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12-31-2006, 05:44 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Forest River Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 3,251
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I think my inverter is wired differently than most peoples but mine may not be totaly unique. My 1500 Watt inverter powers up the entire MH. I have to be the 'power management officer'. My wife sometimes shuts every thing down when she tries to run the microwave, fridge, iron , TV etc all at the same time. She's learning tho.
When I am parked, I turn the circuit breaker that only powers the 'CONverter' off so it's not trying to charge the battery while also discharging it, or 'chase it's own tail'. Not perfect set up but I just have to remember to turn it on and off.
I'm making a 2000 mile RT this TH to Anaheim. I got a new GPS thing that goes to the laptop so I'll be needing the inverter to charge the laptop battery. While I am driving, I assume the alternator will be charging the house batteries and not the converter. Right???
Will the converter just relax and let the alternator do the work or will it be trying to help charge the house batteries since the inverter will have power going to it?
Is it necessary to turn the circuit breaker for the converter off?
Is there any disadvantage to also running the reefer off the inverter since it will be turned on anyway? That'll save some propane but I don't know what the cons might be.
Anybody have some thoughts on this?
Anyone else have their inverter power the whole MH so it also powers up their converter?
__________________
Max49
2018 Forest River Georgetown F-53
'08 Jeep Wrangler Toad
Denver, Colorado
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12-31-2006, 05:44 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Forest River Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 3,251
|
I think my inverter is wired differently than most peoples but mine may not be totaly unique. My 1500 Watt inverter powers up the entire MH. I have to be the 'power management officer'. My wife sometimes shuts every thing down when she tries to run the microwave, fridge, iron , TV etc all at the same time. She's learning tho.
When I am parked, I turn the circuit breaker that only powers the 'CONverter' off so it's not trying to charge the battery while also discharging it, or 'chase it's own tail'. Not perfect set up but I just have to remember to turn it on and off.
I'm making a 2000 mile RT this TH to Anaheim. I got a new GPS thing that goes to the laptop so I'll be needing the inverter to charge the laptop battery. While I am driving, I assume the alternator will be charging the house batteries and not the converter. Right???
Will the converter just relax and let the alternator do the work or will it be trying to help charge the house batteries since the inverter will have power going to it?
Is it necessary to turn the circuit breaker for the converter off?
Is there any disadvantage to also running the reefer off the inverter since it will be turned on anyway? That'll save some propane but I don't know what the cons might be.
Anybody have some thoughts on this?
Anyone else have their inverter power the whole MH so it also powers up their converter?
__________________
Max49
2018 Forest River Georgetown F-53
'08 Jeep Wrangler Toad
Denver, Colorado
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12-31-2006, 06:02 AM
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#3
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Moderator Emeritus
Country Coach Owners Club Appalachian Campers Gulf Streamers Club
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Chattanooga, Tn.
Posts: 12,060
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Max, it does sound like your inverter may have been added to the coach after it left the factory. If you inverter also has a three stage charger built in you can disengage the converter charger permanantly. With the inverter turned on and the engine running your altenator should be recharging the batteries as they also supply power the the inverter. You can run you refrigerator and laptop while traveling off the inverter. You do not want the loop of a converter charger and inverter. Disconnect the converter when using the inverter at the least. Good luck and if you have any other questions just ask.
__________________
Mike, RVIA & RVSA Certified Master RV Technician
Amy, Dr. Assistant - Roxie & Mei Ling, four legs each
2000 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser 450 hp & 1330# torque
06 Saturn Vue, 06 Chevy Z71 4x4 & 2014 Corvette Z51 M7
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12-31-2006, 10:17 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Full-timers - Home is where we park it.
Posts: 4,722
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Max49 - It does indeed sound like your inverter has non-standard wiring. Our 1500 watt factory-installed inverter is wired only to outlets in the 2 front overhead cabinets (for TV, VCR, etc.), to one outlet by the co-pilot seat (for a computer), and to an outlet for the bedroom TV. All these outlets are labeled as being powered by the inverter.
If the inverter is wired to the whole coach, you better not forget and turn on the air conditioner or the microwave while not hooked to shore power.
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12-31-2006, 12:40 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Forest River Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 3,251
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Thanks guys. My inverter is not factory installed and it is not a inverter charger. I installed it myself , and I know it's pretty low tech the way I did it but that's the only way I knew how to. You guys will probably laugh at me but to make a long story short, the entire 50 amp shore power cord with adapters is plugged into the inverter. I know, it's not the right way to do it , but it's a poor mans way and is really pretty nice, compared to no inverter. I have definitly learned that I have to turn the converter off when the inverter is on. The inverter is in the compartment next to the batteries and I have a remote switch on the dash to turn it on and off.
I checked my owners manual, which is not very good simply because Damon wanted to make one owners manual for "ALL" of their models, so I have to make sure I'm reading about mine. It says the chassis alternator does indeed charge the house batteries when the engine is running but then says when shore power is connected to the converter, The converter charges them. There fore I guess I need to turn the circuit breaker off to the converter , even when driving if I have the inverter on.
__________________
Max49
2018 Forest River Georgetown F-53
'08 Jeep Wrangler Toad
Denver, Colorado
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12-31-2006, 04:36 PM
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#6
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,678
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Yes, turn off the converter. And also the water heater if it is in 120VAC mode (use LP is you want to keep water hot). You might also want to force the fridge to LP mode, but a 1500 watt inverter, fed from the alternator, can probably power it OK in AC mode. Still, LP mode wold be better, i think.
Remember it take 10x as many DC amps to produce AC amps, e.g. a 1A load at 120VAC requires 10A @ 12VDC to power the inverter. A relatively modest AC load can make your alternator sweat bullets. And Damon may not have provided a heavy duty wire from alternator to house batteries, since they probably only planned on light charging loads.
__________________
Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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01-01-2007, 08:58 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Aguanga, CA, USA
Posts: 239
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Definitely switch refrigerator to propane. I measured mine (10 ft Dometic) over 24 hrs (moderate temps - 85 max and 60 over night) and it used 5 kw-hrs! That's around 500 amp-hrs @ 12 volts.
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