Adding Inverter for dry camping

[jcarlilesiu]

I would like to add an additional battery (have one group 27 now), possibly a solar charging system and an inverter.

I hate that the 120V outlets don't work on battery power. Seems crazy you can't charge a cell phone.

Anyway, I would like to an an inverter. My goal would be to wire it into the system with an automatic transfer switch for shore power/battery power.

Seems awfully involved.

Is the better option adding an inverter with a dedicated female 30 amp outlet on the side of the rv near the front where the batteries are, and simply plug the shore power cable into the inverter when needed?

Seems easy enough, but not "clean". I would really rather add an inverter and transfer switch. Has anybody one that that can explain the process? Does the converter need to stay? Can it go? If the converter is removed, how do the 12V outlets and lights and water pump run? Will they run off of battery power without the converter when on shore power?

Im confused about that one aspect.

[BFL13]

Everybody seems to say you can just fire up the Honda when you need to run the toaster or kettle. Nope! Here, the provincial parks have generator hours from 9-11am and from 6-8pm. In the winter it is dark at 6-8pm so that's out unless you like to go out there in the dark and rain. That leaves 9-11am.

So unless you sleep in, you will want to make your breakfast toast well before 9am and you will want an electric toaster instead of the bread-burning torture rack that goes on the propane stove and sets off the fire alarm, waking everybody up for miles around at 0-dark-thirty.

So it is absolutely vital that you have an inverter to run the electric toaster, and that you have enough juice in the battery bank that morning to run the thing.

[bikendan]

Snowman9000 wrote:
I'm no coffee drinker but my wife is. She loves this, all you need is to boil water:
http://ineedcoffee.com/clever-coffee-dripper-review/

http://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Shrub-C-70888-Clever-Dripper/dp/B0047W70GY

i agree, there are so many options for brewing coffee, while dry camping, that don't need 120v AC power.
can't see going to all this trouble just so you can brew coffee, when there's many ways to do it without electricity.

we have a Coleman stovetop drip coffeemaker and simply use our 400w inverter for tv/dvd/electronic devices. we don't have any 12v round outlets in our trailer.

plus, since we're avid dry campers, we always can rely on our trusty Honda 2000w gennie if we need power for a short time.

[Ron3rd]

jcarlilesiu wrote:
I would like to add an additional battery (have one group 27 now), possibly a solar charging system and an inverter.

I hate that the 120V outlets don't work on battery power. Seems crazy you can't charge a cell phone.

Anyway, I would like to an an inverter. My goal would be to wire it into the system with an automatic transfer switch for shore power/battery power.

Seems awfully involved.

Is the better option adding an inverter with a dedicated female 30 amp outlet on the side of the rv near the front where the batteries are, and simply plug the shore power cable into the inverter when needed?

Seems easy enough, but not "clean". I would really rather add an inverter and transfer switch. Has anybody one that that can explain the process? Does the converter need to stay? Can it go? If the converter is removed, how do the 12V outlets and lights and water pump run? Will they run off of battery power without the converter when on shore power?

Im confused about that one aspect.

Wiring it to the outside with the 30a Receptacle is how I do it and several other members on this forum are doing the same. I power all my outlets with a 300w Samlex inverter, but only use it for the TV's. Works great.

Just remember to switch off your charger, etc as pianotuna noted above.

[pianotuna]

Here is a simple flow chart.

Budget-->Energy Audit-->Battery bank size-->number of watts-->PWM or MPPT. What ever type of controller is chosen, make sure it has adjustable set points and a temperature probe that is on the battery.

One rule of thumb is between 60 and 150 watts of panels per 100 amp-hours of storage. The smaller the battery bank the higher the wattage needed (per 100 amp-hours). Here is a link to the rather special spreadsheet which includes an energy audit, that N8GS has created to help size solar battery charging systems!

Solar Spread Sheet N8GS

For a nice explanation of solar, try this link:

Golden rules of solar

[deltabravo]

Snowman9000 wrote:
I'll step aside and let those with more experience chime in. But I can provide a basic overview.

With two batteries, you can't power a very big inverter.

You can put as big of an inverter you want to on 2 batteries, but you just can run as long.

I have a 2000 watt inverter on 2 batteries - it works just fine. I run the microwave for short bursts - works fine.

In my previous RV, a Desert Fox toy hauler I had 2 golf cart batteries and a 2000 watt inverter, again, it worked fine.

With larger inverters, they will have a 30 amp internal transfer switch, so you "could" wire them to power the whole electrical system - but care must be taken to not turn on the A/C or run the fridge on "auto" when you power up the inverter.

