Nicely done! . Being 'old school' myself; I like the way you laid everything out, and explained it all. it made sense watching as you explained. you have a lot of power there for sure. ... Wire gage is something I need to study should I ever expand my simple little system... TNX
Just a "Back in the olden days comment" (early 70's) when I was learning about electricity, we were taught that AWG stood for "average wire gauge". Now days, everyone seems to refer to it as "American wire gauge". Anyhow, great informational video as usual Ray.
Maybe it is referred to now as American wire gauge because pretty well the rest of the world uses metric these days. MM2 square millimeters for wire gauges. However, since Canada is so close to the USA and a big trading partner, we still hang onto Imperial measurements for some stuff. Cheers, Ray
Thank you for the explaining the installation. Very informative and easy to understand. I'd been trying to find how to do this for a boat with shore power and your explanation is amazing thank you.
Nice sir, I think I need bigger than my 700-watt inverter to copy your move. Thanks again for reminding this old electronic technician that I still love playing with electronics. -Dave
I just installed this same inverter to replace my previous Motomaster 3000 watt modified sine wave inverter. My setup is for emergency home backup power with simple 14 AWG extensions to critical appliances, so no transfer switch or breaker panel. With my previous setup I needed an Edison plug to bond inverter neutral and ground to operate my furnace correctly. Same situation with the new pure sine wave inverter, but I elected to use the built-in terminal connections to do the bonding, so I just added a short jumper between N and E and closed the lid again. Now the entire inverter presents proper grounding to connected devices, including circuit testers like the one used in the video.
I was a bit concerned too, but as they say, "No guts, no glory." Now it's a really elegant, easy setup. I just wish the manufacturers would provide more information about the various use cases to help out end users. Good thing we have the web or we'd really be lost!
My under standing as to the delay in the transfer switch is so if your shore power is a generator, it gives the generator time to stabilize its output before sending power to the system. You can usually adjust or turn off the delay time with dip switch settings on the transfer switch.
Another great video Ray. Thanks for explaining about the floating ground. Being new to solar and rving Im still learning and this has clarified that aspect. Cheers
Is your inverter ground(neutral) bonded to the case of the inverter(equipment grounding conductor)? Edit: Thanks for going into detail about the grounding :)
Great video! Thanks! I’m new to RVing, bought first camper in 2020 after returning to US from Canada where we rented a few times. I’ve been wanting to add an inverter, with this video I’m confident I can accomplish the task. One question, I have an onboard generator, do I need a different transfer switch, one with 3 separate inputs from shore, generator and inverter? I guess I do.
Very good but my solar power is completely separate from pole power and I installed separate outlets so I can be hooked to shore power and still use my solar power for whatever I want with the outlets that I installed for solar power works for me
Is it ok to install an inverter upside down? My battery cablers are on the right side and if I install the inverter right side up my exiting inverter cables will need to be replaced.
Yes, either way is fine. It's just a logo sticker. :) The manual states to mount it horizontally versus vertically so foreign objects don't fall in the openings on the end.
Hi thanks for the all the great videos. Just a question, did you upgrade the wires that go from the converter to the batteries, or did you leave the camper mfg.'s cables in tact after your installation of lithium batteries?
I left the OEM wiring from the OEM converter as is. I use a second converter near the battery bank for off grid generator charging. It has a very short run of 6 gauge.
Good video. Quick question: Why do you need separate outputs from the inverter to living and bedroom outlets if the inverter is also going to the AC distribution panel. Wouldnt those outlets be covered by the panel anyway?
The living room and bedroom outlets I installed when I used only a 1000W inverter. They were additional dedicated outlets separate from the OEM AC circuits. 1000W Inverter Installation ruclips.net/video/yV2xJiHSbfU/видео.html Once I got this 3000W unit, I decided to connect all my OEM AC outlets to it.
Yes, but also back then I didn't have a transfer switch. The 1000W inverter was purchased mainly to run a computer, charge stuff and our TV. So was easiest to just install an outlet or two using the inverter outlets. Basically they were extension cords.
Yes, my trailer uses a 30A 120VAC service. Larger RVs generally use 50A 240VAC service which is split into two legs of 120VAC 50A so actually have 100 amps at 120VAC. So the switch is a little more complex using 2 hots and one neutral support.gpelectric.com/kb/article/256-transfer-switch-wiring-diagrams-50-amp/
I just purchased the 4000w inverter, the factory wire for the hardwire distribution ground was pushed in to far, and the screw was in the yellow/green ground, not the actual wire.
