EASY RV Inverter Setup | RV Inverter Setup Explained
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- Today we show you our EASY RV inverter setup to power ALMOST your entire RV. We use a Renogy 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter that allows us to plug our RV directly into the inverter with a heavy-duty 20 amp extension cord. This RV inverter setup is simple, inexpensive, and highly effective. Obviously, there are much more sophisticated and complex RV inverter setups, but those typically come with MUCH more expense! This inverter setup is for those of us that only occasionally boondock or camp at campgrounds without electrical hookups and can't justify the expense of a complex RV inverter and solar panel setup. This inverter system allows us to power all of our outlets, run small appliances, lights, TVs, and charge our computers and devices from any outlet in our RV when camping off-grid!
Below are links to everything we discussed in this video!
Renogy 2000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter: amzn.to/3gPHlGm
Renogy 200 Watt Portable Solar Panels: amzn.to/3gOTQlp
Odyssey PC2150 AGM Battery: amzn.to/3BgsRr7
Heavy Duty 12 Gauge 20A Extension Cord: amzn.to/3t3aUqj
Extension Cord Adapter (for inverter): amzn.to/3vrawDC
50A to 15A Adapter for RV: amzn.to/33034mU
AiLi Battery Monitor: amzn.to/3t7AV7Q
Chapters:
0:00 Why We Made A 2nd RV Inverter Video
1:18 Our RV Inverter And Batteries
4:12 Wiring The Inverter And Battery Monitor
5:25 How Far Can You Discharge AGM Batteries
6:09 Victron Battery Charger Vs RV Converter
8:05 How We Plug Our RV Into The Inverter
9:23 Turn These OFF Before Turning The Inverter ON
12:28 Renogy Portable Solar Panels
14:37 Must-Haves For This Setup
16:19 Link To Our Previous RV Inverter Video
***Some of the links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to use these links, we will earn a small commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. We only link to and recommend products that we actually use and have had a great experience with!
Great video! Exactly what I was looking for. We're not going to be doing a lot of boondocking, but we're coming up on a vacation where we will be there for about 3 weeks. I wanted to keep it simple, use my RV batteries, and just simply conserve exactly like you guys did. I'll be putting it together in the near future.
Awesome! We still utilize this setup. Great for boondocking or the occasional power outage at the campground!
That’s an interesting way to do it. I was just going to wire the inverter into the breaker panel and then just flip off the main and flip on the inverter circuit.
That’s certainly a more convenient option, but I was looking for a simple way that would work for someone without the ability to hard wire the inverter into the trailer.
@@JouppiOutdoors It's certainly an easier way to get it done! I do have the luxury of having pre-wired inverter circuits. I honestly wouldn't have a clue that is how it worked if I didn't notice the Inverter labels in my circuit panel. I probably would figured it out from watching a bazillion TH-cam videos like this, but if I was just trying to get it done by myself as easy as possible I probably would just do something similar to what you have. Thanks for the video!
Economical setup for occasional boon-docking. Great video.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the info
You’re welcome!
Glad that you did an overview on the previous video. Really couldn't hear what you had said. But since I don't boondock a LOT only occasionally (wife hates it), this sounds like a route I might take. I didn't know that you could use (in my case- 30 amp plug) an inverter that you could plug into. That's a great idea of powering off your converter/charger and use your Victron Battery Charger to keep your batteries charged..My RV is solar prepped so I might just use a small system... Thanks for you explanation of your system. This gives me a good idea on what to do...
Yeah, that audio was so terrible! Glad the video was helpful.
Thanks, good advice to help me with doing an upgrade on my gas 2007 Class A with 2x6volt golf cart batteries to a better system as I mainly boondock .
You’re welcome, thanks for watching!
Hey Jouppi, thanks for the video. I will be setting up my van with a similar inverter soon. Yours seems very neat and well put together. Would you be interested in a short video that focuses specificly on that part of the rig with direct rhetoric explaining the inverter to house battery setup and wiring and stuff. (IF you have a Dc-Dc charger, that would be nice too)?
Just curious
Thanks
You’re welcome! Glad you found it informative. I have thought about a video like you describe, I have been kicking around a few ideas! Thanks for watching!
Thanks...just got a renogy 1000...trying to figure out how to get the wiring into the front compartment from the batteries outside, on our little Hideout trailer. Seems like I need, what I refer to in audio, as a patch bay. Or a better analogy is, a distribution box...one connection from the battery to it, then everything else connects to that. Maybe that's what a shunt is? More research I guess. Your tip about connecting the inverter to the trailer via extension cord is great, plus, remembering to turn off the converter in the panel. I hope there's a breaker for that in there.
