Help need choosing an Inverter

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.
See posts with no answers
Hi all!

This thread has some really good information so I thought I would try to bring it back to life rather than start the whole discussion over again.

I have a 1991 Roadtrek Class B with two Trojan T-105 batteries and I want to get a 2000W inverter for it.  Why?  To make coffee with a Keurig when I'm in the US.  I'd also use it for watching movies with a TV and built-in DVD player but that's under 100W so not too worried about that.  We don't use the microwave or anything else that's AC in the van.

Is this feasible from a practical point of view?  The Keurig coffee makers are 1500 Watts and it would be run for about 10 minutes before recharging the batteries while driving. 

I "think" I want a combo inverter/charger as the van still has the original Progressive Dynamics single stage charger.  It would also provide an automatic transfer which is nice.

That being said, does anybody have experience with running a coffee maker on just a pair of batteries and a 2000W inverter?  What are the preferred inverter/chargers people are using these days?

Cheers, Steve
 
I found a used tripp-lite APS-2012 inverter /charger. I mounted in the back storage compartment behind the water storage tank. I even had room for a deep cycle battery behind it. I just use it for the residential frig. I installed to run it while on the road not running the generator.  It will run a cycling cold frig for 10 hours. then I either have to plug in or start the generator.
 
I wound up buying a Samlex PST-2000-12 Inverter and RC-200 control screen.  They have been in the business for a long time so it seemed like a good bet.
I used a 2' and 3' length of 2/0 DLO cable to hook things up and it worked with a 1500W blower heater.  I only ran the heater for a minute but it worked with freshly charged batteries and nothing exploded or beeped so I'm happy with that. :)
Gotta lug the Keurig out to the van to make sure I can brew a few cups of coffee but the first test and the math looks like it will work. 
Steve
 
Last year we used a auto drip with a 3000w inverter and a 8-D which is the equivalent of two regular sized batteries. The only difference is I also had a 490w solar system boosting the battery and holding the voltage up with 30+ amps. It would also let us use the 900w microwave pulling 1375w for 10 minutes. The battery could only run the microwave for a few minutes without the solar.

How are you planning on replacing the power it takes to run the Keurig?
 
Hi Jim,
  We drive our van every day we are on vacation so we would just use the alternator to recharge the batteries.  We could even run the van to keep the voltage up while making coffee if necessary, time will tell.

Link to some photos:  http://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-ram-van/390414-addition-of-2000w-inverter.html

Regards, Steve
 
You might wish later that you hadn't installed the inverter in the same confined area with the batteries.  You are inviting a corrosion problem in the electronics as well as a fire hazard (explosion, actually) with the gasses dispelled during battery charging.
 
Electrics just turns my mind  into a bowl of jelly.  I really don't understand the recharging part of this discussion.

We are looking at an inverter when we boondock..mainly at wally mart etc..  to run my cpap (however, the coffee maker and laptop sound good as well).  We have 2 6 volt (I think in the 5er) and we never disconnect from the TV which has 2 12 V batteries.

I thought we would would have to wire it in from the RV battery but it would be great just to plug the the cpap into an existing plug..

I am going too need help on this one...

Thanks..

 
Venting is definitely required.  The 1/2" plywood seals the batteries from the coach and there is venting on the side of the van for them.  I just need to notch the wood so I can bring the cables out to the inverter, that has not been done yet but will be.  You do not want the Hydrogen filling up the coach while recharging.
I also need to figure out how much venting will be required for the seat assembly as the inverter needs to breathe in there too.  Luckily I'll only be using it for a few minutes at a time so heat should not be much of an issue.
Regards, Steve
 
Grassy:  You will want to test the CPAP to see if it needs a "true sine wave" inverter or if it can get by with a "modified sine wave" like walmart probably sells. 
The CPAP should have some markings on it somewhere that indicates how many Watts it uses.  That will be required to size your inverter and your batteries.  Coffee makers are toasters are in the 1500 to 2000 Watt range.

I would keep the tow vehicle batteries separate from the coach batteries unless the engine is running.  Nobody is going to be able to boost you if you are 24 Volts.

Steve
 
I really don't understand the recharging part of this discussion.
Click to expand...

A battery is just a storage tank for electrical power. You take power from the battery(s) to operate the inverter, so the "tank" will eventually empty and the inverter stops working. Since an inverter uses a lot of 12v power, that "eventually" is usually sooner rather than later.

The recharging business is about putting more power back into the batteries for future use.  If you use half the power in the battery "tank", you need to put that back for the next time you want it.  If it was a water tank, you could probably do the gallons arithmetic easily enough, but few people are used to counting their electricity usage except by the size of the bill each month.
 
Batteries like to be recharged as soon as possible, the longer they wait the more unhappy they get. Even though a coffee maker or microwave only runs a short time, they use a lot of power doing so. Keeping the truck running while you do it and leaving it running after will help but you really need a good charge to maintain the health of the battery.
 
grassy said:
Electrics just turns my mind  into a bowl of jelly.  I really don't understand the recharging part of this discussion.

