Inverter informations needed

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hrgermany

Inverter informations needed

Post by hrgermany »

I am coming up in the world.went from a 24 ft rearbath to a 26 ft rearbed with an entertainmentcenter.I am planing to get me an inverter to run my
Satillite Tv, my Stereosystem and a little power to spare.But I dont know any thing about an inverter as to what type or what seize.Any advice is
appreciated.
Hans Rueckert
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whemme
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Post by whemme »

hrgermany,

I have a 2002 BF 26' RSB with the entertainment center with a 19' Panasonic AC only TV but don't have a satellite TV system in it. Since I do a significant amount of dry camping, I wanted a way to run this TV without the need to run the Onan generator.

My TV is rated at 90 watts so I at first tried an inexpensive 150 watt modified sine-wave inverter but it would not run the TV evidently because it could not handle the rather high initial power draw to warmup the TV from a cold start. The next thing I tried was a Samlex Model PST-30S-12A 300-watt pure sine-wave inverter and this run the AC TV just fine with no interference problems from the inverter.

I recommend that you buy a good quality pure sine-wave inverter - probably a 300 watt unit would startup and run your TV and satellite system OK. Modified sine-wave inverters are much less expensive but can cause potential interference problem with certain electronic systems powered by them. A modified sine-wave inverter does not put out a sine-wave type power waveform at all, it really puts out a variable pulse width square wave rich in higher frequency harmonics that can cause potential interference problems. Spend the extra money for a pure sine-wave type inverter

The inverter I use and would recommend would be the Samlex Model PST-30S-12A 300-watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter. Go to this Samlex factory website page for more information on this inverter: http://www.samlexamerica.com/products/p ... ctsID=7014

I purchased mine from DonRowe.com for $169 plus freight. It comes with both a direct battery hookup cable with red and black alligator clips and also with a male cigarette lighter power plug cable.

If you BF 26' RSB is like mine, open up the door just to the left of you TV in the entertainment center. You should note both an AC outlet that your TV is plugged into and also a +12 VDC cigarette lighter female power connector both located on a wood panel just to the right side of the TV. I just set my inverter on the entertainment center floor in this area and plug the male cigarette lighter power plug from the inverter into the corresponding + 12 VDC cigarette lighter female power connector and then move the TV AC power cord over to the AC outlet in the inverter. The TV then runs just fine by drawing DC power from the pair of coach batteries.

I attached the inverter to the entertainment center floor by putting two large self adhesive velcro patches under the inverter. This velcro will effective hold the inverter to the white carpet type covering used on the floor of the entertainment center.

You can refer to this DonRowe.com website address link for purchase details: http://www.donrowe.com/inverters/puresine_300.html

Samlex also makes inverters with 600 watt and 1000 watt power ratings but if you need and use that kind of AC power from an inverter, the inverter should be wired directly to your coach batteries with sufficently large wire size (such as 8 AWG or 6 AWG) because of the high current draw.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
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whemme
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Post by whemme »

hrgermany,

CORRECTION! The entertainment center door to open for the TV power hookups is the right side door - not the left side door!
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
w5vthdonb

Watts Voltage and Amps

Post by w5vthdonb »

Hi HRGERMANY

Converting Watts to Amps
The conversion of Watts to Amps is governed by the equation:
Amps = Watts Divided by Volts
Your 300 Amps Inverter
300 Watts divided by 12 Volts DC will draw 25 Amps.
I don't think BF wiring on this 12 DC plug is rated at 25 Amps unless they have increased the size of the wire in later years.
I would contact Kim and find out. You may not be pulling the full 300 watts, but the unit is capable, and you have the potental of having a fire as this will overheat the wire and burn off the insulation unless the circuit is fused.
As we are not travelling much any more, I was going to do this also on my 26 foot RSB 2002 BF with the entertainment center, but I was going to increase the size of the wire direct to the coach batteries and just put a different plug there in the entertainment center.

Don USN ret.
2002 26' RSB
1987 Cabriolet toad
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whemme
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Post by whemme »

w5vthdonb,

I am glad you brought that issue up. You are correct in that if you use the full 300 watts from a 300 watt inverter, the +12 VDC current draw would be more than 25 amps - too much for this cigarette lighter DC power plug circuit in the Born Free. However, this circuit is fused for 15 amps and the actual current draw in my case running this 19" Panasonic TV rated at 90 watts is approximately 8 amps - well within the capacity of the wiring provided by Born Free from the fuse panel to this DC power connector in the entertainment center.

The only reason that I used a 300 watt inverter for a 90 watt TV was so that the inverter would provide the initial higher power needed during the initial power on warmup of the TV. This temporary high power draw only lasts 5 seconds or less and does not exceed the current rating of the wiring nor blow the 15 amp fuse in the power panel. I have used this inverter to run this 90 watt TV now for more than a year with no problems. However, I would caution against trying to use this inverter to power additional loads - then the wiring size could become an issue.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
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BornFree_n_Now
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Post by BornFree_n_Now »

Xantrex RS400 was our choice, and has worked exceptionally well ~~ Mounted under the couch on elevated metal surface to provide air circulation ~~ heavy cables directly to battery bank with proper fuse, and dedicated wires to TV, computer station, and small sound system ~~
Larry & Sharon
2002 26' RSB
Suzuki X90 4x4 Toad
Brent

Post by Brent »

My inverter is a "Sams" model ($35) 350 watt (I do occasionally get some minor interference on the TV, a better quality inverter should fix that problem).

I have it mounted in the closet on the wall, with dedicated cables directly to my batteries (and fuse). I then run an extension cord through the roll bar covering and into the entertainment center.

Love it. I use it for TV, DVD, VCR, chargers, misc.
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