You’re on the right track I believe. I would run the main battery cables inside to a busbar, then run from that to your inverter and converter. Thanks for watching!
I have the same inverter with two lifepo4 minis (200+ Ahs and 100% discharge at only 38lbs total!). I appreciate you confirming some things on my system.
The converter loop issue was confusing to get my head around, but what I finally decided to do is connect a lithium battery charger directly to shore power through it’s own fuse and my 12 volt power line from the circuit panel to battery. I’ll leave the converter c/b off always. With an auto-switch the system will default to shore power and switch automatically to inverter when off shore power. This way my batteries will get charger power and solar power when on shore power and only solar power when off shore power.
Let me know if you see any problems with my logic. I think you could do the same and stop using the converter altogether, provided you have the 12 volt power line on your circuit panel.
Sounds like it should work if I’m following correctly!
thank u this explains a lot for me .hows dillon was it ? i didnt see him helping u on this 1 gonna show my son how to run and set up an inverter also because i think everyone should know how to get this free power . i already showed a couple of friends and they were surprised on how simple it was to set up and how cheap it is to be off grid just got a new 1500 watt upgraded from a 1100 , other video was a bit choppy with the wind and clean set up u got keep up the good content God bless yall
You’re welcome, the other video was pretty rough which is why I decided to explain things a bit more and do this video. Dylan is doing great! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the info. My Jayco Eagle inverter pre wire only powers a few outlets, I’m going to install the same as you. Are you able to run a coffee maker like a Keurig with that inverter?
You’re welcome! A Keurig pulls about 1500 watts (depending on the model) to initially heat the water, so yes, you can operate it on this 2000 watt inverter. I would recommend having everything else off when operating the coffee maker though. Thanks for watching!
Really helpful review of the inverter! Thanks so much! I wanted to ask you about the fan. Does it kick I alot or just under heavy load? And is it noisy for a campervan?
My inverter is installed in an area where I can’t hear it. The fan is not loud though. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the video, I have reflection 5th wheel as well and have same setup as you, as well as 300 watts solar on roof and 2 -100ah lithium batteries. My question is did you run an outlet into your front compartment to plug in the victron ip67 charger? If yes, did you come off an outlet from the bed room to get power?
Thanks. David
No, I ran a short extension cord from the Victron back to the receptacle in the basement that the O.E. Converter was plugged in to. There is a dedicated breaker that runs that outlet only, making it convenient to turn off when I want to plug into the inverter.
you don't need the 20 amp plug, adapter or elec cord. Just get a 10 gauge extension cord, 10 gauge is good for 30 amps up to 100 ft run. Keep it simple.
Thanks for the info!
Thank you so much for your video Sir!
As I was watching your video & you said a pair of AGM lead-based batteries were used instead of a lithium bank, & then began describing your experience with batteries, I immediately paused your video, & started writing this comment.
For my tiny little life, lithium batteries seem •prohibitively• expensive.
If there's a way to make AGM batteries work, that will be a couple months less of eating ramen for sustenance.
Ok back to your guidance & tutelage.
Thanks On That!
🙏🦉🏞️⛵
Lithium is great, but DEFINITELY expensive…and it’s not a must-have like many RVers seem to suggest. Thanks for watching!
Hi Jouppi,
I really appreciate your simple explanation and setup. My trailer has an on board generator with a transfer switch so my question is... If I have the inverter plugged into the rv like you have and we need to use the microwave (my kids love their dino chicken nuggets) would there be an issue running the generator with the inverter plugged into the trailer or would the transfer switch take care of that and automatically switch the power over? Or would I have to unplug the inverter from the trailer every time we need to use the microwave/ac/ high draw appliances?
Thank you for any help!
Great question! Providing the transfer switch shuts off power coming into your trailer when the generator is started, you will be able to simply start the generator without shutting down the inverter. The purpose of the transfer switch is to prevent 2 power sources from supplying power at once. I would try to verify that operation before trying it though to avoid damaging the electrical system. Otherwise you could just shut down the inverter and fire up the generator to use the microwave.
Thanks for the video very informative, I'm thinking of hooking a inverter to my camper but I was wanting to run the fridge on it, my original gas electric unit went out last year so I bought a electric fridge from home Depot because it was way more budget friendly lol, would you say that the 2,000 watt inverter is not big enough to run it? I just want to run the fridge while I'm traveling from my house to the campground.
Great video. A couple questions: we have a battery volt monitor that came with out Rv solar system, would this work with that set up? Also we have a 12v fridge would this setup work for that? We have 300w of solar on the roof want to upgrade to 400w.
