Forum Discussion

RespondingBack's avatar
RespondingBack
Explorer
May 29, 2013

John PalmerEnergySystems.com

Have used various service folks but really like the ones who let you watch, participate and learn. Hard to find those.

Found John Palmer through a posting on Escapees forum. Poster has a great blog on solar, and was responding to a query for help in Florida, and recommended Palmer.

John Palmer is an old-timer when solar and inverters were first being put into RVs. Does not do much marketing (website is basic) but knows personally and worked with the original engineers for a lot of tech stuff. Customers at his place were repeat customers from years ago.

Does a lot of troubleshooting for companies and customers on installations. A bit plain-spoken and frank.

Unlike typical shops, he wants you to participate in the installation (or at least watch) of solar and inverter stuff. After discussing a bunch of options, I went with Morningstar SureSine 300 inverter and will use generator for microwave. Helped him run some wiring while he pointed stuff out to me. Decided to skip bigger battery charger as I figured don't need if draw on batteries is limited (driving and 200 watts of solar panels for 200 amp-hr battery bank should avoid need for big amp output charging).

Palmer used to drive around the country to the rallies to put in solar and inverter/chargers but now works in north central Florida. He also used to do seminars on boondocking.

Has plenty of space to boondock during service.

His number is 941-928-4573.

Have no affiliation with him although he was nice enough to let me boondock on a second visit and borrow his ladders and tools to do some stuff (with him as a resource).
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    May 29, 2013
    If you rely on gen to run the big stuff and a small inverter to run the tv etc, then you will not like BC provincial parks with gen hours from 9-11am and 6-8pm.

    EG, how do you make toast for breakfast at 7:30am? I use a big inverter.

    EG what if you want to eat supper before 6pm and want to use the microwave? I use the big inverter.

    Once it is allowed to run the gen, I recharge my batteries.

    Now we are in a summer seasonal site and have lots of solar. Gen hours are from 10am to 2pm, but seldom needed in summer. Still want to make toast at 7:30. Still need the big inverter to do that and still need it for the microwave at suppertime (if needed) too.

    Can't understand those who think a 300w inverter is enough and use the gen when they want to run big stuff. Must not to want to run big stuff when we do!
  • KJINTF's avatar
    KJINTF
    Explorer
    May 30, 2013
    Good to see some old timers are still in the business

    Like the OP, for us the 300 watt inverter easily gets the job done. The MS Sure Sine is a great inverter.

    No issues here in our camping areas with rules and regulations as to when and how you might be allowed to run your own genset. Why be in a place with so many rules and regulations when you have choices. No one around us to care or even hear the genset when we do use it to make toast early in the morning.
  • mena661's avatar
    mena661
    Explorer
    May 30, 2013
    BFL13 wrote:
    Gen hours are from 10am to 2pm, but seldom needed in summer. Still want to make toast at 7:30.
    Gen hours in CA are generally 10 am to 9 pm. So far we've been breaking the morning gen time to run the convection oven. I don't like this but DW insists. I want a bigger inverter and solar but she was really resistant to the solar. Then I found out that her resistance was because she wanted me to put solar on the barn first. LOL! I said that solar on the barn would cost WAY more than solar on the MH and we use the MH regularly. Solar on the barn is just for lighting. That can wait. She's kinda onboard now but I'm not doing any projects currently as we're getting into the summer and I don't want to be on the MH's roof in 100+ temps. Plus I'm hoping for a sale.
  • MEXICOWANDERER's avatar
    MEXICOWANDERER
    Explorer
    May 30, 2013
    I camped at (was it Englishman Falls?) once on the island. It was so cool and gloomy coulda sworn the place was sucking power out of batteries through the panels.
  • RespondingBack's avatar
    RespondingBack
    Explorer
    May 30, 2013
    Compromises.

    Would have liked a big inverter to run microwave but RV is a vancamper with limited space and small two battery 200 amp-hrs total battery bank. Don't have any other items which would require a big inverter. 300 watts is enough to recharge various little rechargeable batteries and run a small one serving size blender.

    Rarely use microwave anyways and never at breakfast time. So for cost and size of large inverter (and still would have gotten Sure sine for efficiency and quiet fan less operation), did not make sense. Other owners of same RV did put in a Xantrex 1500 or 2000 watt modified sine inverter to run microwave and/or hair dryer (but had to locate in an area I use for other stuff).

    Palmer really likes Magnum products for their engineering and customer support. The units are heavy as apparently use transformers (which are apparently more heavy duty). Unfortunately, the smallest Magnum inverter still was too big to squeeze into the various cabinet cubbies.

    The combo charger/inverter from Magnum also was too big as well but would be great for recharging batteries off generator for initial phase (then solar for slower charging at end when batteries won't take as much charge).

    Generally don't use generator much except to exercise it and maybe to run coach ac in really hot weather (average 15 hours of generator use per year over 9 years).

About Technical Issues

Having RV issues? Connect with others who have been in your shoes.24,189 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 18, 2025