Installing an inverter to my 5th wheel for backup power

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

ascalco

Active member
Joined
Jun 30, 2011
Posts
28
  I'm installing a new residential refrigerator in my 5th wheel and i want to install a inverter to have for backup power when I'm on the road. For those of you who have installed one what size and what brand did you get. Also if you bought it on line who did you purchase it from?

Thanks Anthony
 
Most residential fridges have a peak load (wattage) of around 500- 600 watts, with a typical load of about 200-250 watts. That make an inverter in the 800-1000W range a solid choice. Preferably a pure sine type, since compressors are sensitive to wave form and run most efficiently on pure sine power. An inverter with an auto-transfer switch is most convenient, so that it auto-switches between inverting and shore power.

When I converted mine, I bought an AIMS 1200 on Amazon. This model:
https://www.aimscorp.net/1200-Watt-Pure-Sine-Inverter-with-Built-In-Transfer.html
 
I have a question about the wiring for this.  I would like to have an inverter for the TV, DVD, etc. and the ATS has been very confusing to me.

I assume this would work for one circuit only.  Would it be wired :  Shore---> EMS ---> Main Panel --->TV circuit out ---> Inverter --->TV receptacles        with the 12VDC wired to the inverter????

My FW has a "general" circuit, feeding TV, Cent Vac, ceiling fan, and a "GFCI" circuit for kitchen, bath and outdoor outlets.  Feeding both circuits from a single inverter seems it would be difficult or impossible??
 
grashley said:
I have a question about the wiring for this.  I would like to have an inverter for the TV, DVD, etc. and the ATS has been very confusing to me.

I assume this would work for one circuit only.  Would it be wired :  Shore---> EMS ---> Main Panel --->TV circuit out ---> Inverter --->TV receptacles        with the 12VDC wired to the inverter????

My FW has a "general" circuit, feeding TV, Cent Vac, ceiling fan, and a "GFCI" circuit for kitchen, bath and outdoor outlets.  Feeding both circuits from a single inverter seems it would be difficult or impossible??
The wiring would be correct that way.
I would think that you would need an inverter with 2 separate outputs to power 2 circuits also a larger capacity as they need about 15a each.
 
When i had a 5er, i installed a 1500w inverter in the basement near the batteries since 120 travels better than 12. I then ran romex to a dedicated new outlet  (white to differentiate from shore power outlets) by the TV. I also opened up the inverter, cut a wire to the on/off switch  and wired an interior switch so I didn't have to go outside to turn it off and on. Worked like a charm.
 
My FW has a "general" circuit, feeding TV, Cent Vac, ceiling fan, and a "GFCI" circuit for kitchen, bath and outdoor outlets.  Feeding both circuits from a single inverter seems it would be difficult or impossible??

Not at all, assuming you can get at the circuits and the load center.  There are numerous ways to go about the wiring, depending on just what you want to achieve, e.g. entire RV or just selected circuits.  One method is to put a 20A or 30A breaker in the main load center to feed the inverter from shore power, and then add a small sub-panel fed by the inverter. Put the desired circuits on the subpanel rather than the main.

Drawing the wiring diagram is usually easy enough, but physically doing the wiring and locating the boxes can sometimes make an alternate wiring scheme a more practical choice.

A common complication is that the RV's own converter/charger shares a circuit with other items, requiring that the converter be segregated from the "other". Usually a relay can be installed to do that, though.
 
So you are saying to simply remove the two or three circuits of interest from the main panel, add a 30A (for example) breaker in the panel.  This 30A circuit goes through the inverter and associated ATS, then to a sub panel, where the two or three circuits go through breakers, then on to their destinations.

I am fortunate in that my main panel is floor level across from the entry door, about 5 ft from the batteries and adjacent to the steps which open, providing an accessible location for the sub panel.  There is space behind the panel / step for the inverter.

I LEARN SOMETHING NEW HERE EVERY DAY!!

THANKS, ALL!!
 
    Gary thank you again for your help , The refrigerator will be delivered today and i will get it installed and then on to the inverter !!
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
131,749
Posts
1,384,209
Members
137,520
Latest member
jeep3501
Back
Top Bottom