Hi all,Currently my entire Toy Hauler is stock. It has a 30-amp service, an Onan 4000 Super Quiet gasoline generator, and the stock convertor/charger along with 1 x Deep Cycle battery.I want to add an inverter with an external charger (a specific charger for Lithium batteries).The inverter has AC passthrough and transfer switch, so when AC is present I will pass straight through. The charger will be wired in directly to the batteries. When the Generator or Shore power is not present, the Inverter will pull from the battery and feed AC power into the AC side of the panel from the batteries.The question is: How do I power the DC side of the Toy Hauler. All of the lights etc are 12V and they are hooked into a panel that is hooked to the converter.Not quite sure how to look at this Thank you!

Just connect the DC panel to the output of the converter. If you use the DC or the AC from the inverter much, you will want to change that single battery for a pair of golfcart batteries in series. The reason you connect to the converter output is so you still have lights when the battery is removed. Matt

When I did this I just turned off the converter and hooked the batteries to the charger. The coach is already wired to run off battery. and..Looking forward to telling us about the Li batteries! Very cool.

Do you have the inverter? Post the make and model.What battery are you getting specifically? 12 volt?Have you chosen a charger for the battery? Possibly you can use existing converter or an upgrade.Any solar in the plans?Assuming the battery is 12 volt you would connect it similar to existing to power the RV.

Cudda wudda swore he said new batteries, and I would guess they be lithium

South San Francisco Bay AreaHeaven on earth for low-temperature-sensitive lithium chemistry.I recommend verifying after installation that your charging agrees with the manufacturer of the battery product. And that the battery built-in overdischarge protection works exactly as specified by the battery manufacturer.

Setting up Inverter and external charger w/ new batteries

41 Replies

time2roll
Nomad
Dec 11, 2017
Morningstar
Outback
Midnite Solar

All great controllers.
Rootuser
Explorer
Dec 11, 2017
Essentially, I live by the rule 2 is 1 and 1 is none. I plan to do Badwater Basin this year and getting just west of that the terrain is absolutely punishing, in particular in late July and early August when I'll be there. If something goes really wrong, it's unforgiving. While I do all the right things to make sure it doesn't turn tragic, it's sucks to have to go home because of little failures you could have/should have prepared for.

I am not trying to do survivalist type stuff. I just want to run the Jeep and have fun and if I have to I can use my PLB but still cuts my vacation short :-)

That said, I'm trying to figure out what a good brand of MPPT controller would be that has user adjustable battery settings. Any suggestions?
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Dec 11, 2017
Passive acceptance "Of The Inevitable" is not a good attitude to have...

If I plan to stay somewhere where temps are 20F at dawn I have bedding and thermal underwear "just in case"
Collapsible 5-gallon jugs to haul water for dishes and if not camped in a truly rural area
When I lived in the Sierras, I had emergency gear in the trunk
The spouse of a good friend died of hypothermia because she was nonchalant about a 48-mile drive and got snowbound on a little-used road
To read some of these tales is an eye opener.I have to bite my tongue and remember my upbringing was a decades long exercise in self-sufficiency
I've camped alongside people who go into crisis mode when the coffeemaker hurls a puff of smoke
"Cowboy coffee!" I exclaim. They look at me if I was nuts
After the coffee boils and a slug of cold water settles the grounds they try it then act like it was Black Magic in the flesh
No heat, no cool, no refrigerator, no water, no electricity, should all be studied to come up with alternatives.
MrWizard
Moderator
Dec 11, 2017
i don't think Li is failure waiting to happen

the OP has concerns and I agreed , that if he has concerns, a backup plan is prudent

even here in the USA, things don't always go the way we think they should

to say its not needed, is a wasted expense ? don't bother seems like NON-help and bad attitude, but then again that is 'My' opinion, others are different
Itinerant1
Explorer
Dec 10, 2017
Having lithium myself I enjoy reading and following folks reseaching, piecing/ building it. It seems at times in these threads that because it's lithium batteries an "inevitable failure coming" which could happen in any of our systems. So having somesort of backup plan is prudent but we aren't living in some 3rd world country here where civilization or parts can't be had in a reasonable amount of time.
GordonThree
Explorer
Dec 10, 2017
If something goes wrong, tough cookies, sheet happens. Pack up and return to civilization. Loss of fridge contents isn't an emergency. Loss of heat should always less a problem, as the 12v furnace can run from the Jeep battery for one night before leaving the deep.

Is this recreational planning or survivalist planning we're talking about here? Survivalists should know better than to rely on any advanced technology for warmth, food or safety.

I'm not a survivalist and could care less about redundancy while camping, including the times I've been in the deep desert and other places even more isolated. The only redundancy I really bother to plan is spare tires, drinking water and now a few suspension components.

/Unsubscribe
MrWizard
Moderator
Dec 10, 2017
yes
he also mentioned boondocking in the desert

if that is NOT quartzite, then that can mean limited fuel availability

do you want to run the generator in the middle of the night, to have power for the fridge and heater controls ?

there is nothing wrong with having 12v and a back up battery

not everyone goes to destination resorts
Itinerant1
Explorer
Dec 10, 2017
MrWizard wrote:
redundancy is what keeps you out of trouble when something fails

having the system shut down, may keep the expensive system safe

it won't provide power for the lights, fridge controls, electronics, heater etc..

The Onan 4000 Super Quiet gasoline generator has to be there for something more than weight.:h
GordonThree
Explorer
Dec 10, 2017
MrWizard wrote:
redundancy is what keeps you out of trouble when something fails

having the system shut down, may keep the expensive system safe

it won't provide power for the lights, fridge controls, electronics, heater etc..

Good thing we're dealing with recreational vehicles and not spacecraft, airplanes or submarines.
MrWizard
Moderator
Dec 10, 2017
redundancy is what keeps you out of trouble when something fails

having the system shut down, may keep the expensive system safe

it won't provide power for the lights, fridge controls, electronics, heater etc..

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Setting up Inverter and external charger w/ new batteries

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