Finally buying a strong inverter. How many batteries to buy?

[Cheryl_B]

PowerTech On Advanced Technology PURE SINE WAVE Inverter 3000W Cont/6000W Peak, 12V DC to 120V AC w/ Black&Red Cables w/Ring Terminals, Remote Switch, Protection System & 4 Output Sockets PS1004

That is what it says on the website I'm buying it off of. (Not sure if the rules here say we can say the name.) How many batteries and what is a good brand and model (excuse my ignorance. I know it needs to be a deep cycle but don't know much more) will I need to keep the inverter humming?

I'm sick of campgrounds draining my funds. I'm ready to do more boondocking and I'm heading out West, where there are more opportunities to do so.

If I pay a guy to install these for me (new batteries and inverter), what's a fair price? And how long should the job take? Thanks allot.

[azrving]

You dont really need the micro wave. Gas is very practical for heating water or cooking food. I also like it for the house furnace but you then get into the 5.x amps of power draw on the batteries. The furnace, bigger led tv's, satellite boxes are the bigger power draws on your 12 volt system. You would probably be running something like a box fan often so that would be one of your bigger power draws. You could figure out what it uses if you try to do a power audit. It may be a little involved depending on your experience but there are many people here who can help you through it. The more we know about how you use power the more we can help you. The first issue is ac, if it's a must for many hours you need to be plugged in. We try to move with the weather and always be just a little to the cool side. If it does get colder than expected we can easily run the furnace as compared to the ac. Propane is pretty easy to get and the furnace motor is far cheaper than a generator.

[azrving]

Dont buy anything yet. You have to think about each step you are taking so you dont waste a lot of money. You may need to rethink some of what you are doing. The biggest long duration draw that you will have is the ac. If you are boondocking and moving around then maybe you can move with the weather and try to not use the ac or use it just a little. If you do want to run the ac a generator is an expensive way to do it.

Have you been out west? Many people do the desert in the winter and mountains in the summer. You have limited cargo capacity and limited roof area. Overall I'd take a closer look at your energy management plan and strongly consider solar. When boondocking often times people will try to use minimal power and solar charging.

The lightest weight quietest generator will be an inverter type like the Honda 2000 etc. Your ac unit may run on the 2000 but you would most likely need a micro air start kit at about $300 iirc.

[SidecarFlip]

Cheryl..

At my age, just getting up in the morning is sometimes a task.....

I sold my 2800I for 2 reasons. One. it was 10 years old and I was beginning to distrust the electronics that all inverter genny's have and 2, it was getting too heavy to manage. It was a fine unit, pricey but reliable. I just don't trust electronics to last indefinitely, must be my age....lol

My little Champion, I bought for what I sold the decade old Yamaha for and had money left over so I'm happy. The Champion weighs a whole bunch less, like 30 pounds less and at my age, lifting 30 pounds is a lot of weight difference and it has a smaller footprint, uses less fuel, I can get it in the camper no issue, all pluses for me.

I'm a big hunter too and when I was younger, carrying a 15 pound plus rifle up a mountain was no issue. Today, I carry a magnesium actioned sporter barrelled, carbon fiber stocked rifle that weighs, scope and all at 7.5 pounds and at times, even it's heavy..... I may have to start hiring a lackey to carry my rifle on hunts.

My big 338 Lapua cannon is relegated to the gun cabinet now. Too heavy to lug around.

It's a real pizzer getting old.

[pianotuna]

Cheryl,

You can successfully run an air conditioner on a 2k genny, if you add a microair easy start kit at temperatures up to 100 F.

My generator will shortly live on a rack on the front of my class C. It would require someone with a cut off wheel or cutting torch to make it disappear.

Most of us have two inverters. A small 300 watt PSW for low loads such as laptops and TV, and a larger one for things such as a coffee pot or reheating in a microwave.

[kerrlakeRoo]

You can get another 3000 watt Genny, and a platform for your trailer hitch. Lock the platform to the m/h, and bolt and lock the Genny to that.
They do make soft start units that will let a 2000 run an AC. Never done it, I believe pianotuna has mentioned it.

