Using induction cooktop on inverter.

[dkwoode]

Our recently purchased 2019 Thor Challenger has an induction cooktop. We have an1800 watt inverter and added 400 watts of solar. As our new unit is in storage, we have not had a chance to really use it. I wonder if anyone knows if the cooktop can be used when boondocking, while not on shore power or with the generator on?

[dkwoode]

Also, I wonder if the microwave works off the inverter?

[dlbeck27]

It shouldn't be a problem for your cooktop and microwave to work with your generator. You may not be able to use them at the same time though. How many watts is your generator?

Unless you have a very large battery bank and at least a 2500 watt inverter you shouldn't try to run the microwave or cooktop off of your invertor. Since you only have an 1800 watt invertor now you may not even be wired to run those appliances. Do you have a propane refrigerator or a residential one? If you have a residential refrigerator it may require the bulk of your batteries and invertor power.

Other people on here may tell you it is possible to run the cooktop and microwave off the invertor and your solar. It may be possible with a large battery bank and larger invertor, but only for a minute or so. Not long enough to cook a meal.

Use your generator for cooking and save your batteries/invertor for the TV, lights and communication devices.

[TurnerFam]

the simple answer is: 'anything' can run off an inverter, BUT, your factory may or may not have wired your Cooktop and/or Microwave thru the Inverter because they can be VERY LARGE amperage draws, and not recommended for 'smaller' inverters. Some of us have 2000 or 3000w inverters, with 4,6 or even 8 6v House batteries, designed for the 'whole house', including the outlets for the Microwave, fridge, and any outlets you can plug anything into, yet most of us are NOT going to power thru the Inverter a HAIR DRYER, or COOKTOP, or electrical HEATER, etc, as your BATTERIES will be depleted/killed fairly quickly - then you WILL be in a bind!

No, don't plan on running the microwave or cooktop on your inverter, EVEN if they are powered thru the inverter. Microwaving something for 30seconds is one thing, but cooking something for 10 to 20 minutes is totally different.

[cavie]

You try to cook on the inverter your gonna need a trailer to hall the solar panels and batteries around.

[Chance]

A 1,000 Watt microwave (cooking power) pulls about 1,500 Watts of electricity. Even if inverter is relatively inefficient, battery bank will have to supply inverter with no more than 2,000 Watts (about 170 Amps). If an RV had 8 batteries (say around 800 Amp-hours) as mentioned above, there should be no problem running a microwave for a few minutes to heat coffee, make hot chocolate, or even to cook a TV dinner for 5 minutes or longer. I know guys powering smaller van-size 700-Watt microwaves with only two batteries.

However, with exception of a few motorhomes that are providing inverter-electric capabilities in lieu of a generator, I have not personally seen any motorhome that has microwave wired to inverter. I believe RV manufacturers fear owners will end up losing track of how much power they are using and kill the house batteries or overload inverter.

Powering microwaves from batteries is usually limited to do-it-yourself installations, modifications, and or upgrades where owner understands limitations. It is doable with proper installation.

[TurnerFam]

our Palazzo and many other similar diesel pusher models with larger inverters typically DO have the Microwave outlet within the Inverter's sub-panel... so yes, you 'can' run the microwave, or anything plugged into ANY outlet within the coach, if you wish. Is it wise? Depends on the condition of the batteries, their current Voltage level, and how 'long' you are going to have it running. Making a quick 30second or so heating up of something is no problem, but a much longer run could easily run into a low voltage situation, where the Inverter will automatically cut itself OFF in order to save the batteries.

Microwaves are not 'wired' to an inverter, they simply plug into an outlet like most any other appliance does, but the outlet is typically right up in the same cabinet, or nearby, and sometimes the microwave is on it's own circuit.

[Chance]

Just saying that 170 Amps for 1 minute is a total of ~ 3 Amp-hours of battery energy, so not setting the bar very high.


