Inverter Charger vs Individual Components

rodwha wrote:
To be able to run the A/C and a major appliance at one time I'll need no less than 3000 watts. As stated in the other thread, running the air/con off battery power is a non-starter. That means running the microwave or coffee maker is likely your major load and that will typically e far less than 3000watts. If it's just the TV, you may need as little as 100w inverter.I'm either not understanding properly or something as I'm understanding that I'll need an inverter charger that provides 3000 watts to be able to use these will plugged in or on a generator. If you are plugged into shore power or a generator, the batteries and inverter don't come into play.I'm not spending the money or giving in to the weight of being able to do this on battery power. I'm looking for what it'll take and what my options are, along with a quality product(s).

From what I've been reading most trailers come with a poor quality converter that will ruin your batteries when plugged in for a long time. Who told you this because unless it fails in the on position, it's just not a problem leaving the charger plugged in all the time.I cannot have this. But then I also noticed it typically stating this with older trailers, which seems to imply newer ones of descent quality may well come with a converter that won't ruin the batteries. It seems as though the Keystone Passport is an above average, though not top tier, trailer.

Something I read was that to this couple's thinking it was much better to have individual components as if/when one goes out it's much cheaper to replace, as well as it doesn't leave you without options in the mean time, which makes a lot of sense, especially after seeing a model of inverter charger runs a bit over $1700, which is a considerable expense after a major purchase along with various smaller needs from the start. It's largely a wash separate vs combined components. Simpler to install a single unit but separate components have more connections increasing the odds of a broken connection. Overall, I wouldn't worry about it.

How will I know if the converter the trailer (new) comes with is a descent one?Get the model and search online but as with anything else, there will be people who love each model and those that hate it.

Assuming this trailer's two batteries are the lower tier (group 24) with a combined capacity of no more than 170 amp hours what would my needs be as far as a converter/inverter? The charger (converter) really can just be the standard unit (typically 20-40amps 12V). 2 small batteries won't handle a big inverter well, so unless you are going to upgrade the battery bank, figure 1000-1500w inverter. A big consideration is if it's true sine wave. They are more expensive but if you are running electronics, it's often good to have.

Do I not need a 3000 watt inverter for the A/C and a major appliance while plugged in or running a generator? I figured that despite their capabilities it still runs through the inverter. If you are running on the generator, the inverter doesn't come into play.

The transfer switch is pretty straight forward with me needing a 30 amp setup as it's what the trailer is set up for (30 amps).Are you talking about a built in generator or a portable? For a portable, you don't need a transfer switch, just plug the cord into the generator. If it's a built in generator, the installer should handle the wiring.