Community Forums

shootist · 09-09-2020, 01:50 PM

Has anyone relocated the inverter back to the rear ? I'm thinking of behind the fuse panels in the closet above the washer/dryer. It would solve the low voltage problems trying to run the micro and coffee maker. I'm very underwhelmed at monacos job of installing it that far from the power sources , both dc and ac. It's either move it or run 2 more 4/0 battery cables.

wamcneil · 09-09-2020, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shootist

Has anyone relocated the inverter back to the rear ? I'm thinking of behind the fuse panels in the closet above the washer/dryer. It would solve the low voltage problems trying to run the micro and coffee maker. I'm very underwhelmed at monacos job of installing it that far from the power sources , both dc and ac. It's either move it or run 2 more 4/0 battery cables.

I'd sure like to move mine to a better location. Above the washer/dryer is better than any other place I can think of.
That simplifies the AC re-wiring and keeps the DC wiring reasonable.
Cheers,
Walter

shootist · 09-09-2020, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wamcneil

I'd sure like to move mine to a better location. Above the washer/dryer is better than any other place I can think of.
That simplifies the AC re-wiring and keeps the DC wiring reasonable.
Cheers,
Walter

Should cut over 50ft of dc cabling and 70 or 80 feet of ac. Putting a vented access door from the outside was my first thought but that is way up there from the outside, maybe a few round vents, one ram air one venturi. Then put a sealed access door in the closet. The remote panel could be wired with the battery temp sensor wire or moved to the rear. I don't have the gen start hooked up and don't plan to.

vito.a · 09-09-2020, 03:34 PM

What size inverter do you have?
With a 3000w pure sine wave inverter I've had trouble running a coffee maker and the microwave because the microwave startup current is so high.

Even when running just the microwave on inverter, the microwave sounds like its struggling. Lately I just start the generator to run it.

shootist · 09-09-2020, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vito.a

What size inverter do you have?
With a 3000w pure sine wave inverter I've had trouble running a coffee maker and the microwave because the microwave startup current is so high.

Even when running just the microwave on inverter, the microwave sounds like its struggling. Lately I just start the generator to run it.

Ive got a 3200psw xantrex. The 4/0 cabling is good for about 2000 watts at 50 feet of run. The ground side may shorten it some due to frame grounds. There really is no use for the big inverter other than the battery charge size the way it is set up. Another set of cables is probably an easier solution and maybe no more expensive. The only other gain is being left with 2 10 gauge overhead romex runs to use for other upgrades. ie 3rd ac, 20 amp basement plug that is gen/shore not inverter passthrough.
You're right about the micro, they should easily run on the inverter but they don't. And the coffee maker as well. Nothing that runs on a 15 amp circuit should be struggling on a 3000 watt inverter

Ivylog · 09-09-2020, 06:52 PM

Before getting carried away, with the micro running use a IR temp gun on all the connections to find the high resistance ones. I decreased my voltage drop to the inverter by 1 V cleaning the 2 hot ones I found and tightening all the rest. Check the negative/ground cables at the batteries too.

shootist · 09-09-2020, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ivylog

Before getting carried away, with the micro running use a IR temp gun on all the connections to find the high resistance ones. I decreased my voltage drop to the inverter by 1 V cleaning the 2 hot ones I found and tightening all the rest. Check the negative/ground cables at the batteries too.

Done all that more than once, the math on the cabling is readily available.

Ivylog · 09-10-2020, 07:52 AM

We dry camp often and I’ve learned to run the generator anytime we’re going to use a high amp appliance for more than a couple minutes...charge the batteries instead of further depleting them. Guess I’m luckier than most as my cable length to the 3000W inverter is less than 10’. Not sure why you would run both the micro and coffee maker at the same time off the batteries???

Even with 880 AH of AGM batteries and 1000W of solar, running the generator more than an hour/day is a fact of dry camping life.

shootist · 09-10-2020, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ivylog

We dry camp often and I’ve learned to run the generator anytime we’re going to use a high amp appliance for more than a couple minutes...charge the batteries instead of further depleting them. Guess I’m luckier than most as my cable length to the 3000W inverter is less than 10’. Not sure why you would run both the micro and coffee maker at the same time off the batteries???

Even with 880 AH of AGM batteries and 1000W of solar, running the generator more than an hour/day is a fact of dry camping life.

Not trying to run them at the same time. When I'm on the road and want a quick stop for coffee there is zero reason to fire the gen if the inverter had been wired correctly. Same with power outages. Which we had the other day at 4 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon.

After remembering the new cables have to be exactly the same kind of cable and exactly the same length, path , ends to carry the current moving the inverter is really the best option. I would have no idea how to route the new cables rt along the old.

Ivylog · 09-10-2020, 11:51 AM

Lower your cut off voltage and make your coffee using the inverter when you stop.

shootist · 09-10-2020, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ivylog

Lower your cut off voltage and make your coffee using the inverter when you stop.

So you think it's low voltage causing a momentary cutoff? Why does the micro run underpowered and buzzing? It should just shut off if it's losing power. I am pretty sure it's low current to the inverter.

vito.a · 09-11-2020, 10:50 AM

Our inverter systems are almost identical except I updated ours with a Magnum inverter. I'm very pleased with the way it works.

Where did you find information that adding additional 12v inverter wiring needs to be identical?
The current DC cables are routed in between the frame rails. Monaco used this space to route most of the wires, cables, and hoses from front to back. To access this area, the basement has gray felt covered plywood screwed into the frame rails to form a basement ceiling.

shootist · 09-11-2020, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vito.a

Our inverter systems are almost identical except I updated ours with a Magnum inverter. I'm very pleased with the way it works.

Where did you find information that adding additional 12v inverter wiring needs to be identical?
The current DC cables are routed in between the frame rails. Monaco used this space to route most of the wires, cables, and hoses from front to back. To access this area, the basement has gray felt covered plywood screwed into the frame rails to form a basement ceiling.

Look up paralleling cabling. It's well know. I just forgot about it when I started thinking of the uselessness of this huge inverter and no way to use it. You even have to duplicate the strand count and strand diameter.

shootist · 09-11-2020, 07:57 PM

Just got to thinking ... The positive existing cable could be shortened and used to double the ground. Then two new positives can be run and don't have to exact match the old.