EXCELLENT video - Wife and I, living on a very small retirement income, have been living the RV life on a shoe-string budget since 2009. If I had seen this video series "way back when" I could have saved a LOT of money, not to mention headaches. In 2009 we bought a van and started what has been a decade of conversions and updates to the van and, later, a used budget camper trailer. The trailer has been our full time home ever since. You won't BELIEVE the challenges THAT has brought! I came here looking for info on making upgrades and repairs. "All About RV's" has been a college level education. If you have or are planing to buy an RV, I recommend subscribing and watching ALL his videos.
You are the first person out of dozens of influencers to state the modern Victron type inverters have the converter already built in. Huge lightbulb moment for me. Completely changes what how I am going to approach this specific upgrade. I appreciate it!
Am a school bus driver, I certainly can’t afford a repairman most of the time and have to learn how to do upgrades or repairs myself. I put in a new converter in a DRV a month ago, and am remodeling/repairing a Skyline towable that’s has severe water damage. My hands are full and even though this particular video is way over my head after the first 5-7 minutes I still enjoy watching watching as you’re great at step by step directions and explaining how things work. Thank you and keep up the great videos!
Finally someone who has explained to me why my inverter only powers one leg of my camper. Paid $3000 from the dealer to add a 2000 watt xantrex inverter with 2 additional batteries into my 50 amp 5th wheel so I can run my cpap machine, charge phones and watch tv. My camper came with a 1000 watt inverter to power just the residential fridge. Its been nothing but problems since day one. First my 1000 watt inverters GFI would constantly trip, then my 2000 watt xantrex was tripping. Changed both GFI's got one trip out of the 1000 watt unit and GFI keeps tripping again. Thinking about ripping everything out and converting it to the Victron you spoke about. Thank you for this video.
Talking about the 50 amp two leg rv system; that is actually a 220 system. which is made of two 120 legs. the way you explained combining both legs will work as long as there aren't any 220 appliances.
Enjoyed the video, We got solar in February and we love it. We got the Victron inverter and charge controller. battery monitor and two battle born lithium batteries. The batteries were a game changer. If you have the money get the lithium. We also have two 360 watt panels on the roof. We boondock a lot and haven't even used the jenny since we got solar. We used to worry about power when we first got solar. Now we don't even think about it. It wasn't cheap to get it but the freedom and money we've saved from not being in a park will soon pay off. Keep up the videos. By the way, we are Abode to the Road on RUclips and Facebook. Haven't uploaded on RUclips much but we do a lot on Facebook. Hope to hear from you. God Bless.
Jared... I am not sure what your background is, but mine is in electronics and electrical engineering with a mix of other stuff sprinkled in. You sir are a pure master at breaking it down in super simple terms that is easy to digest for those that don't have that kind of background, and then ramping it up as you go. You make it easy for anyone to follow and understand. I love all your videos, including this one, for that reason. Very well done and I can't wait for the next one, along with following your solar install.
Yes He does. I'm a Remote Broadcast Engineer. I have been building and repairing those News Satellite and microwave trucks you see around Arizona for about 30 years (KTSP, KPNX). What Jared covers in his videos are simplistic by my nature of mobile electrical and electronic installation, yet I'm blown away on his eloquence to convey simply electrical systems in his videos; a feat and talent that that has always challenged me. BTW, the cut out graphics and the illustrations that Jared displays in his videos are no small feat to produce as well, and go beyond most other You Tubers abilities. I know the time, method and dedication to produce those images in his videos first hand, and I have complemented him on several of his new found effects and transitions. he's doing a good job of selecting his edges around the images he's grabbing and keying them with the Alpha Channel compatible file format. It's been fun to watch him grow his video editing skills, and by now he is a skillful video editor and photojournalist. I'm just waiting for him to start creating lower-thirds branding of his logo for locators and product names and model information. hahaha.. but that's probably not his 'style'. But what's best of all, is that he can do most of the days work with Marc and Trish, and he can still churn out one of his videos a full day before Marc! hahaha.
Tony Piwko I don't know what kind of electrical engineering you studied but you can't run a microwave or a hair dryer on a small two 12 volt battery bank you will drain all the batteries stored power. Batteries will not run a 13500 BTU HVAC unit. Simply impossible
@@cruz47144 off the battery bank alone you are correct... Especially since the 2 loads you specify are AC and not 12v dc.... but that bank properly equipped with an inverter, solar panel array, and solar charge control it is easily possible and absolutely attainable. In fact there are a ton of other videos showing exactly this on RVs to run the AC, hair dryers, etc off the batteries. Take a look at the "Keep Your Daydream/KYD" build as an example. They have been using it over a year now, and it runs there AC as needed with common sense usage. Jarod's video highlights all the basics needed to lay the foundation on starting down that journey to design such a system.
I was thinking about connecting the 30amp cable (shore cable) to the 2000 watt pure sine inverter using a dog bone and watching the wattage used. I will also unplug the converter when I do this...Travis
Jared - thank you for taking the time to make this truly informative video. I have been researching upgrading my 750 Tripp-Lite to a 2-3K Pure Sine Wave; your presentation talks to my level, not a bunch of terminology that leaves me still clueless. Once again, your gift of delivery is exceptional.
Wow - ok, I do not even know where to begin and this will likely be a longer comment. Ha, sorry 😂🙃 Anyway, 1st - thanks for posting this video. As newbs to full timing, this is a subject that has a million “experts” telling you exactly what to buy, or how to hack a system and cheat your way through to save money. 2nd just love your approach. You make it understandable and allows me (and your audience) to digest an overwhelming subject matter. Power sourcing can be confusing and daunting and your breakdowns are really on point - thank you. 3rd and lastly - I did not even know that they made the “all-in-ones” so to speak, and allowed for both legs to be used. This video is not only informative, but is helpful to peeps just trying to get a grasp on what they would need in order for their power to work for their desires. As we have hit the road and boon-docked, we know full well that we are not prepped for an extended period of time. We (much like you) work from the road and constantly need power for our laptops and other devices. We have already settled in our mind that we do not need or want to run our A/C units anyway, and do not use a microwave, and we French press our coffee, so our power needs to some degree are dialed back from a certain perspective. We have a Xantrax and only the fridge is wired into it, so I may just need to figure out how to get More of my main panel wired from that to operate certain plugs until we get further down the road of experience. Thanks so much Jared. I hope that you have taken the time to read this, and if you care to share any further insight, that would be greatly appreciated! Cheers, ONSPL
After living off grid for many years now I agree with most everything this guy says... my thinking only differs in that I prefer to have seperate components pf a system as opposed to anything "all in one" chargers and inverters, shunts etc all wear out at different times and I would rather fix or replace any single component as it weras out, if it's an all in one you have to replace the entire unit or ship it off to be repaired. Victron has the best reputation and they sell them both ways.
These are two completely separate items. The inverter takes the 12 volts from your battery and converts to A.C. power to run appliances. The converter takes shore power A.C. and converts it to D.C. power to charge your batteries.
I have learned so much watching your videos. I just moved into a 37 foot sprinter by keystone with 3 slide outs. Thank you for sharing in a plain language so anyone can understand
I'm new to rving. Watched a lot of videos on this--by far yours is the best one. I will join if you answer my question: I have two battery banks on my class A--The first is in the engine compartment and runs the engine functions. The second is in the steps and runs the A/C power to the RV. The 112 plugs in the RV are non-operational when the generator is off. All I want to be able to do is run a tv when the RV is driving for the kids and be able to charge phones off of an outlet instead of the a/c plugs. I don't need much wattage for this--like 500. What I would like to do is install an inverter behind the dashboard where the old tubed tv was and hook it to my engine battery to be able to run the tv and have the charging station for phones/devices. I only really need this while driving so I will just plug the tv in behind the dash directly to the inverter. I will put a fuse between the battery and inverter. The location of the inverter will only be a few feet from the car battery. Any problems with my plan?