I'd take it back and get it swapped for a replacement. So far this 3000W pure sine model has worked well have used it to power the RV off gird for almost 7 months. Cheers, Ray
Awesome video Ray … my question is if I got 50 amp motorhome & my transfer switch has shore & generator hooked up where do you hookup inverter? Do it tie into generator or I would need a different transfer switch for all three? Thanks
Here is a Go Power 50 amp transfer switch manual. You can see a couple different options on page 8 with one main panel and one with main and subpanel s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/catsy.549/MOBI_MAN_GP-TS-50.pdf Looks like you'll need two transfer switches. Other models or brands may have everything in one, not sure. Cheers, Ray
Curious, how do you prevent AC operating inadvertently while on Inverter vs shore power? (Power outage or mistakenly forget to turn off). Is your shore power already combined & switched with Generator line in?
No, my generator is portable type not wired into the camper and only 2000W. I'm not sure what will happen haven't found out yet. :) Power outages are pretty rare and especially for both of us to be away from the camper at the same time plus forget to turn off the AC while gone. We also only ever need AC for about 2 months of the year. during the summer. When I head off grid, usually 8 months of the year, I routinely flip off the water heater, converter and AC breakers. But, I'll have to give it a test try and see what happens. My guesses are the inverter might have an overload shutdown or the 250A fuse might blow during the AC start up surge or the inverter will fire the AC up fine and it would run for a several hours until the battery bank ran down. Longer if the sun is out with solar recharging power from 940W of roof panels. So unless the power outage is extended things may work out OK. I could install a subpanel and move some breakers over to it so that the inverter could only ever power select circuits, Maybe a future project! :) Cheers, Ray
May I ask. My RV has a generator, how do I run the wiring if I install an inverter? Shore power ，Generator， Inverter Connected to automatic transfer switch? Thank you in advance for your guidance
Hello Ray, thanks for your video. Question: I've got two inverters in my RV. The original is 2kW and came with the RV. I've installed a second 3kW inverter and it runs all the appliances. However, I have a 120V charger for my 2017 Chevy Volt. I can run it fine on the 2kW inverter, but the charger rejects the 3kW due to a 'bad ground'. Why would it work with one but not the other? I've connected the ground wire to the chassis as required. However, the AC ground (green) is not connected to anything except the proper terminal of the 30A plug I've connected to it. Basically, the original inverter should be fine, but the builder put 100A breakers on the DC inputs thereby limiting the effective power to about 1200W, which is not enough for a microwave etc. I got a decent price on a motomaster 3kW inverter and have installed it. I then plug my RV into it and shut off my converter. It seems work quite well. The other electrical equipment I've tried seems to work fine. Only the car charger rejects it. By the way, the original 2kW inverter is by Xantrex. Any good ideas would be appreciated. Henri (RVing with Henri)
It's likely because the Motomaster AC output isn't bonded neutral to ground. It's a floating neutral, so some things will reject it as miswired. I discussed this a bit in the video - ruclips.net/video/QEqHrIQuI8U/видео.html This happens with portable generators as well, and people use was special N-G bonding plug active-controls-llc.myshopify.com/en-ca/products/ground-neutral-bonding-plug I was leary of trying one with my Motormaster as it may damage it since it has 60V on the neutral and I needed it for my trip and in the USA so can't take it back. Once I'm back in BC for the summer on hookups, I'm going to try, and if it blows. If it does I'll take it back and get a new one.
@@LoveYourRV Thank you for getting back to me. I suspected same based on your video I'd seen before commenting. I'll check the potentials on the AC leads to verify. I'll just leave things as they are as it runs most everything and I don't want to fry the new inverter as the car charger is not a big factor. Again, thanks for your time
@@LoveYourRV Hello , again, Ray sorry to be a pest. However, in my situation above, if I plug in the RV to my wired 30A off the 3kW inverter wouldn't the ground wire from the 3k inverter be grounded to the RV frame via the RV AC distribution system? I can see your point if I just plugged in a load on the inverter's front panel and got a ground fault, but if it's connected to the RVs AC system shouldn't that ensure the AC ground wire is frame grounded? Or are these units wired so the neutral does not connect to ground so that the frame is not energized when stepping into the RV?
Yes, the ground from the inverter connects to the RV frame ground. But it isn't bonded to the neutral. In a normal shore power campground situation, the AC neutral and ground are bonded at the campground's main power panel, never inside the RV. So anything plugged into the camper sees that N-G bond. However, many inverters don't bond the neutral and ground but instead have a floating neutral, which works fine. I think most that have floating neutral are aimed at the mobile market where there aren't earth grounding rods installed, like cars, boats, RVs, and people just plugging stuff into them. I also think they are cheaper to manufacture. Some expensive inverters even have a way to choose floating or bonded neutral via a switch or jumper. Most things will work fine with the floating neutral setup, but some devices, like sophisticated surge protectors, will detect this and show a wiring error as open ground. See this page hughesautoformers.com/product/ground-neutral-bonded-plug/ Some devices sensitive to seeing a normal N-G bond will fail to start. An example is some home gas furnaces. See this page temperaturemaster.com/furnace-wont-run-on-generator/ My guess is your Volt charger is one of these devices sensing the non-bonded neutral and ground and not starting.
