sweetleon Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Hi everybody, The 18' Sunrader I just got came with a Duralast 1000-watt inverter that wasn't hooked up. (Nothing was hooked up bc the cabin/house was gutted.) I've read that it's important not to have both the converter and inverter hooked up at the same time bc such a circuit will drain the battery. So my question is: where is the converter and how do I disconnect it? As always, your help and insights are greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Your converter is part of your main house power center. It has your circuit breakers and fuses for your lights and fridge and charges your house battery when plugged into outside power. Its not something you disconnect. An inverter converts 12 volt to 110 and does put a big drain on your house battery . If you hooked up to shore power you don't need one. you would have regular house outlets in your rig that would have power when plugged in. I never use inverters. Everything in my camper runs on 12 volt except for the microwave which I only use when I have hook ups. Sounds like you have a ton of other stuff to take care of before you worry about dealing with an unneeded inverter. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetleon Posted July 16, 2016 Author Share Posted July 16, 2016 Thanks, Linda! You're right: I should worry about the other stuff! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 On 7/14/2016 at 8:55 AM, sweetleon said: The 18' Sunrader I just got came with a Duralast 1000-watt inverter that wasn't hooked up. (Nothing was hooked up bc the cabin/house was gutted.) I've read that it's important not to have both the converter and inverter hooked up at the same time bc such a circuit will drain the battery. So my question is: where is the converter and how do I disconnect it? What is "bc?" I don't understand the comment about not having the converter and inverter hooked up at the same time. It is normal and fine to have them both hooked up to the coach battery and it hurts nothing. Unless I am missing something here - you would never have them both on at the same time. It would make no sense. The only time your converter would be "on" would be when there is 120 volt AC "shore" or "grid" or "generator" power available. If that WAS the case, why on earth would anyone also use a DC to AC inverter? Linda says an inverter is "unneeded." "Need" is a tricky word. Likely none of us "need" motorhomes or converters either. I for one would never have any camper or RV that did NOT have an inverter. Getting back to the incipient question. Most or many RVs don't come with simple "converters." They come with "power-centers" and the converter is just part of that power-center. It is the power-center that has AC breakers in it and handles incoming AC power from the grid or a generator, and also handles the AC distribution in the RV coach. The "converter" is just the part that converts 120 volts 60 cycle AC into 12-14 volts DC. The "inverter" does the opposite. On my Toyota., we leave our inverter "on" all the time. I plug in the main AC power lead from the power-center and plug it into the inverter. This way, all our 120 volt AC outlets work in the coach when away from any grid or shore power. Obviously this will NOT work with a high-amp draw air-conditioning unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 Some added comments. I've not had our "converter" turned on in years. It is of NO use to us since we are never camped where there is shore power. On the other hand, we use our "inverter" all the time when travelling and camping. I guess it depends on how you plan to camp. Having both, just in case, is the way I prefer it. Keep in mind that wiring in an "inverter" is more difficult then a "converter" because it MUST be close to the coach battery. 5 feet away for a 1000 watt inverter is about the max. if you use #2 gauge copper cables. If 10 feet away, you need 2/0 copper. So wiring in an inverter takes some planning. A real 1000 watt inverter makes over 2000 watts under surge conditions and will draw 190 amps of current @ 11-12 volts DC. An inverter that size uses close to the same power under full load as the starter-motor on your engine that draws around 200 amps @ 9 volts DC. If all you want to use it for is to plug in a 21" LCD TV, a DVD player, and maybe a laptop computer - it uses very little power though. Running something like a microwave or some power tools is when the high-draw demands kick in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 51 minutes ago, jdemaris said: What is "bc?" It's Twitterspeak for 'because' according to Google Translate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 I think my head is going to explode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 An inverter has an idling current some are worse than other and yes if left connected to a battery doing nothing it will eventually run the battery down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 I have seen inverters wired into the house 110v outlets. In that case you need a disconnect on the converter. Others wise the inverter will run the converter and try to charge the battery while its discharging the battery. No this is not a perpetual motion plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 1 hour ago, Maineah said: An inverter has an idling current some are worse than other and yes if left connected to a battery doing nothing it will eventually run the battery down. Wrong. No current draw of "idling current" as long as you just flip the switch to "off." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetleon Posted July 16, 2016 Author Share Posted July 16, 2016 Hi everyone, Thanks for your insights and apologies for my jargon. I was wrong to say "hooked up." The issue I read about sounds like it applies if I run the inverter while the AC outlets are also connected to the converter. For now I'm setting this aside and looking into more pressing matters. Like installing walls and a ceiling. But I'll start new threads for that. ? Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 2 hours ago, jdemaris said: Wrong. No current draw of "idling current" as long as you just flip the switch to "off." Hopefully for the owner’s sake it is readily accessible. My point don't leave it powered even if there is nothing connected to it or it will kill the battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Back East Don Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 18 minutes ago, Maineah said: Hopefully for the owner’s sake it is readily accessible. My point don't leave it powered even if there is nothing connected to it or it will kill the battery. If you look at the series jdemaris posted, they have a panel mount remote available for cheap money. On/Off button and Indicates when on and faults. I almost wish I had a need for an inverter. One more cool thing to add. The only thing in the RV that isn't DC or propane is the toaster oven and I'm not adding a battery and such to run it. I still don't have a good way to make toast though. I no longer carry a computer and the tablets charge off of DC like everything else we run. I might add the extra battery though. I know all of this makes my opinion on inverters suspect at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 Try one of these they work great and fold dead flat. https://www.amazon.com/Stansport-Folding-Camp-Stove-Toaster/dp/B004Z10HMG/ref=pd_lpo_468_lp_img_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NFKVXAF1QKRARDWK9TD0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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