As long as the voltage monitor gives you an actual reading of the battery voltage it will work for this setup. Our 5th wheel just had a generic battery monitor that did not give an actual voltage reading. As far as the 12v fridge, 300-400 watts would be plenty to offset what the fridge requires during the day, but without knowing the actual amperage draw it would be hard to know how big of a battery bank it would require to last through the night.
Hi jouppi I was considering getting the same set up u have minus the converter and charging the battery with a Renogy solar polar…. With that said would I still be able to connect the rv straight to the inverter and so should I still turn the breaker off for converter? … my plan was to run the fridge (propane doesn’t work on the fridge) and the lights and the outlets I don’t need the microwave so I will shut the breaker off for that … I believe I need the converter breaker on to run the fridge
This setup will work with just a converter and it would need to be off when you are running on the inverter. I would recommend some type of solar panel to help offset the draw on your batteries during the day. The battery monitor would definitely help you monitor the draw throughout the day so you don’t get in a bind with completely dead batteries. Thanks for watching!
This video been a huge help. I had the dealer install 2 x 100w solar panels, 20a charge controller, and 1 x 100ah lifepo4 battery - but neglected to throw in a controller. Is it worth it to get the 2000w inverter / charger combo? Renogy says i need at least 170ah for my battery - thoughts? No big draws except smoothie blender, keurig and TV. Thanks!
If I were doing the 2000 watt inverter/charger, I’d go with 2 100ah batteries. Most inverter/chargers will have a built in transfer switch so that if power is lost, it will automatically switch to the batteries/inverter to keep the rig powered. A single 100ah LiFePO4 is much better than a standard lead acid or AGM battery, but the extra 100ah would make a huge difference in your run time.
Great video, thank you. In the manual it says "The inverter should never be mounted vertically on a vertical surface since
it would present a hazard for the fan opening which is crucial for cooling the inverter."
Correct, there needs to be sufficient room for the fans to operate. Thanks for watching!
Great Video. 👍 Our trailer is 30a, could we use the 30a extension cord rather than using the 20a? I have purchased all Renogy 200w suitcase, 20a Rover mppt and the 2000w inverter so very similar to your setup and happy to have found this explanation.
You can definitely do that if your 30a cord will reach the inverter. You would just need a 15a to 30a adapter. Thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors we travel with a 25ft and 50ft 30a extension and then a regular extension cord, didn't want to add another to the mix. The only thing left to figure out and buy is the fuses. I assume 20a from controller to battery, need to read the manual for what fuse to use from panels go controller. I think there is a fuse in the wires with alligator clamps that came with the panel, so should be same.
Thank you for this follow-up video to your original video... This video answered many questions...
Eventually will you wire your inverter directly to your transfer switch.. since your rig is 50 amp split phase... Will this 2000W inverter still function?
Thank you again
You’re welcome. Yes, if I added a transfer switch, the inverter would still work correctly. The transfer switch would just eliminate the need to run an extension cord and 50a to 15a adapter. Thank you for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors please if you do this update... Video document it...
I have a 50 amp rig and 2qty 2000W xantrex inverters....
I plant on putting an inverter on each phase since I have stackable washer/dryer setup...
Love the channel and your micro managing tyrannical attention to detail...
Thank you for the video, a few questions. Do you have the part numbers or links for the Fuse you suggest. ( is a fuse better then a Circuit Breaker? ) and the adapter from the inverter to the extension cord. This is great information and a very simple set up as we don’t boon dock that much, so this will be great .
Heber
You’re welcome! Here is a link to the fuse and fuse holder amzn.to/3GNeyeH
The fuse is an extra layer of protection in the event of a catastrophic situation. The link to the extension cord adapter is in the list in the description of the video. Glad it was helpful and thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors Awesome, I will get this all ordered up. I will let you know how it all goes . Thanks again for all the info and the time you put into all this . I’m sure it takes a lot , much appreciated.
Heber
You’re welcome! Thank you so much for watching!
Question: with the inverter mounted in the underbelly, doesn't it get hot? Wouldn't that inverter cook up when the summer temps outside get over 100° f? Do you think it will survive out there in Arizona's 115° f heat?
I have not had an issue with it getting too hot. This inverter does have fans to help cool it down. I would imagine as long as it’s not baking in direct sunlight, it would do just fine. I have seen inverters in marine applications installed in engine rooms where temps exceed 150 degrees regularly.
Do you recumend turning the inverter off when not in use or does the inverter itself not have a significant draw?
I keep ours off because it will draw about 1.5 amps when switched on.
Thanks for the video, very helpful and looking at doing the same for our Fifth wheel Reflection. Question I have is do you turn off your Victron charger when your not running the inverter? Second question do you unplug the battery charger when hooked to shore power? Thanks again for the video!