I used a modified sine wave 1500 watts for 10 years in an 18 wheeler . I had Tv , microwave oven , a toaster oven, electric skillet. And never had any problems.
@@AllAboutRVs ??? I have 1,005 watts, 3x100 BBB and getting the 3000Watt Victron inverter/charger. sadly the 3 batteries are on one side of the RV and so far the only place I see that can fit the inverter/charger is under the dinette set, next to the furnace... HAVING THEM FIVE FEET AWAY From each other , Is that going to be OK? I will be using 4/0 cable. And if I want to add a fourth battery to the mix can I also have it 2-3-or 5 feet away from the first 3 ???
Very informative thank you - Dry camped to see what was needed for a trip to Yellow stone - in our old camper the regular outlets for tv, etc. worked but this new Camper they did not. So I guess I need to invest in an inverter to get power to the ac outlets. Let the research begin lol
Hi Jared. I know I'm late to the game but I just came across your site. I'm an aspiring Full Time Truck Camper and was interested in how to set-up the electrical system the way I wanted. FWIW, Tony Piwko is right on the money. I've been in academia for almost 20 yrs. I've known a lot of geniuses in the lab that couldn't give you directions to the conference room. Its a gift to be able to do the work and explain it at the same time. Well done. I now have a good understanding of what and how to do what I want to do. I just subscribed and liked the video. Good look to you and I look forward to binge-watching your other videos.
Excellent information, presented in an understandable way. I’m currently building a small travel trailer, 7‘ x 20‘. It’s all my wife and I need, but it will be outfitted very well. Every single video that you’ve put out, that I’ve watched, reminds me of something I need to check out. It’s been a few decades since I put a wrench or DVM to an RV, so all the reminders are very welcome!
When you plug the rv shore power into the inverter you would want to flip the breaker off on the converter inside the rv. So it doesnt loop. Only flip the converter breaker on again when inverter is off or shore power is plugged back into a generator or grid power . Thanks for this detailed video
What a good video and it makes me think. When I grow up I'm going to become an electrical engineer. To hell with being a Doctor. I'm pretty damn sure the key life skill set will go right through that Engineering faculty at University.
I have the go power IC2000. With it we disconnected the converter, it charges the batteries and supplies 12 v to the house. You can also adjust the input power level as with the Victron . The other feature I really like is the power sharing, though it is only on leg 1, but say you only had a 2k generator and a/c runs at 1500w but takes 3000w to start, this inverter will borrow the needed watts to start the ac, the the generator can maintain. Anyhoo, thanks for the video and information.
New sub! Just bought an RV for a temporary extended home until the permanent home is built and know very little! This video was extremely helpful and definitely going to rewatch a few more times! 👍 thank you sir!!
Great video but I thought this may be worth a mention. When talking about what's possible vs what's reasonable, I have no doubt that some folks will want to take the what's possible route. In looking through some reviews on the xantrex inverters, I noticed several complaints about the inverter not being able to deliver it full rated output. If you are powering heave loads like microwaves or air conditioners, you not only need to mount the inverter as close as possible to the batteries and use a heavy gauge wire, but you may also need to consider the number of batteries you are running along with their age. My experience has been that with a full load and two 75Ah 12v batteries, the voltage can sag to around 10v and cause the inverter to go into a fault state because of low voltage. Adding an additional battery or 2 can take care of this if you have enough room. The other thing to keep in mind is the efficiency of your power hungry devices. My 800 watt microwave actually pulls about 1100 watts. Air conditioners or anything with a motor can also be power hungry due to the huge amount of power (locked rotor current) it takes to start the motor. When it comes to designing circuits and wiring, I like to oversize just a little bit so I have about an extra 25%. This can help avoid gotchas like these at least in some cases. This is all just personal experience, opinion and a little electronics knowledge so take it or leave it. Have a great day all and happy RV-ing...
Thanks for the explanation. The waste power cycle will be actually beneficial to my way to set-up since I never plan to go with shore power. The only difference will be to wire in grid tie inverters after the regular inverter so I can get solar cheaper and hijack the RVs charge controller for the battery. I could still get shore power in this configuration if I really had to but it would have to be through the grid tie inverters with a simple battery charger.
Thank you for explaining getting around the feedback loop, I knew that was going to happen if you just wired it up to your house panel. What I wanted to know was how to get around that. I appreciate your time in this video.
My coach has a inverter allready installed which is 1500 wtt . I am adding 3 solar panels 295 watt poly used i found on ebay 50 each and i added 2 more trojan deep cycle battrys and i simple regulator that keeps the batterys topped off and protects the batterys so this desing is simple and will work good if you want to have extended rv power without the cost of gas or deisel and dont need the ac,s or microwave this is effective and cheap and easy to install !! 50 x3 150 ,regulator 50 ,inverter can cost 200 for a cheap harbor freight or more for sine wave 2 to 3 trojan deep cycle batterys 100 each and materials needed for a clean install a couple hundred which is still under 1000 and will work great !!thank you
Our 2019 Cougas SGS27 was prewired with three 120v outlets that connect to a dealer-installed 1200 w Xantrex inverter. We power the main 40" TV, a kitchen outlet and a bedroom outlet. No space heaters or blow dryers, but plenty of power for entertainment, electronics and rechargeable items. We boil water on the stove. Ha!
Thank you. I think I want to go to the victron. Just bought motorhome and I figured it would have it. I want to be able to power anything in the coach like tv in bedroom and living room. I think this will work the best. Thank you again.
I have been researching inverters off and on. I have a bit of an electrical background, so AC and DC is not new, but I just couldn't figure out a good way to setup an inverter for my 50amp motorhome. Sure I could do sub panel, or just pick one side of the main panel, but I would not have every outlet hot. So after watching your video I clicked your affiliate link and purchased a Go Power 2000. I got it close to my battery bay but had to route the DC cables out and around. Both were 10' so round trip was 20'. GoPower recommends 5' total round trip. Well I went on a long roadtrip and had constant DC breaker tripping. If I watched my usage I was fine, but couldn't do much. Anyway I have since put in a GoPower fuse-block and a DC switch. I have also cut my round trip down to about 7' cable length. Now I can even use my electric tea kettle to boil water! Without your video I would still be contemplating on what to get and how I wanted to hook it up. Thank you Sir.
I installed a standard 50 amp rv split panel in place of my 30 amp panel. The pedestal power feeds the ac unit and battery charger through 1/2 the panel. The Lithium batteries feed everything else through a 3000 watt inverter that feeds the other 1/2 of the panel. That effectively gives me 55 amps.
Just stumbled across your channel... Dude! you've restored my excitement in getting into RV'ing when I was, well, as my wife recently said..."can we afford RV'ing as snowbirds??! And with ALL the channels and RV'ers that goes on and on about... you gotta get this and that and oh! don't forget the other thingy and the next thing you know you have a power bank and solar system array that, well... literally cost nearly as much if NOT as much as your rig to start with!! AND like many of the other commenters have said, THANY YOU FOR MAKING IT SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND!!!
I set up a board where my inverter and controller (with a 50 amp breaker) then I add my converter and wire it to where if my batteries got low for any reason the converter kicks my generator on and charges my batts...love it and easy to do...😁
Hello, message from the Netherlands. I am slowly understanding a lot more of the electricity in my motorhome. Want to switch to lithium, so these video's are a great help for me. Thanks man.
