Which Inverter?

[jeffwhite]

I have a 97 Rexhall Aerbus and I want to get an inverter and run it to the outlet for the coffeepot. I hate turning on the Generator just to make coffee in the morning with all the noise etc. Any idea as to the draw on a little coffeepot like that, and the resultant size inverter? This is the stock coffeepot that comes with the RV. jeff

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I used a single cup 120vac dripper for years and measured three amp hours per cup. Maybe not the hot-setup for the three hundred fifty dollar per pound Panamanian coffee + distilled water crowd.

They're huge, they're unwieldy - but I love those coffee brew stations where a person slides a mug or cup under the spigot. For snotty grade Chiapas shade groan coffee I use my French Press.

[JiminDenver]

I suppose it depends on your situation. Both BFL and I have more than enough power coming in and bank to hold it that it just doesn't matter. It may make sense if you are limited on either and need to conserve.

Last year a small 150w inverter used less power running the TV and satellite than the 3000w PowerJack pig did just being on. This year we never turned off the Tripp lite and ran everything with it.

[BFL13]

I found the AH savings by going to a small inverter for the small loads to be trivial.

The big inverter just doesn't pull that many more extra beyond the load's than the small one. In some cases it is the same. Don't forget that H in the AH. When you only turn on the inverter to run stuff and then turn it off, H stays low and so does AH.

The draw while left on but no load is not the same thing as the extra draw when running a load. Relative inverter efficiency is what counts while running the load.

It all comes down to such tiny amounts that the whole idea of using a second small inverter for the small loads is just not "worth it", and you can "keep it simple" by having just the one inverter that does it all. ( I have gone back to that)

[JiminDenver]

Lots of threads on how to make coffee on the stove but this one is doing so using a inverter. I can understand that because after using stove top methods for decades, Honey was more than happy to be able to use a auto drip and get the same consistency as we do at home.

Otherwise you can drip, press, perk, bag, moka, instant or cowboy the coffee with a stove. Cold brew it and you don't even need that. They are all mud to Honey so we use the Auto drip.

[Empty_Nest__Soo]

You're making it too complicated and difficult.

When camping, I make coffee just like my mother and grandmother did -- with an old-fashioned drip coffee pot. No electricity needed, except that which sparks the flame on the gas cooktop to heat a kettle of water.



Wayne

[kyle86]

I went the separate outlet route but a tad different. I am currently in the process of instaling a small 600w inverter. Actually 2 inverters a 300w xantrex msw I got for $21 shipped and a 600w I got for $45. I wanted to see if the smaller inverter was more efficient at light loads.

I ran wire from the batt compartment into a closet where there was already some wires ran. I did this because the inverter instructions said it was dangerous for the inverter and batts to be near eachother. My propane tanks are also in the same compartment. Anyway, I went to lowes and bought 3 metal recepticle boxes and recepticles along with some 16 ga insulated wire. I ran 1 box into the entertainment area through one side of the closet and I'm running another into the bedroom behind the tv. Both of these outlets, I ran into a single box next to the inverter with a 2 ft long cord coming out the other side and a 3 prong plug on the end.

I ran a wire with a plug from a 120v wall outlet into the closet and wired it to a recepticle box that way I have shore power right next to the inverter. Switching from inverter to shore is simply just unplugging from out outlet and plugging into the other (inverter outlet or shore outlet box).

I have both tvs and related periferials wired into the new outlet boxes, that way I just have 1 single plug to worry about. The kitchet and bathroom still have no juice but I could probably rig something up there if need be later on.

[CJW8]

I installed 2 Xantrex transfer switched close to my breaker panel. One is connected to my breaker labled "General" and the other is wired to my GFCI circuit. This enables all of my outlets except the dedicated microwave outlet.

[BFL13]

dahkota wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
You can get the inverter to not alarm off until at a lower SOC by using shorter/fatter wires between it and the battery bank.

I see a 0.8v drop while running a load that pulls 90 amps from the battery bank of four wet 6s. This means I can be at 12.2v to start and it will stay above the 11.0v alarm point. (Allows for the initial drop to 11.4 and then some for decline while load is running)

Ah - I have my alarm set at 11.9. The 90 or so amps my pot pulls causes a .5V drop with AGMs. Can I really run the volts that low without damaging anything?

Yes. the inverter alarms when you are at a "loaded voltage" which does not count for battery life. The usual 12.x "limit" for 50% is at "resting voltage" (but you can go lower without harm a few times--see a graph of cycles vs depth of discharge for your model of battery)

So like smk says, you can go to 11v loaded and it will go back to higher than that. If it won't go back to higher than 12.x, then it is recharge time as soon as "generator hours" start at your campground.

Yes, AGMs can take more load with less voltage drop than Wets. Means if you have a small RV that can only carry two batts you can stay above inverter alarm with two AGMs and you don't have to find space/ weight for four Wets.

[time2roll]

Yes you can go lower. 11.9 is better when the load is 25 amps or less.
When running 100 amps the battery voltage will recover back into the expected zone within a minute or two as the load is reduced.

[dahkota]

BFL13 wrote:
You can get the inverter to not alarm off until at a lower SOC by using shorter/fatter wires between it and the battery bank.

I see a 0.8v drop while running a load that pulls 90 amps from the battery bank of four wet 6s. This means I can be at 12.2v to start and it will stay above the 11.0v alarm point. (Allows for the initial drop to 11.4 and then some for decline while load is running)

Ah - I have my alarm set at 11.9. The 90 or so amps my pot pulls causes a .5V drop with AGMs. Can I really run the volts that low without damaging anything?

[JiminDenver]

We plug the shore cord into the Tripp lite 1250fc after turning off the converter of course. All of the outlets work no fuss no muss. Coffee maker is a 12 cup that uses 900w while brewing but I would suggest getting something that you can turn the warming plate on or off.

There are 12v coffee makers but to run well you have to replace the cord and ciggy style plug with heavier duty wire and clips.

[SoundGuy]

GordonThree wrote:
whole house is a big cash outlay, but is so nice...

Needn't be. If I'm camping without shore power that means I'm either dry camping intentionally or campground power has failed ... in either case, I simply plug the trailer's main service cable into whatever service I may happen to be using at the time - inverter, or genset, or when available, campsite power - no transfer switch, no internal wiring throughout the trailer needed. This "poor man's" whole house wiring scheme couldn't be simpler and although a pair of 6 volt jugs would no doubt enhance performance my single G27 has served my modest needs to date just fine. 🙂

[ksg5000]

I always use the Generator and offer coffee to my neighbors -- seems like the coffee offsets the few minutes of noise.

[time2roll]

jeffwhite wrote:
I was not sure what I was going to do about this, as I have decent access to the back of this partucular outlet (I think, if I pull the microwave),but getting from the inverter to the outlet might me sketchy. What is the transfer switch you are talking about? jeff

Transfer switch allows two input that are kept separated and one output. This allows the same outlet to function normal if using inverter or utility power. Automatic switch will automatically choose based on what is available.

Usually I would recommend the switch should be near the main breaker panel. You would need to pull romex from the inverter to the breaker panel.

donrowe.com/KISAE-TS15A-Automatic-Transfer-Switch

[GordonThree]

whole house is a big cash outlay, but is so nice... especially if you have a large battery bank behind it. I wired my Magnum 2800 watt as a whole house. The magnum transfer switch handles connecting / disconnecting shore power - the outdoor cord runs straight to the inverter and then inverter connects to the breaker box. stop for lunch, etc, I can fire up anything I want, including the air conditioner and run for several hours if need be, before having to start up generators.

if you want more details on this route, I'm happy to share.