Inverter / Charger W/ Generator ?

Uncle Rog

Well-known member
Howdy, we do alot of dry camping, and as we did not include a generator or inverter on our 3600RL, we are looking at the Xantrex 2500 inverter/charger with a four 6 volt battery system that will give us 450 amp hrs of reserve and a 130 amp hr charge rate to run them up when they are down. Any ideas out there on this system or any better ideas? I am looking at the honda genarators..........thanks
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
I went the plain Xantrex 3000 plus with a Parallax auto transfer switch. The standard Intelli-Power 9260C converter with built in Charge Wizard cant be beat so I saw no need to scrap it. The 3000 I purchased is overkill for my needs. I would probably go with something in the 1500 range now. I was looking at the Prosine models and purchased the 3000 for less than half the cost of the smallest Posine. It runs everything in the coach but the a/c and for some reason the microwave. Not a big deal for us.

on edit: I bought an electric start Kipor 3500ti for less than I paid for my Honda EU2000. It has been FLAWLESS! Is heavier and requires help to load but is electric start and my wife has no problems going out and starting it!
 

Uncle Rog

Well-known member
I have a yamaha 3000ISEB portable, do you just leave it in the back of the truck? I messed mine up on my 1st Death Valley trip, the pin extension torqued the top of the unit, it is only cosmetic but you are right it takes two to load and my wife is not one of the two. Sounds like you like the xantrex. How many batteries do you run?
 

timk

Well-known member
Uncle Rog

We have a Xantrex 2000 and a Xantrex 1000 cheapie. Our 1000 wont start the big TV, but it will run it, if you start the TV first with the 2000. The 2000 runs everything except the ac (including microwave, but the microwave is really hard on batteries, draws almost 90 amps). Your 4 6v batteries are about right in my opinion.

The reason we included the 1000w, is that the 2000w draws about 5 amps just sitting there waiting to run something. We also do a fair amount of dry camping, as long as the sun shines, our solar keeps the 4 batteries charged quite nicely.

Whatever you pick out for an inverter, be sure to check out the standby amp draw.

If you do get one of the big inverters, be sure to get one with the charger built in. With your generator it will get the batteries back up real fast.

TimK
 

Uncle Rog

Well-known member
Thanks timk, we plan to use the heck out of this rig and the more ideas I get the better. I'm back to installing tie down rings in the cargo bay to keep stuff from rolling around. This is my 4th rig, but we never had this much storage, guess I have to go buy a bunch more stuff! HA! I had no idea about the stand by draw..............
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
I have an ATV ramp that I put a piece of plywood on and can push the Kipor up the ramp by myself. If I do it before I put the hitch in I can roller it to the front of the box and I chain and lock it up there. If the hitch is in just about any able body can help lift it over. I only run two 6v batteries. Have found with the Intelli-power W/Charge Wizard it charges them up in no time at all with the generator. Litature says the no load currant draw on the Xantrex 3000 is <0.6A DC. Of course if we arnt using anything on AC we just flip the remote switch to off.
 

timk

Well-known member
ChopperBill,
To clarify, we have the RS2000 by Xantrex. It suprised me with the amp draw in standby. Which model is it that you have? Your standby rocks.
TimK
 

Uncle Rog

Well-known member
This is kind of embarrasing, but I havn't found the converter yet, and no literature in the owners pack (had to call heartland for the owners manual) is the Intellipower w/charge wizard on the BH units? The xantrex unit I am looking at is the 458 series w/built in 130 amp charger, expensive, are you using the stock converter for charging?
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
UR: I am using the stock IP W/charge wizard for charging the batteries. Like I said it is unbeatable! I have one in our truck camper also and it has been awesome. Thats why I decided to go with a less expensive modified sine wave inverter. Unless you really NEED pure sine wave you can sure get them a lot cheaper. My dealer has a battery box that will hold 2 6v batteries. Seems like it is about $55. I just have another box like the standard one. One vent hose going to the other box. The lids don't fit down tight but they are still vented to the outside.
 

Uncle Rog

Well-known member
Thanks guys, all i want to do is watch tv occaisionally and what else I do not know, maybe the the x power makes alot more sense.......
 

timk

Well-known member
Uncle Rog

In our rig the converter was under the toilet room near the breaker panel. It was ez to get to by taking of a panel in the storage bay.

In my humble opinion, I would take out the stock converter. If you are always going to have 4 6v batteries and the 458 charger, when your plugged in your 458 is going to charge the batteries much more efficiently than the converter. And rather than run the 12v stuff off the converter , its just runs off the batteries.

The 458 has a 3 stage charger, that will really dump the juice to the batteries if they are in need, and will automatically go to float to maintain them. It seems to me that the converter would confuse the 458. If you were going to remain in an rv park for a long period of time, you might want to leave the converter in, but perhaps put a switch on it.

I couldn't find a battery box that fit my needs so I made one out of plywood and then fiber-glassed inside and out.

TimK
 

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Uncle Rog

Well-known member
Good picture Timk, I like Choppers idea of the x power system, but we plan to use this BH a lot and with the computer and everything else I am leaning to the cleaner power and increased charging ability. I made a call this morning and it sounds like you can leave the stock system in place as you mentioned and use it for backup if need be, also the 458 would even be better for a 6 battery system.......tnanks guys
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Agree on a switch for the converter. I just use the breaker panel to shut it down. My inverter wont run with the converter on. The ATS just clicks on and off until I shut off the converter. It gets confused I think. :confused:
The remote for the X power is right by the breaker panel so I might just wire up a separate switch next to the inverter switch so it wont confuse Renee (or me). Some one gave me details to wire a relay so the converter will shut off when the inverter is turned on but I think things are getting a little much for me in the tech dept for one little ole FW.
 

dieselengineer

Charter Member
Who needs a costly ATS

Bill
All I did was move the loads that I do not want on the inverter (all the lighting is 12 volts so that is already done) to one of the legs by placing the existing breakers in a different order. (simple) Then makeup a shore cord that only on leg is connected (the leg that is inverter friendly). Plug into the inverter, Simple as that. No breakers to flip, no ATS, just easy and simple! Cost me just some time and a short shore cord. Creap!
 
J

Jim_1899

Guest
Generator

I have been looking at generators and seen a lot of good ones but I dont want to part with the money for the named brands. I found a Champion 3500 Watt Generator at Cabela's for $399.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0040261522130a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=generator&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=generator&noImage=0&_requestid=38113

What do you think of the generator for use with my Big Horn.

Jim Leach
 

Uncle Rog

Well-known member
Jim, that is embarassing, I am a Cabelas charter member, I have a Yamaha portable that was a lot more money, the only advantage is the noise level. But man with that price I can turn up the volume and do just fine......thanks
 
J

Jim_1899

Guest
I have just re read all the post on the inverter's and have learned enough to ask more questions. I saw the bank of batteries and wondered how many years the batteries life is. The cost of the inverter would be a one time purchase but the batteries could get expensive? I can see that with using both a generator and the inverter would actually work together very well.

I had a chance to tour the back up battery room at Progressive Insurance in Ohio and it gave them instant power and provided power while they started the huge generator, they had a 6,000 gallon tank of fuel and a second generator. I don't work with mechanical things but its been fun learning a little at a time. Do you use the back up power using the batteries and inverter very often?
 
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