Couple suggestions: 1, forgo the autoswitch and use the pass-through capability many better inverters have. 2, add the water heater element and refrigerator heating element on the subpanel with the converter. The fridge element would be for those with propane/120v old style refers. Though both the water heater and refer elements can be toggled off in various ways, the problem arises when shore power fails when asleep or away for the day. In that case the inverter would power those hungry elements and drain the battery. edit: I see you did #1 in a later video.
Picking up our new RV on Monday all ready with solar installed. This video was helpful so I know what to look for when doing our PDI. Thanks again Jarrod.
Just FYI about Microwave ovens. They may say 700 watt on them but they draw much more. I had a commercial 1000w unit that showed it used 1950w from the wall. That should not even work on a 15amp circuit (1800w) but I have also seen hair driers rated at 1875w. Maybe because a lot of bathrooms and kitchens have 20a circuits. Inverter microwaves are more efficient. A 1300w draws only 1460w. A regular transformer based Tesco shows 1200w input and only 700w output (cooking) power.
We have nonstop problems with our electrical system. Some kind of parasitic drain. I've installed a battery kill switch but still a problem. I'm here looking for ideas. Your videos are great!
Jared , your videos are the best for people like me that know nothing about how electricity works . You have a great presentation on your videos , so thank you for that . You and your family are fun to watch as well. I would like to know your background . And your wife’s as well . Thanks .
I love the Victron. It was one of my top two choices. One other option for 50 amp circuit would be two outback inverters. If you are bootlegging a single inverter to two circuits, they are the same phase. If you have any 220 appliances that won't work. You can use two outback inverters working together, to proper 180 out of phase power to the two sides of the 50 amp (100 amp) circuit. Side benefit if one fails you only loose power to 1/2 your circuits. Backup is good. The outback units also have the same facility as the victrons in adding power to a generator circuit in a support mode.. use your small generator with the inverter providing surge or support when the load exceeds the generator (or shore feed) capacity.
Looking at this one and think am going to start simple. I just went to lithium and also swapped out my converter to a progressive dynamics. I moved my battery into the camper under our bed and am thinking of just adding this inverter under there too and running an extension cord out of it when we want it (coffee in am, etc...). My question is, how do you know what size fuse to put between the battery and inverter...electricity is something that I am still learning! lol
Enjoying your series of videos explaining batteries and how the electrical system in a RV works. Lots of good information to help us plan our upgrades.
Thank you so much for your videos! I’m a new RVer and you are amazing at explaining your topics. I truly enjoy your channel. Very professional and well made.
Industrial Electrical, Instrumentation and Automation since 1979. An automatic switch for switching from shore power to battery or solar power (and even automatic transfer switches for whole house generators) is usually nothing more than a relay with the coil connected to shore power. While this separates the two sources it can have an unforeseen problem. When contacts make and break under load, the contacts draw an arc which produces carbon. That carbon (looks like black soot) is conductive and builds up over time until it shorts out the contacts, trips breakers and blows fuses. If you have disconnected all your loads and the breakers still trip instantly, then either the breakers are bad or the relay is shorted out. You simply replace that relay and then the fuses. I have seen this happen a few times in industry and one time with a 3-phase main relay disconnect. Older machines were controlled with relay logic.
Do have a video that explains how to have a off grid solar setup while still being able to still have hookups without any kind of power loss. I am about to install solar but I need to make sure that I don't run into the continuous loop of draining my batteries but I need my solar to power my RV and have a 50amp when I'm plugged in.
Getting ready to start my skoolie journey and so glad I happened upon your video! Not ready to go the solar way just yet and this seems to be a beautiful alternative and very cost effective! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!
I have a two bank system and only one bank gets charged by the converter. The DC bank and my LifePO4 bank which i made to be semi-portable plugs right into shore power. I will try to avoid extended charging stages in the DC system and use Shore power to power anything in my camper when needed. With my 13500BTU a/c i can probably run that 6 hours +/- on 400ah, the system is new but tested already. As you mentioned in this video i wired a 30amp socket to my inverter and because its a closed system the converter won't feed back into it.
At 8:00 you talk about the power loop. I am very interested in how Totally trailer setup their solar inverter system. With the independent system. If you have seen it, what are your thoughts?
You may have done so in a previous video that I haven't caught yet. But I wish you had gone into a little bit of detail on not just a battery types but their output capabilities. For example, a marine deep cycle battery is known for being able to draw a heavy current from for an extended. Of time vs. Lithium that you can't. The drawback is that she'll never fully recharge a marine deep cycle battery and a lithium you can. The trade-offs through there. But they are all part of the integrated system that you spoke of and I thought that you should have put that final piece of the puzzle in there. The savings by getting an all-in-one inverter that handles the shore power, the converter, as well as input from the solar panels all end up going into the batteries that you didn't speak of. Just a short little bit about the pros and cons of a marine deep cycle battery versus the pros and cons of a lithium ion versus the pros and cons of a lifopo. You might have also talked about the differences between using a 24 volt system or even a 48 volt system running in series parallel to not only increase your voltage output put your amperage output, both of which increase your power output. Watts = (Volts * Amps). Compare to a more standard 13.8 volt system that can be charged buy a high output alternator as part of your engine. In your case with the additional space-saving I would have filled that compartment with as many batteries as I could unless your battery compartment is on the other side to better balance the RV. If I missed that video please excuse my intrusion.
Great video Jared. One thing I would say is a cheap solution to help avoid the converter inverter loop are battery disconnect switches. One on the output or 110v on the inverter and one on the 110v input of the converter. It's a few switches to flip(inverter power switch, inverter disconnect and converter disconnect) but it solves the problem for around $50
@Paul Raffa no. The first disconnect switch is to interrupt power(110v)to the converter and the second on the input(12v) to the inverter. Only one key so only one can be on at a time. It's basically the same thing and automatic transfer switch would do but a lot cheaper. Yes you have to do it manually when switching from generator/shore power to battery so its an extra thing to do but as long as you position the switches somewhere convenient it works fine. Going on 3 years with mine. Works great
Jared, your videos are awesome... I’ve looked at a lot of videos trying to figure out what I’m going to need to set up power in my Skoolie, and yours are the only ones that give me an actual clear idea of what is needed and how all the components work together. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I do have one question I need clarified, though. You said the Victron negates the need for a separate sub panel... does that mean it includes the panel for the AC breakers as well as the DC fuses?
Thanks for the great information. I have a VERY old generator that is not putting out at 120. I want to plan out by going with an inverter, to new generator to battery back up to solar. My question is what do I need to get starterd?
you can charge while towing directly from tow vehicle with an simple Anderson connector... this is in addition to the conventional 7 pin connector... straight from the standard alternator
Hi Jared, You did what I'm thinking of doing. Excellent video and diagrams. I do have a few questions though. On the diagram of your system, the incoming shore power is either shore power or generator. How did you wire that sub panel for those 2 incoming power supplies? Thanks for sharing!!
Another great video. But I'd stick with calling 50 amp service 50 amp. The supply wire for each leg is still likely going to be the same size as the wire on a 30 amp service which is usually 12 or 10 ga. rated for 20 to 30 amps. So you basically have 40 to 60 amps total.
As you mentioned in the video, it's important to have a fuse or breaker from the battery to the inverter. How do you determine what size fuse or breaker to use ? Love the videos. Good job.
