Converter with a built in inverter?

[Cstoliker]

Does anyone know of a power converter that includes an inverter. I can't find any but it would seam logical that someone makes a 2 in 1 device like that.

[Cstoliker]

Ahh thanks but I think we missed to mark. I know what a converter is and how it works. Also chargers and inverters. What I asked is if there is a converter/charger that also includes an inverter. Why? Simply because of convenience. The converter/charger already has a large guage wire direct to the battery's. And would also have the 120vac circuits for the inverter to supply power to the existing outlets.

I created a set up like this on my last RV with an aftermarket inverter but had to use toggle switches to switch the 120vac circuits between shore and inverter power to avoid the two colliding and possibly frying the inverter.

So, is there a converter/charger that has a built in inverter? It would be much more efficient and simpler to have one built in to the converter/charger then installing and integrating a 3rd party.

[VintageRacer]

A "converter" is typically a DC power source that charges the batteries, supplies DC power to the house loads and has a built in DC power distribution center, with fuses and connection points for the DC loads. Usually it also has the AC main breaker and the AC load breakers for the 120 VAC circuits. While an inverter often has the battery charger and can supply DC for the house loads while plugged in and charging, it really never has the rest of what a converter has, it needs to have a DC distribution fuse block built separately, and the AC breaker box also separate. So no, I am unaware of any single unit that encompasses all of those functions.

A lot of converters are biased towards supplying a constant voltage supply to the house loads, I have one that always supplies 13.6 volts for example. That means that it is not as good a battery charger as one that does a higher voltage bulk and absorption charge cycle. An inverter with a charger, particularly the higher end ones, will have a three or four stage charger that delivers the varying voltage charge that is better for batteries, but can cause issues for some DC loads that expect a constant 13 - 14 volts all the time.

Brian

[dockmasterdave]

I believe a converter changes 120 v to 12 v and an inverter changes 12 v to 120v.
So the op wants to be able to run anything in his RV regardless of power source available.

[aslakson]

Don't know what you mean by a "power converter" - but our Magnum MS-series inverter/charger includes a battery charging system that converts AC from the generator or shore power to the proper DC charging voltages.

al