Forum Discussion

Community Alumni's avatar
Community Alumni
Mar 26, 2020

Inverter location

In our last tt, I mounted our 500 watt inverter inside the main cabin,away from the batteries. In our new fiver I have a couple of options, inside the front compartment, or inside the pass thru compartment. Decided on a 1000 watt psw and will be installing either a Kisae or Xantrax single circuit 15 amp transfer switch. I know they recommend not installing the inverter in the same compartment with the batteries, but how sealed is that compartment? The batteries are already in a vented box, can I mount the inverter in the front compartment with the batteries. I could keep the run to the batteries a whole lot shorter mounting in this compartment. Thanks for any input!
  • 4x4ord's avatar
    4x4ord
    Explorer III
    Mar 27, 2020
    jpstorms wrote:
    Thanks for the input everyone. The slide controller is in that compartment, so I'm not too worried about corrosion. Front compartment it is, should be able to keep the cables to less than 3'.


    I bought a pair of 1 gauge 25' booster cables for $35. If you did the same you could shorten the cables by a few feet and have 20' foot set of booster cables and 5 feet of inverter cable for $35.
  • Michelle_S's avatar
    Michelle_S
    Explorer III
    Mar 27, 2020
    My inverter is mounted on the Front Bulkhead of the Front storage area, right on the opposite the batteries. So just a short jumper through the bulkhead to the batteries.
  • Community Alumni's avatar
    Community Alumni
    Mar 27, 2020
    Thanks for the input everyone. The slide controller is in that compartment, so I'm not too worried about corrosion. Front compartment it is, should be able to keep the cables to less than 3'.
  • bpounds's avatar
    bpounds
    Nomad
    Mar 26, 2020
    I would put it in the front compartment, and higher than the batteries. That compartment is not well sealed at all. And if you're not seeing corrosion on things in the compartment now, you won't. It would also be a good reason to upgrade your batteries to AGM if budget permits.
  • travisc's avatar
    travisc
    Explorer
    Mar 26, 2020
    I used the 2000w model and put it over the duallies about 4 feet from the batteries than ran 120 over the converter and used two of the Zantax relays to power the coach 120 plugs
  • sch911's avatar
    sch911
    Explorer
    Mar 26, 2020
    As close to the batteries as possible to avoid DC voltage drops. It's always better to run the AC output longer , much less voltage drop on AC.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Mar 26, 2020
    WindyNation installation booklet: “The controller may be mounted in an enclosure with sealed batteries, but never with vented/flooded batteries. Battery fumes from vented batteries will corrode and destroy the TrakMax MPPT circuits.”

    IMO an inverter would come under the same rules.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Mar 26, 2020
    I wouldn’t mount anything electronic (inverter, controller etc.) in a compartment with batteries....corrosion. For instance WindyNation specifically addresses this regarding their controllers.

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