SoundGuy wrote:
thealexdexter wrote:
Does wiring my 400w inverter output to shore power connector on outside seem smart?
Benefit I see is any AC plug is hot and can be used within 400w limit. No rewiring of Camper and install is very easy.
Drawback I see is batteries may try to charge off inverter output. Could probably solve this by pulling a fuse. Any other drawbacks I’m not thinking of?
What you're wanting to do is to power the trailer "whole house" with your inverter. Sure, works fine within the limits of your inverter but doing so creates a closed loop with the inverter supplying power to the converter which in turn will try to charge the battery which is supplying power to the inverter. You can prevent this simply by turning the converter off. Also make sure your fridge is forced to gas mode and your water heater, if it has an electric heating option, is switched to run in the gas mode only. I did it this way originally but found it to be a PITA so I later wired the inverter outputs to dedicated receptacles in the trailer and no longer have to remember to turn anything off. :B
Theoretically, how could/would you connect the output from one of the 2 GFCI outlets of a built in inverter (accessible from one of the exterior storage compartments in the motorhome) to the AC power feed to the rest of the coach's AC receptacles? I think this would be similar to what you said you did to "light up" some more of the coach AC receptacles in your rig, rather than fiddle with the shore power cord connection to the inverter, and the resulting additional disconnects required to make that work without doing damage.
I've got a coach with an inverter with 2 GFCI outlets situated in a passenger side storage compartment, fairly close to the power converter/charger and the fuse/breaker panels. One GFCI outlet is in use to feed the TV and entertainment cupboard also located near the side entry door.
I'd like to "light up" some additional receptacles (preferably all of them) throughout the coach to run off the inverter once in a while, using the other GFCI outlet.
I understand that when supplying power to these receptacles from the inverter, I would have to make sure I a) wasn't plugged into shore power or b) plugged into/using the on board generator.
Could this be done fairly easily, and does it sound about right for taking advantage of my batteries and inverter when camping off grid, and wanting to avoid running the generator?
