Inverter vs inverter/charger best brand

JB

jbarnes4868

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2015
Posts
198
Location
Mead, Colorado
Hey guys, I picked up a used 2014 Reflection and I've got several things I'm going to do to it but one of the things that I'm having the most trouble with is selecting a inverter/charger. I'm a dry camper with a genset attached to my bumper but would like to run my entertainment center and coffee pot with a inverter.

I've read several of the threads here where several of you have installed inverters. I'm thinking about a inverter/charger and just unplugging my converter and take the two circuits I'm interested in being "inverterized" from the breaker panel to the inverter. I've done this on my house boat at Lake Powell with a much larger system to the tune of $4K. I'm looking for something much less expensive that will cover about 1500 watts.

I've always thought Xantrex was a trusted name brand, however, I'm finding not such great reviews on Xantrex. Curious as to which brands you folks have found to be reliable?
Jerry.
 
jbarnes4868 said:
I've done this on my house boat at Lake Powell with a much larger system to the tune of $4K. I'm looking for something much less expensive that will cover about 1500 watts.

Jerry.
Click to expand...

Hi Jerry,

A bigger problem for a Reflection 29RES than choosing to just add an inverter to what you have or replace the converter with an inverter/charger, is where are you going to put the extra batteries ? As you probably know from your houseboat, it takes more than just a single group 27 battery to run the entertainment centre for very long, or to make the coffee.

We seldom dry camp, so I just added one battery and an inverter wired to a dedicated outlet. I can do without the entertainment centre (if I have to) but coffee is a requirement ! :D.

Rob
 
I'll do some homework for you tomorrow because I don't recall the manufacturer, but someone is building a direct replacement fuse/breaker panel the has a sub-panel built in. If you don't need the sub-panel, there's a "jumper" in place so the sub-panel is just an extension of the main panel. If you want to run an inverter, you add a 30-amp breaker and run the inverter through that and all the "light load" circuits on the sub-panel (lights, outlets, no appliances) run through the sub-panel.

I was kinda peeved when I saw it because I was in the process of coming up with the idea. Oh well.
 
So I already have two 6V AGM batteries hooked up in series, and I have 200watts of solar to keep them topped off. I'd also like to be able to run the entertainment system including the satellite dish, coffee, and maybe some phone chargers. I've been considering a 1000Watt Inverter mounted near the batteries, then hard wire an adapter plug so I can plug the RV cord into the inverter. I'd have to shut off the breaker for the converter, but this would give me 120VAC at all electrical outlets. Thoughts?
 
Jim,

I hope it doesn't seem that I'm not questioning your intelligence on this, because I know you have a plethora of knowledge on this stuff, just trying to offer some insight. For the size inverter, see how many amps you'll be running at the same time. Of course, you nucer and coffee maker are going to take the most. Just check the labels for each appliance and it should give you the max amps. After you calculate that, multiply the amps by 120 and there is your total watts.

As for the plug, that should work. How many amps is your trailer, 30 or 50?
 
Thats a interesting panel. I like it, now to see if it fits. And yes, I've got a couple of 6v deep cycles for batteries. I'm just trying to get a feel for the best brand to buy. I guess I'll give the Xantrex a shot and cross my fingers. Jim, what you suggest should work but there are alot manual steps to take. You may want to put a larger inverter, charger to cover all your circuits and simply power your AC (except furnace and AC) with the inverter/charger.
 
Jerry, it is an interesting panel. It's nice so you don't have to physically move your existing circuit wires to another sub-panel, it's all in the same location.

For those asking why a sub-panel, here is a brief explanation. Many of the inverters, even the 240V will allow only 30 amp pass through on each branch. So you can't pass through the entire 50 amp circuit through the inverter to the main panel. The sub panel allows you to isolate your circuits you want to run off the inverter, limited to 30 amps. With the sub-panel, you can hardwire your inverter to the sub-panel and not have to worry about additional plugs or switches.
 
offtohavasu said:
Jerry, it is an interesting panel. It's nice so you don't have to physically move your existing circuit wires to another sub-panel, it's all in the same location.

