inverter install for a north trail 29flr

ferrin81

Member
we just bought out trailer north trail 29flr. says it came solar prepped we can not find any access to wiring to install inverter. new to solar what is the meaning of solar prep and what is included. not sol 190 or 280 just sol prepped
 
Ours came with wiring from the battery to a spot behind a wall in the front storage bin, the solor controller with wiring to the roof for panels and from the controller to the Vault. I had to install the inverter, connect it to those pre-run cables, and add a short jumper inside the Vault between the fuse and the switch. I also could have installed the transfer switch so that power would automatically switch from shore to inverter, but chose not to and will just plug the shore power line into the inverter the few times we would do it. Ours had a disconnect right next to the pre-wired inverter cables to make that easy, though finding the right part with connectors was difficult. As an aside, from the factory they didn't connect he solar controller negative so had to fix that, sloppy. Other than fixing that wire which was difficult to get to, it was pretty easy if you are handy. There's a good youtube video walkthrough (I'll attach the link when my account lets me).
 
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ferrin81

Member
ok thanks for the info trying to get ready for a 2 month road trip. my only Delima is i don't have front stooge my pass thru is in the rear of trailer
 

david-steph2018

Well-known member
okay thanks will probably have to go to dealer then to have inverter put in
Why do you want to install an inverter?
What equipment do you plan on operating off the inverter?
What type of batteries do you have?
What size of battery bank is installed?
Can you install the inverter close to the battery bank?
Are you going to install solar panels on the rig, and how much do you plan?
 

ferrin81

Member
want an inverter so when moving cross country and only staying overnight some where don't want to have to use generator. just overnight would be a tv and maybe couple laptop. not sure on on batteries they are lead calcium deep cycle cant see any more info then that and there are 2 batteries want solar to be portable so when i go into the mountains i can move to optimize sun 400 watts
 

david-steph2018

Well-known member
want an inverter so when moving cross country and only staying overnight some where don't want to have to use generator. just overnight would be a tv and maybe couple laptop. not sure on on batteries they are lead calcium deep cycle cant see any more info then that and there are 2 batteries want solar to be portable so when i go into the mountains i can move to optimize sun 400 watts
For the outlets, if you don't want to power the breaker panel in the rig, install another breaker panel and run the invert to that breaker panel. You can also install different circuits in that panel to power off the inverter.
So, not sure what size the batteries are then. They could be, Group 24, 27, 29 or Group 31 batteries, probably the smallest size.
There may be a plug installed on the side of the rig for plugging in portable solar panels, check this out to see if installed.

Reading material for batteries:
 
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david-steph2018

Well-known member
Consider installing a couple of panels on the roof along with the portable panels. If you place panels on the roof, these will help charge while traveling.
Install the sub-panel and move circuits there that you want to run off the inverter. A transfer switch would probably be handy to install to switch automatically to battery power.
A battery monitoring device would be needed to keep an eye on the batteries.
Figure out what your power draw will be and see what size inverter you will need to install. Also, after this, you may decide larger batteries are needed or even lithium batteries installation.
 

ferrin81

Member
i already have a solar charge controller. Trying to figure out how to get into the space i want to put the inverter my trailer came solar prepped but not sure where i have access to put inverter dealer wants 5 hours labor just for inverter installation
 

ferrin81

Member
okay folks what i am looking for to complete my install is a molex 20 amp wire connection any ideas where i could buy one
 

AKDolFan

Member
Ours came with wiring from the battery to a spot behind a wall in the front storage bin, the solor controller with wiring to the roof for panels and from the controller to the Vault. I had to install the inverter, connect it to those pre-run cables, and add a short jumper inside the Vault between the fuse and the switch. I also could have installed the transfer switch so that power would automatically switch from shore to inverter, but chose not to and will just plug the shore power line into the inverter the few times we would do it. Ours had a disconnect right next to the pre-wired inverter cables to make that easy, though finding the right part with connectors was difficult. As an aside, from the factory they didn't connect he solar controller negative so had to fix that, sloppy. Other than fixing that wire which was difficult to get to, it was pretty easy if you are handy. There's a good youtube video walkthrough (I'll attach the link when my account lets me).
We just received our new trailer and they forgot to install the inverter and transfer switch. I received everything and installed them, but discovered there is no power coming into the Red positive cable to the inverter coming from the vault. Is there something i need to connect inside the vault to power this cable? Would it work to wire a hot cable directly to the battery? I have to remove the battery and box to access the Vault. Thanks.
 

Bogie

Well-known member
There should be a large fuse protecting the wire to the inverter inside the vault. It may be blown or missing.
 
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