Inverter install

[brutherb]

New purchase I want to install an inverter in my 05 arctic fox 1150. I read a few different ways to do this, but I think the easiest is wire it to the battery install a 30 amp plug in the power cable box. When I want to use or run the inverter shut off the converter and plug it in, I am considering a remote selectable switch as well so I can choose shore power or inverter.

My only concern is I have a generator which I would like to use to recharge the batteries. So I would have to have the inverter off I am guessing other wise it will damage it is what I have read

Any flaws in my thinking, is there a way to set a buzzer to let me know the converter is still on when I turn the inverter on

I know you can get smart charging inverters but that is a complicated expensive setup. This works just the sane and way cheaper

[2oldman]

3 tons wrote:
OP appears to be a ‘drive by’….

New member for 18 years.. yeah, I'd say so.

[3_tons]

OP appears to be a ‘drive by’….

3 tons

[theoldwizard1]

The easiest solution is to purchase an inverter/charge/automatic transfer switch.

Remove the existing converter. Wire the DC fuse panel directly to the battery bank via a large fuse. Your shore power cord now connects directly to he inverter. The output connects to the AC breaker panel. Done !

[WarrenS65]

My Everest came from the factory as follows: The shore power connection runs to the 110V breaker panel. There's one breaker for the AC, one for the Microwave, and one for all but 3 of the 110V outlets (one in the bedroom, one in the main room, and one in the basement), and the 12V charger. In the basement, the inverter is fed from the 12V batteries. The three outlets not fed from the breaker panel are fed from the inverter.
With this setup, if the camper is plugged into shore power or a generator, it feeds the main breaker panel and powers the charger and all but the 3 inverter outlets. While the charger is powered, the inverter can run as well so all 110V outlets work.

I've since replaced the factory charger, inverter, and lead acid batteries with a Victron based charger/inverter system including solar and lithium batteries.
In doing this, I connected all the outlets to the Victron inverter. I can run everthing (including microwave and AC) off the inverter.

Like otrfun said, my setup does make it easy to forget to turn things off.

In my old camper, I did what Bedlam sugested and used an inverter with a power strip when I didn't have shore power or a generator.

[otrfun]

brutherb wrote:
. . . is there a way to set a buzzer to let me know the converter is still on when I turn the inverter on . . .

It's easy to inadvertently leave on a number of devices that shouldn't be on--especially after a long day. Not fun operating blind, waking up to a dead battery. You may want to consider adding a coulomb-type battery monitor, an inexpensive inductive-type current meter, or a simple DC clamp-on ammeter to your arsenal. All these devices can tell you at a glance your current charge (+) or discharge (-) current status.

[Bedlam]

It would be easier to run the inverter to one or more power strips and keep the output isolated from the camper. I have 3 outlets that are only live with my inverter active and don't care whether on battery, generator or shore power.

[StirCrazy]

3 tons wrote:
The simplest and safest approved way would be to install a power sensing ATS switch to avoid accidental sinusoidal (AC) conflicts… Your camper may (or may not) already have one ATS switch installed used to separate the generator from shore power…If so, the new ATS switch would be wired, generator output (from factory ATS) to IN (in, in lieu of shore power), Inverter IN, and new ATS output to main panel…IF no existing ATS present, then using new ATS switch, Shore power (or corded generator…) IN, Inverter IN, and ATS Output to main panel…

In this way it’s purely a passive operation…

The potential downside here is that the inverter (via the main panel) will want to charge the batteries (a round-robin affair) so you’ll need to switch off the converter-charger…

https://www.bestconverter.com/PD-5100-Series-30-Amp-Transfer-Relay-PD5110010Q_p_28.html#.Y73MOy-Ibi0

3 tons

you almost need a double ats setup for a inverter/generator set up. mine right now is just inverter and shore power but it automaticly turns off the charger when the inverter comes on. the charger is wired to a different port, so it allows DC power but not DC charging.

Steve

[ewarnerusa]

brutherb wrote:
New purchase I want to install an inverter in my 05 arctic fox 1150. I read a few different ways to do this, but I think the easiest is wire it to the battery install a 30 amp plug in the power cable box. When I want to use or run the inverter shut off the converter and plug it in, I am considering a remote selectable switch as well so I can choose shore power or inverter.

My only concern is I have a generator which I would like to use to recharge the batteries. So I would have to have the inverter off I am guessing other wise it will damage it is what I have read

Any flaws in my thinking, is there a way to set a buzzer to let me know the converter is still on when I turn the inverter on

I know you can get smart charging inverters but that is a complicated expensive setup. This works just the sane and way cheaper

Your description is how my unit is set up and used, but no need to install a 30A plug. I put a 30 to 15A dog bone adapter on my shore power cord and plug that right into the standard AC outlet on the inverter. My converter is on its own breaker in the camper's AC panel that I switch off. Fridge and water heater set on propane.

Do you plug your shore power cord into the generator to use it? If so, then there's no problem. You can only plug shower power cord into one thing at a time so you won't be back feeding the inverter when on gen power. Don't forget to turn converter back on to charge batteries. If your generator is hardwired in via transfer switch, then yeah you've got to solve that problem or risk frying iinverter if your shore power cord is plugged into it.

[time2roll]

Need to verify the fridge and water are set to propane. Need to disable the converter.

[2oldman]

brutherb wrote:
My only concern is I have a generator which I would like to use to recharge the batteries. So I would have to have the inverter off I am guessing other wise it will damage it is what I have read

Maybe I'm not following you correctly, but wouldn't you have to unplug from the inverter 30a outlet to the generator to charge?

Since you've been a new member for 17 years I doubt you're coming back.

[3_tons · Accepted solution]

The simplest and safest approved way would be to install a power sensing ATS switch to avoid accidental sinusoidal (AC) conflicts… Your camper may (or may not) already have one ATS switch installed used to separate the generator from shore power…If so, the new ATS switch would be wired, generator output (from factory ATS) to IN (in, in lieu of shore power), Inverter IN, and new ATS output to main panel…IF no existing ATS present, then using new ATS switch, Shore power (or corded generator…) IN, Inverter IN, and ATS Output to main panel…

In this way it’s purely a passive operation…

The potential downside here is that the inverter (via the main panel) will want to charge the batteries (a round-robin affair) so you’ll need to switch off the converter-charger…

https://www.bestconverter.com/PD-5100-Series-30-Amp-Transfer-Relay-PD5110010Q_p_28.html#.Y73MOy-Ibi0

3 tons