Otherwise good luck and happy motorin

[Cheryl_B]

Okay. I'm starting to get the picture. Thank you all so much for your instruction. I will scale back on the inverter and buy a 2000 watt generator. I will suck it up and either pull out the passenger captain's chair or squeeze it somewhere else in the coach.

And oh boy, do I hear you that everything gets heavier every year! Getting down on the ground and back up again is like a herculean feat for me. My knees are wasted. I have much to do to get back some of my youth and vigor. Trying to stay on track.

I'm giving up on the idea of running the a/c unless I'm hooked to shore power. On days when I feel I need it, I'll want it on for hours. I hear you about the 3000+ watt generators, I just can't be taking one of those in and out of the vehicle. I guess I can get 2 2000's at some point and buddy them up together. One will have to do for now.

Just want to add that boondocking for 3-5 days and then staying in a campground for around the same number of days will add up financially. It's the daily rates where they get ya. Weekly is bad enough.

Oh yeah. And I do belong to Passport America and Boondocker's Welcome. Lots of the hosts on BW offer utilities. I hope to use those resources when I'm able. Lots of options out there for us vagabonds.

[2oldman]

Cheryl_B wrote:

Maybe this inverter is more powerful than I need, but I always heard that to run the a/c, it needs to be 3000. I would like to run the a/c when I need it.

Forget that. Without a boatload of batteries that isn't feasible.

[time2roll]

I would not put that inverter in the "strong" category.
Yes you need six batteries if you will be running close to the rating for any length of time.
Does it even have a provision to be hardwired? I doubt you will get 3000w out of a single outlet.

[SidecarFlip]

While neither here nor there I did a lot of research on inverters before I bought one. I lookes at about every brand and settled on an AIMS power PSW remote switching 1500 watt (they come bigger) inverter because inverters all draw idle power and the AIMS had the lowest idle power draw of any plus I can switch it completley off when I don't need it.

I run a pair of Trojan 6 volt golf cart batteries in series and I wired the batteries and the inverter to the batteries with welding cable and crimp on lugs. My issue is space because I have a TC so the space is limited for installation. My 1500 (2K watt surge) surge inverter runs the microwave and the coffee pot just fine (not at the same time of course) and most times I prefer ground coffee in the percolator on the stove.. I primarily wanted the inverter to run my CPAP machine at night and it does all 3 tasks just fine.

No solar on my rig. I just charge the batteries with a little genny for a couple hours a day, usually a couple hours before dinner. My little 1700 watt (2000 watt surge Champion handles my needs well and it's lightweight too. I looked at the bigger ones (I had a 2800I Yamaha for years) but the dang thing was just too heavy to lug in and out of the camper. I'm 67 and things seem to get heavier every year.

Everyone has different needs but my setup works fine for me. It may not for you.

In my case, solar is a non-issue. Don't want it and don't need it either.

[pianotuna]

Cheryl,

Running the roof air can be done via the inverter and battery bank. The real question is "how long". When I had 875 amp-hours of battery bank I could do it for about an hour. Then the bank had to be recharged. On my (now tiny) solar system that would take about 7 days.

To successfully run the roof air, 10,000 watt hours of LI battery bank would be needed. For me, that is not going to happen because I can't possibly afford it.

[kerrlakeRoo]

Ok, I had a feeling that that was your goal.
An inverter only changes the type of electricity you have, in this case from 12 volt DC to 120 Volt AC.
The inverter you are looking at could power a rooftop Air Conditioner, but only for 10 minutes or so before the battery went dead. The battery cant hold that much. You can increase the size and number of batteries but you would have to just haul batteries and get rid of everything else.
A 1500 watt inverter and 2 Golf cart batteries or two group 31 batteries would allow you to use a drip coffeemaker in the morning, use a microwave a few times a day and watch a couple hours of TV, and 2 batteries can handle that. You can recharge them with a generator, or from solar.
But because the AC runs almost continiously it will run your batteries down at a similar constant rate.
If you want AC your going to have to have a genny, and as said before 3000 watts or so, and it will also top off your batteries.
If you are going to truly go off grid, you can see why most go north in the summer, and come back south in winter. Fuel and other cost offset the travel cost to a large extent.
Another approach you may want to try for a while to see how you can function, would be to plan 3-5 days boondocking and then a similar time at a cg. This allows time to fully charge batteries, fill FW tank, drain Grey and black, and enjoy a couple longer showers and AC before going back out.
Either way solar or a genny is going to be a bigger game changer for you than the inverter.
If I wasn't clear please feel free to ask for clarification or anything else. This kind of ran long and went in a couple of directions.
On the CG locations There are some much better deals out there. Some places offer monthly at lower prices with and without electric included,
I'm retired Coast Guard so I tend to use military bases but there are plenty of folks on here doing it from civilian. Join a club escapees or passport America, you can save a lot with that, Ct., is an expensive area, Mt or Id in the summer and Tx or NM in winter will be a lot more affordable and even if you want to boondock, much more comfortable.

