Fubeca wrote:
Why use the converter at all if you have a good inverter/charger? It will automatically switch to charging the batteries when 120V input is detected.
Thanks for the question. The FW wasn't setup with the inverter or a decent battery bank - just the converter with single stage charger & a 12 volt deep cycle battery for the brakes and lights.
I sealed the front compartment, added more vents, replaced the 12 volt battery with 4 - 6 volt GC ones and installed a TrippLite 2kW inverter with more bells & whistles than I'll ever use on the other side of the "new" battery compartment bulkhead (which was originally just a cargo net). Initially I just ran a couple of hidden extension cords from the inverter for the TV/DirecTV DVR and another for the waterpik at the sink. When dry camping, I'd recharge the batteries with a 2kW Yamaha for a few hours and then watch TV and clean my tooth as usual.
However, the limited 110 volt access was becoming a nuisance but the simple solution of running the shore power cable (30 amp) to the inverter created the situation where the batteries were charging themselves via the converter. The converter was a Parallax 7355 which I upgraded to the WFCO Ultra III 9800 with 3 stage charger. The posts from rickeoni and wa8yxm got me pointed in the right direction of putting a switch in the positive wire from the converter to its battery charger. Before I did this, I checked with Randy at BestConverter.com who confirmed it was okay and done many times.
When dry camping now, I just plug the shore power cable into the inverter, turn off the new switch to disable the converter charger and run everything normally except for AC & MW. Still have to use the Yammy to charge the batteries via the inverter's battery charger and we're good to go. With shore power, I turn on the converter's battery charger using my new switch and its business as usual except the inverter is not used.
Sorry for the long answer and hopefully it makes sense. Please let me know if it doesn't answer your question.
Mike
And thanks to everyone who replied to my question.
