Addding inverter to 2004 Southwind 32v

[DAS26miles]

My buddy has the above mentioned MH with the old analog TV and Direct TV and wants to be able to watch it without running the generator. When he bought it a year or so back, the dealer offered to put in an inverter for $3,500. He wants me to ask
how difficult would it be to install a small 400w inverter next to the front TV taping off the 12v wiring above the passenger seat.
Not sure if the analog TV and Direct TV receiver would exceed the 400w or maybe 800w. Also, could the inverter or a larger wattage one be somehow connected to the existo transfer switch?

[DAS26miles]

Thanks for all the advice, I will pass this on to my buddy next time I see him.

[Chum_lee]

DAS26miles wrote:
My buddy has the above mentioned MH with the old analog TV and Direct TV and wants to be able to watch it without running the generator. He wants to install a small 400w inverter next to the front TV taping off the 12v wiring above the passenger seat.

If your 12 volt plug in outlet is the same as whats in my MH (a 1999 Southwind Class A) the wiring shows that the outlet is a 20 amp 12 volt dedicated circuit for a laptop or similar. I plug a 250 watt inverter in mine and it works but I use it to run a flat screen TV and a CD/DVD/VHS player (one unit) without issue. The 19" LCD TV draws 60 watts and the DVD player is +-80 watts. You'll probably find that an older analog CRT TV will push the limits. I don't know what his Direct TV box draws but you'll probably be close to the limit of both the inverter and the circuit capacity.

My inverter is an el cheapo 250 watt/400 peak Walmart special with a cigar lighter type plug for under $40.00.

Your friend says he wants to keep the older TV but I think he'll find that will be the weak link in his plan provided the dish box is fairly efficient. Similar sized flat screens are sooooo much more efficient, lighter, and cheaper than analog. The CRT TV will discharge your batteries fairly quickly without some regular charging source.

I'm sure the wattage of the Direct TV box is written on the back of the box somewhere. The TV too.

Or try: https://mwands.com/appliance-wattage/

Chum lee

[Blackdiamond]

DAS26miles wrote:

Blackdiamond wrote:
In the Southwind the batteries are mounted under the entrance stairs. I placed my inverter in the luggage compartment to the left of the door and tapped into the wiring that runs along the passenger side, under the cabinets inside. So I have that whole side of the MH on the inverter except the water heater and microwave. I bought this one, built in transfer switch and a better charger than the one than came with it.Inverter

Blackdiamond The dealer said they would install the inverter in that compartment also. Would be interesting to see how you did the wiring, are you near us in Socal?

Sorry I'm not subscribed to this thread....I am in Orange County, be glad to help, send me a PM.

[DAS26miles]

BFL13 wrote:
If that analogue TV is a CRT type, those have a huge start-up surge that makes them difficult to operate from a small inverter and a cig plug level of wiring.

I agree. LED Jensen 32" TV draws 6-7 amps . System in evening with lights on,TV going and Satillite draws 9 amps. 210 amp bank with 2 group 27 batteries. Works very well not using TV for more than 4 hours an evening.

[BFL13]

If that analogue TV is a CRT type, those have a huge start-up surge that makes them difficult to operate from a small inverter and a cig plug level of wiring.

[DAS26miles]

Saw a set up with a 12v TV instead of 110v and a Dish 211z receiver which draws less than 8 watts. A 400 watt inverter is wired into existing 12 awg wiring going to the entertainment center snd fused with it's own 10 amp fuse and 15 amps on the line at the panel. Works well with such a low draw set up and no need to hookup directly to the batteries. Could work off lighter plug too. Being using for years with no issues. Solely dedicated to Sat receiver.

[DAS26miles]

Blackdiamond wrote:
In the Southwind the batteries are mounted under the entrance stairs. I placed my inverter in the luggage compartment to the left of the door and tapped into the wiring that runs along the passenger side, under the cabinets inside. So I have that whole side of the MH on the inverter except the water heater and microwave. I bought this one, built in transfer switch and a better charger than the one than came with it.Inverter

Blackdiamond The dealer said they would install the inverter in that compartment also. Would be interesting to see how you did the wiring, are you near us in Socal?