[Cheryl_B]

kerrlakeroo wrote:
Cheryl, your getting a ton of input, and I dont think any of it has been wrong, but it may have been overwelming.
Lets start with this,
You have a 27' class C. No genny, that I think you have been using in RV parks with at least some hookups.
I am guessing you are looking at changing how you are using it.
Can you then tell us what your goal is? Where you plan to live or go and what you would like the inverter to do.
I have a feeling your looking at one much larger than you may need, but please give us an idea of what you want to do and any of us would be happy to try to be helpful.

Maybe this inverter is more powerful than I need, but I always heard that to run the a/c, it needs to be 3000. I would like to run the a/c when I need it, but mostly I'm going to try to live with my floor fan use, microwave, laptop, and those sorts of things. Coach lights, all the rest.

I had a 3100 watt generator. Champion. Thought I was set for life. Rookie mistake! It was so huge and took up so much space that I couldn't set up my dining table. I wasn't going to be able to haul that thing in and out every time I needed it. It was just beyond ridiculous. Sold it last year.

I know generators walk away. That scares me, too. But if I have the batteries to let the inverter draw from, and then a 1000-2000 watt generator to charge the batteries, that should do it. Right? I have no platform on the back for the generator and again, I can't afford to have it walk away. It will be stored in the coach, between some seats or if I must, take out the passenger chair (no one uses it anyway and the dog prefers to hide beneath it) and use that floor space for the generator.

I will be in parks at times. I have no idea what my future has in store for me. But I can't keep living month to month in campgrounds. It's just as bad as having an apartment, depending on where you are in the country.

I'm paying the lowest campground monthly fee they have in CT right now. $675 and I don't even have sewer on my site. Gotta drive to dump up the hill. No discount for not being "full hookups." And metered electric. No laundry facilities here either.

In GA over the winter, I was paying $500/month with everything included but their water would be awful sometimes. You wouldn't dare drink it when it started smelling.

Anyway, I just want to see how the other half lives. I never expected I would live in campgrounds when I went fulltime, but I am addicted to certain comforts and conveniences and I am naturally hot blooded. I need a fan on almost all the time.

I don't have tv, though. Just the computer and internet. That's another hurdle for another thread. Need to get wifi eventually. It never ends.

[SidecarFlip]

pianotuna wrote:
Cheryl,

If I were purchasing a generator it would be the Champion 3400 watt inverter generator with remote electric start. Once the generator has gas in it you will NOT wish to store it inside the RV.

Store it in a box on a rack at the back of the RV. It needs to be kept out of sight and secured to prevent it from growing wings.

Interesting comment. Your genny leak gasoline? Mine don't. Been keeping my Champion in my RV when I travel for 2 years no with no issudes. The Champ has a double gas shutoff. one in the cap, one on the carb. Never had issue one with fuel leaks or even a smell.

[Sam_Spade]

horton333 wrote:

At those power levels you should seriuosly consider a 24 volt battery bank,

Sorry but no complete power rookie should consider doing that......even for one SECOND.

A properly sized generator is the most versatile power source you can have......and that should come FIRST.

Most find that they don't "need" anything else.

[Sam_Spade]

wolfe10 wrote:
You are getting in over your head, both financially, what you expect to be able to run and at least as critically, I doubt your 1984 Chevrolet 27' class C could stand the extra weight of an extra-large battery bank. Also, your alternator was not designed for charging deeply discharged large battery banks.

Save you money and get a generator large enough to power what you want to be able to run.

This. ^^^^^^^