One large inverter or 2-3 small ones?
So as I get closer to adding solar (or at least a larger battery bank) to my RV, I have more questions than I started with! Big thanks to the folks who have helped me along so far. I found a great...
Forum Discussion
Hi,
The Victron does a Peukert calculation. I believe it is also cheaper.
Here are some reasons I prefer separate componenets:
A. if an inverter/charger fails the trip may "grind to a halt".
B. the more complex an item the harder it may be to trouble shoot
C. transfer switches can and do fail
And on a positive side
If there is a separate converter with a stand alone inverter and there is poor quality shore power (i.e. low voltage, or limited to 15 amps with no access to the shore power circuit breaker) here is what I do.
1. plug in only the converter to shore power (Iota converters, for example, will function right down to 95 volts).
2. plug the RV main power cord into the inverter. This turns the RV into a large uninterruptible power supply and leaves all items fully functional up to the limit of what the inverter can power.
Being able to do this has saved my bacon a few times in extreme weather conditions.
The Victron does a Peukert calculation. I believe it is also cheaper.
Here are some reasons I prefer separate componenets:
A. if an inverter/charger fails the trip may "grind to a halt".
B. the more complex an item the harder it may be to trouble shoot
C. transfer switches can and do fail
And on a positive side
If there is a separate converter with a stand alone inverter and there is poor quality shore power (i.e. low voltage, or limited to 15 amps with no access to the shore power circuit breaker) here is what I do.
1. plug in only the converter to shore power (Iota converters, for example, will function right down to 95 volts).
2. plug the RV main power cord into the inverter. This turns the RV into a large uninterruptible power supply and leaves all items fully functional up to the limit of what the inverter can power.
Being able to do this has saved my bacon a few times in extreme weather conditions.
