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Old 03-24-2019, 11:51 PM   #1
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AIMS 1200 Watt Inverter quandry

Tried to install a AIMS 1200 Watt full sine wave invert with automatic transfer switch this weekend..

Had 4 gauge cable for POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE, connected to the CONVERTER :POSITIVE coming right off the USE/STORE relay. Connected the NEGATIVE to the NEGATIVE bus bar.

Checked voltage, was running 12.7-12.6v DC

Pulled the AC leg that feeds the TVs/ETC (non-GFI) and connected to the inverter OUTPUT, (did not have anything turned on when trying to power up the inverter).

Connected ROMEX to RECEPTICLE Breaker, neutral bar and grounding bar and connected to inverter INPUT. (did not have shore power or generator turned on)


GREEN light on INVERTER/REMOTE CONTROL would come on, then go off in 1-2 seconds. This happed whether the AC INPUT/OUTPUT was connected or not..

Never could get the unit to stay on long enough to basically see if it would deliver AC power or not...

I tried GOOGLING this issue, but did not see anything like this..

I know some of you have this unit in your AXIS/VEGAS, just wondered of anyone else had run into this, and what the result was...

Hate having spent the whole weekend and end up in defeat...

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Old 03-26-2019, 03:45 PM   #2
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Sounds like you have a connection issue
Follow the videos below from a fellow Thor Vegas owner who thoroughly explains the AIMs Inverter install process...

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

If this doesn't work for you, it may be a faulty AIMs Inverter that needs to be returned and replaced.
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Old 03-26-2019, 05:06 PM   #3
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MO Mike, Did you figure this out yet? I have the same inverter. No problems with my install except they had one of my outlets (in the slide) wired separately (with a flexable wire) so I took me a while to figure out why it would not work.

Did you check the wiring again? Fuses?

You said "POSITIVE coming right off the USE/STORE relay". So your ran your own wire from this rely to the inverter? Did you install inverter near your fuse panel? I just used the 12v sorce at the fuse panel like "Two Trail Hikers" did in the youtubes posted above. Saves a lot of wiring.

You said "green light goes off" after 1 or 2 seconds.... Did it change to Yellow or Red? Make sure this phone line is connected tight to this remote and to the inverter. Push in or wiggle and see if it works and if it does replace phone line?

If no light at all - then no power going to inverter or remote switch. If the inverter is on it will be green (running your 120 outlets off of 12v battery) Yellow (on but your hooked up to shore power or genny is on so its bypassing battery) or RED which is a fault code (low battery or bad connection?).

Does the inverter light come on? Can you hear the fan run? Shoot me a PM if you like.
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Old 04-07-2019, 11:11 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Long & Winding road View Post
MO Mike, Did you figure this out yet? I have the same inverter. No problems with my install except they had one of my outlets (in the slide) wired separately (with a flexable wire) so I took me a while to figure out why it would not work.

Did you check the wiring again? Fuses?

You said "POSITIVE coming right off the USE/STORE relay". So your ran your own wire from this rely to the inverter? Did you install inverter near your fuse panel? I just used the 12v sorce at the fuse panel like "Two Trail Hikers" did in the youtubes posted above. Saves a lot of wiring.

You said "green light goes off" after 1 or 2 seconds.... Did it change to Yellow or Red? Make sure this phone line is connected tight to this remote and to the inverter. Push in or wiggle and see if it works and if it does replace phone line?

If no light at all - then no power going to inverter or remote switch. If the inverter is on it will be green (running your 120 outlets off of 12v battery) Yellow (on but your hooked up to shore power or genny is on so its bypassing battery) or RED which is a fault code (low battery or bad connection?).

Does the inverter light come on? Can you hear the fan run? Shoot me a PM if you like.
Guess the issue was a bad inverter...

AIMS sent me a replacement, wired it in with the same wiring that we had before and now have AC power on the batteries.

Transfer switch works great. Haven't tested on alternator power yet, but have no doubt that will work also. (just want to make sure that there is no issue running on 14.4 voltage coming from the engine)

Bye the way AIMS customer service/support is GREAT!
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Old 04-09-2019, 10:48 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mo_Mike View Post
Guess the issue was a bad inverter...

AIMS sent me a replacement, wired it in with the same wiring that we had before and now have AC power on the batteries.

Transfer switch works great. Haven't tested on alternator power yet, but have no doubt that will work also. (just want to make sure that there is no issue running on 14.4 voltage coming from the engine)

Bye the way AIMS customer service/support is GREAT!
Mo_Mike, I agree. This inverter is the great as is customer service. I have a Vegas 25.5 so the inverter is under one of the twin beds. I even run a residential refrigerator with it and have no problems. It takes about 3 hours for the fridge to reach temperature and I still have 3 lights on the battery monitor.
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Old 04-09-2019, 11:10 PM   #6
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Mo_Mike, I agree. This inverter is the great as is customer service. I have a Vegas 25.5 so the inverter is under one of the twin beds. I even run a residential refrigerator with it and have no problems. It takes about 3 hours for the fridge to reach temperature and I still have 3 lights on the battery monitor.
I just returned from an 8 day trip.
I used inverter "always on", powering the fridge in most cases
When I boon-docked for extended periods of time, I moved fridge switch to "gas-only"

The biggest challenge was remembering all the switching needed when starting and stopping from place to place.
That is...
Am I plugged into shore power?
Am I using propane now?
Does the inverter need to be in "on" position right now?

