Hi All,
I have an 09 34ft 5'er and am intersted in a power inverter. Are there any brands to stay away from and what can (if anything) anyone recomnmend. I am looking to power small appliances and a TV/DVD player long enough to watch a movie.
Thanks,

 

Can you be more specific about what you want to power i.e. microwave, and are you looking for a system with charger capability? How many batteries are you willing to run? Are you also thinking of adding solar, etc.?

Steve

 

Steve,
Do not mind running gen to power Microwave, just want LCD TV/DVD maybe a Laptop here and there; charging an IPod or Cell Phone. I have heard that getting a Modified Wave unit could burn up the TV due to the Lower Power.

I am unclear wether I need charger capability (do not know much about inverters) but am assuming you mean for Cell/IPod or Computer type; so yes.

I am getting ready to convert to Dual 6V (Interstare or Costco to save some green) and do not use the Hauler enough to warrant solar panels at this point.

Also... i have seen different types of units and like the ones that have a display panel i can install in a readable location. If these types are super expensive I don't need it. Trying to get the most bang for my buck and was hoping to stay under $400 if possible.

Thanks for your input.

 

Why not just stay simple, as your power needs are really pretty moderate? You will need a good size inverter to handle things like microwaves and I am not sure you even need an inverter if you have a genset on board. A modfied sine wave will not harm TVs, (he says have used inverters for almost two decades), although I would never argue against a pure sine wave. If you want a wall monitor, you likely will have to go with a larger i.e. more expensive inverter and I just don't see any reason for it in a modest installation. You likely have a battery monitor built into a panel or vent hood in your camper. Just press the button and check it once in a while.

I have always used equipment from Xantrex, simply because it is the standard in the RV industry, but I am sure many folks have had good experience with other brands. I do think your price point is reasonable given your intentions. You can get more bells and whistles such as built in transfer switches so you wire the inverter to both AC and DC circuits and when you are plugged in the inverter simply passes power through without inverting, but again, do you need it?

Usually I encourage folks to install the simplest system that meets their needs. I think the reliablility is better and service is simpler.

Hooking two golf cart type 6-volt deep cycles is a good idea as they will handle deep discharges much better. The best, of course, are AGM batteries, but again the entry fee is higher. Don't forget you will need a fuse in the line input to the inverter. If you intend to hard wire, remember, once the battery are tied to the inverter, your AC output may be hot!

Good luck on your installation,

Steve

 

Mike, I would assume from your posts that you intend to use this while DRYCAMPiNG, correct?

 

The solar panels mentioned are to charge your batteries in the sun... very useful feature if you can afford it, unless something has changed since the time I looked into it, getting a large enough solar charging system to do more than just trickle charge is pretty pricey.

As far as the inverter goes, I'd say lean toward a pure sine setup. While a modified sine invertrer will do fine with most things that just convert the AC to DC again, running anything that uses an AC motor will get a little tricky. Modified sine inverters have also been reported to have trouble with batteries, like if they're used for charging a laptop.

One thing I'll suggest is that you look into 12vdc chargers for the things you're trying to just charge (iPod, cell phone, etc.) I've never seen a travel trailer that didn't have a couple of 12vdc power points somewhere. Personally, I have an inverter that sits ready in case there is a loss in power. It powers my cable modem and wireless router, on the other side of the trailer is a 12v charger for my laptop which allows me internet access, movies, music, and unfortunately the expectation of productivity even in a blackout. It came in handy during hurricane Ike, I was the only one in my neighborhood with connectivity.

 

We dry camp a lot. Do NASCAR and most Dirt track races. Dry camping for up to 8 days at NASCAR. I use a 700 watt Cobra inverter, it is not pure sine wave and agree pure sine is better. I use it to power our 37 inch LCD tv, our Dish Network Satellite dish, laptop computer, and charging our batteries for radios we take to the track. If needed, I can shut down the TV and Satellite receiver and power a small crock pot or a small drip coffee maker. It also has 2 USB charging ports so I can pug in my Iphone or other devices that can charge via USB. I have the inverter directly off of 2 T-105 Trojan 6 volt golf cart batteries hooked in series with a 30 amp Shortstop circut breaker fuse inline.
In my opion you do not need an inverter with a charger as you have a genset. That will charge your batteries when running, and when you do run the genset, let it run at least 2 hours, if possible. That will give a halfway decent charge to the batteries, if you have a decent power converter. I don't think it will stabilize the batteries as you need to run about 4 hours to do that but it will put a decent amount of charge back in the batteries. I am assuming you have at least a 3 stage charger/converter in your rig.
If you do install the inverter, keep and eye on your battery voltage. I picked up a digital volt meter that plugs into the 12v plug, at Camping World, and monitor it form there. When I see the voltage reaching below 12 volts, I will start moving towards starting the generator and letting it run. Reason for the "start moving", is if I know I am getting ready to leave, I will wait till we get back so I can run the genset as long as possible without intteruption. I am not a big fan of letting a genset run when I am not there. We watched a class C go up in Flames at the last NASCAR race because the genset was left running and everyone was gone. According to the Fire Dept, the genset was the cause, how they know, I don't. This happened 6 rigs down from us.
FYI, I have been using inverters since 1998 and it really saves on using the genset for little things, such as TV's, computers, charging batteries and smaller items. When we pull over into Walmart parking lots and Flying J's for the night when traveling, the inverter is all we use.

 

That is correct. Do 90% dry camping in the desert/dunes.

 

I am not sure what stage charger/converter I have; how can you tell? Its a relativly new Toy hauler (09) with an Onan 5.5 on it.

How do you like the trojans? I am looking into a 6V set up and have been leaning toward the Costco batt setup because it is cheap (about 160 total). Do you know of any issues w/that setup? I am all for saving money, but if it will cost me in the long run I am ok with spending up front.
Thanks for the help

 

If you can find the make and model, its around the door of the electrical center where your breakers are located.

I really like the Trojans. I have used them before when I had a Class A. You can discharge them pretty deep. I found T-105's for about $130 each. There is a lot of talk on other boards about 6 volt series or 12 volt parallel. I have tried both and it seems the 6volt series works longer and then charging back seems better. It may just be me.
If buy a different brand, just make sure they are Golf Cart Batteries. Deep Cycle batteries are a little different. Golf cart batteries can be more deeply dischaged in my opinion.....Find what works for you and your budget, you will adapt and make it work for you.

 

Old trailer had it located on the floor under the refer - in the new one, it's on the floor under the kitchen sink...... use flashlight!

 

I think this will suit your needs just fine Amazon.com: Vector VEC053D 1,200 Watt D/C To A/C Power Inverter With Power Level Meter: Patio, Lawn & Garden

I have one just like it but 1500 watts. You will want to have at least 2 battries to last through the night.