Found this on a GM-Volt forum www.gm-volt.com/threads/problem-with-off-grid-120-volt-charging.155625/page-2 but like I said I'm not sure if its wise to use a bonding plug on the Motomaster 3000W. Like I said haven't tried it yet since it seems to used a split voltage method of 60V on the hot and neutral to make the 120 VAC. So if the neutral gets shorted to ground it may damage the internals. Cheers, Ray
Yes, since RVs are designed to be plugged into campground pedestal power outlets that already have the neutral and ground bonded at the campground main panel.
As Always a great and detailed video.. Just one question, everything else in the power system you have installed is protected by fuses in case of a short or failure. Should you not have a fuse in the 120V 30amp output from the inverter or does the inverter have a built in circuit breaker or fuse on the 120v inverter output.
Yes. I took it apart and saw eight 40A blade fuses soldered to the circuit board for protection also there is microprocessor-control protection against low input voltage, high input voltage, short circuit, overload and over-temperature. Max output is 26 amps so as long a person uses a cable rated for at least that there shouldn't be a problem as anything above 26 amps for more than a brief instant will automatically shutdown the inverter output putting it into an overload state and cut off the AC output. I used a 30 amp continuous current rated RV cable as my main conductor. Cheers, Ray
Hi Ray, I’m installing a separate 48v battery and inverter to only run ac boondocking in my rv that’s 12v and like most the ac and microwave doesn’t run on dc. My ac is almost under the new 48v inverter.So what’s the best way to wire ac from 48v system that’s 120/240 to ac. I’m thinking with what you did I’ll undo ac unit wire and extend towards inverter,add transfer switch and rerun wire back to ac unit.Incase I left inverter on while hooking up shore power. Did I get this right? What about the microwave?All I know is I’m getting closer to this mission lol Thanks Ray
You should be able to leave the RV 120VAC distribution as is and install an auto transfer switch on its main feed. When off grid the inverter supplies 120VAC and when on grid its shore power.
@@LoveYourRV ok.Just so happens shore cord is right under the kitchen sink by the inverter.I’ll just have to shut converter charger off manually I guess.Thanks
Ray, I'm curious what your voltage drop is at the inlet power of your inverter after turning the microwave on? When nuking lunch, I've triggered the low-voltage warning on my inverter a few times. I *think* from having a low charge state...lower charge state = lower battery voltage. My drop seems to be a little about 2V
I have lithium batteries so they don't sag much in voltage. Microwave draws around 1500 watts and I see the voltage drop from around 13.2V to 12.5V reported by the Motomaster display.
@@LoveYourRV wow, not much drop. I have LiFePO4. Microwave also pulls 1500W. Maybe because you're 2/0 and vry close to batteries vs 1/0 and 12ft from batteries
Yes, for sure, 12 feet is fairly long distance for inverter cables. About 3 feet or less is ideal. Could be a connection though. I'd run the microwave for a few minutes and then see what if anything is getting hot like the cables or connectors. Warm is OK but hot means its creating too much resistance causing the voltage to drop.
The inverter has built in fuses and also built in protections like short circuit, high amp overload, high temp, etc. so there isn't a need for an external breaker on that line.
Hi Ray, I am curious about the chassis grounding. From what I understand, most inverters are case grounded to the negative terminal of the battery. In most rvs and vehicles, the negative terminal of the battery is chassis grounded. Would this be adding a potential ground loop? I am not sure about your installation, just curious.
In my fifth wheel, the DC battery negative is attached to the metal trailer chassis as some things use it as a DC negative conductor, I guess to save wire costs, also the AC ground bar is wired to the trailer metal chassis, and now the case of this inverter ground lug. Here is what this inverter manual says about the case ground terminal connection: "Prepare a 14 AWG copper wire with enough length to connect the inverter to a ground. Strip the insulation at both sides. Connect one end of the copper wire to the ground terminal (3) of the inverter, and the other end of the wire to the chassis or ground. NOTE: If connecting the inverter in a vehicle, connect the copper wire to the chassis of the vehicle. If connecting the inverter in a boat, connect the copper wire to the boat grounding system. If connecting the inverter in a fixed location, connect the copper wire to a ground rod (a metal rod pounded into the earth) or other proper service entrance ground."
@@LoveYourRV Interesting. Out of curiosity, have you checked to see if your ground lug on your inverter is tied to the negative terminal on your inverter. I checked mine and they are connected to each other. I can't see a benefit to connecting the ground lug to the chassis in my case.