Size the wire to safely carry the load that you will have and size the fuze to protect the wire. There are charts that I usually follow. www.bluesea.com/resources/1437
awsome vidio if i want to just power my dometic refrigerator only when im traveling between campgrounds. i dont want to use propane. how can i do that. thanks dennis
After all the research to put my system in, I understood everything you said. Another informative video. One thing I notice about the video reviews and tips about solar is that no one mentions that you get 30% off the cost. Your RV is considered a second home and qualifies for the Solar tax refund. Almost paid for 2 of my Battleborns. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
Hi Jered You explain everything super good but you didn’t mention anything about the fridge, I know this video is old and I have seen it now three times for the same reason. I have a small travel trailer GD Imagine 21BHE and I would like to install an inverter just to powered my fridge while I’m traveling, any tip. I will be really stoked if you actually answer me
I'm installing solar later this year, and I'm doing it all at once so I get the tax write-off for everything. That includes the inverter. So, that's a good way to save some money. I'm glad you said you like the Victron, that's the one I'm getting. Thanks, as always, for this great overview!
Do you have any more detailed wiring diagrams of your set up? I've been wondering for months how to incorporate my rv's converter into a solar system with inverter and yours is the first with any specific info. Thanks!
If you would like to, you can email me at jaredallaboutrvs@gmail.com with your specific equipment and I’ll do my best to walk you through how to wire it.
I really enjoy your videos but have a question. I know these brands and others are better quality but these and others are pricey. You mention practical so here’s my question. What about finding a pure sine wave inverter from somewhere you can get an inexpensive extended warranty knowing these things are going to fail? I didn’t see your less expensive choice. Harbor freight has a upper end called Jupiter that’s 3,000 and 6,000 surge for $599.99 and I’m think every year or two if it fails, they will exchange it and start over. Amazon has some with 2 year warranties and I believe they sell extended warranties too. Just the nature of inverters seems like they would not last unless you spend 1 000’s. If it was an off grid home, different story. I really appreciate all your education videos, thanks
speaking of charging, how adaquete is the 12v feed from a typical tow vehicle? we rarely boondock, when we do it's overnight during a long road trip, like 2000 miles in 4 or 5 days. we have a brand new 100 Ah agm battery with 1000 watt inverter and the only loads "on the road" are personal electronics(tv, laptop, etc), fridge on propane, water heater on propane, lights and a fan. Is it practical to expect the alternator to recharge the agm battery through the 7 pin while highway driving for several hours
Just wondering what advantage the inverter set up will have over just by using the solar battery for example Ecoflow Delta max 2000W with small solar system. Just plug the RV directly to solar battery , turn the RV battery switch off and run almost everything you need inside the trailer. Price wise would be almost the same.....
Yes, that is what I do, after I plug my RV into my inverter (the same make and model inverter had since 2016 ) I simple turn off the breaker for my Converter.
@@guohuaye12 Thanks for the reply. I went with a TS-30 transfer switch and just connected my converter’s power supply to the “shore-in” side of the switch so that the converter only has power when plugged into a generator or shore power source.
What size fuse do you run between inverter and batteries. I have a Jupiter 3000 watt inverter. I ran a dedicated line just for an air machine in the bedroom. I enjoy your videos and watch them all the time if you can give me an idea what size fuse to use I would appreciate it. Dave
Another excellent video. I wonder if anyone knows the answer to this question: I have a 2022 Winnebago class A Vista with a factory installed 1000 watt pure sine wave inverter. We added a second solar panel and changed to Battle Born batteries. Can I swap out the inverter to a 2000 watt without changing coach or battery wiring? I didn’t know if the extra draw needed heavier gauge wiring. Thank you again
I’m glad I stumbled across your channel, this is exactly what I was looking to find now that I’m considering installing solar and inverter on my trailer this season. Cheers!
Great video as I have also Dowling it. How many watts circuit breaker would you recommend when I connect a 3000 watts motor to a 5000 inverter? How many 100ah battery would I need? Thank you from South Africa 🇿🇦
Great Video!! What type of "breaker/fuse" are you referring to in the video In the "simple" setup? My goal is to start simple and see how much I use it before integrating into the rig. Just want to say, like everyone else here, I truly appreciate your videos. Bought my first RV this year, and your videos have been so helpful in having a wonderful and successful first year of RVing, thank you so much.
Another great vid, Jared; you've a talent to explain something that can be deep and confusing for some of us, into a pretty easily understood explanation. Thanks so much for taking the time and energy to help us all. Y'all Be Safe!
Michael Cieslak Hi Jared I have 4 wires coming out of the transfer switch red, white, black and ground However Victron Multi 3000 allows for AC-in only 3 wires, line, neutral and ground. Where does the fourth wire coming out of the transfer switch connect to?
I printed your 5 circuits and have been pondering over them. They aren’t point -to-points like I’m used to.I’m not sure how theSmart Switch internal contacts connect for the two? Switch positions. I’m interested in the 50A Smart Phase Selector version. Not sure of the connections in the RV Breaker Panel or inside the Multiplus. The MPPT is a battery charger as is the which also is the Inverter in the circuit. Why two chargers?Renogy 200W monocrystalline panels a good choice? Each puts out 16.7A at full output? The MMPT charger in your diagram is 20A? The Multiplus is 120A charger rating? How many 200W panels can be connected? What is the max A current that can come from the panels? On a mid winter day in N Idaho the sun only gets about 35 deg up and it is common to have panels on the ground to gather snow sunlight reflection off the ground - so one needs to watch the current so more panels can be set out on cloudy winter days. I’m running into dead ends on getting a usefully sized new RV solar system on what will be my first RV installed. Not really equipped to be able to do it myself. I’m a crippled old man and a whiner. I need a system that will have most of a good system that needs a few tweaks. Not going well so far. Keep up the good work on educating us. Thanks, Kenton.
EXCELLENT video - Wife and I, living on a very small retirement income, have been living the RV life on a shoe-string budget since 2009. If I had seen this video series "way back when" I could have saved a LOT of money, not to mention headaches. In 2009 we bought a van and started what has been a decade of conversions and updates to the van and, later, a used budget camper trailer. The trailer has been our full time home ever since. You won't BELIEVE the challenges THAT has brought! I came here looking for info on making upgrades and repairs. "All About RV's" has been a college level education. If you have or are planing to buy an RV, I recommend subscribing and watching ALL his videos.
You are the first person out of dozens of influencers to state the modern Victron type inverters have the converter already built in. Huge lightbulb moment for me. Completely changes what how I am going to approach this specific upgrade. I appreciate it!
They basically all have that now. Also the aios have better battery management, etc
You have a knack for being able to explain complex things in a way that us common folk can understand. Thank you.
Agreed! Thank you!
Am a school bus driver, I certainly can’t afford a repairman most of the time and have to learn how to do upgrades or repairs myself. I put in a new converter in a DRV a month ago, and am remodeling/repairing a Skyline towable that’s has severe water damage. My hands are full and even though this particular video is way over my head after the first 5-7 minutes I still enjoy watching watching as you’re great at step by step directions and explaining how things work. Thank you and keep up the great videos!
3 years later, still a top notch video!
Thank you.
Finally someone who has explained to me why my inverter only powers one leg of my camper. Paid $3000 from the dealer to add a 2000 watt xantrex inverter with 2 additional batteries into my 50 amp 5th wheel so I can run my cpap machine, charge phones and watch tv. My camper came with a 1000 watt inverter to power just the residential fridge. Its been nothing but problems since day one. First my 1000 watt inverters GFI would constantly trip, then my 2000 watt xantrex was tripping. Changed both GFI's got one trip out of the 1000 watt unit and GFI keeps tripping again. Thinking about ripping everything out and converting it to the Victron you spoke about. Thank you for this video.
