300 watt inverter??
gmctoyman
Explorer
Mar 29, 2014
I have a Prisine 2.0, the way I installed it may not meet approval of everyone....but it' smile !

My rig is 30A. I bought 2 new 30A cords with molded ends, on one, cut off each end with ~18", or whatever, of cable on each. I wired the PLUG end to the 120v inlet side, and the SOCKET end to the 120v outlet side of the inverter. On the other, I wired the PLUG end to the inlet 30a breaker in the panel, with enough cable to reach the inverter...plug this into the inverter outlet. The SOCKET end of the cable is run from the Marineco shore power inlet on the RV to the inverter... plug the inverter inlet into this. IF the inverter ever craps out on me, I simply unplug both ends from the inverter and plug them together and go on about my business. I left the original converter installed, with the breaker off so it is available if needed. JWID, use at your own risk.
oldtrojan66
Explorer
Mar 29, 2014
Thanks all, for the replies. I have found some very useful information. I think I will be able to do fine. I have also fulfilled a dream of having two small generators to keep batteries charged when dry camping. Hope everyone has a great camping season (our last as worker people, then retirement and no end to "season"). david
2oldman
Explorer II
Mar 28, 2014
oldtrojan66 wrote:
Anyone have a set-up similar to this and hooked up the inverter to the panel?
Yes, similar, but I don't have sockets on my inverter, just a hard-wire to the panel. There's nothing wrong with doing it that way.

To not overload the inverter, simply don't ask it for more power than it's capable of delivering. I used to flip breakers, but since discovering the WH has its own 'on-off' switch, and I can somehow remember not to run the air, I'm fine. I do run the MW.
ewarnerusa
Nomad
Mar 28, 2014
pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Use a #10 cord.

I plug my shore power cord into the inverter. The converter needs to be turned off. Most folks move the fridge and water heater to their propane powered settings....

This, easiest thing to do and you already have everything you need. Just plug your shore power cable into the inverter and your entire 120V AC system is powered. The converter is the most important thing to shut off since it will think it is hooked up to land power and try to charge your batteries...using power drawn from the batteries. Shutting off breakers to other large draw items is a good precaution, though.
Veebyes
Explorer II
Mar 28, 2014
I installed a pure sine wave 2kw inverter charger a few years ago. The cheap & nasty converter got tossed. To prevent overloading the 4D AGM battery requires making sure circuits for things like the water heater, AC, heaters & fridge are turned off before the inverter is turned on.