new guy

[Ed FV racer]

Hi everyone. My wife found this site so I joined so I could ask questions.


We have a used (very little when we bought it last year) 18 Thor Axis 25.2. We previously had a 89 Winnie 27' that we used for towing to the race track.


I want to install an inverter to provide power from the house batteries so I won't need to run generator or have shore power. Other than Harbor Freight what kind of inverters have everyone used?


I plan on going 4000 watt and install under kitchen sink so it will be close to house battery's for shorter power leads. I am also going to install separate outlets for inverter power so I don't have to worry about accidentally starting the generator or connecting to shore power.


Thanks, Ed

[Mr Sunshine]

Welcome to the forum!

We bought a new 2016 25.2 and kept it for six years. Had a whole lotta great trips.

A friend gave me a 1200 watt inverter that I still have. I mounted it on the wall by the passenger seat, with cable down and back to the batteries.

We use it mostly for a fan when we stay overnight in a parking lot, and to power a crock pot on the road. If we want more, like TV, we'll start the genny. Plus we might use it to charge a phone or pad.

Others here have used theirs more, try the search feature.

[OldWEB]

Welcome!


Good on you for wanting to upgrade, but many questions for you first.
Why the large inverter? 4kW is a lot of power needed, something you do not typically hear of on this forum, what is it you want to power?
Then what batteries have you to power the inverter with? A large inverter needs a large battery bank for proper usage and then, how are you recharging those batteries? Any power taken out of the batteries needs to be put back in. i.e. solar, driving, generator or shore power.
Many, many, many posts here that can be found on the batteries preferred, solar or not, power usage in relation to inverters..... use the search function.


Good luck!


EDIT: As an example, a 4kW inverter could suck 333A @ 12V from your batteries (full load)... that is some large cable needed.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by OldWEB

Welcome!


Good on you for wanting to upgrade, but many questions for you first.
Why the large inverter? 4kW is a lot of power needed, something you do not typically hear of on this forum, what is it you want to power?
Then what batteries have you to power the inverter with? A large inverter needs a large battery bank for proper usage and then, how are you recharging those batteries? Any power taken out of the batteries needs to be put back in. i.e. solar, driving, generator or shore power.
Many, many, many posts here that can be found on the batteries preferred, solar or not, power usage in relation to inverters..... use the search function.


Good luck!


EDIT: As an example, a 4kW inverter could suck 333A @ 12V from your batteries (full load)... that is some large cable needed.

And some short power duration on the OEM house batteries.

[coachray]

Welcome to the forum

[Bob Denman]

Welcome to the best little virtual RV Park in the Universe.
Please note that there are no quiet hours, and dogs and kids can run free!

[lwmcguire]

Originally Posted by Ed FV racer

Hi everyone. My wife found this site so I joined so I could ask questions.


We have a used (very little when we bought it last year) 18 Thor Axis 25.2. We previously had a 89 Winnie 27' that we used for towing to the race track.


I want to install an inverter to provide power from the house batteries so I won't need to run generator or have shore power. Other than Harbor Freight what kind of inverters have everyone used?


I plan on going 4000 watt and install under kitchen sink so it will be close to house battery's for shorter power leads. I am also going to install separate outlets for inverter power so I don't have to worry about accidentally starting the generator or connecting to shore power.


Thanks, Ed

Welcome!

Where and what batteries are going to supply enough amps to run your inverter a few hours?

[Ed FV racer]

Test

[Ed FV racer]

I keep trying to reply and when I do it says I am not signed in which I am.

[Ed FV racer]

Trying this again for the third time.


I want the ability to run AC equipment without running the generator or be hooked up to land power. The TV is number one while staying at a Walmart. Plus coffee pot in the morning and maybe cooking stuff as well.


Even used this toy was still expensive and lacks some of what should be standard features for the ages.


Ed

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Ed FV racer

Trying this again for the third time.


I want the ability to run AC equipment without running the generator or be hooked up to land power. The TV is number one while staying at a Walmart. Plus coffee pot in the morning and maybe cooking stuff as well.


Even used this toy was still expensive and lacks some of what should be standard features for the ages.


Ed

I don't know your background so I don't know if you have a reasonable concept of the energy required to run your A/C.

Running the A/C takes half the available energy from "land power" which we refer to as Shore Power or SP for short; and almost half of what the generator can supply.