Hi there, the Victron charger essentially replaces the converter that is used from the factory. So I leave the Victron attached and plugged in to keep the batteries topped off at all times. The factory converter is still in the 5th wheel behind the basement wall, I just unplugged it and plugged the Victron into that receptacle since it has a dedicated breaker.
Curious why you went with the Victron charger versus just using the converter that came with the RV?
Lithium (lifpo) are leaps and bounds better than AGM in terms of value, toughness, and power capacity. Appreciate the video.
Agreed, we have since upgraded to lithium with this setup. Work’s outstanding!
@@JouppiOutdoorsNot if you use your RV in winter like I do, AGM is the way to go for winter use
Thanks for great video
My question is on the reflection 5th wheels is it possible or did you change the setting on the converter to charge lithium batteries now that you have them, or do you charge batteries using the victron charger when your hooked up to AC. Do you need to shut the breaker off on the converter when charging using the victron charger?
Thanks David
The Victron has a lithium setting so I use that. I have the Victron plugged in to the basement outlet that was originally used for the converter. The converter is not currently plugged in or being used at this time.
My 2023 Grand Design Reflection converter is NOT compatible with Lithium batteries. That mean the existing no-lithium converter will only charge the lithium batteries to 80% charge. My Furrion solar controller is Lithium compatible for the lithium batteries and will charge the batteries from the 80% to 100%. I'm installing a 2000watt pure sine wave inverter now. 2000watt inverter divided by 120v gives you around 16-17amps. The outlets on my invert is only 15amps. SO I should be fine utilizing all 15amps on any of my rv appliances as long as I stay under the 15amps draw. I plan on using a heavy duty 15amp extension cord and plug into my 15amp inverter outlet and back to my rv outside 50amp pigtail using a short 50/15amp adapter. I should;d be able to everything own the RV except the A/C's. Of course only one appliance at a time. It's always good to have a cheat sheet that shows what all your appliances power use is. I have my fan down to 60watts, toaster down to 1000watts, tv 100watts, water heater 1500watts etc.
Great explanation. My question is: when you turn off the controller charger don't you lose all your DC?
Best regards,
Rich
Great question! Your DC should be powered by your batteries when the converter is turned off. If you turn off the converter and have no DC power, your batteries are probably no good.
Don't have an RV but do have 2 full-size, home-style refrigerator freezers that could use a backup power system whenever the power goes out (would be EXTREMELY rare btw). On the tags, one says 3.0 amps and the other (an older LESS EFFICIENT unit) says 6.2 amps. I have 2, 2400-watt inverters that I could use in an emergency but was gonna source the 12V power from a running vehicle, but I like your battery bank system. I was thinking of adding one more battery to your model for a total of 3 and just use a maintenance smart charger to charge all 3 batteries in preparation for such an emergency. I like the foldable panels you use and could cut in the controller AND the battery monitor later as the situation needed/arose. I like how you said you could move the panels anywhere to maximize the sun utilization. But how long would a 3-bank system work for 2 home style refer/freezers?!?!? Should I go with a 4-bank battery system?!?!? I'm looking for overnight capability. My calculations show that the inverter(s) could handle the loads with impunity but it's the batteries that have me stumped. Thank you!!!
Speaking solely from what I have seen in RV’s that run residential refrigerators, it seems most use a battery bank that is close to 400 amp hours. In your situation you may be better off to use four 6 volt batteries wired in series & parallel to achieve the run time you would need. That would be roughly a 440ah bank.
@@JouppiOutdoors Ten four, roger that!!!
Hi , I have a question that is the only thing that wonder about . Doing all the above basically like u have when I shut off our converter on our class a rv. Will this turn the 12 volt off too the fridge and water heater pilot lights. ? Our will they cont as normal.
Great question…I was not very clear about that. The 12 volt power will be supplied by the batteries, so you will still have it.
I read one of your answers to a question and you say that your converter charger is still connected to batteries but unplugged. How do you unplug the converter? Thanks . 😊
Ours is plugged into a dedicated outlet in the basement area of the 5th wheel. We left it hooked up to have as a backup in case there was ever an issue with the Victron.
Just wire the cord straight to the inverter. Just remove the cover and you see it. As that connection is rated for 20amps. Why when I installed mine. I used #10ga wire. To offset the voltage lose.
And be advised. That inverter can not handle 20amps. It's limited to 1800 watts. Which is 15 amps...You need the 3000 watt version. Which can handle 25amps..
Next month I will be replacing it with the 3000 watt Inverter\75amp Charger\Transfer Switch model... As I can use shore power. Solar\Alternator and Generator...
Good info, thanks for sharing!
