Whole House Inverter June 01, 2016, 12:40:57 pm Has anyone installed one of these in a 30' IB? If so, where was it installed. It seems to me that you would have to lose the storage under the frig which means losing the two drawers and coming up with something to cover those two openings.Just thinking about this since we aren't far from AM Solar.Jim
Re: Whole House Inverter Reply #1 – June 01, 2016, 12:49:15 pm This article may be helpful in determining if a whole-house inverter is in your future:http://rveducation101.com/Articles/RVInverters.pdf
Re: Whole House Inverter Reply #2 – June 01, 2016, 02:07:45 pm If you feel like wandering up to Springfield, you could get the straight skinny directly from Greg and Deb Holder at AM Solar. We had them do "the works" to our 2005 RB and have never regretted it for a moment. We lost about half of the storage area under one of the dinette seats, but so far, that has not proved troublesome. We no longer fulltime, so it may be more of a problem for you. ******************************** Quote from: Jim & Gayle - June 01, 2016, 12:40:57 pmHas anyone installed one of these in a 30' IB? If so, where was it installed. It seems to me that you would have to lose the storage under the frig which means losing the two drawers and coming up with something to cover those two openings.Just thinking about this since we aren't far from AM Solar.Jim
Re: Whole House Inverter Reply #3 – June 01, 2016, 08:18:14 pm Thanks Joan, appreciate the link. A whole house inverter would be nice but not necessary. Our TV is a low wattage LED AC model so the one we have handles that. However, in order to run our laptops I have an extension cord that comes out of the cabinet in the entertainment center and I would like to eliminate that and also be able to plug in an electric toothbrush in the bathroom. Although I have gotten used to leaving it in the entertainment cabinet.Judie, I spoke with the folks at AM Solar this morning and I think the problem regarding how much space we would have to give up will stop us from taking the plunge but I appreciate the thought.Jim
Re: Whole House Inverter Reply #4 – June 02, 2016, 12:53:45 am Just my opinion: a whole-house inverter is great if you really need all your 120 V outlets powered--in other words, if you need to be able to use 120 V appliances in any outlet at any time. I have one, and I use it that way--I plug in various appliances in various places at various times. I need all of my 120 V outlets working from the inverter. The downside is that my 2,000 W whole-house inverter cost a bundle, and installation cost an even bigger bundle.In your case, Jim, it sounds as if you need quite modest amounts of 120 V power--perhaps a hundred watts or less--in just a couple of specific places that aren't likely to change. In that situation, a simpler solution seems better. I would use a couple of small inverters in the locations where the power is needed.
Re: Whole House Inverter Reply #5 – June 02, 2016, 03:03:16 am As Andy pointed out, proper whole house inverter installations cost a lot, north of $5000.They use a lot of room too. Factor in the recomended two additional batteries.Prosine 2.0 Inverter | Flickr - Photo Sharing!But if you need to use the microwave, an electric coffee pot, a hair drier or some other A/C high energy user, outside of generator hours, this is what it takes. For many, it's worth every penny.Using 12-volt power and propane to power our LDs is not that difficult for most.With good use of LED lights and TVs, along with tablets and solid state laptops, 120-VAC energy consumption can be kept to a minimum. Most chargers today are USB based and are available in 12-volt versions. For many, small, 300-400-watt inverters, the $50-100 variety, are more than enough. From a user's point of view, maintaining a small inverter is much simpler than a complex whole-house, inverter/charger arrangement. For many, simplifying their life is part of what RVing is all about.Larry
Re: Whole House Inverter Reply #6 – June 02, 2016, 11:42:15 am Quote from: Judie Ashford - June 01, 2016, 02:07:45 pmIf you feel like wandering up to Springfield, you could get the straight skinny directly from Greg and Deb Holder at AM Solar.It doesn't sound like it is common knowledge yet, but Greg and Deb Holder have pretty much retired and sold AM Solar to the employees. We were there in March and did not see Greg in the few days we were there.Art
Re: Whole House Inverter Reply #7 – June 03, 2016, 09:58:45 am Not whole house at all, but the way I got AC from an inverter to the rear of our MB.It's a special article for both of the people that 1) Have an MB, 2) Want a 120 volts in the rear and 3) Are willing to take on a fairly simple DIY project 4) That do not make the beds into a King - Read On.
Re: Whole House Inverter Reply #8 – June 03, 2016, 11:40:12 am Even being the owner of a very nice electrical system, beautifully installed by AM Solar, I would definitely agree with Larry on this, and wish it was what we had done.When we bought our 1985 T/K back in 1991, we self-installed a "massive" four-panel (204 watts, total!) solar system and a 2000-watt whole house inverter. I'm not sure why as we didn't have a microwave, a hair dryer, an electric coffee pot, or any of the other things that this system would support. We did not have a generator, but during our first four years of use of the vehicle, it was never necessary to even take the electrical cord out of the compartment.Fast forward to 2009, when we purchased a 2005 RB, which had a one-panel system in place, and immediately took her up to see "Uncle Greg" for her new and improved system. It is splendiferous, but we seldom use the vehicle, so the $7K+ in expense has been wasted, as I seldom use the microwave, and still don't have an electric coffee pot or hair dryer. The biggest use is for Hubby's CPAP and to use and charge our computers and iOS devices, which could clearly be accomplished with smaller inverters. In fact, a small 300-watt inverter came with the unit, but we seldom use it. Air conditioning cannot be used from an inverter (for very long) anyway, so if that amenity is needed, it would be necessary to run the generator, or plug into an electrical outlet anyway, so the inverter and panels, would be of no additional value.So the moral of this sad tale, is to spend some time evaluating your actual needs before jumping headlong into an expensive modification.Virtual hugs,Judie*************************************
Re: Whole House Inverter Reply #9 – June 03, 2016, 11:45:55 am I had no idea! We had ordered a part from them a few months (or maybe longer - memory fails) and Deb included a whole pile of her special little candies with the order! I wrote to thank her, and she replied, so the fingers must have still been in the pie at that point.But I say "Bully for them" - they pioneered a needed facet of RV'ing pleasure, and it was a great pleasure to know them. They were two of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met. ;->Virtual hugs,Judie*************************************
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