No Inverter!

[luvour390RK]

New to RV'ing... Recently purchased a 2021 390RK. New 390 came with 5500 watt Onan LP generator. I had the dealer install 3 new Go Power 190 watt solar panels with 2 Go Power! 100ah Lithium Iron Phosphate solar battery's and was unaware the 390 did not come with an inverter. Also have new charge controller (not sure if this is an inverter as well). They also installed new converter to charge LiPo batteries which stay charged to 100% pretty much all the time. We are going full time within a year. I'm going behind front access wall next time I'm with the 390 as it's in storage lot right now. Any suggestions on inverter choices with this setup? Thanks in advance!

 

[bertschb]

The standard Solitude 390RK (not the 390RK-R) doesn't come with an inverter because it doesn't have the residential fridge. The Solitude 390RK-R comes with a residential fridge and a 1,000w inverter. If you order the factory solar package along with the residential fridge, you get a 2,000w inverter. As for which inverter to get - that depends on what you're trying to power from your batteries.

 

[boyscout]

New to RV'ing... Recently purchased a 2021 390RK. New 390 came with 5500 watt Onan LP generator. I had the dealer install 3 new Go Power 190 watt solar panels with 2 Go Power! 100ah Lithium Iron Phosphate solar battery's and was unaware the 390 did not come with an inverter. Also have new charge controller (not sure if this is an inverter as well). They also installed new converter to charge LiPo batteries which stay charged to 100% pretty much all the time. We are going full time within a year. I'm going behind front access wall next time I'm with the 390 as it's in storage lot right now. Any suggestions on inverter choices with this setup? Thanks in advance!

It doesn't sound as though you're pinching pennies, and if you're going full-time you probably should not.

The Magnum line is extremely popular and has a good reputation. They are inverter-chargers, meaning that they will replace the new converter you've just installed and look after its function as well as the inverter need. They're really smart devices, including load balancing and distribution features that mean you pretty much don't have to spend time thinking about and planning your electrical usage (after the initial installation planning). Make sure you get one of the pure sine wave devices, which produce power that's kinder to the various devices you'll be plugging into it. I don't know anything about Magnum and lithium batteries - you should be asking about that when you're shopping - but they are highly-configurable so lithium is almost certainly no problem.

https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/mobile-power-products/inverter-chargers

The other line that's very popular, and with an excellent reputation, is Victron. They too offer high-quality smart equipment with a big range of products for every need and fancy, including lots of cool accessories for monitoring and managing the system. On the two GD forums I frequent, Victron lately seems to be installed more frequently.

https://www.victronenergy.com/

There are other choices, but one of those two is probably your best bet. Whichever you choose, carefully select a very experienced and knowledgeable dealer as both companies offer many different ways to bake this cake.

 

[luvour390RK]

Thanks so much for the info. Not sure which one I'll go with yet. More research is needed. Want to be able to boondock with no issues. Generator is good backup but uses propane pretty fast.

 

[powerscol]

New to RV'ing... Recently purchased a 2021 390RK. New 390 came with 5500 watt Onan LP generator. I had the dealer install 3 new Go Power 190 watt solar panels with 2 Go Power! 100ah Lithium Iron Phosphate solar battery's and was unaware the 390 did not come with an inverter. Also have new charge controller (not sure if this is an inverter as well). They also installed new converter to charge LiPo batteries which stay charged to 100% pretty much all the time. We are going full time within a year. I'm going behind front access wall next time I'm with the 390 as it's in storage lot right now. Any suggestions on inverter choices with this setup? Thanks in advance!

I am going with this Go Power unit https://gpelectric.com/products/3000-watt-industrial-pure-sine-wave-inverter/ Its strictly an Inverter.

 

[boyscout]

I am going with this Go Power unit https://gpelectric.com/products/3000-watt-industrial-pure-sine-wave-inverter/ Its strictly an Inverter.

@luvour390RK despite the advice I gave you in post #3 , I have exactly the device @powerscol highlights above. However (without intending to denigrate his/her choice) I bought it near the beginning of our trailer adventure when I knew even less than I do now.

Mine sat in a box for a couple of years after my wife let me know that boondocking would make her nervous. I installed it last year after she'd softened her stance, and we've now done a few several-day boondocking trips (in very non-remote places!) with it.