Talking about the 50 amp two leg rv system; that is actually a 220 system. which is made of two 120 legs. the way you explained combining both legs will work as long as there aren't any 220 appliances.
You are very easy to understand. You don't overload us with mumbo-jumbo. Keep up the great videos.
Your the first person that I can truest understand on this topic. Thank you.
Enjoyed the video, We got solar in February and we love it. We got the Victron inverter and charge controller. battery monitor and two battle born lithium batteries. The batteries were a game changer. If you have the money get the lithium. We also have two 360 watt panels on the roof. We boondock a lot and haven't even used the jenny since we got solar. We used to worry about power when we first got solar. Now we don't even think about it. It wasn't cheap to get it but the freedom and money we've saved from not being in a park will soon pay off. Keep up the videos. By the way, we are Abode to the Road on RUclips and Facebook. Haven't uploaded on RUclips much but we do a lot on Facebook. Hope to hear from you. God Bless.
I’ll have to look you up!
Jared... I am not sure what your background is, but mine is in electronics and electrical engineering with a mix of other stuff sprinkled in.
You sir are a pure master at breaking it down in super simple terms that is easy to digest for those that don't have that kind of background, and then ramping it up as you go. You make it easy for anyone to follow and understand. I love all your videos, including this one, for that reason.
Very well done and I can't wait for the next one, along with following your solar install.
Thank you for such kind words!
Yes He does. I'm a Remote Broadcast Engineer. I have been building and repairing those News Satellite and microwave trucks you see around Arizona for about 30 years (KTSP, KPNX). What Jared covers in his videos are simplistic by my nature of mobile electrical and electronic installation, yet I'm blown away on his eloquence to convey simply electrical systems in his videos; a feat and talent that that has always challenged me.
BTW, the cut out graphics and the illustrations that Jared displays in his videos are no small feat to produce as well, and go beyond most other You Tubers abilities. I know the time, method and dedication to produce those images in his videos first hand, and I have complemented him on several of his new found effects and transitions. he's doing a good job of selecting his edges around the images he's grabbing and keying them with the Alpha Channel compatible file format. It's been fun to watch him grow his video editing skills, and by now he is a skillful video editor and photojournalist. I'm just waiting for him to start creating lower-thirds branding of his logo for locators and product names and model information. hahaha.. but that's probably not his 'style'. But what's best of all, is that he can do most of the days work with Marc and Trish, and he can still churn out one of his videos a full day before Marc! hahaha.
Tony Piwko I don't know what kind of electrical engineering you studied but you can't run a microwave or a hair dryer on a small two 12 volt battery bank you will drain all the batteries stored power. Batteries will not run a 13500 BTU HVAC unit. Simply impossible
@@cruz47144 off the battery bank alone you are correct... Especially since the 2 loads you specify are AC and not 12v dc.... but that bank properly equipped with an inverter, solar panel array, and solar charge control it is easily possible and absolutely attainable. In fact there are a ton of other videos showing exactly this on RVs to run the AC, hair dryers, etc off the batteries. Take a look at the "Keep Your Daydream/KYD" build as an example. They have been using it over a year now, and it runs there AC as needed with common sense usage.
Jarod's video highlights all the basics needed to lay the foundation on starting down that journey to design such a system.
I concur! This is one area that normally my eyes glaze over. I love this channel.
I was thinking about connecting the 30amp cable (shore cable) to the 2000 watt pure sine inverter using a dog bone and watching the wattage used. I will also unplug the converter when I do this...Travis
That's me
Jared - thank you for taking the time to make this truly informative video. I have been researching upgrading my 750 Tripp-Lite to a 2-3K Pure Sine Wave; your presentation talks to my level, not a bunch of terminology that leaves me still clueless. Once again, your gift of delivery is exceptional.
Thank you!
Wow - ok, I do not even know where to begin and this will likely be a longer comment. Ha, sorry
😂🙃
Anyway, 1st - thanks for posting this video. As newbs to full timing, this is a subject that has a million “experts” telling you exactly what to buy, or how to hack a system and cheat your way through to save money.
2nd just love your approach. You make it understandable and allows me (and your audience) to digest an overwhelming subject matter. Power sourcing can be confusing and daunting and your breakdowns are really on point - thank you.
3rd and lastly - I did not even know that they made the “all-in-ones” so to speak, and allowed for both legs to be used. This video is not only informative, but is helpful to peeps just trying to get a grasp on what they would need in order for their power to work for their desires.
As we have hit the road and boon-docked, we know full well that we are not prepped for an extended period of time. We (much like you) work from the road and constantly need power for our laptops and other devices. We have already settled in our mind that we do not need or want to run our A/C units anyway, and do not use a microwave, and we French press our coffee, so our power needs to some degree are dialed back from a certain perspective. We have a Xantrax and only the fridge is wired into it, so I may just need to figure out how to get More of my main panel wired from that to operate certain plugs until we get further down the road of experience.
Thanks so much Jared. I hope that you have taken the time to read this, and if you care to share any further insight, that would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
ONSPL
After living off grid for many years now I agree with most everything this guy says... my thinking only differs in that I prefer to have seperate components pf a system as opposed to anything "all in one" chargers and inverters, shunts etc all wear out at different times and I would rather fix or replace any single component as it weras out, if it's an all in one you have to replace the entire unit or ship it off to be repaired. Victron has the best reputation and they sell them both ways.
You use the term, inverter and converter interchangeably which adds to the confusion. Thumbs up.
These are two completely separate items. The inverter takes the 12 volts from your battery and converts to A.C. power to run appliances. The converter takes shore power A.C. and converts it to D.C. power to charge your batteries.
@@larryames2281 Thank you for you response. It as though the distinction is not made.
I have learned so much watching your videos. I just moved into a 37 foot sprinter by keystone with 3 slide outs. Thank you for sharing in a plain language so anyone can understand
I'm new to rving.
Watched a lot of videos on this--by far yours is the best one. I will join if you answer my question:
I have two battery banks on my class A--The first is in the engine compartment and runs the engine functions. The second is in the steps and runs the A/C power to the RV. The 112 plugs in the RV are non-operational when the generator is off.
All I want to be able to do is run a tv when the RV is driving for the kids and be able to charge phones off of an outlet instead of the a/c plugs. I don't need much wattage for this--like 500. What I would like to do is install an inverter behind the dashboard where the old tubed tv was and hook it to my engine battery to be able to run the tv and have the charging station for phones/devices. I only really need this while driving so I will just plug the tv in behind the dash directly to the inverter. I will put a fuse between the battery and inverter. The location of the inverter will only be a few feet from the car battery.
Any problems with my plan?
I used a modified sine wave 1500 watts for 10 years in an 18 wheeler . I had Tv , microwave oven , a toaster oven, electric skillet. And never had any problems.
Your hair dryer demo from 0:54 was the best part! Just kidding - great video, thank you for taking the time to make and share it.
Thanks
@@AllAboutRVs ??? I have 1,005 watts, 3x100 BBB and getting the 3000Watt Victron inverter/charger. sadly the 3 batteries are on one side of the RV and so far the only place I see that can fit the inverter/charger is under the dinette set, next to the furnace...
HAVING THEM FIVE FEET AWAY From each other , Is that going to be OK?
I will be using 4/0 cable.
And if I want to add a fourth battery to the mix can I also have it 2-3-or 5 feet away from the first 3 ???
