Thor Forums

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by Squerly

This ^^^ is what I have been working on as well. I probably wouldn’t have spent the money on this kind of setup, but I happen to already have the panels, 5KW inverter, etc., so I figured it would be a great boondocking setup.

I just can’t get comfortable with the converter switching on/off issue. And I want to be able to charge this additional set of batteries with the generator when necessary or by default with the RV park AC is available. Again, the timely switching on/off of different components is what bothers me. And then, teaching my wife when to do everything (and what to do) is a consideration.

So as an alternative, I’m leaning towards replacing the worn-out house batteries with my bigger batteries. Connect the solar controller to the now larger house batteries. Install the inverter under the bed (easy access to DC) and move the wires that provide the coaches AC so they are now fed from the inverter. I will leave the air conditioner connected as normal. If I need air, I’ll turn on the generator.

The result is, with the exception of the air conditioner, I’m always running my AC outlets from the house batteries. I can use RV park AC, or turn on the generator and charge them without switching anything, and that’s a huge convenience in my book.

If I’ve missed something, I’m hoping somebody with more knowledge will jump in and straighten me out.

Why not put an automatic transfer switch on the inverter so the coach will run on ac when it’s available and the batteries when it’s not? The batteries would still charge whenever ac is available.