It works well enough. My one complaint about it so far is that when it's under heavy load it's VERY noisy - sounds like a jet engine spinning up in the basement as its fans kick in, a noise far too loud to not notice. It (and it's remote controller which is a nearly-essential additional option) otherwise so far work as they're supposed to. However it's an inverter only; doesn't have any relationship with your battery charging system. It provides (through its remote) only very basic information about the system, much of it with simple status lights rather than informative displays. It's not much configurable - there are limited options for controlling how it works (such as a form of sleep mode that I've found impractical for our purposes).

I have a Victron bluetooth-enabled battery monitor (BM712) which adds a lot more information about battery condition, rate of discharge, etc. so for a few hundred dollars I've overcome some of those information shortcomings of the GoPower. However if I didn't already own the GoPower with limited options for reselling at a good price I would have installed a Victron or Magnum inverter-charger system that's designed all the way through for convenient RV and boat use.

 

[powerscol]

@luvour390RK despite the advice I gave you in post #3 , I have exactly the device @powerscol highlights above. However (without intending to denigrate his/her choice) I bought it near the beginning of our trailer adventure when I knew even less than I do now.

Mine sat in a box for a couple of years after my wife let me know that boondocking would make her nervous. I installed it last year after she'd softened her stance, and we've now done a few several-day boondocking trips (in very non-remote places!) with it.

It works well enough. My one complaint about it so far is that when it's under heavy load it's VERY noisy - sounds like a jet engine spinning up in the basement as its fans kick in, a noise far too loud to not notice. It (and it's remote controller which is a nearly-essential additional option) otherwise so far work as they're supposed to. However it's an inverter only; doesn't have any relationship with your battery charging system. It provides (through its remote) only very basic information about the system, much of it with simple status lights rather than informative displays. It's not much configurable - there are limited options for controlling how it works (such as a form of sleep mode that I've found impractical for our purposes).

I have a Victron bluetooth-enabled battery monitor (BM712) which adds a lot more information about battery condition, rate of discharge, etc. so for a few hundred dollars I've overcome some of those information shortcomings of the GoPower. However if I didn't already own the GoPower with limited options for reselling at a good price I would have installed a Victron or Magnum inverter-charger system that's designed all the way through for convenient RV and boat use.

Mark - I don't know about you. Here you go and put thoughts in my mind about my inverter decision. I was not aware of the fan issue, but most of our use will be during the day and the unit will be off at night.

Now you have me thinking( a dangerous but good thing). For the foreseeable future I will be running 4-6 Volt deep cycle batteries, so I don't need the charger side. However the stock WFCO converter/charger is a bit anemic. So I think a bit more research is in order. I do plan on Lithium in the future so I would need a new charger. Thanks for the heads up.

On question - with my Victron 712 do I need the fancy remote control panel to run the Go Power? They have a simple On/Of switch available too.

Thanks my friend
Keith

 

[boyscout]

Mark - I don't know about you. Here you go and put thoughts in my mind about my inverter decision. I was not aware of the fan issue, but most of our use will be during the day and the unit will be off at night.

It's hard to overstate the noise issue under heavy load - even in the daytime it would drive most people batty. However I should emphasize that its worst noise is at heavy load near capacity - even running the microwave alone isn't crazy-noisy. However if you demand more - something close to the power it's capable of delivering - I swear you'll think there's a jet starting up in your basement. Incredible that a small box can make that much noise.

Now you have me thinking( a dangerous but good thing). For the foreseeable future I will be running 4-6 Volt deep cycle batteries, so I don't need the charger side. However the stock WFCO converter/charger is a bit anemic. So I think a bit more research is in order. I do plan on Lithium in the future so I would need a new charger. Thanks for the heads up.

We are running four six-volt Trojan T-105s, charged with the WFCO 9855. The batteries have endured several years of that "abuse" but I expect that I've shortened their life. A better converter, or a good inverter/charger that could be configured to give them exactly what they'd like to have, would be smarter.

I'd peg us somewhere between frugal experts and irresponsible wastrels when it comes to power usage when boondocking. Before inverter installation we'd get 3-4 days out of our batteries. (I use a CPAP machine which is a fairly significant consumer.) With occasional microwave and coffee-maker and hair dryer usage on the inverter that goes down by at least 25%, so re-charging is a new fact of life for us.

One question - with my Victron 712 do I need the fancy remote control panel to run the Go Power? They have a simple On/Of switch available too.

I bought the fancier remote way back when. By the time I installed the inverter years later I had the Victron and use the GoPower remote mostly as an on/off switch. Good point. What you'd lose with the simple remote switch is information about the output power of the inverter, as well as some warning/status indicators that may help explain a shutdown. (From memory, over and under voltage, over temperature, overload, maybe one or two others.)

