Couple of thoughts:
- Standard solar panels output up to 19 volts in full sun and you need a solar charge controller to sense when batteries are charged to shut off the current from the solar panels, to prevent over-charging causing batteries to lose water and require constant maintenance. Each 80 watt solar panel can produce about 45 amp-hours of charge a day best case with full sun all day, typical case you can expect somewhat less given sun angle vs. panel, clouds, etc. Solar panels will still output well over 12 volts even without full sun so even with some clouds you still can get some charge out of the panels.
- If you want to run microwave get at least a 1250 watt modified sine wave converter. If you have a microwave / convection oven combo don't try to run in convection mode off the inverter! Convection mode uses way to much power!
- If you have 200 Amp-Hours of 12 volt storage batteries, then the usable capacity for running the inverter will be about half of that due to the inverter's automatic low voltage shutdown feature. This goes fast if using the AC for heavy loads like coffee maker or microwave oven. For example making a pot of coffee will use about 12 Amp-hours. Microwave for 10 minutes will also use about 12 Amp-hours.
- Put your large inverter near your batteries the shorter the large gauge cables between the batteries and the inverter 12 volt lugs the better.
- Make sure you don't obstruct the cooling fins, air inlets and fan exhausts, When producing 1200 watts the unit will be generating about 200 watts of heat assuming the unit is 85% efficient at converting DC to AC.
- Use the right size very large gauge cables between batteries and inverters, and put a fuse or fusible link in series with the B+ line. When inverter is driving a 1200 watt AC load it will be drawing 100 Amps DC from the batteries. At least #2 for VERY short runs of less than 10 feet. 1/0 is better.
- Inverter will have standard 120 volt 3 prong outlets unless you buy a huge one. Suggest you plug your shore cable into the inverter when dry camping using a standard adapter.
-- If you power from inverter via the shore cable route, then switch off the AC breaker to your AC to DC converter while in this mode. This will prevent you from drawing the AC being output from the Inverter into the Converter.
- Many inverters have a on/off switch and you will have a slight DC drain of 0.1 to 0.2 Amps even without AC load with the inverter switch in the ON position. If you move it to the OFF position this is stopped.
- To make it neat to plug your shore cable into the inverter with the access door to basement closed, you can mount a Electrical Cable Hatch like this:
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/electrical-cable-hatch-white/66682