If you shut off the charger, are you still able to run DC power (ie the lights) if you are using a four stage battery converter?
The DC should be supplied by the batteries when the converter is off.
Quick question, do you still use your original converter to power your 12 v systems when plugged in to shore power? Do you simply unplug the converter from the AC panel to stop using the charging function but still use the converter function? Thanks
No we do not. Our 12 volt systems are powered by the batteries with the Victron BlueSmart 12/25 keeping them charged while we are plugged into shore power. The factory converter is still in place and hooked up to the batteries, but only as an emergency backup…the converter is not plugged in.
@@JouppiOutdoors Just subscribed. Great channel. One more question. Since the inverter has multiple outlets, could you use a dual 15 amp to 50 amp adapter and give yourself basically 30 amp service from your batteries? I'm pretty ignorant of electrical stuff, trying to figure out a similar solution as yours. I"m using 3 100ah lithium batteries.
Thank you! Great question, unfortunately the answer is no. You are limited by the wattage output of the inverter. The formula is Amps x Volts = Watts, so using that formula, you can figure out a 2000 watt inverter can handle about 18 amps max. (18 amps x 110v = 1980 watts)
did you have to add an additional battery for the inverter or did you just use the battery of the 5th wheel chasey.
I added a 2nd battery for more capacity.
Is this mainly for those who live or travel and stay at campsites or dry camp? We’re weekend warriors and take our trailer out maybe twice a month during spring till early winter. Should I invest in a power inverter or stick with my Westinghouse?
This setup is for those of us who don’t dry camp enough to justify a big solar/inverter setup. We typically do 3-4 days when we dry camp, but it’s also very convenient for overnight stops where there is no power (Harvest Host, Boondocker’s Welcome, etc.) The inverter option is really nice to have as a backup!
We have 1 Solar Panel 165W and a 300AH lithium battery. We have 1000W inverter. A WFCO 55 Converter with lithium switch. A MPPT 50A Solar Charge Controller.
Our Refrigerator is 12V and our lights & slides & awnings fan for heat and a couple USB Plugs in the RV. We do have a inverter push button to make the refrigerator work.
Now, what would we need to do so we can turn on the TV and plugs for CPap at night? Do we need a larger inverter to connect to like you did here?
A 1000 watt inverter should take care of running a CPAP and TV. However, with a 300Ah lithium battery, I would definitely upgrade to at least a 2000 watt inverter and you could run the setup I showed in this video with no problems at all!
If you disconnect the battery from the rv and just use your solar charger to charge will the convereter still try to charge if on? even though the battery is disconnected from the rv onbooard system?
If the converter is connected to power then it will still run and provide 12 volt power to the RV regardless of whether or not the battery is disconnected.
A question concerning the "20 amp battery charge controller as a part of the Renogy portable suitcase 200 watt solar package. Earlier in the video "EASY RV Inverter Setup" you discussed the how the Victron 1225 - 25 amp battery charger was perfectly charging your batteries. Question: are you concerned with the charging capabilities & profile of the Renogy 20 amp battery charge controller when you use the solar panels as part of the suitcase system?
Great question, in full sun, the 200 watt panels will produce about 13 amps max. I am using them more to maintain and offset the draw of the RV and inverter during the day. For example, if we are using the inverter and lights in the RV, we may be pulling 8-9 amps DC from the batteries, so the panels will offset that to extend my run time. I wouldn’t recommend using strictly the 200 amp panels as the sole charging system for the batteries, which is why we still run the generator for a few hours a day. If the batteries are not totally depleted, the Victron will recharge them within a few hours while running on the generator. Hope that makes sense!
@@JouppiOutdoors Please indicate the brand name and your source for the "20 ft long" extension cables you use with your solar suitcase panels. Thank you
So, concerning the Victron battery charger that you purchased. Will that same charger also charge a 202 Ah Lithium Battery as well? I heard that the stock converter that installed in my 2020 Keystone Cougar will not charge lithium batteries to 100% and like you i like the data that this charger provides as well. Also, when installing the charger I noticed it has a positive and negative wire, and it also has a standard 110v power plug on it. How did you install yours and how does it get power to run? Great videos you put out. Thanks!
Yes, the Victron BlueSmart 12/25 has a lithium setting. In fact, we now have two 100Ah batteries installed in parallel for 200Ah of capacity that I am using this charger on. I routed the power cord through the basement of our 5th wheel to the outlet that our stock converter was plugged in to. I had to purchase a short 6’ extension cord to make it reach but it is working flawlessly. Thank you for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors Thanks for this information. I will look at doing it this way as well. Being you all seem to camp a lot in Georgia do you ever find your way over to Appling? We live in Evans and have camped on Lake Thurmond a bit at Pointes West Army Resort. It is one of our favorite places.