If you don't mind forgoing those things, at least the simple remote switch is probably essential. The inverter's "sleep" mode that might make it unnecessary is quite slow at starting up the inverter, such that in our case it interfered with proper operation of the transfer switch.

Choices, choices Keith! The agony of deciding well... why do we enjoy it so much?

 

[powerscol]

It's hard to overstate the noise issue under heavy load - even in the daytime it would drive most people batty. However I should emphasize that its worst noise is at heavy load near capacity - even running the microwave alone isn't crazy-noisy. However if you demand more - something close to the power it's capable of delivering - I swear you'll think there's a jet starting up in your basement. Incredible that a small box can make that much noise.



We are running four six-volt Trojan T-105s, charged with the WFCO 9855. The batteries have endured several years of that "abuse" but I expect that I've shortened their life. A better converter, or a good inverter/charger that could be configured to give them exactly what they'd like to have, would be smarter.

I'd peg us somewhere between frugal experts and irresponsible wastrels when it comes to power usage when boondocking. Before inverter installation we'd get 3-4 days out of our batteries. (I use a CPAP machine which is a fairly significant consumer.) With occasional microwave and coffee-maker and hair dryer usage on the inverter that goes down by at least 25%, so re-charging is a new fact of life for us.



I bought the fancier remote way back when. By the time I installed the inverter years later I had the Victron and use the GoPower remote mostly as an on/off switch. Good point. What you'd lose with the simple remote switch is information about the output power of the inverter, as well as some warning/status indicators that may help explain a shutdown. (From memory, over and under voltage, over temperature, overload, maybe one or two others.)

If you don't mind forgoing those things, at least the simple remote switch is probably essential. The inverter's "sleep" mode that might make it unnecessary is quite slow at starting up the inverter, such that in our case it interfered with proper operation of the transfer switch.

Choices, choices Keith! The agony of deciding well... why do we enjoy it so much?

Thanks

Question Are you running your CPAP off of the 12V or the inverter. If off the inverter you could switch to the 12v power adapter, install some 12v plugs and power that way. Would save on your power draw. I am getting 4 - 6V Crown CR 260 batteries (260AH) They have good reputation as being equal to or better than Trojan.

 

[boyscout]

Question Are you running your CPAP off of the 12V or the inverter. If off the inverter you could switch to the 12v power adapter, install some 12v plugs and power that way. Would save on your power draw. I am getting 4 - 6V Crown CR 260 batteries (260AH) They have good reputation as being equal to or better than Trojan.

Running CPAP off 12V circuit. Yeah, converting 12V DC to 120V AC to convert back to 24V DC is pretty inefficient. The adapter sold for my machine takes 12V and supplies the 24V the machine needs.

Re: the Crown batteries, thanks, I'll look at them when the Trojans fade. The Crowns have a bit more gas in them - IIRC the Trojans are 225ah. Every little bit helps. The 2021 Newmar King Aire that I want (and will never have) has IIRC 30,000ah on board... that might almost be enough.

 

[powerscol]

Running CPAP off 12V circuit. Yeah, converting 12V DC to 120V AC to convert back to 24V DC is pretty inefficient. The adapter sold for my machine takes 12V and supplies the 24V the machine needs.

Re: the Crown batteries, thanks, I'll look at them when the Trojans fade. The Crowns have a bit more gas in them - IIRC the Trojans are 225ah. Every little bit helps. The 2021 Newmar King Aire that I want (and will never have) has IIRC 30,000ah on board... that might almost be enough.

I don't think the King Aire has enough room for you

 

[boyscout]

Running CPAP off 12V circuit. Yeah, converting 12V DC to 120V AC to convert back to 24V DC is pretty inefficient. The adapter sold for my machine takes 12V and supplies the 24V the machine needs.

Re: the Crown batteries, thanks, I'll look at them when the Trojans fade. The Crowns have a bit more gas in them - IIRC the Trojans are 225ah. Every little bit helps. The 2021 Newmar King Aire that I want (and will never have) has IIRC 30,000ah on board... that might almost be enough.

[MENTION=14348]powerscol[/MENTION] after reflection I checked myself on the 30,000ah claim I made above for the 2021 Newmar King Aire. Just so you're not disappointed when you buy yours, it's actually 2520ah. I was off a little.

The number I was remembering is 30 kilowatts (30,000 watts) of power on board.

Sorry if this ruins your plans.