Xantrex 458

[dnebout]

I have a 50 amp service that operates most of the electrical on one circuit breaker and the 2nd A/C on the other circuit. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

The Xantrex 458 2000 watt inverter/charger that I'm looking at is a 30 amp unit. Do they sell a 50 amp unit?

Secondly, at what rate does the stock charger work at in the RV? The Xantrex unit has a 3 stage 100 amp charger.

If the stock charger will suffice, is there an inverter that is hard wired that has no charger?

I'm looking to operate a TV, DVD or Direct TV box and a coffee maker in the morning.

Thanks,
Dave

What circuit

[dnebout]

I have a 50 amp service that operates most of the electrical on one circuit breaker and the 2nd A/C on the other circuit. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.

The Xantrex 458 2000 watt inverter/charger that I'm looking at is a 30 amp unit. Do they sell a 50 amp unit?

Secondly, at what rate does the stock charger work at in the RV? The Xantrex unit has a 3 stage 100 amp charger.

If the stock charger will suffice, is there an inverter that is hard wired that has no charger?

I'm looking to operate a TV, DVD or Direct TV box and a coffee maker in the morning.

Thanks,
Dave

What circuit

[Gary RVRoamer]

The "30 Amps" for the inverter has nothing to do with your RVs 50A input service. Th e30A refers to the amount of power the inverter can pass through and provide to outlets wired to the converter when it is not actually inverting from battery power. The power output from a battery source is the rated 2000 watts, which is about 16-17 amps.

The Xantrex 458 uses a 30A INPUT circuit when it is charging batteries and providing pass-through power to whatever outlets are wired to the inverter. There may be several 15A outlets wired so that the inverter can power them when no shore/genset power is available, but the 30A limit means that the grand total of all power consumption on those circuits is 30A. This is often a problem - you may be operating a small heater, a coffee maker and microwave at the same time and that will exceed the 30A supply to the inverter, even though you have 50a shore power.

Yes, there are inverters that don't have integral chargers - actually most of them do not. They are much less expensive too, but you need to add a transfer switch of some kind to change power from inverter mode to shore power. A simply plug/unplug cord will do it, but an auto transfer switch is more convenient (and expensive).

[dnebout]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RV Roamer:
The "30 Amps" for the inverter has nothing to do with your RVs 50A input service. Th e30A refers to the amount of power the inverter can pass through and provide to outlets wired to the converter when it is not actually inverting from battery power. The power output from a battery source is the rated 2000 watts, which is about 16-17 amps.

The Xantrex 458 uses a 30A INPUT circuit when it is charging batteries and providing pass-through power to whatever outlets are wired to the inverter. There may be several 15A outlets wired so that the inverter can power them when no shore/genset power is available, but the 30A limit means that the grand total of all power consumption on those circuits is 30A. This is often a problem - you may be operating a small heater, a coffee maker and microwave at the same time and that will exceed the 30A supply to the inverter, even though you have 50a shore power.

Yes, there are inverters that don't have integral chargers - actually most of them do not. They are much less expensive too, but you need to add a transfer switch of some kind to change power from inverter mode to shore power. A simply plug/unplug cord will do it, but an auto transfer switch is more convenient (and expensive). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Thanks I now understand that the pass through power is rated at no higher than 30 amps, so what circuits shoud I wire too. There are 2 swithches/breakers on the genset. One is 20 amps and the other is 30 amps. Shore power is rated at 50 amps. I assume that I should wire to the 30 amp circuits at the panel in the coach, since the other 20 amps are for the 2nd A/C (which will not be used on inverter power).

Any idea at what rate a stock charger charges at?

[Gary RVRoamer]

The AC power feed to the inverter/charger has to come through a 30A breaker in order to be able to deliver 30A, so obviously it should come from the side that has at least 30A under all conditions. But if you don't actually draw 30A through the outlets wired to the inverter, it doesn't make any difference.

Your shore power provides 50A to both bus bars of the load center but apparently your generator does not? Usually the genset on a 50A shore power rig will power both sides of the load center, though not ata full 50A each. If your genset 20A output is direct wired to the second a/c, then it sounds as though the 30A leg powers both sides (busses) of the load center, which means for practical purposes you are the same as with 30A shore power. In that case it won't make any difference wehre the 30A breaker is in the laod center - you have only 30A total when using the genset and you have more than enough when on 50A shore power.

The 2000 watt version of the 458 charges at 100 amps (DC) while the 3000 watt version is 140A DC. 100A f charge output requires about 10-11 amps at 120VAC input, which leaves 19-20 aps to power outlets. That of of course is only when the battery is severely depleted - most of the time the charge rate is much lower.

[dnebout]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RV Roamer:
The AC power feed to the inverter/charger has to come through a 30A breaker in order to be able to deliver 30A, so obviously it should come from the side that has at least 30A under all conditions. But if you don't actually draw 30A through the outlets wired to the inverter, it doesn't make any difference.

Your shore power provides 50A to both bus bars of the load center but apparently your generator does not? Usually the genset on a 50A shore power rig will power both sides of the load center, though not ata full 50A each. If your genset 20A output is direct wired to the second a/c, then it sounds as though the 30A leg powers both sides (busses) of the load center, which means for practical purposes you are the same as with 30A shore power. In that case it won't make any difference wehre the 30A breaker is in the laod center - you have only 30A total when using the genset and you have more than enough when on 50A shore power.

The 2000 watt version of the 458 charges at 100 amps (DC) while the 3000 watt version is 140A DC. 100A f charge output requires about 10-11 amps at 120VAC input, which leaves 19-20 aps to power outlets. That of of course is only when the battery is severely depleted - most of the time the charge rate is much lower. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm not exactly sure if the 2nd A/C is wired to the 20 amp circuit by itself. I will check it out. I asked the question a little while back and was told it was that way. You're right if it is wired that way it is simple and there is no need for a 50amp inverter.

[Gary RVRoamer]

AS I said, wiring the 2nd a/c to the genrator is typical of 30A power rigs, but not 50A shore power. However, 30A may have ben standard on your Allegro and the 50A shore power an optional upgrade. It's possible they changed the shore power wiring but not the generator and a/c system wiring. A call to Tiffin should get you an answer for your specific model. Or simply plug into 50A shore power and turn the rear a/c on. If it works, it is almost surely being powered off the load center and not direct from the generator. If it does not work, then you have a some sort of hydrid 50/30 wiring and it would take some tracing and/or experimenting to figure what is powered from where.