We are looking at an inverter when we boondock..mainly at wally mart etc..  to run my cpap (however, the coffee maker and laptop sound good as well).  We have 2 6 volt (I think in the 5er) and we never disconnect from the TV which has 2 12 V batteries.

I thought we would would have to wire it in from the RV battery but it would be great just to plug the the cpap into an existing plug..

I am going too need help on this one...

Thanks..
Click to expand...


I have run CPAPs for 11 years in 3 different motorhomes and would offer the following observations.


1. I have used Resmed and Respironics units on MSW inverters without any problems.


2. Some models have 12 volt capability that removes the necessity of an inverter but my Remstar powered the pump only on 12 volt, not the heater in the humidifier.


3. Powering the CPAP with an inverter that runs major circuits in the RV will consume much more power overnight than a smaller dedicated inverter running only the CPAP. Our Xantrex normally shows a 10-15 amp draw because of overhead and all the various appliances and wall warts plugged into it and that is before turning anything like the CPAP on.


4. It is really quite simple to install a small 500-600 Watt automotive inverter near the batteries (Not in the same compartment) and then run coax to the location you need power for your CPAP. I have installed a separate outlet for the inverter power and if I unplug the CPAP in the AM the inverter shuts down without a remote switch.






 
I would also add a couple of thoughts to the discussion of inverters. While it is certainly simpler to feed the entire coach through the new inverter there will be times you want a circuit or two that are not fed by inverters.


We burned up the main board of our Xantrex inverter because all outlets inside the coach were wired through the inverter sub panel and when the park lost power one night in a thunderstorm the inverter powered the cube heater we had running when we went to bed. Unfortunately the batteries lasted longer than the inverter.


If you decide to install a separate inverter and leave the current charging system in place the XantrexPro Series  provide 1800 Watts and a 25 amp AC pass-through switch built into the inverter. I use one to power our Samsung refrigerator, the Sat receiver and my CPAP and it automatically switches to shore or generator power when available.
 
OK...been doing a bit of research.

I can buy a battery pack for this ..really expensive in my mind and I have never had much luck with batteries so I don't see this in my future.

I am perplexed on how to figure out if I need a pure sine wave...

What I own is a "Philips Respironics System One Auto A Flex with Heated Tube Humidifier" .

The electrical Requirements are 100 - 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 12volt DC ..but that doesn't really tell me what the draw is.

If we buy an inverted to run this, can we run a radio and / a coffee maker ?

Thanks...I am lost in the woods with this one...
 
grassy said:
OK...been doing a bit of research.

I can buy a battery pack for this ..really expensive in my mind and I have never had much luck with batteries so I don't see this in my future.

I am perplexed on how to figure out if I need a pure sine wave...

What I own is a "Philips Respironics System One Auto A Flex with Heated Tube Humidifier" .
The electrical Requirements are 100 - 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 12volt DC ..but that doesn't really tell me what the draw is.

If we buy an inverted to run this, can we run a radio and / a coffee maker ?

Thanks...I am lost in the woods with this one...
Click to expand...

I found this here, if it helps (and if I picked the correct model!!):
http://www.cpapsupplyusa.com/pdfs/Philips%20Respironics%20REMstar%20Auto%20User%20Manual.pdf

Electrical
AC Power Consumption: 100 ? 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 2.1 A
DC Power Consumption: 12 VDC, 5.0 A
Fuses: There are no user-replaceable fuses.
 
Thanks..so a 300 watt would be dandy ?  And would that be with my humidifier ?  Sorry, total dweeb with this..

Thanks

PS - thanks for the manual !!!
 
Grassy


Inverters are not 100% efficient so I would suggest 500-600 watts for the CPAP. A coffee maker will probably use closer to 1200 watts (Check your appliance's rating), the radio will probably run on 100-200 watts but again check the requirements.
 
Jeff said:
Grassy


Inverters are not 100% efficient so I would suggest 500-600 watts for the CPAP. A coffee maker will probably use closer to 1200 watts (Check your appliance's rating), the radio will probably run on 100-200 watts but again check the requirements.
Click to expand...

Thanks..I can now start shopping.

grassy
 
I am not sure if this is relevant for other cpap users but I will pass it on. Many may already know this but it is new to me :)

I was in the supply company that sold me my machine and I asked them about what size / type inverter I need to buy for my trailer.  Apparently, mine cpap machine does not need one.  As an option, I can buy a unit or adapter for  23 $s.. that will allow me to plug my machine into a cigarette lighter socket or hook directly on to a battery...so, all I need to do is have my son, the electrician,  do a little modification and give me a plug beside the bed.

With the 2 deep cycle 6 volt batteries in the rig and the 2 massive 12 volt in my tv, I think I am good to go when we are boondocking on the road..

grassy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 970 (members: 27, guests: 943)

Forum statistics

Threads
132,159
Posts
1,391,203
Members
137,876
Latest member
kevinapple
Back
Top Bottom