Very informative thank you - Dry camped to see what was needed for a trip to Yellow stone - in our old camper the regular outlets for tv, etc. worked but this new Camper they did not. So I guess I need to invest in an inverter to get power to the ac outlets. Let the research begin lol
Hi Jared. I know I'm late to the game but I just came across your site. I'm an aspiring Full Time Truck Camper and was interested in how to set-up the electrical system the way I wanted. FWIW, Tony Piwko is right on the money. I've been in academia for almost 20 yrs. I've known a lot of geniuses in the lab that couldn't give you directions to the conference room. Its a gift to be able to do the work and explain it at the same time. Well done. I now have a good understanding of what and how to do what I want to do. I just subscribed and liked the video. Good look to you and I look forward to binge-watching your other videos.
Excellent information, presented in an understandable way.
I’m currently building a small travel trailer, 7‘ x 20‘. It’s all my wife and I need, but it will be outfitted very well. Every single video that you’ve put out, that I’ve watched, reminds me of something I need to check out. It’s been a few decades since I put a wrench or DVM to an RV, so all the reminders are very welcome!
Thanks
When you plug the rv shore power into the inverter you would want to flip the breaker off on the converter inside the rv. So it doesnt loop. Only flip the converter breaker on again when inverter is off or shore power is plugged back into a generator or grid power .
Thanks for this detailed video
What a good video and it makes me think. When I grow up I'm going to become an electrical engineer. To hell with being a Doctor.
I'm pretty damn sure the key life skill set will go right through that Engineering faculty at University.
I bought a 2000 wt mod wave inverter to do one thing, run our RV fridg while under way. Probably over kill, but it does a great job.
You should get a true sine / pure sine wave inverter. Save your fridge motor!
I have the go power IC2000. With it we disconnected the converter, it charges the batteries and supplies 12 v to the house. You can also adjust the input power level as with the Victron . The other feature I really like is the power sharing, though it is only on leg 1, but say you only had a 2k generator and a/c runs at 1500w but takes 3000w to start, this inverter will borrow the needed watts to start the ac, the the generator can maintain. Anyhoo, thanks for the video and information.
New sub! Just bought an RV for a temporary extended home until the permanent home is built and know very little! This video was extremely helpful and definitely going to rewatch a few more times! 👍 thank you sir!!
On really high dollar rv what do they consider important to go thru inverter the 4 slide outs 1 of em
@@edroberson9394 we don’t have any slides just an AC unit
@@edroberson9394 we don’t have any slides just an AC unit
Great video but I thought this may be worth a mention. When talking about what's possible vs what's reasonable, I have no doubt that some folks will want to take the what's possible route. In looking through some reviews on the xantrex inverters, I noticed several complaints about the inverter not being able to deliver it full rated output. If you are powering heave loads like microwaves or air conditioners, you not only need to mount the inverter as close as possible to the batteries and use a heavy gauge wire, but you may also need to consider the number of batteries you are running along with their age. My experience has been that with a full load and two 75Ah 12v batteries, the voltage can sag to around 10v and cause the inverter to go into a fault state because of low voltage. Adding an additional battery or 2 can take care of this if you have enough room. The other thing to keep in mind is the efficiency of your power hungry devices. My 800 watt microwave actually pulls about 1100 watts. Air conditioners or anything with a motor can also be power hungry due to the huge amount of power (locked rotor current) it takes to start the motor. When it comes to designing circuits and wiring, I like to oversize just a little bit so I have about an extra 25%. This can help avoid gotchas like these at least in some cases. This is all just personal experience, opinion and a little electronics knowledge so take it or leave it. Have a great day all and happy RV-ing...
Great advice, I completely agree.
Thanks for the explanation. The waste power cycle will be actually beneficial to my way to set-up since I never plan to go with shore power. The only difference will be to wire in grid tie inverters after the regular inverter so I can get solar cheaper and hijack the RVs charge controller for the battery. I could still get shore power in this configuration if I really had to but it would have to be through the grid tie inverters with a simple battery charger.
Thank you for explaining getting around the feedback loop, I knew that was going to happen if you just wired it up to your house panel. What I wanted to know was how to get around that. I appreciate your time in this video.
My coach has a inverter allready installed which is 1500 wtt . I am adding 3 solar panels 295 watt poly used i found on ebay 50 each and i added 2 more trojan deep cycle battrys and i simple regulator that keeps the batterys topped off and protects the batterys so this desing is simple and will work good if you want to have extended rv power without the cost of gas or deisel and dont need the ac,s or microwave this is effective and cheap and easy to install !! 50 x3 150 ,regulator 50 ,inverter can cost 200 for a cheap harbor freight or more for sine wave 2 to 3 trojan deep cycle batterys 100 each and materials needed for a clean install a couple hundred which is still under 1000 and will work great !!thank you
Our 2019 Cougas SGS27 was prewired with three 120v outlets that connect to a dealer-installed 1200 w Xantrex inverter. We power the main 40" TV, a kitchen outlet and a bedroom outlet. No space heaters or blow dryers, but plenty of power for entertainment, electronics and rechargeable items. We boil water on the stove. Ha!
That's a great very practical setup.
Thank you. I think I want to go to the victron. Just bought motorhome and I figured it would have it. I want to be able to power anything in the coach like tv in bedroom and living room. I think this will work the best. Thank you again.
I have been researching inverters off and on. I have a bit of an electrical background, so AC and DC is not new, but I just couldn't figure out a good way to setup an inverter for my 50amp motorhome. Sure I could do sub panel, or just pick one side of the main panel, but I would not have every outlet hot. So after watching your video I clicked your affiliate link and purchased a Go Power 2000. I got it close to my battery bay but had to route the DC cables out and around. Both were 10' so round trip was 20'. GoPower recommends 5' total round trip. Well I went on a long roadtrip and had constant DC breaker tripping. If I watched my usage I was fine, but couldn't do much. Anyway I have since put in a GoPower fuse-block and a DC switch. I have also cut my round trip down to about 7' cable length. Now I can even use my electric tea kettle to boil water! Without your video I would still be contemplating on what to get and how I wanted to hook it up. Thank you Sir.
I installed a standard 50 amp rv split panel in place of my 30 amp panel. The pedestal power feeds the ac unit and battery charger through 1/2 the panel. The Lithium batteries feed everything else through a 3000 watt inverter that feeds the other 1/2 of the panel. That effectively gives me 55 amps.
Just stumbled across your channel... Dude! you've restored my excitement in getting into RV'ing when I was, well, as my wife recently said..."can we afford RV'ing as snowbirds??! And with ALL the channels and RV'ers that goes on and on about... you gotta get this and that and oh! don't forget the other thingy and the next thing you know you have a power bank and solar system array that, well... literally cost nearly as much if NOT as much as your rig to start with!! AND like many of the other commenters have said, THANY YOU FOR MAKING IT SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND!!!
I set up a board where my inverter and controller (with a 50 amp breaker) then I add my converter and wire it to where if my batteries got low for any reason the converter kicks my generator on and charges my batts...love it and easy to do...😁
Hello, message from the Netherlands. I am slowly understanding a lot more of the electricity in my motorhome. Want to switch to lithium, so these video's are a great help for me. Thanks man.
Couple suggestions:
1, forgo the autoswitch and use the pass-through capability many better inverters have.
2, add the water heater element and refrigerator heating element on the subpanel with the converter. The fridge element would be for those with propane/120v old style refers. Though both the water heater and refer elements can be toggled off in various ways, the problem arises when shore power fails when asleep or away for the day. In that case the inverter would power those hungry elements and drain the battery.
edit: I see you did #1 in a later video.
Picking up our new RV on Monday all ready with solar installed. This video was helpful so I know what to look for when doing our PDI. Thanks again Jarrod.
