thealexdexter wrote:
Does wiring my 400w inverter output to shore power connector on outside seem smart?
SoundGuy wrote:
What you're wanting to do is to power the trailer "whole house" with your inverter.
MDKMDK wrote:
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?
There's nothing "theoretical" about it, some prefer this method rather than wire in dedicated receptacles (as I have) or wire in the inverter through a transfer switch. Just plug the rig's main service cable into one of the inverter outputs and the entire rig will be powered by it, within the limits of the inverter and battery bank powering it. Doing just that however creates an electrical loop between the rig's converter and the inverter so the simple solution is to disable the converter by switching it off. As mentioned you also want to force the fridge to the gas mode, or turn off it's 120 ac electrical breaker, so it can't auto switch to the 120 vac mode when the inverter is turned on. If you have a water heater with a 120 vac electric heating option you also want to make sure it's turned off and can only run on the gas mode. One poster mentioned turning off all the breakers for anything in the rig that can't or shouldn't be run off the inverter, a microwave or A/C being examples, but they won't run anyway unless someone intentionally turns them on. Obviously if you choose this method of powering your rig with an inverter it automatically eliminates any chances of powering the rig from two sources at the same time as the main service cable can only be plugged into one source at a time anyway. All this said, I found it a real nuisance to have to unplug the main service cable from the (now dead for whatever reason) campsite post and drag it over to the camper, especially at 3am in the snow. :M That's why I later wired in dedicated receptacles that are fed directly from the inverter. However, if you're suggesting that you want to wire the inverter output to receptacles that are already fed by the breaker panel on the converter I wouldn't do that ... although possible there'll always be the possibility of inadvertently feeding those receptacles from two sources at the same time, which you obviously don't want to do. Bottom line - feed the rig whole house by manually plugging it's main service cable into the inverter output, wire in a transfer switch, or install additional receptacles that are fed only by the inverter.