We do travel that way pretty often but haven’t visited that resort. We will have to add it to our list!
@@JouppiOutdoors oh yes. That lake has a lot of nice campgrounds around it. Happy camping!
Hello I run two Crown agm 6v 220 amh batteries and I do same set up as you with 1500 watt inverter. I like the victron 25 amp charger idea. My question is how do you power it? If you plug into trailer does it conflict with converter charger when on shore power? Thanks for any info.
I actually run the plug to the outlet where the converter was plugged into (we do not use the converter). When we plug the trailer into the inverter we just turn the converter breaker off which kills the power to the Victron. We have found that the Victron charger maintains the batteries better than the factory converter.
@@JouppiOutdoors I must admit this step still confuses me ...the victron is hooked into the oem converter original outlet ??? with an extension cord ??? I understand turning the breaker off when your drawing off of the batteries ...and one more question...Do you hook your solar panels directly to the batteries ?? Thanks for this idea ..I rarely boondock but would like to do more ...my oem system wont make it through the night if I need heat
That is correct regarding the Victron. I used a 6’ extension cord to reach the outlet. I hook the positive solar panel lead directly to the batteries (just one battery actually, since they are jumped together) and the negative lead goes to the battery monitor shunt (where all the negative cables go). If you do not have a battery monitor, you can attach the leads directly to the batteries.
@@JouppiOutdoors thank you ...I understand it now .might be a good first step towards solar ...rhanks
My RV already has a power monitor inside the trailer so I don't need an external shunt to monitor? I have 380watts of solar, I'm installing a 2200watt inverter. I want to plug my 50amp RV power cord with a 50/15amp adapter into the inverter to supply 15amp power or 2200watts to the whole RV. Do I turn off the converter at the circuit breaker along with my 2 A/C's so no one accidentally tries to run A/C's? Do I need a power transfer switch? I have plans to boondock, this simply setup is just for back up if we lose shore power temperarely.
Yes you would want to turn off the converter breaker as demonstrated in the video. You would not need a transfer switch if you are plugging In directly to the inverter.
Does the inverter not automatically go into “pass through” mode when connected to shore power?
There would need to be a transfer switch installed for that to happen. I do not have one in this setup.
We just bought the new Intech Expedition with the solar package and a 12v fridge. We have 400watts solar with a MPPT charge controller and a 2000watt inverter and 200 amps lithium battery. My question is if it’s a cloudy day while we are driving will the 7 way plug charge the lithium batteries as we are driving? First time with solar and lithium so I’m just doing a ton of research. Thanks
The 7 way plug will not provide enough amperage to charge the batteries. It will provide a surface charge, but it won’t last long once you start pulling from the batteries.
@@JouppiOutdoors maybe taking generator with us will be the way to go.
hi sir . is there any proplem if i install inverter which take from my rv battery power and inverted to 220 volt . ending with tow sockets ? conerter to battery .. battery to inverter 220 v . not connected to any thing im my rv ? pls informe me
I’m not familiar enough with that setup to advise you in a knowledgeable way. There are a lot of resources online that would be better equipped to answer those questions for you. Thank you for watching!
why did you choose the 2000w instead of the 3000w ? they have these new 460ah lipo4 batteries and i was thinking of pairing it with a 3000w in my Class A to run the Air con.. what do you thiink? thanks
Honestly it was cost at the time and the 2000 watt is more than sufficient for our needs. The 3000 watt will probably run 1 a/c but the runtime wouldn’t be very long on 460ah.
if you pair it with the oupes mega 2 you can definitely get a few hours air con which is what i need@@JouppiOutdoors
I am planning on doing the same thing you did, but 1 question I have is, if you turn the converter off how do the DC appliances run if only the inverter is on. For example the 12v fridge and the lights?
The will be powered by the 12v batteries, the converter is there to charge the batteries and supply 12 volts when the RV is plugged in to shore power.
@JouppiOutdoors thanks so much! I went out and turned the converter off and turned on the lights and it worked! Thanks, again, for your video. Made me not only feel comfortable doing this myself, but solved a major boindocking issue I was having. I am going to add some portable solar panels and a charge controller too!
@brianjessen547 you’re welcome, feel free to reach out any time. Glad to help if I can!