I’d go by actual data and specifications, rather than rule out all options just because someone thinks it’s going to take a ton of batteries. It’s not. Every system is different, and just because one person may have not been able to power a microwave it doesn’t mean much. They could have had all kinds of system flaws from bad batteries to bad wiring to crappy inverter.


It’s already being done, so not much question as to whether it’s possible with correct system. Regarding OP, I’d ask Thor for wiring details, and then decide whether it’s worth modifying (if needing revisions which is likely).


It really helps to know what equipment is being discussed. Microwave model, inverter, number and size of batteries, etc...

[dkwoode]

Wow, thanks for the well-informed responses. The answers provided fit what I was thinking, but my wife brought out the valid point of, "Why would they put an induction cooktop in that requires shore power or generator usage, when a propane stove would offer more flexibility?" And perhaps Thor has rethought their strategy (if any) in that the 2020 Challenger has both gas and induction cooktops side by side. When we purchased the RV, I vacillated as to the benefits of a residential fridge vs RV fridge for boondocking, but hadn't thought about the cooktop. We just joined Harvest Host, and plan on doing more boondocking than in the past with our prior RV, a 2010 Georgetown with an RV fridge and propane stove. I guess I didn't know how good I had it.
When we purchased our rig I asked our dealer (which also stores our RV), why are RV manufacturers complicating matters by using Residential fridges, and one of the answers we got was that a residential fridge requires you to USE your generator more often, which makes them less problematic in the long run. They said there was a problem in the industry with used RVs being traded in with under used generators that were more problematic.
So I guess our mantra will be, "screw global warming, I need my icemaker!"

[Porkchop]

Turner=If wired to code ALL microwaves are required to be on an individual dedicated circuit.

dkwoode=I have a residential refrigerator and NO generator. Never had a problem. No complications here.

Bill

[Chance]

Originally Posted by dkwoode

.....cut.....

When we purchased our rig I asked our dealer (which also stores our RV), why are RV manufacturers complicating matters by using Residential fridges, and one of the answers we got was that a residential fridge requires you to USE your generator more often, which makes them less problematic in the long run. They said there was a problem in the industry with used RVs being traded in with under used generators that were more problematic.
So I guess our mantra will be, "screw global warming, I need my icemaker!"

I agree that having to run generator daily would prevent some generator issues, but I seriously question that manufacturers are pushing residential refrigerators in order to get owners to run their generators more often.

A recent trend in smaller coaches is to offer 12V compressor refrigerators in place of propane/absorption refrigerators. I believe that makes an RV simpler, not more complicated. The owner only has to worry about keeping batteries charged, which he has to anyway. These new 10-cubic-foot 12V electric refrigerators fit where 6~8 went before, and use much less electricity than inverter-powered residential (home type) units, so generator won’t need to run as often or as long.

Back to your original question, to run microwave or brew Keurig coffee for less than 5 minutes, it makes more sense to me to use an inverter than start the generator. Obviously, if generator is running anyway for air conditioning or to charge batteries, then use it instead.

I think the main reason a lot of motorhomes have underused generators is because there is often little need to use one. RVers who mostly travel from campground to campground can easily get by without a generator. And that’s the majority of campers. When I had an Onan in a Class C I rarely used it, and when I did it normally ran for a very short period which isn’t good for it either.

Overall buyers want efficiency (however that’s defined) and as advances in batteries and inverters are made (which can lower costs), the less buyers will need generators.

[lwmcguire]

We use our microwave and coffee maker early in the morning but try to avoid the cook top. After 7 or so in most parks you can start the generator and then use the cook top while topping your batteries off for the day.

With 4 T105 AGM Trojans there is ample battery but the voltage will drop quickly if you have been using the heat and the fridge was on the invertor overnight.

All electric coaches is the trend in the larger A's

I think you are seeing more LP in the C's and smaller A's due to the lack of battery capacity, generator size, and usage.

