So I'm getting a 1000w inverter

My inverter installation. The DC wire came with the inverter and could be considered a bit light but I never draw as much as 100 watts.



My 'utilities' cupboard. The black receptacle is RV power; the white one is inverter power. When I want to use the inverter for the TV and stereo, I move the plug (the ugly orange splitter has greater clearance between receptacles - my A/V equipment has very big plugs). There are two receptacles behind the bedroom TV too.

And I admit, part of it is caused from getting old. As I age, "simple" just seems better, and my aged mind tells me everything still works just as good....if not better.

Part of it is MH vs Trailer for what you want to do. With a MH the family might want to run things off the inverter while going down the road. With a trailer nobody is in it till you park and then you can string the shore cord along the ground outside to the inverter near batts. With the MH you need the wire up off the ground while driving down the road.

RJsfishin wrote:
I went down the large inv/ transfer switch road long ago,.....worked fine for the most part, except when shutting down the generator powering the microwave, there was just enuff of a blip in the transfer, that it would shut the tv down every time, had to restart it. Don't know if it was the tv or a slow moving transfer switch, but I learned to hate it.

Now it is better and much simpler, a dedicated switched 8 plug power strip off a 150 watt inverter. While the inv is powering the tv, I can switch off all the unused stuff, chargers etc, conserve batt power.

Often it's not until I actually use a mod "in the field" that I really appreciate the the finer details as to how well that mod may work. I really like the convenience of having my inverter feed the trailer "whole house" as it means we can plug into any receptacle in the trailer just as we would when plugged into shore power. It also allows me to see the inverter's 120 vac output and how much power is being drawn at any given time by simply looking at the EMS monitor panel. However, Tim and you have a good point - to use the inverter I do have to remember to first turn off the converter, make sure the water heater's 120 vac heating element is turned off, and force the fridge to gas mode before turning on the inverter, then if we've been plugged into campsite shore power I have to (because I'm not using an auto transfer switch) go outside and move the cable over to the inverter.

Simple enough it seems, but on our most recent trip we lost power at 4am (confirmed by my EMS monitor display) so I had to dress and go outside to move the trailer's main service cable from the now dead campsite service post to the trailer where I could plug it into the inverter's output. Hah, the joke was on me! - this was mid-October yet it had snowed overnight! :E



Sure wasn't fun trudging through the cold & wet at 4 in the morning just to get that cable moved over. :M Then when I got back inside I "forgot" to turn off the converter so when I turned the inverter on I instantly created a closed loop and tripped the GFCIs. Arrghh! ... reset it all, then when I turned on the coffee maker the inverter started squealing an alarm - arrrghh again, "forgot" to switch the fridge from automatic to gas. What a dummy :S ... forced the fridge to gas and all was well. :)

I'm now thinking that next season I too may revise my inverter setup and instead hard wire the output directly to a couple of dedicated receptacles located next to the existing receptacles by the bed. I could also even run a length of BX under the trailer and up to an additional duplex receptacle located in the kitchen galley area. With these dedicated inverter receptacles inside the camper I wouldn't then need to go outside at all when we lose campsite power or make any special preparations before turning on the inverter - just turn it on using the remote switch located inside the camper and those dedicated receptacles would be live. I would miss not being able to monitor the inverter output with my EMS but my Kill-a-Watt meter plugged into the kitchen galley receptacle where we'd be drawing the most power would serve nearly as well. :)

I went down the large inv/ transfer switch road long ago,.....worked fine for the most part, except when shutting down the generator powering the microwave, there was just enuff of a blip in the transfer, that it would shut the tv down every time, had to restart it. Don't know if it was the tv or a slow moving transfer switch, but I learned to hate it.
Now it is better and much simpler, a dedicated switched 8 plug power strip off a 150 watt inverter. While the inv is powering the tv, I can switch off all the unused stuff, chargers etc, conserve batt power.

smkettner wrote:
You can plug the main cord into the inverter or install a transfer switch. If you plug in direct you will need to disable the converter and make sure most other appliances are set to propane or kept off.

Vintage465 wrote:
That is a cool idea, hadn't thought of that.

:@ I described just such a "whole house" wiring setup for my own inverter in my first post back on Page 2 of this discussion. :h

Vintage465 wrote:
Only problem with that is the main cord is quite aways away from the ideal location for the inverter.

:@ Regardless of whether you're wiring an inverter to feed the trailer "whole house" or just to a dedicated receptacle you want the inverter to be located as close to the batteries as possible ... so what's the problem in running the trailer's main service cable to that location instead of the campsite power post? :h

I have to agree with timmartin000 who said earlier - "You know, sometimes people can really hurt themselves getting too far over their head with 110v systems when dealing with inverters and converters. The easiest answer for most people when dealing with an inverter is to keep it simple."

If you're so unclear as to what is required just keep it simple (and safe) - connect the inverter to the batteries with short, heavy gauge wire and simply run an extension cord from the inverter's output to where you want to use that feed and leave the trailer's electrical system entirely out of it, just as Tim suggested.

Hi,

I use a dedicated outlet inverter powered out in the kitchen. However, I also ran a cable back to the shore power cord box, so I can plug the RV into the inverter. As I have solar, my default setting for the converter is disconnected, so the only item I change over is the fridge. If I am trundling down the road in my class C I do operate the fridge from the inverter.

You know, sometimes people can really hurt themselves getting too far over their head with 110v systems when dealing with inverters and converters. The easiest answer for most people when dealing with an inverter is to keep it simple.

-Place inverter as close to battery(s)
-Connect to battery(s)
-Use a 10 or 12ga extension cord and route to intended area that will provide the highest use potential (kitchen)
-Cut off plug end of extension cord and create a 110v gfci outlet at that location

The dirty little secret is the complication factor of having to turn off all your unintended 110v draws (12v converter, water heater, space heater, refrigerator..etc) sources so that your not tripping your inverters circuit breaker. About the third time of doing just that, you'll wish you kept it simple and made a "special" outlet labeled INVERTER. You can plug in your coffee pot, microwave or whatever. No accidental breaker pops, heck anyone in the camper can use it, and it's idiot-proof. My last very important suggestion...make dang sure whatever you get, that it has a remote on and off switch.

Click me

I installed this one and it's terrific. This is the second unit I've installed and the second camper.

joebedford wrote:
You have an OEM inverter? Why do you need another inverter? Maybe you mean converter.

I installed a small inverter and wired it to a inverter only receptacle - doesn't interconnect with the RV wiring except at the 12V distribution.

Yes, so correct. I meant converter. My BAD

smkettner wrote:
You can plug the main cord into the inverter or install a transfer switch.
If you plug in direct you will need to disable the converter and make sure most other appliances are set to propane or kept off.

That is a cool idea, hadn't thought of that. Only problem with that is the main cord is quite aways away from the ideal location for the inverter.