Wire inverter to existing transfer switch or need another?

DrewE wrote:

BFL13 wrote:

Do you have a built in gen and a transfer switch with shore power or not?

If you do, and you have the shore cord into the inverter via adapter, and you now turn on the gen, you could get 240v and fry everything AFAIK

You don't get 240V where there should be no 240V, any more than if you started the generator with the shore power cord plugged into shore power. The transfer switch selects between the shore power input and the generator power input; only one is connected to the RV electric system at any time. Typically the generator would have priority, so starting the generator would automatically disconnect the inverter output and it would just be idling along doing nothing. (If they did get connected together, lots of bad things happen, which is why the transfer switch exists and is designed specifically to make it impossible to connect them together.)

Thanks, I had that mixed up how it all works.

BFL13 wrote:

Do you have a built in gen and a transfer switch with shore power or not?

If you do, and you have the shore cord into the inverter via adapter, and you now turn on the gen, you could get 240v and fry everything AFAIK

You don't get 240V where there should be no 240V, any more than if you started the generator with the shore power cord plugged into shore power. The transfer switch selects between the shore power input and the generator power input; only one is connected to the RV electric system at any time. Typically the generator would have priority, so starting the generator would automatically disconnect the inverter output and it would just be idling along doing nothing. (If they did get connected together, lots of bad things happen, which is why the transfer switch exists and is designed specifically to make it impossible to connect them together.)

SFVdave wrote:
When dry camping, could I run a power cord from the inverter to the shoreline cable with an adapter thus using the existing transfer switch. Limiting it to 15 amps with a resettable power strip. Only problem may be that the fridge will be on the inverter's 110v instead of propane. Then when I turn on the generator, the transfer switch in the MH should isolate the inverter. Right???? Also, could my DW use her hair dryer at half speed and heat and I can use the microwave at half power , obviously not at the same time.

That's what I did. I would first turn off all of the circuit breakers, then plug in the inverter, and then would turn on individual circuit breakers for what I wanted powered.

That avoided me trying to power things like the fridge and water heater on 110 and the converter/battery charger.

It was a hassle. I'm looking at these so that I can power specific breakers from the outlets on the inverter:
https://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-8080915-PROwatt-Transfer-Switch/dp/B004S5Y158/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547057945&sr=8-1&keywords=xantrex+power+transfer+switch

MrWizard wrote:
Boondocking, put fridge on propane and leave it there, it uses so little l.p., there is no need to switch back and forth with electric,

Microwave on half power, I doubt it, most used timed cycles, power on and off, when cooking at reduced power, so still use full power for half time

That's what mine does, and it's a Panasonic (supposed inverter MW)
I measured the power use with 3 different meters

Hair dryer on low, yes that's a heating element, and will work that way
Provided you have enough battery, for the run time needed

Use good 12ga or heavier extension cord, for the inverter out put

my panasonic true inverter microwave does NOT cycle power in reduced power modes. In full power it draws about 1600VA, at 50% it draws a constant 900VA. pretty linear between 100% and down to about 30% power. Unless there is a very large item in the microwave 50% power doesn't take twice as long to heat things up, more like about 1.5X. Things like cup of water, bowl of veggies etc. When running on the generator at other than 100% genny no longer cycles up and down in rpm like past microwave did.

Not sure that all panasonics operate this way but the recent one labeled as true inverter seem to.

SFVdave wrote:
When dry camping, could I run a power cord from the inverter to the shoreline cable with an adapter thus using the existing transfer switch. Limiting it to 15 amps with a resettable power strip. Only problem may be that the fridge will be on the inverter's 110v instead of propane. Then when I turn on the generator, the transfer switch in the MH should isolate the inverter. Right???? Also, could my DW use her hair dryer at half speed and heat and I can use the microwave at half power , obviously not at the same time.

Do you have a built in gen and a transfer switch with shore power or not?

If you do, and you have the shore cord into the inverter via adapter, and you now turn on the gen, you could get 240v and fry everything AFAIK

EDIT--DrewE explained that my notion there is wrong, and the transfer switch will cut off the shore power- inverter source when the gen comes on so you won't fry things.

I've unplugged the 110 plug for the fridge, that way it never gets accidentally switched to 110v when on the inverter. I'm so rarely camping with plug ins I just leave the fridge on lp all the time.

Also if you do plug the trailer power cord directly into the inverter, make sure you flip off the breaker for the converter. Otherwise you've got one of those infinite power generation loop things going lol.

SFVdave wrote:
When dry camping, could I run a power cord from the inverter to the shoreline cable with an adapter thus using the existing transfer switch. Limiting it to 15 amps with a resettable power strip. Only problem may be that the fridge will be on the inverter's 110v instead of propane. Then when I turn on the generator, the transfer switch in the MH should isolate the inverter. Right???? Also, could my DW use her hair dryer at half speed and heat and I can use the microwave at half power , obviously not at the same time.

Good to go. Set the fridge on propane only. (and water heater if needed)

If you plug in the main cord I do not see any reason to limit power with a power strip. You don't do that plugging into a 30 amp pedestal.

Boondocking, put fridge on propane and leave it there, it uses so little l.p., there is no need to switch back and forth with electric,

Microwave on half power, I doubt it, most used timed cycles, power on and off, when cooking at reduced power, so still use full power for half time

That's what mine does, and it's a Panasonic (supposed inverter MW)
I measured the power use with 3 different meters

Hair dryer on low, yes that's a heating element, and will work that way
Provided you have enough battery, for the run time needed

Use good 12ga or heavier extension cord, for the inverter out put

When dry camping, could I run a power cord from the inverter to the shoreline cable with an adapter thus using the existing transfer switch. Limiting it to 15 amps with a resettable power strip. Only problem may be that the fridge will be on the inverter's 110v instead of propane. Then when I turn on the generator, the transfer switch in the MH should isolate the inverter. Right???? Also, could my DW use her hair dryer at half speed and heat and I can use the microwave at half power , obviously not at the same time.

MrWizard wrote:

you do not have a built in generator

just plug the shore cord into the inverter

move shore cord to portable genny or shore as needed

no NEED to wire into anything else

Definitely the KISS way to go ! To make life a bit simpler, you might want to wire a weatherproof OUTLET from the inverter to the outside of the TT near the shore power cord. This would be the ONLY output from the inverter. When you want inverter power, turn off the converter and plug your shore power cord into that outlet. Easy peazy !