Thank you! This process is so overwhelming, but you explained everything so clearly! Really appreciate the help 🙏🏼
GREAT VIDEO !!!
Would love to see a short one on which converters are best for which people.
That’s on the list of videos that I plan to do 😊
This was confusing! Could you just install mine for me??? lol! love your informative videos.
$$$
Just FYI about Microwave ovens. They may say 700 watt on them but they draw much more. I had a commercial 1000w unit that showed it used 1950w from the wall. That should not even work on a 15amp circuit (1800w) but I have also seen hair driers rated at 1875w. Maybe because a lot of bathrooms and kitchens have 20a circuits. Inverter microwaves are more efficient. A 1300w draws only 1460w. A regular transformer based Tesco shows 1200w input and only 700w output (cooking) power.
We have nonstop problems with our electrical system. Some kind of parasitic drain. I've installed a battery kill switch but still a problem. I'm here looking for ideas. Your videos are great!
Jared, you always have the most comprehensive videos. Thank you form all us visual learners! Keep doing what you do. Its making a difference.
Jared , your videos are the best for people like me that know nothing about how electricity works . You have a great presentation on your videos , so thank you for that . You and your family are fun to watch as well.
I would like to know your background . And your wife’s as well . Thanks .
I love the Victron. It was one of my top two choices. One other option for 50 amp circuit would be two outback inverters. If you are bootlegging a single inverter to two circuits, they are the same phase. If you have any 220 appliances that won't work. You can use two outback inverters working together, to proper 180 out of phase power to the two sides of the 50 amp (100 amp) circuit. Side benefit if one fails you only loose power to 1/2 your circuits. Backup is good. The outback units also have the same facility as the victrons in adding power to a generator circuit in a support mode.. use your small generator with the inverter providing surge or support when the load exceeds the generator (or shore feed) capacity.
Looking at this one and think am going to start simple. I just went to lithium and also swapped out my converter to a progressive dynamics. I moved my battery into the camper under our bed and am thinking of just adding this inverter under there too and running an extension cord out of it when we want it (coffee in am, etc...). My question is, how do you know what size fuse to put between the battery and inverter...electricity is something that I am still learning! lol
Enjoying your series of videos explaining batteries and how the electrical system in a RV works. Lots of good information to help us plan our upgrades.
Jared good explanation,I have a question? What size of battery bank is the best for this inverter,the last the best in your video?
Love your interior (white cabinets) Beautiful.
Thank you, we love them too and wish they would manufacture them that way originally but not everyone feels the same way.
Thank you so much for your videos! I’m a new RVer and you are amazing at explaining your topics. I truly enjoy your channel. Very professional and well made.
Industrial Electrical, Instrumentation and Automation since 1979.
An automatic switch for switching from shore power to battery or solar power (and even automatic transfer switches for whole house generators) is usually nothing more than a relay with the coil connected to shore power.
While this separates the two sources it can have an unforeseen problem.
When contacts make and break under load, the contacts draw an arc which produces carbon.
That carbon (looks like black soot) is conductive and builds up over time until it shorts out the contacts, trips breakers and blows fuses.
If you have disconnected all your loads and the breakers still trip instantly, then either the breakers are bad or the relay is shorted out.
You simply replace that relay and then the fuses.
I have seen this happen a few times in industry and one time with a 3-phase main relay disconnect.
Older machines were controlled with relay logic.
Do have a video that explains how to have a off grid solar setup while still being able to still have hookups without any kind of power loss. I am about to install solar but I need to make sure that I don't run into the continuous loop of draining my batteries but I need my solar to power my RV and have a 50amp when I'm plugged in.
The diagram @09:00 seems to not offer the ability for the converter to charge the batteries from shore power. Am I reading this wrong?
Victron is all I would ever buy
great video , very detailed for someone that didn't know JACK about inverters and now i do know some what lol.
Getting ready to start my skoolie journey and so glad I happened upon your video! Not ready to go the solar way just yet and this seems to be a beautiful alternative and very cost effective! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!
I have a two bank system and only one bank gets charged by the converter. The DC bank and my LifePO4 bank which i made to be semi-portable plugs right into shore power. I will try to avoid extended charging stages in the DC system and use Shore power to power anything in my camper when needed. With my 13500BTU a/c i can probably run that 6 hours +/- on 400ah, the system is new but tested already.
As you mentioned in this video i wired a 30amp socket to my inverter and because its a closed system the converter won't feed back into it.
That long siver one i have new out of the box. Plugged in a automotolive battry charger to it and fried it
At 8:00 you talk about the power loop. I am very interested in how Totally trailer setup their solar inverter system. With the independent system. If you have seen it, what are your thoughts?
You may have done so in a previous video that I haven't caught yet. But I wish you had gone into a little bit of detail on not just a battery types but their output capabilities. For example, a marine deep cycle battery is known for being able to draw a heavy current from for an extended. Of time vs. Lithium that you can't. The drawback is that she'll never fully recharge a marine deep cycle battery and a lithium you can. The trade-offs through there. But they are all part of the integrated system that you spoke of and I thought that you should have put that final piece of the puzzle in there. The savings by getting an all-in-one inverter that handles the shore power, the converter, as well as input from the solar panels all end up going into the batteries that you didn't speak of. Just a short little bit about the pros and cons of a marine deep cycle battery versus the pros and cons of a lithium ion versus the pros and cons of a lifopo. You might have also talked about the differences between using a 24 volt system or even a 48 volt system running in series parallel to not only increase your voltage output put your amperage output, both of which increase your power output. Watts = (Volts * Amps). Compare to a more standard 13.8 volt system that can be charged buy a high output alternator as part of your engine. In your case with the additional space-saving I would have filled that compartment with as many batteries as I could unless your battery compartment is on the other side to better balance the RV.
If I missed that video please excuse my intrusion.
Great video Jared. One thing I would say is a cheap solution to help avoid the converter inverter loop are battery disconnect switches. One on the output or 110v on the inverter and one on the 110v input of the converter. It's a few switches to flip(inverter power switch, inverter disconnect and converter disconnect) but it solves the problem for around $50
@Paul Raffa no. The first disconnect switch is to interrupt power(110v)to the converter and the second on the input(12v) to the inverter. Only one key so only one can be on at a time. It's basically the same thing and automatic transfer switch would do but a lot cheaper. Yes you have to do it manually when switching from generator/shore power to battery so its an extra thing to do but as long as you position the switches somewhere convenient it works fine. Going on 3 years with mine. Works great
Jared, your videos are awesome... I’ve looked at a lot of videos trying to figure out what I’m going to need to set up power in my Skoolie, and yours are the only ones that give me an actual clear idea of what is needed and how all the components work together. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I do have one question I need clarified, though. You said the Victron negates the need for a separate sub panel... does that mean it includes the panel for the AC breakers as well as the DC fuses?
Thanks for the great information. I have a VERY old generator that is not putting out at 120. I want to plan out by going with an inverter, to new generator to battery back up to solar. My question is what do I need to get starterd?
Great video. Complex topics presented in an easy to understand fashion. Nice work.
Great video. I like how you can break it down so non-electricians can understand. Thanks
Congratulations on 50k subs!!! Greatly deserved!
Thanks! We were excited when we hit it the other day!
you can charge while towing directly from tow vehicle with an simple Anderson connector... this is in addition to the conventional 7 pin connector... straight from the standard alternator
Hi Jared,
You did what I'm thinking of doing. Excellent video and diagrams. I do have a few questions though. On the diagram of your system, the incoming shore power is either shore power or generator. How did you wire that sub panel for those 2 incoming power supplies?