So while your plugged in shore style into your inverter you turn off the convertor? So without that victron 1225 your 12 volt stuff doesn’t work? I wanna do what you did I just wanna see if that victron thing is absolutely necessary
While we are plugged into and running on the inverter, I turn my converter breaker off (the Victron has replaced my converter). The 12 volt accessories still run on the batteries, no matter if the Victron (or converter) is on or not. The Victron charges the batteries faster than the RV’s converter but it is not 100% necessary to run this setup. Just turn the converter off when plugging into the inverter and back on when running on the generator or plugged into a standard power pedestal. I hope that isn’t too confusing! Thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors thank you so much, in my head this is how I wanted to do it and seeing your video just made it easier to see actually laid out.
It has worked great for us!
so you wired the 120ac from the inverter to your 30a shore power inlet ? If so when your on shore power the inverter has 120vac to the inverter even if its off ? Thank you
The inverter is not hard wired to the trailer. We run an extension cord from the inverter to a 50a to 15a adapter to essentially plug the trailer into the inverter.
@@JouppiOutdoors hi I'm confused did you wire you inverter to your batteries and then plug your trailer plug into your inverter?
That is correct, I plug it in with a heavy duty 20 amp extension cord and connect it to the trailer using 50 amp to 15 amp adapter.
@@JouppiOutdoors I really appreciate your videos and knowledge. I'm new at inverters but I cannot locate the braker gor my Converter. Doesn't help that they are labeled poorly. How would I find thos breaker. I really want yo get this system going. Thanks again for your help.
Thank you, you may be able to disconnect the negative cable on your battery, then turn on your interior lights which should be powered by the converter if you are plugged into shore power, then turn off the breakers until the lights go out, when they do, that is your converter breaker. With that breaker off, you should be able to reconnect the battery and the lights should work. It sounds more confusing than what it is, sorry if that explanation is hard to follow.
i have the same setup (but with LiFePo battery) and the GFCI on the Renogy keeps popping immediately. You ever have that issue? I tried shutting off my GFCI breaker and still popped the GFCI in the inverter. Renogy wasn't much help.
When you say popping immediately, what are you running when you turn on the inverter? I have not had this issue yet.
@@JouppiOutdoors I think the yellow GFCI light must also be an overload light. I had my electric hot water heater still on and a small wall heater in my son’s room. Unplugged those and it worked fine. Then slowly brought more load online and no issues until toaster with everything else pretty much running. It tripped the GFCI in the renogy inverter. Turned toaster off and flipped the inverter back on and everything worked fine. Not sure if it’s because there was too much load on the GFCI outlets (toaster was on island outlet which is part of the gfi breaker run) or if it’s just too much load, period. Either, got it figure out. Thanks for the video and the response. I’m gonna wire another outlet off the terminal bar on the inverter so I don’t trip the 15 amp and just plug the extension cord into that.
Greetings, have you considered hardwiring a 50A rv plug off the high voltage output on the inverter? Just curious if that would work and if there would be any benefits to running it that way?
It would be possible to hardwire a 30 amp RV outlet (a 50A would require 2 110v legs which this inverter does not have). I have considered doing this and using a 30A to 50A adapter to eliminate the need for the extra extension cord. It would simplify things a bit.
Thanks for all your help.
Is there any way you can do a quick video on how you would eliminate the extra cord with a 50 to 30amp connector on your set up.
I am buying a 2500w inverter to power what I want like you did, but would like to do the job as efficient as possible.
Thanks again.
The way your setup is now with the 20amp to 15amp adaptor feeding the trailer from the inverter, wouldnt that limit everything on the trailer to 15amps?
It does limit the trailer to 15 amps, however, you really can’t pull much more than that from a 2500 watt inverter.
Can I run "just" the airconditioner by itself for a bit with the 15amps?
I know I could with the 2500w inverter if I wired it to a circuit breaker.
Thanks for the quick response.
Hey Jouppi I have a question. In a few weeks, a buddy and I are going to install a 3500w inverter in my 2009 Fleetwood Tioga. Is there a way to figure out how long my battery charge will last using the inverter? I'd like to use my cpap machine overnight if my batteries will last that long. Thank you.
Hi there! Yes, you can calculate an approximate run time. You would need to do an AC to DC conversion to know how many amps the inverter will draw from your battery bank. Once you know that number, there are quite a few battery run time calculators online. Here is a link to a good resource and a calculator that I have used a lot to do an AC to DC conversion. www.batterystuff.com/kb/tools/dc-to-ac-amperage-conversion-run-through-an-inverter.html
If I could ask one more thing. If I shut off the converter breaker, can I still use the 12v items such as the water pump and furnace blower with the inverter on and the converter off?
No problem! Yes, the 12v power will be supplied from the batteries.
@@JouppiOutdoors Thank you!
You lost me at the crappy AGM’s 😂
Thanks for watching!
