i'm wondering if its possible to buy a large inverter (1500 to 2000w) and tie it into the camper so i can use any outlet i want to. i dont want to wire it so my inverter is powering the charger that charges the batteries. that would just create a loop of wasted power (heat from the inverter)also, if i have a 2000w inverter running a tv will it use any more power than a 400w inverter running a tv? just wondering if i'll be wasting a bunch of juice. any help is appreciated or better ideas.

Sure it is. Whole house or whole coach typically is what it's called. You'll want a transfer switch, either internal to the inverter or external.It's debatable on power consumption between a huge inverter and a tiny one on the same load. That's not comparing apples to apples, as the huge inverter typically has more protection circuits, monitoring features, etc, that all cost power. if you could find a tiny inverter with all those same features, I think we'd see the power usage pretty close.Don't think you can run a huge inverter off the same battery that powers a tiny one. you want at least four batteries for anything 2000w and above, in my humble opinion.

I use to power our TV with a 150 watt MSW inverter, last year I installed a 2000 watt PSW inverter. Yes the big inverter will draw a few more watts but not enough to make a difference. I do have four 6 volt batteries to run this new inverter.

When I ran a 32 inch TV from a 400 watt inverter, I had to use the TV on low brightness (which was just fine) or the extra wattage would cause the internal fan in the inverter to come on. I never checked to see what the extra wattage might be to run the fan, likely very minimal compared to the actual load.

That's the way my inverter is wired. I use a transfer switch to switch between shore power and inverter power. If you have 50A service you will need power to both legs from your inverter at your breaker box. I also installed a relay to prevent AC, water heater, battery charger and microwave from coming on when running off inverter.

pbmazda32 wrote:i dont want to wire it so my inverter is powering the charger that charges the batteries. that would just create a loop of wasted power (heat from the inverter)Simple solution - turn the converter off. :R

power inverter install questions | Good Sam Community

SoundGuy
Explorer
Nov 20, 2016
mikakuja wrote:
The charger is the only item that will need to be re-wired. The A/C already has it's own breaker and does not need to be isolated. The fridge is the only other high draw item, and managing it by leaving it on gas works for us...
There really isn't anything else that's necessary to isolate.

But it is still necessary to make sure any water heater equipped with a 120 vac heating element has that element turned off. Also, any fridge with a climate control circuit, 'though it is 12 vdc powered, should be turned off as well in order to help eliminate unnecessary drain on precious battery reserve. Unfortunately manufacturers have eliminated this switch on some models, in which case it's advisable to add your own, just as I've done.
mikakuja
Explorer
Nov 20, 2016
SoundGuy, Good point on the fridge climate control circut, forgot about that one... We simply pulled the light switch out (shown in your pic) and unplugged the climate control unit then put the switch back in place (ours had 2 separate plugs behind the switch, one for the climate one for the light). As I have no intention in using the climate control I did not add a switch for it.
pbmazda32
Explorer
Nov 21, 2016
its in and done. everythings working as it should. found and marked the breaker for the AC. Theyre was a small breaker all the way to the right, flipped it and the charger shut off. so i can flip that off, turn the fridge to gas and im good to go. like i said earlier, my hot water tank is gas only so no need to worry about that. coffee pot ran fine, as did the battery charger for my tools. transfer switch in the inverter worked perfectly. had the inverter running with the tv and roku on, fired up the genny and it flipped over without a blip in anything. thanks for everyones help, its really appreciated.
pbmazda32
Explorer
Nov 21, 2016
forgot to say, next project is a 200w solar setup.
mikestock
Explorer
Nov 21, 2016
is this the right product?

https://www.amazon.com/RV750ULHW-Inverter-Charger-Hardwire-Output/dp/B000FTH2R0/ref=pd_sbs_107_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VRVVZ2D0ES20A5Y5MNER

I'm not positive, but I don't think you want this. If you plan to replace your existing converter/charger, it can be wired to give you the 120 vac you're looking for, but I don't believe this will provide the 12 vdc output you have now. You will have to keep your existing 12 vdc in tact.

I did what you are planning with a 600 watt PSW Xantrex. I just plugged my rv input into the inverter and opened the breaker for the charger. I had 4-6 volt golf cart batteries, so it would last several hours if I was careful about how many lights, tv's, Directv receivers, etc. I used at a time.

Sorry my post didn't make much sense. i forgot to quote the post (on top) i was referring to.

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