Thanks for sharing!!
As long as you have enough gas and its quiet enough for everyone.. lol it is very interesting tho ..
I drive a semi truck, how big of an inverter can I safely go? Great video. You’ve got my subscription
Another great video. But I'd stick with calling 50 amp service 50 amp. The supply wire for each leg is still likely going to be the same size as the wire on a 30 amp service which is usually 12 or 10 ga. rated for 20 to 30 amps. So you basically have 40 to 60 amps total.
As you mentioned in the video, it's important to have a fuse or breaker from the battery to the inverter. How do you determine what size fuse or breaker to use ? Love the videos. Good job.
Size the wire to safely carry the load that you will have and size the fuze to protect the wire. There are charts that I usually follow. www.bluesea.com/resources/1437
awsome vidio if i want to just power my dometic refrigerator only when im traveling between campgrounds. i dont want to use propane.
how can i do that. thanks dennis
After all the research to put my system in, I understood everything you said. Another informative video. One thing I notice about the video reviews and tips about solar is that no one mentions that you get 30% off the cost. Your RV is considered a second home and qualifies for the Solar tax refund. Almost paid for 2 of my Battleborns. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
That’s great and I’ll have to start mentioning that, thank you!
Thank you sir! You are a lifesaver! Made everything easy to understand!! You have no idea!
Hey Jared great videos I bought thee Victron but I missed the transfer switch the one you show on your video… not sure if I missed it somewhere…
Well done. Thanks, Jared. Learning a lot here and you're making it very easy to digest. Keep up the great work.
Hi Jered You explain everything super good but you didn’t mention anything about the fridge, I know this video is old and I have seen it now three times for the same reason. I have a small travel trailer GD Imagine 21BHE and I would like to install an inverter just to powered my fridge while I’m traveling, any tip. I will be really stoked if you actually answer me
I'm installing solar later this year, and I'm doing it all at once so I get the tax write-off for everything. That includes the inverter. So, that's a good way to save some money. I'm glad you said you like the Victron, that's the one I'm getting. Thanks, as always, for this great overview!
Do you have any more detailed wiring diagrams of your set up? I've been wondering for months how to incorporate my rv's converter into a solar system with inverter and yours is the first with any specific info. Thanks!
If you would like to, you can email me at jaredallaboutrvs@gmail.com with your specific equipment and I’ll do my best to walk you through how to wire it.
I really enjoy your videos but have a question. I know these brands and others are better quality but these and others are pricey. You mention practical so here’s my question. What about finding a pure sine wave inverter from somewhere you can get an inexpensive extended warranty knowing these things are going to fail? I didn’t see your less expensive choice. Harbor freight has a upper end called Jupiter that’s 3,000 and 6,000 surge for $599.99 and I’m think every year or two if it fails, they will exchange it and start over. Amazon has some with 2 year warranties and I believe they sell extended warranties too. Just the nature of inverters seems like they would not last unless you spend 1 000’s. If it was an off grid home, different story. I really appreciate all your education videos, thanks
Really enjoyed this video and I’ve watched a few of your videos I love how you explain things out thank you
OH YEA !!! CONGRATULATIONS 🎊🎈🎉🍾 51K. WELL DESERVED INDEED 🎉🍾🎉🎊🎉🎉
Thank you! We were pretty excited when we hit 50,000
speaking of charging, how adaquete is the 12v feed from a typical tow vehicle? we rarely boondock, when we do it's overnight during a long road trip, like 2000 miles in 4 or 5 days. we have a brand new 100 Ah agm battery with 1000 watt inverter and the only loads "on the road" are personal electronics(tv, laptop, etc), fridge on propane, water heater on propane, lights and a fan. Is it practical to expect the alternator to recharge the agm battery through the 7 pin while highway driving for several hours
Just wondering what advantage the inverter set up will have over just by using the solar battery for example Ecoflow Delta max 2000W with small solar system. Just plug the RV directly to solar battery , turn the RV battery switch off and run almost everything you need inside the trailer. Price wise would be almost the same.....
Great video. Can’t you just flip the converter breaker for the “RV plug hard wired to the inverter” approach?
Yes, that is what I do, after I plug my RV into my inverter (the same make and model inverter had since 2016 ) I simple turn off the breaker for my Converter.
@@guohuaye12 Thanks for the reply. I went with a TS-30 transfer switch and just connected my converter’s power supply to the “shore-in” side of the switch so that the converter only has power when plugged into a generator or shore power source.
What size fuse do you run between inverter and batteries. I have a Jupiter 3000 watt inverter. I ran a dedicated line just for an air machine in the bedroom. I enjoy your videos and watch them all the time if you can give me an idea what size fuse to use I would appreciate it. Dave
Another excellent video. I wonder if anyone knows the answer to this question:
I have a 2022 Winnebago class A Vista with a factory installed 1000 watt pure sine wave inverter. We added a second solar panel and changed to Battle Born batteries.
Can I swap out the inverter to a 2000 watt without changing coach or battery wiring? I didn’t know if the extra draw needed heavier gauge wiring.
Thank you again
Very good description of the "50 Amp" service. I understand the electricity, bu few YT'ers can explain it as well as you.
This was very good. You explained it well.
Thank you!
Ram
I’m glad I stumbled across your channel, this is exactly what I was looking to find now that I’m considering installing solar and inverter on my trailer this season. Cheers!
Great video as I have also Dowling it. How many watts circuit breaker would you recommend when I connect a 3000 watts motor to a 5000 inverter?
How many 100ah battery would I need?
Thank you from South Africa 🇿🇦
Great Video!! What type of "breaker/fuse" are you referring to in the video In the "simple" setup? My goal is to start simple and see how much I use it before integrating into the rig.
Just want to say, like everyone else here, I truly appreciate your videos. Bought my first RV this year, and your videos have been so helpful in having a wonderful and successful first year of RVing, thank you so much.
Another great vid, Jared; you've a talent to explain something that can be deep and confusing for some of us, into a pretty easily understood explanation. Thanks so much for taking the time and energy to help us all. Y'all Be Safe!
Michael Cieslak
Hi Jared
I have 4 wires coming out of the transfer switch red, white, black and ground
However Victron Multi 3000 allows for AC-in only 3 wires, line, neutral and ground.
Where does the fourth wire coming out of the transfer switch connect to?
I printed your 5 circuits and have been pondering over them. They aren’t point
-to-points like I’m used to.I’m not sure how theSmart Switch internal contacts connect for the two? Switch positions. I’m interested in the 50A Smart Phase Selector version. Not sure of the connections in the RV Breaker Panel or inside the Multiplus. The MPPT is a battery charger as is the which also is the Inverter in the circuit. Why two chargers?Renogy 200W monocrystalline panels a good choice? Each puts out 16.7A at full output? The MMPT charger in your diagram is 20A? The Multiplus is 120A charger rating? How many 200W panels can be connected? What is the max A current that can come from the panels? On a mid winter day in N Idaho the sun only gets about 35 deg up and it is common to have panels on the ground to gather snow sunlight reflection off the ground - so one needs to watch the current so more panels can be set out on cloudy winter days. I’m running into dead ends on getting a usefully sized new RV solar system on what will be my first RV installed. Not really equipped to be able to do it myself. I’m a crippled old man and a whiner. I need a system that will have most of a good system that needs a few tweaks. Not going well so far. Keep up the good work on educating us. Thanks, Kenton.
Good job explaining "POWER" Does your current setup do automatic pass through when you are hooked to shore power?
Yes, ours automatically selects shore power when plugged in