Sure, a 4000 watt inverter can run your A/C but how long it can run it depend on how much energy you have stored in your batteries. Anybody you see on YouTube running their A/C for any amount of time off an inverter has a large lithium battery bank for their stored energy. Your RV likely has two Lead Acid batteries either flooded or AGM with probably 200 amp-hours of stored energy at 12 VDC at best, of which only 100 AH are usable without damaging the batteries. That's not much run time for the A/C.

Your A/C probably draws 15 amps at 120 volts or 1800 watts.
You batteries have 100 AH at 12 VDC so 1200 watt-hours stored energy.

1200 WH divided by 1800 watts equals 2/3 hours or 40 minutes or running the A/C assuming no other loads and no losses: so essentially 1/2 hour of cooling and then you have dead house batteries.

See why this is not standard RV equipment?

[MJC62]

Welcome aboard.
Ace gave you very good explanation of how much power you have available in your battery bank. I need add nothing more

[Beau388]

To add on to Ted's informative post - I have had inverters in class A coaches for 22 years. IMHO you need a minimum battery bank size of 100 amp-h (usable) to power each 1000 watt of inverter power. Using that thought, the minimum power for a 4000 watt inverter would be 8 group 31 lead-acid batteries or 4 LFP batteries of the same size.

A typical 120 volt A/C will require 1 amp @ 12 volts to produce 100 btu of cooling; so 100 amps @ 12 volts will produce 10,000 btu of cooling. That is running current,; figure a surge 160 amps to start the 10,000 btu A/C. Then there is the inverter efficiency to consider.

[Mr Sunshine]

One more thing. Most generators use about a half gallon per hour of gas. Never had a problem running genny at Wmrt or any other parking lot.

The key thing to remember is that somewhere around a quarter tank, the genny should shut down to keep from running you empty. It pays to plan ahead.

[Ed FV racer]

Why does this site tell me after I type up a response that I am not allowed to post but I am signed in and it says at the bottom that I can post?


Ed

[Ed FV racer]

Alright that one worked, so I did electronics in high school and then again in military for avionics tech. Last 20 years of work as an inspector in MD suburbs of DC and last 5 years a building inspector.


I am comfortable with home wiring from the panel on, so I do have a decent background in the basics.


I like staying in Walmart lots while traveling and don't want to abuse the privilege by running the generator for TV if local stations if available. I do not intend to run the AC but alternating current appliances, TV coffee maker etc. that have lower power requirements.


Ed

[Ed FV racer]

Anybody have an idea why this site keeps not allowing me to post? It is becoming quite frustrating after typing a response to find it won't let me respond. This form is similar to some others I use and I have no problems there. Frustrating to say the least!

[OldWEB]

Originally Posted by Ed FV racer

Anybody have an idea why this site keeps not allowing me to post? It is becoming quite frustrating after typing a response to find it won't let me respond. This form is similar to some others I use and I have no problems there. Frustrating to say the least!

You could try restarting your computer, they sometimes get "gummed up". Otherwise I have no trouble... oh, when you sign in, there is a box to check below where you enter the password, "Stay logged in" or something... if left unchecked, the forum will automatically "kick" you out.

[Chateau_Nomad]

On the sign in screen, immediately after typing your password, look for a small checkbox that states "keep me signed in". Check that box BEFORE you click the sign in button... otherwise you will get automatically signed out after a short time.

I think the question being asked is what do you have for batteries? Regardless of the inverter, you need a minimum amount of 12volt battery storage. Answering that battery question will give a lot of insight about an inverter that would work for you.

[Ed FV racer]

OK did click on remember me so see if that fixes the problem. Yesterday I left the site sit there signed in and did some other things and you guys seem to be right that after a certain time it will not let you send a post even though you can type it up. I check and it says you are signed in at the top and the bottom says you can post but it doesn't happen.


On our last trip to Austin so I could race at COTA we encountered the worst weather Texas gets, the dreaded ice storm. One of the mornings in early AM I woke to a very slight clicking sound and asked the wife if she heard that and she did. So when I got up I noticed the fridge light was not on green or red and the things that are on didn't seem to be. I quickly realized besides it was pretty cold that the furnace igniter was attempting to light but it didn't have enough power to run the furnace.


I hoped that the engine would start and it fired right up and a few minutes later everything came back on. After checking around I realized that I left the gray and black tank heaters on since it was in the twenty's. I did leave the engine running to heat the place up. Needles to say I won't do that again.


While on the way home we stopped in Houston area at a Walmart and in the morning I checked the battery voltage and it was low. so they had deep cycle batteries and I bought two to replace the single one that was there and installed them. So I do have two new batteries.


Hopefully this won't happen again.


Ed