For those asking why a sub-panel, here is a brief explanation. Many of the inverters, even the 240V will allow only 30 amp pass through on each branch. So you can't pass through the entire 50 amp circuit through the inverter to the main panel. The sub panel allows you to isolate your circuits you want to run off the inverter, limited to 30 amps. With the sub-panel, you can hardwire your inverter to the sub-panel and not have to worry about additional plugs or switches.
Click to expand...

Sorry for resurrecting an old post but this could be exactly what I'm looking for. We are about to order a reflection 315rtls and I want something that I can dry camp with and not give up 120 volt appliances without running our stand alone generator. I currently have a cougar that has a 30 amp service. The wfco power center in that trailer has the 120volt side with the 12volt service on the other side and the converter below the panel. so my question is this: does the 50amp panel that comes in the reflection trailer have the same setup and if so would i then have to route the 12volt system elsewhere as it doesnt look like the precision circuits replacement panel incorporates that.

thanks

Rylan
 
120V breakers and and 12v fuses are in the same place with an external converter. The link above is setup the same way with the addition of a "sub-panel" for inverter purposes.
 
true and I did shoot an email to precision circuits and they confirmed what I kinda feared. So I guess i'll either put in a subpanel for the circuits I want fed from the inverter charger or move the 12 volt fuse box. I'll make that decision when I get it and pull the electrical apart to see what would be easiest.

Could also modify the existing panel to split the bussing assuming there is spare breaker to feed the split in the bussing but I'm that wouldnt be to kosher with the insurance/warranty if it burned down due to an electrical fire.
 
I installed a magnum 2812. There's an option to wire it into two 30a outputs, or a single 60a output. I wired mine as the latter, and fed it to one side of the breaker panel (the 50a side opposite where the A/C's are wired). This way I am able to run that side on the inverter if needed which operates all outlets but two, fridge, entertainment center, and microwave. I disconnected the converter/charger on the opposite side of the panel and moved the fireplace power to that breaker to rebalance things. Everything works just fine. When connected to shore power the magnum automatically switches that 60a output to the panel. When I need inverter power, I just switch it on and it runs the one side of the panel. The other side of the panel is not powered then which includes the A/C's, fireplace, and I believe the hot water on ac.
 
Let me verify my assumptions about 50 amp rv panels real quick. first 50 amp hook ups are 240volt and a 30 amp adapter most likely just combines the 2 phases and this can be done because there are no 240 volt loads in the RV. And if i understand what you are telling me then you are feeding just one phase of the panel with the inverter power. If that is all correct then that is a pretty neat idea. Creates a second current path through the inverter when you are connected to shore power but as long as the breaker that feeds the inverter is on the same phase as the breaker that supplies inverter power it should work. Otherwise hooking up to 240 volt 50 amp shore power would create a phase to phase short. Assuming my assumptions about how 50 amp rv panels.
 
You are correct. 50 AMP RV panels are two phases of 120V (double 50 AMP breakers). A 30 AMP dog bone just ties the two phases together, since there are no 240V appliances in the trailer.
 
offtohavasu said:
Jerry, it is an interesting panel. It's nice so you don't have to physically move your existing circuit wires to another sub-panel, it's all in the same location.

For those asking why a sub-panel, here is a brief explanation. Many of the inverters, even the 240V will allow only 30 amp pass through on each branch. So you can't pass through the entire 50 amp circuit through the inverter to the main panel. The sub panel allows you to isolate your circuits you want to run off the inverter, limited to 30 amps. With the sub-panel, you can hardwire your inverter to the sub-panel and not have to worry about additional plugs or switches.
Click to expand...

Hi Curtis
I have found the circuits (plugs) that I would like to run off the inverter. How do you wire it into the sub panel? I have 3 plugs that run off a 15 amp breaker on the sub panel. I am using the freedom HFS inverter charger. Also to disconnect the stock converter do you just disconnect the red cable? That circuit with the converter also runs the lights and the radio so need to keep that circuit operational but I need to disconnect the converter since the inverter has a charger as well
Thanks
Bill
 
You'll need to move the branch circuits to the subpanel. Then add a breaker (check the amp rating in the inverter manual) to the main panel that will supply power as the "pass through" power to the inverter. Wire the the inverter to the subpanel. I would suggest adding same size breaker on putting it on the subpanel and running the power leg through that.
 
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