Yes they do appear to be connected inside the inverter. So it appears redundant but maybe its a failsafe incase of something failing in a certain way inside the inverter. Or could they just print those instructions to cover all bases for varying installations, like say if my RV didn't use a frame return for the DC negative. Anyway, figure I'd stick to what the install instructions were.
@@LoveYourRV I find it a little confusing. You are probably right, they are trying to cover all the bases. I wonder what would happen if the negative lead was disconnected and there was a short to ground at less than 250 amps on 14 awg, would that turn it into a heating element? It might be something for an electrical engineer to weigh in on. I find it a bit of a headscratcher.
Not sure, but when I had it apart in the first test video, I saw that the positive and negative inputs are spit into what looks like 4 separate sections on the main circuit board, each fused with two 40 amp fuses in parallel. It would be nice to get hold of a complete schematic to see how everything is internally wired.
A better quality inverter with pass through would eliminate the need for the transfer switch and add other really useful features such as power assist, battery backup, and battery charging.
True, but this one has done what I need for 1/3 the cost and has a 3 year in store sticks and bricks warranty so hard to pass up. I already had the transfer switch and battery chargers. I'm also not a fan of all-in-one things in case they break.
i have the same inverter in my new trailer. the power is not perfect. i cannot run my thermostat. it says fc lol. the 3 different places i brought it to tested the power and the inverter back feeds through battery's. the ac has a box with a bunch of relays. dealer said that the relay box is not working properly because of it and thats why my thermostat dont work. im told to buy a different one like renogy. its kind of depressing considering this inverter was almost 700 buck and the renogy is 400. everything else in the trailer works good. its only the relay box witch is sending bad signal to thermostat. Does anyone got Any ideas? maybe the dealers wrong. i was also wondering if you have a ground ran from transfer switch bar to the ground bar on floor behind pannel?
Interesting. I wonder if your thermostat is one of the new type that uses a digital transmission wire. What is the make and model of the AC? Have you tried truing off the AC breaker and see if the thermostat works properly for heating? In my RV there is a bare wire that goes from the AC panels ground bar to the trailer frame and the DC negative buss bar is also attached to the trailer frame.
I've got 8 panels 235 watts each. A 3000 watt inverter a 4000 watt low frequency inverter that is 110 and 220. The second inverter is for the 38 seer minisplit. I have a 100 Amp powmr brand charge controller and the hybrid inverter also has a 60 Amp charge controller. I'm currently using 24 nissan leaf modules in a 24 volt configuration. Hopefully soon I can upgrade my batteries to some lifepo4. Id like 30 kw of the lifepo4 and maybe 10 or 12 more panels. Thanks for sharing your build
It must be a dud. Maybe it was dropped in shipping or something, as I used mine for a year of full-time RVing, mostly off-grid, with no issues. The buttons work, and the fan only comes on under a high-wattage load like a microwave or if it gets hot. I'd take it back and get it replaced under the 5-year warranty. Cheers, Ray
@@LoveYourRV yeah took it back got a refund, QA must have been on lunch break when i got one. I ended up putting my original 1000w Cantire one back in that still works prefect after 10-12 yrs
*Related Videos*
Previous 3000W Inverter Features/Test Video - www.loveyourrv.com/testing-out-my-new-3000w-motomaster-eliminator-pure-sine-inverter/
Go Power TS-30 Installation - www.loveyourrv.com/30-amp-rv-power-transfer-switch-installation-go-power-ts-30/
1000W Motomaster Inverter - www.loveyourrv.com/1000w-pure-sine-wave-inverter/
All Boondocking Related Videos - www.loveyourrv.com/boondocking-related-post-archive/
Great video! RV tech made easy. Very few people do their own installation on anything anymore. Sign of the iphone generations.
Nicely done! . Being 'old school' myself; I like the way you laid everything out, and explained it all. it made sense watching as you explained. you have a lot of power there for sure. ... Wire gage is something I need to study should I ever expand my simple little system... TNX
That's a really neat and clean install of the new inverter. Appreciate the detailed explanation of what you did--it's working as intended.
Just a "Back in the olden days comment" (early 70's) when I was learning about electricity, we were taught that AWG stood for "average wire gauge". Now days, everyone seems to refer to it as "American wire gauge".
Anyhow, great informational video as usual Ray.
Maybe it is referred to now as American wire gauge because pretty well the rest of the world uses metric these days. MM2 square millimeters for wire gauges. However, since Canada is so close to the USA and a big trading partner, we still hang onto Imperial measurements for some stuff. Cheers, Ray
Thank you for the explaining the installation. Very informative and easy to understand. I'd been trying to find how to do this for a boat with shore power and your explanation is amazing thank you.