So can I plug in my travel trailers 50amp chord using the 50 to 30 amp dog bone and 15amp 3 prone adapter to the inverter? THANKS
You can definitely do that. I usually have my 50 amp cord run to my generator. Using the 20 amp extension cord allows me to
Just change out the power cords depending on the source I’m using (generator or inverter) instead of dragging the big 50 amp cord from the inverter to the generator and vice versa. Thanks for watching!
@@JouppiOutdoors So I'm going with the renology 200 W solar panel suite case, and 2000 wattt inverter, (2)6 V AGM batteries.
@@JouppiOutdoors Do I need a breaker between the batterys and inverter?
What size? And how is battery monitor important? Thanks
That is a great setup!
You can put a fuse on the positive cable between the batteries and inverter, mine is a 250 amp ANL fuse. The battery monitor is very useful for managing your power use while on the inverter and to monitor the voltage of the battery bank. I would highly recommend one. Sorry for the delay in answering.
How big of an inverter do I need to be able to use my ac and furnace?
A 3000 watt inverter would run 1 AC, the question is whether or not you could install a battery bank that would sustain it.
CAN I PLUG MY 50 CORD IN WITH ADAPTERS? THANKS
Yes, that will work. My cord would not reach the inverter so I went with the 20 amp extension cord. Thanks for watching!
Your running 20amp cord from inverter to 15amp 30amp adapter to the trailer, why not use a 15amp cord from inverter to the 15amp to trailer. Is there a difference?
I am running the 20 amp extension cord to a 50a to 15a adapter so that I can hook directly to the power receptacle on the 5th wheel. Without the adapter, I have no way to plug the 20a cord into the trailer.
I have a Class C motorhome and I was thinking about adding a inverter directly connected to house battery so kids can watch TV or charge their laptop. I was thinking about placing dedicated power outlets under the dinette seating. When I am driving the house batteries do get charged. From what you are saying, I should not be doing this because when the kids are watching TV when the RV is in motion, we are drawing as well as trying to charge the battery. My batteries are not expensive as yours (MAN!!), is it going be that big of a deal watching TV using an inverter and at the same time charging when the vehicle is in motion? I am pausing the whole project after watching your video. I thought those tiny (150w) inverters they sell for cars can charge a laptop when the car is in motion and the car battery gets charged too while the inverter is drawing power from it.
It really depends on amperage the draw of the TV. The newer TV’s do not pull very much amperage at all so I would say this would be fine to do. In the video, I’m really referring to the battery charger trying to run off of the inverter while trying to charge at the same time. This creates a huge power draw that is not sustainable.
@JouppiOutdoors OK thanks. The TV is most likely less than 40w (39" led TV installed by Thor). I won't be running microwave while in motion, but I will install a 1000 to 2000w pure sine wave inverter, Energizer or Renogy brand. Victron is out of reach for me. Thanks again.
I watched your video and purchased the same inverter, connected it to my RV and I have a GFI error, I can power small appliances directly on converter with no issue…where to start troubleshooting?
So to be clear, when you plug the extension cord from the inverter to the RV, you are getting a GFI error from the inverter?
@@JouppiOutdoors yes, just now I tried my Bestek 1000w inverter and it works fine, reading online others have had similar problems at installation, or later on the unit failed. Looks like a production issue. Thanks for replying, great video.
Where's your in line fuse or resettable circuit breaker?
I have a fuse in-line from the positive battery cable to the inverter.
How to buy pass converter
75lbs each.. 550 usd.. . Why won't you use generator.. ?? Same weight..
At the time that I installed these, they were around $300 each. We don’t always want a generator running and generator fuel and maintenance add up as well. Again, this setup is for occasional boondocking or when the power goes out at a campground for backup. Thanks for watching!
i get confused b/c all inverters i see have a safety shut-off mechanism that doesn't allow you to use more than about 25% of the battery, is this true or not true. i haven't found any inverters that don't have this shutoff?
Most inverters will have a low voltage cutoff to prevent discharging the batteries to the point of damaging the inverter or batteries. It should be around 50% or 12.06 volts.
how do you come up with 50% equals 12.06 volts. isn't 11.85 volts about 75% charged?????@@JouppiOutdoors
Thanks for the video very informative, I'm thinking of hooking a inverter to my camper but I was wanting to run the fridge on it, my original gas electric unit went out last year so I bought a electric fridge from home Depot because it was way more budget friendly lol, would you say that the 2,000 watt inverter is not big enough to run it? I just want to run the fridge while I'm traveling from my house to the campground.
Many trailers that have residential refrigerators use a 1500 watt inverter. 2000 would run a refrigerator if that’s all you want to run. Knowing the starting amperage of the compressor will allow you to calculate the correct wattage inverter for sure though.