[Tim]

Jackson,

Keep both inverters functioning as chargers. There is no downside. I believe the advice to use #1 is based on the fact that if you are forced to manage energy use because you need to run multiple electric devices that will push the limits of the available shore power you limit the current draw due to inverters.

But you have the option of setting your inverter current draw so you do not have to be constantly turning inverters on and off. It depends on how you use the coach. If you are a power pole to power pole camper, or if you don’t hesitate to run the generator when you do not have shore power available you can set the inverters for a very low current draw. The batteries are not going to be depleted very much if you use your coach as above.

If you dry camp and rely on auto-start because you deeply draw the batteries down then you need a larger current draw so the batteries fully recharge before the generator operation times out. In that case you do want to determine how much charging current you wish the inverters to draw to fully charge, and if when on shore power with heavy loads if you need to shut down one charger.

I don’t believe the shutting down of one inverter is intended to be an absolute rule.

[Archived]

I want to add to the above post in view of a response to your issue on another site.

Your use of the coach plays a very large role in how you set up your coach and manage its systems. Your electrical system like the systems of almost every conversion is set up as a compromise. It is not well designed for any specific type of use, but is well designed to be adequate for all kinds of use.

Liberty and almost every conversion has at least two inverters. Some have as many as four. Their benefit to you is when you have power available they are superb battery chargers if set properly, and when power is not availble they allow you to run devices and circuits as though there was available power making the coach truly self contained.

Unless you have a solid gold reason for cutting back on the number of inverters such as never being without shore or generator power, your two inverters give you ample power for their circuits, plus you have backup for battery charging if one fails. Our coaches have been built by converters that really know what they are doing, and how the coaches are going to be used. You certainly can modify any coach to more properly suit your needs, but then you have a coach that might be great for a specific type of use, but pretty lousy for other types of use.

If you start cutting back on the systems to the point where you end up having to manually control energy management all the time for example you have little more than a tin tent.

[Kim]

Jon,

I have no intention on cutting back to 1 inverter, I just wondered if there was any logic in ‘rotating’ the old one into the other position. I see that it not the case. I’m going to send the old one to inverter service and see what they say.

Thanks for your input,

JW

[Archived]

Jackson,

I assume you disconneced the Interstates and load tested them while fully charged?

[Ted]

I guess I’m going to order a new inverter.

Any reason on going up to a 3000 watt?

[Archived]

Jackson,

If you make the switch, unless you try to use that added output such as running your outlets at the maximum capacity, the microwave, and the water pump all at the same time it is doubtful you will exceed the limits of the wiring provided to your 2500 watt original inverter, or the current carrying capacity of the output wires.

The only time I would express concern is if adding additional output you also add additional circuits to take advantage of the output without considering the output wire size.

[Archived]

The Magnum inverters are available in 2800watt @ 12v or 4000watt @ 24v.

I strongly recommend that if you are going to change them, pay a little extra and get the white, MS series that are true sinewave units. The dark gray units are modified square wave units. The sinewave output will eliminate troubles with some of todays Chinese-made electronics that weren’t intended for anything but household power. They typically have inferior power supplies that are susseptible to premature failure with the non-sine waveform.

Just food for thought. We have had the same issue even with some new computer-controlled refrigerator replacements.

[Archived]

Ben wrote: “We have had the same issue even with some new computer-controlled refrigerator replacements”

Ben … do you know which refrigerators have been a problem? Was the Sears Kenmore 51789 a problem?

[Dorel]

our hearts went south last fall. I replaced both with the magnums and replaced both control heads. The hearts lasted 16 years but the company was bought and sold multiple times. No real support for them. The magnums are great and we have been very happy with them. Go with the magnums if you do a change out. You will not be disappointed

[John]

Daniel can we assume that you checked with a voltmeter that you are getting voltage into the inverters, plus checking it’s output.

[Davy]

I removed the unit from the coach and thought that I would send it in for a rebuild – then I opened it up and it was fried…

I installed a new Magnum unit with a new remote. Took about 2 hours with a little phone help from the guys at inverter services.

Really like the new unit and the remote panel makes it very easy to see what is going on.

[Jackson]

Jackson: Did you replace one inverter or both? Where did you put the remote panel? Can you run a Cruise-Air on the converter?

[Archived]

Dick, To you question………if you replace your inverters the Magnums are a direct “drop in”. That’s a good upgrade which gets you pure sine wave.

Any innverter commonly selected for our coaches has ample capacity to run an A/C unit as long as the other circuits on the inverter are not drawing a lot of power, but for you to run an A/C unit you would have to modify your bus bars in the electric panel to isolate the A/C of choice from the main panel and move the A/C to a bus bar dedicated to an inverter.

I think most know my opinion is if anyone wants to run A/C units when not on shore power, such as when driving, I recommend starting the generator and turning every one in the coach on.

[Archived]

I agree with Jon. If the CC air does not suffice as we drive, I kick on the Gen and run one roof. I don’t like drawing the amps with the AC on the inverter alone. Jusmy 2cents

[Steve]

Dick,

I replaced one unit. As they said, it dropped right in and the remote is an exact replacement. My bus bar won’t run a cruise air without shore power or the genset.