Nice sir, I think I need bigger than my 700-watt inverter to copy your move. Thanks again for reminding this old electronic technician that I still love playing with electronics. -Dave
I just installed this same inverter to replace my previous Motomaster 3000 watt modified sine wave inverter. My setup is for emergency home backup power with simple 14 AWG extensions to critical appliances, so no transfer switch or breaker panel. With my previous setup I needed an Edison plug to bond inverter neutral and ground to operate my furnace correctly. Same situation with the new pure sine wave inverter, but I elected to use the built-in terminal connections to do the bonding, so I just added a short jumper between N and E and closed the lid again. Now the entire inverter presents proper grounding to connected devices, including circuit testers like the one used in the video.
Thanks for letting me know, I was fearful of trying a neutral to ground bond and damaging the inverter. Good to know it works!
I was a bit concerned too, but as they say, "No guts, no glory." Now it's a really elegant, easy setup. I just wish the manufacturers would provide more information about the various use cases to help out end users. Good thing we have the web or we'd really be lost!
My under standing as to the delay in the transfer switch is so if your shore power is a generator, it gives the generator time to stabilize its output before sending power to the system. You can usually adjust or turn off the delay time with dip switch settings on the transfer switch.
Another great video Ray. Thanks for explaining about the floating ground. Being new to solar and rving Im still learning and this has clarified that aspect. Cheers
Wonderful Ray!
awesome video...so educational...thanks Ray
Thanks Ray.
Is your inverter ground(neutral) bonded to the case of the inverter(equipment grounding conductor)? Edit: Thanks for going into detail about the grounding :)
Great video! Thanks! I’m new to RVing, bought first camper in 2020 after returning to US from Canada where we rented a few times. I’ve been wanting to add an inverter, with this video I’m confident I can accomplish the task. One question, I have an onboard generator, do I need a different transfer switch, one with 3 separate inputs from shore, generator and inverter? I guess I do.
Very good but my solar power is completely separate from pole power and I installed separate outlets so I can be hooked to shore power and still use my solar power for whatever I want with the outlets that I installed for solar power works for me
Is it ok to install an inverter upside down? My battery cablers are on the right side and if I install the inverter right side up my exiting inverter cables will need to be replaced.
Yes, either way is fine. It's just a logo sticker. :) The manual states to mount it horizontally versus vertically so foreign objects don't fall in the openings on the end.
Hi thanks for the all the great videos. Just a question, did you upgrade the wires that go from the converter to the batteries, or did you leave the camper mfg.'s cables in tact after your installation of lithium batteries?
I left the OEM wiring from the OEM converter as is. I use a second converter near the battery bank for off grid generator charging. It has a very short run of 6 gauge.
@@LoveYourRV thanks so much
Good video. Quick question: Why do you need separate outputs from the inverter to living and bedroom outlets if the inverter is also going to the AC distribution panel. Wouldnt those outlets be covered by the panel anyway?
The living room and bedroom outlets I installed when I used only a 1000W inverter. They were additional dedicated outlets separate from the OEM AC circuits. 1000W Inverter Installation ruclips.net/video/yV2xJiHSbfU/видео.html Once I got this 3000W unit, I decided to connect all my OEM AC outlets to it.
@@LoveYourRV ah ok that makes sense, so if you used this inverter originally you wouldnt have needed the separate outputs to those outlets.
Yes, but also back then I didn't have a transfer switch. The 1000W inverter was purchased mainly to run a computer, charge stuff and our TV. So was easiest to just install an outlet or two using the inverter outlets. Basically they were extension cords.
Excellent 🙏
I'm thinking that your shore power must be 30a ? otherwise, would you not want to use a 50a transfer switch?
Yes, my trailer uses a 30A 120VAC service. Larger RVs generally use 50A 240VAC service which is split into two legs of 120VAC 50A so actually have 100 amps at 120VAC. So the switch is a little more complex using 2 hots and one neutral support.gpelectric.com/kb/article/256-transfer-switch-wiring-diagrams-50-amp/
I just purchased the 4000w inverter, the factory wire for the hardwire distribution ground was pushed in to far, and the screw was in the yellow/green ground, not the actual wire.
I'd take it back and get it swapped for a replacement. So far this 3000W pure sine model has worked well have used it to power the RV off gird for almost 7 months. Cheers, Ray
Awesome video Ray … my question is if I got 50 amp motorhome & my transfer switch has shore & generator hooked up where do you hookup inverter? Do it tie into generator or I would need a different transfer switch for all three? Thanks
Here is a Go Power 50 amp transfer switch manual. You can see a couple different options on page 8 with one main panel and one with main and subpanel s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/catsy.549/MOBI_MAN_GP-TS-50.pdf Looks like you'll need two transfer switches. Other models or brands may have everything in one, not sure. Cheers, Ray
@@LoveYourRV thanks for your help & insight 💯
Curious, how do you prevent AC operating inadvertently while on Inverter vs shore power? (Power outage or mistakenly forget to turn off). Is your shore power already combined & switched with Generator line in?