That said, one time I left inverter-on powering the fridge while boon-docking for several hours (no Chassis engine or Genny running).

And I didn't draw down the battery bank past the 3 lights on the battery monitor

The nice feature is that you save $$$ on propane once the fridge is up to temp.
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Old 04-09-2019, 11:22 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by pavemike View Post
Mo_Mike, I agree. This inverter is the great as is customer service. I have a Vegas 25.5 so the inverter is under one of the twin beds. I even run a residential refrigerator with it and have no problems. It takes about 3 hours for the fridge to reach temperature and I still have 3 lights on the battery monitor.
That was one reason we installed the inverter, to run the refrigerator without the propane being turned on while driving down the road.

Just feel safer traveling with the propane "off" until we stop to camp. And, hopefully, can run off the alternator without draining the coach batteries.
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Old 04-10-2019, 06:16 PM   #8
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Thanks for all the replies on this.

Just tested with engine running and inverter was flawless. GAS/AC refrigerator ran fine on inverter power. (switched to automatic and propane valve off)

Dropped the alternator charging voltage on the coach battery circuit from 14.4 to 13.7 running the INVERTER/REFRIGERATOR combo, but at this voltage, the house batteries should still be charging fine while driving.

Definitely a HAPPY "rv" CAMPER here!
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Old 04-10-2019, 09:04 PM   #9
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Good to know. Can wait for our first trip of the season.... Might be May for us -We to much going on right now.
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Old 06-23-2019, 02:32 PM   #10
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Why does axis have three deep cell batteries but very little 12 volt load. Wouldn’t one li fe 60amp work. Save weight.
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Old 06-23-2019, 03:33 PM   #11
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Chassis battery is a Ford MoCo standard battery
The two deep cycle’s for the house are the most cost effective way to provide enough amps for the average Joe

What you’re suggesting may work great for you (replacing 2 deep cycle’s with one AGM), but for many it won’t last long enough when Boon Docking

Others may have varied opinions on this topic
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Old 06-23-2019, 04:06 PM   #12
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Agree with taylorbob1. If all you do is go from campground to campground that has electric, then one battery is probably fine for you. But for those of us who like to spend time in National Parks or National Forests or jut boondocking out there, two batteries are often marginal - especially if you do not like to run your generator for hours and disturb all the other campers in your vicinity.
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Old 06-23-2019, 04:31 PM   #13
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Personally...
- I have the AIMs 1200 watt Inverter install
- I have two Interstate Deep Cycle Group 24 Lead Acid Flooded Batteries from Costco. $75 each. 46# each
- I have two 100 watt solid solar panels installed on roof with a 30 amp PWM solar controller

My inexpensive system works great for my needs.

FYI: AGM deep cycle weight is abt 70# per battery, cost can be over $200 each
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Old 06-23-2019, 05:16 PM   #14
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I guess that we may be on the other end of the battery designs as, even though we never had run down our existing two 12v OEM batteries, I wanted to try and extend our boon docking this year, so we replaced the existing OEM with two AGM 12vs and added two more AGM 12v for a total of 368 ah...

Hoping this will keep us from having to run the generator "too much"

Just don't want to have to worry about not having power any more than I have to.
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Old 06-23-2019, 07:42 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by taylorbob1 View Post
Personally...
- I have the AIMs 1200 watt Inverter install
- I have two Interstate Deep Cycle Group 24 Lead Acid Flooded Batteries from Costco. $75 each. 46# each
- I have two 100 watt solid solar panels installed on roof with a 30 amp PWM solar controller

My inexpensive system works great for my needs.

FYI: AGM deep cycle weight is abt 70# per battery, cost can be over $200 each
Deep Cycle 29’s will fit in the Axis battery box - which gives you a few more amp hours for not much more money ($99 each at Walmart). But AGMs are better - if it is worth it to you to pay that much extra. I think the solar panels are a better way to spend your money. But that depends on how you use your coach. No right answer here.
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Old 06-24-2019, 07:01 PM   #16
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I guess that we may be on the other end of the battery designs as, even though we never had run down our existing two 12v OEM batteries, I wanted to try and extend our boon docking this year, so we replaced the existing OEM with two AGM 12vs and added two more AGM 12v for a total of 368 ah...

Hoping this will keep us from having to run the generator "too much"

Just don't want to have to worry about not having power any more than I have to.
Did you ever do a write up (with pictures) of your 4 AGM battery mod? I know we talked about it but I I dont think I ever saw the final results. Thanks.
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Old 06-30-2019, 12:59 AM   #17
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Did you ever do a write up (with pictures) of your 4 AGM battery mod? I know we talked about it but I I dont think I ever saw the final results. Thanks.
Been meaning to do that. I have been spending time "de-oxidizing" and waxing and renewing the exterior of the VEGAS (finally hit on what I "think" is the right combination)

I did post a picture of the additional two batteries, but will post (or link) a more complete description.
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Old 06-30-2019, 01:03 AM   #18
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Did you ever do a write up (with pictures) of your 4 AGM battery mod? I know we talked about it but I I dont think I ever saw the final results. Thanks.

Here is a picture of the two (2) batteries we added...
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Old 06-30-2019, 01:31 AM   #19
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Here is a picture of the two (2) batteries we added...
Nope, try again.
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Old 06-30-2019, 01:47 AM   #20
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Nope, try again.
Ok...third time, the "charm"?
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