[n7bsn]

Assuming your phone (or other device) is USB, just get something like this

[pianotuna]

Hi,

The only effects on the 12 volt systems is that running the inverter acts as an added parasitic load. Of course, running 120 volt devices also tend to draw down the battery bank quickly, because of the Peukert effect.

For example a 120 volt toaster may draw about 120 amps while it is on. That is expecting a lot from a tiny bank, so large draw items should be limited in the time frame they are used.

It is needful to have some way to replace the energy used in operating the electrical items in the RV. I prefer solar for that.

Mex makes a great point. 12 volt adapters are generally between 15 to 20% more efficient than powering the same device on an inverter.

jcarlilesiu wrote:


Does that affect any of the 12V systems? Like the water pump?

[joebedford]

I added a 300W MSW inverter wired straight to my batteries. I installed extra receptacles for the living room entertainment system and the bedroom TV. When I'm on the road or boondocking, my devices are plugged into the inverter receptacle. When I have a power hookup for a few days, I move the plugs to shore power receptacles. Crude, but easy and effective.

If I want to use the microwave or brew a pot of coffee, I fire the generator.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

If you operate a cellular telephone wall wart by plugging it in keep in mind the inverter will suck FIVE TIMES THE AMP HOURS needed to recharge the cell phone. Is this a wise way to utilize precoius amp hours out of your battery? A direct charger powered right from the deep cycle batteries is the way to go. My litte Samlex sucks 20+ amp hours a day just sitting there grinning at me. Inverters need to be SWITCHED OFF when not working for a living and their use to manufacture DC out of their AC product should be given some thought. It's like hiring somone who speaks only Swahili, then needing a translator who speaks Urdu and Swahili who in turn needs needs somone who speaks English and Urdu.

[Snowman9000]

I'm no coffee drinker but my wife is. She loves this, all you need is to boil water:
http://ineedcoffee.com/clever-coffee-dripper-review/

http://www.amazon.com/Coffee-Shrub-C-70888-Clever-Dripper/dp/B0047W70GY

[Snowman9000]

No, the 12v systems are wired directly to 12v power through the fuse box. Completely separate.

[jcarlilesiu]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

I added a 30 amp outlet that is powered by the inverter.

Here is how I use it.

1. unplug from shore power
2. disconnect the converter (default setting is off)
3. turn fridge to gas
4. plug in the shore power cord to the inverter powered outlet
5. turn on the inverter.

My goal was for my RV to operate at all times as if it had shore power. I succeeded in doing so. I prefer to not use transfer switches.

Does that affect any of the 12V systems? Like the water pump?

[jcarlilesiu]

Huntindog wrote:
I installed a 600 PSW invertor along with a ATS.
All outlets are always live. It is super conveinient to be able to shave, run the entertainment unit, charge dog collars/remotes etc. And the clock on the microwave always shows the right time!!
I have two 6 volt batteries, and can go 8 hours really easy. More if I'm careful. I do have a lot of LED lights installed. As has been mentioned, the fridge on gas, WH on gas, no microwave or AC use. If we forget, it trips the breaker on the invertor... No big deal. For the large power draw items we use the generator(s).
The convertor can be wired so that it turns off when the ATS switches the power from shore to invertor. Many ATS's are already set up for this.

This is what I would like to do.

We want to run a coffee maker in the morning and charge a cell phone from the 120 volt system. RVs are about convenien c d away from home, and a lot of that revolves around working outlets when off the grid in my opinion.

I have a Statecraft 16rb with the converter and shore power at the rear and batteries at the front. Need to find a spot for the inverter, and figure out how to wire it with an ats abd the converter.

[mena661]

jcarlilesiu wrote:

Is the better option adding an inverter with a dedicated female 30 amp outlet on the side of the rv near the front where the batteries are, and simply plug the shore power cable into the inverter when needed?

I and others have essentially done this. It is the simplest way to get it done. The complexity just increases from there. The way to make it brainless while in use is a transfer switch on the circuit you want to have on inverter. Not possible unless I want to rip out walls in my case.

[time2roll]

I have and recommend 300 watt Go Power sine wave inverter.

If you have space behind the breaker/fuse panel you can mount it there. Use the main battery feed for 12v power. Then connect the 120v side to the single circuit to charge small items with a small transfer switch.

Not really that technical or difficult.

Go Power $172

KISAE 15a switch $50

Add a remote switch for the inverter and you are good to go.

Solar supplier to compare : http://www.solarblvd.com/

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