No, my generator is portable type not wired into the camper and only 2000W. I'm not sure what will happen haven't found out yet. :) Power outages are pretty rare and especially for both of us to be away from the camper at the same time plus forget to turn off the AC while gone. We also only ever need AC for about 2 months of the year. during the summer. When I head off grid, usually 8 months of the year, I routinely flip off the water heater, converter and AC breakers.
But, I'll have to give it a test try and see what happens. My guesses are the inverter might have an overload shutdown or the 250A fuse might blow during the AC start up surge or the inverter will fire the AC up fine and it would run for a several hours until the battery bank ran down. Longer if the sun is out with solar recharging power from 940W of roof panels. So unless the power outage is extended things may work out OK.
I could install a subpanel and move some breakers over to it so that the inverter could only ever power select circuits, Maybe a future project! :) Cheers, Ray
May I ask. My RV has a generator, how do I run the wiring if I install an inverter? Shore power ，Generator， Inverter Connected to automatic transfer switch? Thank you in advance for your guidance
You can use 2 transfer switches support.gopowersolar.com/kb/article/254-transfer-switch-wiring-diagrams-30-amp/
Hello Ray, thanks for your video. Question: I've got two inverters in my RV. The original is 2kW and came with the RV. I've installed a second 3kW inverter and it runs all the appliances. However, I have a 120V charger for my 2017 Chevy Volt. I can run it fine on the 2kW inverter, but the charger rejects the 3kW due to a 'bad ground'. Why would it work with one but not the other? I've connected the ground wire to the chassis as required. However, the AC ground (green) is not connected to anything except the proper terminal of the 30A plug I've connected to it.
Basically, the original inverter should be fine, but the builder put 100A breakers on the DC inputs thereby limiting the effective power to about 1200W, which is not enough for a microwave etc. I got a decent price on a motomaster 3kW inverter and have installed it. I then plug my RV into it and shut off my converter. It seems work quite well. The other electrical equipment I've tried seems to work fine. Only the car charger rejects it. By the way, the original 2kW inverter is by Xantrex. Any good ideas would be appreciated. Henri (RVing with Henri)
It's likely because the Motomaster AC output isn't bonded neutral to ground. It's a floating neutral, so some things will reject it as miswired. I discussed this a bit in the video - ruclips.net/video/QEqHrIQuI8U/видео.html
This happens with portable generators as well, and people use was special N-G bonding plug active-controls-llc.myshopify.com/en-ca/products/ground-neutral-bonding-plug I was leary of trying one with my Motormaster as it may damage it since it has 60V on the neutral and I needed it for my trip and in the USA so can't take it back. Once I'm back in BC for the summer on hookups, I'm going to try, and if it blows. If it does I'll take it back and get a new one.
@@LoveYourRV Thank you for getting back to me. I suspected same based on your video I'd seen before commenting. I'll check the potentials on the AC leads to verify. I'll just leave things as they are as it runs most everything and I don't want to fry the new inverter as the car charger is not a big factor. Again, thanks for your time
@@LoveYourRV Hello , again, Ray sorry to be a pest. However, in my situation above, if I plug in the RV to my wired 30A off the 3kW inverter wouldn't the ground wire from the 3k inverter be grounded to the RV frame via the RV AC distribution system?
I can see your point if I just plugged in a load on the inverter's front panel and got a ground fault, but if it's connected to the RVs AC system shouldn't that ensure the AC ground wire is frame grounded? Or are these units wired so the neutral does not connect to ground so that the frame is not energized when stepping into the RV?
Yes, the ground from the inverter connects to the RV frame ground. But it isn't bonded to the neutral. In a normal shore power campground situation, the AC neutral and ground are bonded at the campground's main power panel, never inside the RV. So anything plugged into the camper sees that N-G bond. However, many inverters don't bond the neutral and ground but instead have a floating neutral, which works fine. I think most that have floating neutral are aimed at the mobile market where there aren't earth grounding rods installed, like cars, boats, RVs, and people just plugging stuff into them. I also think they are cheaper to manufacture. Some expensive inverters even have a way to choose floating or bonded neutral via a switch or jumper.