[Blackdiamond]

In the Southwind the batteries are mounted under the entrance stairs. I placed my inverter in the luggage compartment to the left of the door and tapped into the wiring that runs along the passenger side, under the cabinets inside. So I have that whole side of the MH on the inverter except the water heater and microwave. I bought this one, built in transfer switch and a better charger than the one than came with it.Inverter

[Gjac]

pianotuna wrote:
What is this word "television"? My RV is a tv free zone!

Victron sells a 350 watt PSW for less than $100 usd.

Gjac wrote:
You can buy a 1000 watt MSW inverter for less than $100 and mount it next to his batteries and run the whole house with it with an extension cord running back to his genset plug or transfer switch which ever he has. If he has 2 6V GC batteries it would be fine to run his TV from it. I would not pay $3500 to watch just a TV.

I have an old analog TV but have not watched it in over 10 years, my batteries last longer when dry camping that way. I mounted my inverter under my dinette seat drilled a hole in the floor under neath because my batteries are under the floor. I have 2 welding cables 1 1/2 ft long from the batteries to the inverter. It will run the TV, refer and MW while underway. The only thing I use the inverter for today is to vacuum the MH floor.

[pianotuna]

Ah Mex,

I'm glad I'll not be around to see this.

Soylent Green is people.

My favorite is electric blankets--which don't need to be "computerized" but are--so a simple resistance device requires PSW or it may catch on fire and at a minimum, let out the magic blue smoke.

That said--I had a Cobra 2500 watt which was rated to run motors--and did so quite effectively. I changed it out to a Magnum PSW because of someone needing to use a Mac computer (msw = death to mac).

I must say I'm impressed with the Victron 350 watt. It weighs a ton but stays cool as a cucumber so far.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

It's New Age

Soylent Green, Pianotuna

Just like online News sites, that have perfectly easy to read articles, but in addition, talking heads that try desperately to shout exactly the same words in your ear. Sort of like barn guiding a hog with a wash tub and baseball bat.

I could no more sit before an imager for hours on end than remain in camp watching trout rise on a mirror like like. It's only after one has been removed from it's hypnotic allure for a few months that things come into perspective. Or go to a kiosk in a car agency and have a used car info ad spit out of a slot rather than have a slick hair 38 toothed crocodile emerge from his office in a fluorescent Paisley suit.

To each his own.

My NOOK and Kindle consume energy as does this laptop so I am equally guilty there.

Back on point. A PSW device avoids game playing (Shake The Jar Dewey And See If They Fight) trial and smoke that one must engage in with modified sine wave. Like the LED projection clock that went insane on MSW or my Respironics BiPap that displayed Martian on it's LCD screen.

[pianotuna]

What is this word "television"? My RV is a tv free zone!

Victron sells a 350 watt PSW for less than $100 usd.

Gjac wrote:
You can buy a 1000 watt MSW inverter for less than $100 and mount it next to his batteries and run the whole house with it with an extension cord running back to his genset plug or transfer switch which ever he has. If he has 2 6V GC batteries it would be fine to run his TV from it. I would not pay $3500 to watch just a TV.

[pianotuna]

The inverter needs to be as close to the battery bank, as humanly possible, without being in the same compartment. i.e. 2 or 3 feet.

Even a 350 watt inverter may present a load of 35 amps to the bank. The farther it is from the battery bank, the thicker the wire needs to be.

DAS26miles wrote:
He has no place for the inverter/transfer switch in or near the power panel in the bedroom. He's hoping we can just tap into one of the heavy 12 or 14 gauge 12v wires in the above the driver's and passenger cabinets. Looks easy enough except for that TV plug.
Any more suggestions?

[Gjac]

You can buy a 1000 watt MSW inverter for less than $100 and mount it next to his batteries and run the whole house with it with an extension cord running back to his genset plug or transfer switch which ever he has. If he has 2 6V GC batteries it would be fine to run his TV from it. I would not pay $3500 to watch just a TV.