[Dabobo]

It all depends what the inverter is wired up to. With out over thinking this if it is wired into the inverter or should work.

[SteveW]

You cannot run the cooktop and or microwave off of the inverter, per your present setup. You can however run them on the generator.
We have the same coach you have with1800 watt inverter.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

We use our microwave and coffee maker early in the morning but try to avoid the cook top. After 7 or so in most parks you can start the generator and then use the cook top while topping your batteries off for the day.

With 4 T105 AGM Trojans there is ample battery but the voltage will drop quickly if you have been using the heat and the fridge was on the invertor overnight.

All electric coaches is the trend in the larger A's

I think you are seeing more LP in the C's and smaller A's due to the lack of battery capacity, generator size, and usage.

Thanks, good info to know.

I want to ask Coachmen factory guys at Tampa Super Show (if I can attend) whether they have tested running microwave on Cross Trek motorhomes with 330 Ah AGM battery and 3,000-Watt inverter for long periods of time.

If it’s not possible to power electrical loads of about 1,500 Watts for at least 30 minutes or longer without a generator, then the Cross Trek concept may not be too practical.

[kldocekal]

We just purchased a 2018 Challenger w residential refrigerator. Am I understanding that the fridge may not be wired into the inverter? Dealer/salesman didn’t understand our concern about using inverter to run fridge while traveling to and from RV campgrounds. We traded in a fifth wheel with same fridge which ran on inverter when traveling. We don’t boondock too often. We couldn’t find any instruction on powering fridge w inverter. When shore power was disconnected, fridge didn’t come on thru inverter. Do we have to use generator??

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by kldocekal

We just purchased a 2018 Challenger w residential refrigerator. Am I understanding that the fridge may not be wired into the inverter? Dealer/salesman didn’t understand our concern about using inverter to run fridge while traveling to and from RV campgrounds. We traded in a fifth wheel with same fridge which ran on inverter when traveling. We don’t boondock too often. We couldn’t find any instruction on powering fridge w inverter. When shore power was disconnected, fridge didn’t come on thru inverter. Do we have to use generator??

I didn't see that info in this thread anywhere. Generally factory installed inverters are there specifically for residential refrigerators but may also power TVs and entertainment items, and MAYBE the microwave.

So if your inverter is not powering your fridge when not on SP then it is time to do some troubleshooting, starting with: is the inverter turned on?

[TurnerFam]

Originally Posted by Porkchop

Turner=If wired to code ALL microwaves are required to be on an individual dedicated circuit.

thanks Bill, you're right... my brain was thinking RESIDENTIAL FRIDGE, while my fingers were typing MICROWAVE... yes, here's the layout of my panel and sub-panel(inverter circuits)... regardless of whether on Shore Power, Generator power, or just the Inverter, ALL outlets in the coach are always powered.

I noticed that the term 'tv recepts' might refer to outlets for 'tvs only', but it's really just another term to differentiate it from the other label 'Gen recepts', which is not for 'generator', but for 'general'...
what I've found is that these two circuits simply handle all of the outlets in the coach, generally one for one 'side' of the coach, and the other for the outlets on the other 'side', while the 'GFCI recepts' handles near in/near the kitchen, one in the bath(main reset), and the one in the outside compartment.

interesting,too, that while the main panel has a circuit labeled 'Inverter', it feeds the Inverter's Battery Charger, and the Inverter's output then feeds the sub-panel thru the 'Main Pole' breaker - the pass thru 120v power when on Shore Power, or Generator - via a 'reverse' feed from the BOTTOM of this 'main pole' 30a breaker to it's own Power buss bar that the 4 sub-panel circuits then are powered from. : )

[kldocekal]

The inverter is working and shows 13.5 v
But if it should power the fridge how do we tell it to do that? Is there a button to push or hold till the inverter kicks in.

[16ACE27]

13.5 Volts is the battery reading. There is generally a remote button for turning the inverter on and off.