Most things will work fine with the floating neutral setup, but some devices, like sophisticated surge protectors, will detect this and show a wiring error as open ground. See this page hughesautoformers.com/product/ground-neutral-bonded-plug/
Some devices sensitive to seeing a normal N-G bond will fail to start. An example is some home gas furnaces. See this page temperaturemaster.com/furnace-wont-run-on-generator/
My guess is your Volt charger is one of these devices sensing the non-bonded neutral and ground and not starting.
Found this on a GM-Volt forum www.gm-volt.com/threads/problem-with-off-grid-120-volt-charging.155625/page-2 but like I said I'm not sure if its wise to use a bonding plug on the Motomaster 3000W. Like I said haven't tried it yet since it seems to used a split voltage method of 60V on the hot and neutral to make the 120 VAC. So if the neutral gets shorted to ground it may damage the internals. Cheers, Ray
You can use the AC with the 3000W Inverter?
Yes, I have installed a soft stater in my AC and now the inverter can run my AC, though it runs the batteries down fairly quickly doing that.
well done
So the RV panel uses separate ground bus bars and neutral bus bars?
Yes, since RVs are designed to be plugged into campground pedestal power outlets that already have the neutral and ground bonded at the campground main panel.
@@LoveYourRV Thank you for the clarification.
As Always a great and detailed video.. Just one question, everything else in the power system you have installed is protected by fuses in case of a short or failure. Should you not have a fuse in the 120V 30amp output from the inverter or does the inverter have a built in circuit breaker or fuse on the 120v inverter output.
Yes. I took it apart and saw eight 40A blade fuses soldered to the circuit board for protection also there is microprocessor-control protection against low input voltage, high input voltage, short circuit, overload and over-temperature. Max output is 26 amps so as long a person uses a cable rated for at least that there shouldn't be a problem as anything above 26 amps for more than a brief instant will automatically shutdown the inverter output putting it into an overload state and cut off the AC output. I used a 30 amp continuous current rated RV cable as my main conductor. Cheers, Ray
Hi Ray,
I’m installing a separate 48v battery and inverter to only run ac boondocking in my rv that’s 12v and like most the ac and microwave doesn’t run on dc.
My ac is almost under the new 48v inverter.So what’s the best way to wire ac from 48v system that’s 120/240 to ac.
I’m thinking with what you did I’ll undo ac unit wire and extend towards inverter,add transfer switch and rerun wire back to ac unit.Incase I left inverter on while hooking up shore power.
Did I get this right? What about the microwave?All I know is I’m getting closer to this mission lol Thanks Ray
You should be able to leave the RV 120VAC distribution as is and install an auto transfer switch on its main feed. When off grid the inverter supplies 120VAC and when on grid its shore power.
@@LoveYourRV ok.Just so happens shore cord is right under the kitchen sink by the inverter.I’ll just have to shut converter charger off manually I guess.Thanks
Ray, I'm curious what your voltage drop is at the inlet power of your inverter after turning the microwave on?
When nuking lunch, I've triggered the low-voltage warning on my inverter a few times. I *think* from having a low charge state...lower charge state = lower battery voltage.
My drop seems to be a little about 2V
I have lithium batteries so they don't sag much in voltage. Microwave draws around 1500 watts and I see the voltage drop from around 13.2V to 12.5V reported by the Motomaster display.
@@LoveYourRV wow, not much drop. I have LiFePO4. Microwave also pulls 1500W.
Maybe because you're 2/0 and vry close to batteries vs 1/0 and 12ft from batteries
Yes, for sure, 12 feet is fairly long distance for inverter cables. About 3 feet or less is ideal. Could be a connection though. I'd run the microwave for a few minutes and then see what if anything is getting hot like the cables or connectors. Warm is OK but hot means its creating too much resistance causing the voltage to drop.
When inverting with a floating neutral do the GFCI outlets function?
Yes, been using them for months now with no problems.
Is there an ac circuit breaker at inverter? Line from inverter to transformer switch.
The inverter has built in fuses and also built in protections like short circuit, high amp overload, high temp, etc. so there isn't a need for an external breaker on that line.
@@LoveYourRV Thanks
Excellent video! Can you help me?
How are you liking this inverter I just saw that they were an option
It's only been installed and working for a few days so far so hard to say, not much test time, but so far so good.
@@LoveYourRV thank you
Hi Ray, I am curious about the chassis grounding. From what I understand, most inverters are case grounded to the negative terminal of the battery. In most rvs and vehicles, the negative terminal of the battery is chassis grounded. Would this be adding a potential ground loop? I am not sure about your installation, just curious.
In my fifth wheel, the DC battery negative is attached to the metal trailer chassis as some things use it as a DC negative conductor, I guess to save wire costs, also the AC ground bar is wired to the trailer metal chassis, and now the case of this inverter ground lug.
Here is what this inverter manual says about the case ground terminal connection:
"Prepare a 14 AWG copper wire with enough length to connect the inverter to a ground. Strip the insulation at both sides. Connect one end of the copper wire to the ground terminal (3) of the inverter, and the other end of the wire to the chassis or ground.
NOTE:
If connecting the inverter in a vehicle, connect the copper wire to the chassis of the vehicle. If connecting the inverter in a boat, connect the copper wire to the boat grounding system. If connecting the inverter in a fixed location, connect the copper wire to a ground rod (a metal rod pounded into the earth) or other proper service entrance ground."
@@LoveYourRV Interesting. Out of curiosity, have you checked to see if your ground lug on your inverter is tied to the negative terminal on your inverter. I checked mine and they are connected to each other. I can't see a benefit to connecting the ground lug to the chassis in my case.
Yes they do appear to be connected inside the inverter. So it appears redundant but maybe its a failsafe incase of something failing in a certain way inside the inverter. Or could they just print those instructions to cover all bases for varying installations, like say if my RV didn't use a frame return for the DC negative. Anyway, figure I'd stick to what the install instructions were.
@@LoveYourRV I find it a little confusing. You are probably right, they are trying to cover all the bases. I wonder what would happen if the negative lead was disconnected and there was a short to ground at less than 250 amps on 14 awg, would that turn it into a heating element? It might be something for an electrical engineer to weigh in on. I find it a bit of a headscratcher.
Not sure, but when I had it apart in the first test video, I saw that the positive and negative inputs are spit into what looks like 4 separate sections on the main circuit board, each fused with two 40 amp fuses in parallel. It would be nice to get hold of a complete schematic to see how everything is internally wired.
A better quality inverter with pass through would eliminate the need for the transfer switch and add other really useful features such as power assist, battery backup, and battery charging.
True, but this one has done what I need for 1/3 the cost and has a 3 year in store sticks and bricks warranty so hard to pass up. I already had the transfer switch and battery chargers. I'm also not a fan of all-in-one things in case they break.
👍👍👍🦅🇺🇸😎
i have the same inverter in my new trailer. the power is not perfect. i cannot run my thermostat. it says fc lol. the 3 different places i brought it to tested the power and the inverter back feeds through battery's. the ac has a box with a bunch of relays. dealer said that the relay box is not working properly because of it and thats why my thermostat dont work. im told to buy a different one like renogy. its kind of depressing considering this inverter was almost 700 buck and the renogy is 400. everything else in the trailer works good. its only the relay box witch is sending bad signal to thermostat. Does anyone got Any ideas? maybe the dealers wrong. i was also wondering if you have a ground ran from transfer switch bar to the ground bar on floor behind pannel?
Interesting. I wonder if your thermostat is one of the new type that uses a digital transmission wire. What is the make and model of the AC? Have you tried truing off the AC breaker and see if the thermostat works properly for heating?
In my RV there is a bare wire that goes from the AC panels ground bar to the trailer frame and the DC negative buss bar is also attached to the trailer frame.
I think if you can get the aims inverter charger you'll be much better off
Yeah, for 3 times the cost I bet I would be. :)
Wow
You need Amazon
I have Amazon
No one ever shows how the hard wire a transfer switch. It's all on diagram.
I previously had done a video dedicated to the transfer switch. View here ruclips.net/video/Lb0DuvvFFlA/видео.html Cheers, Ray
Sorry the 2kW inverter is a Freedom Xi
Im struggling with my neautral ground bonding with installing my hybrid inverter charge controller powmr brand.
I've got 8 panels 235 watts each. A 3000 watt inverter a 4000 watt low frequency inverter that is 110 and 220. The second inverter is for the 38 seer minisplit. I have a 100 Amp powmr brand charge controller and the hybrid inverter also has a 60 Amp charge controller. I'm currently using 24 nissan leaf modules in a 24 volt configuration. Hopefully soon I can upgrade my batteries to some lifepo4. Id like 30 kw of the lifepo4 and maybe 10 or 12 more panels. Thanks for sharing your build
YOUR 1000W Was way better then that 3000w crapola
Both have worked fine for me. I don't see a whole lot of differnce inside when I took them apart.
@@LoveYourRV the new one has a button that will push in and get stuck and the fan on the new one usually spins full speed on any load then shuts off
It must be a dud. Maybe it was dropped in shipping or something, as I used mine for a year of full-time RVing, mostly off-grid, with no issues. The buttons work, and the fan only comes on under a high-wattage load like a microwave or if it gets hot. I'd take it back and get it replaced under the 5-year warranty. Cheers, Ray
@@LoveYourRV yeah took it back got a refund, QA must have been on lunch break when i got one. I ended up putting my original 1000w Cantire one back in that still works prefect after 10-12 yrs