turning off the battery charger when running an inverter

[ZanMan]

I am installing a 1000 watt inverter in my unit and plan on plugging my shore power connection into it to simplify the wiring. When the trailer is plugged into shore power it wants to charge the batteries, which in this case, are powering the inverter... How are others turning off the battery charging portion of their convertors to stop this from happening?

[doane00]

Turn the breaker off for the converter and make sure the refrigerator is switched to run on propane only. Easy to forget. I wired in a sub panel that only provides the outlets I want to be powered off the inverter.

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by ZanMan

I am installing a 1000 watt inverter in my unit and plan on plugging my shore power connection into it to simplify the wiring. When the trailer is plugged into shore power it wants to charge the batteries, which in this case, are powering the inverter... How are others turning off the battery charging portion of their convertors to stop this from happening?

If you're hooked to shore power, running the inverter is kind of... uh, not needed.

You do want the battery charger to take care of your batteries while on shore power so shutting off the charger isn't the best thing to do.

The inverter in our ambulance has an auto switch in it that senses when the shoreline is connected and disengages itself. Check to see if your inverter has that feature.

[f6bits]

He's plugging his shore power cord into the inverter to power the whole trailer from the batteries.

[ZanMan]

that's correct, this is for times when there is no shore power and I don't want to fire up the generator. I was hoping to not have to have one more caveat for my poor wife to remember but I think I will end up making some kind of flow chart for her. Between the different options for running on batteries, shore power, generator, inverter...she's getting confused!

[christopherglenn]

A small subpanel (like off a hot tub) with two brakers. one goes to the factory converter, the second to the main braker panel. wire the sub panel between the power inlet and braker panel. I would put in an automatic transfer switch between the sub panel and main panel - with the inverter attached to it. When you have shore power (campground ot external generator) it powers everything including the factory converter. When you do not have shore power, the converter is unplugged, and the inverter is powering everything else - fully automatic. If you have an onboard genset, wire it power inlet, genset transfer switch, sub panel, inverter transfer switch, main panel.
In my case I have an inverter/charger. It has an internal transfer switch to go from shore/genset power to inverter power. So I have shorepower - no, then genset - no, then inverter.

[diugo]

One common way to do it is to leave the inverter hooked up to 12VDC at all times, but run the 120V output to a single RV-type outlet in the compartment in which the RV power cord is stored.

When you run off your inverter, you simply plug the RV power cord into this outlet. Pretty fool proof.

Oops! I misread your question! Regarding the converter, simplest thing is to remember to turn the converter breaker off when the inverter is in use. If you want to automate this, get a 120VAC 10-amp SPDT relay and connect the coil to the output of your inverter. Connect the NC and common contacts in series with your converter input. Voila, inverter on, converter off.

[ZanMan]

Thank you for all the suggestions. Diugo, I like the simplicity of your idea and the fact that it is automatic. Since my inverter doesn't have any switchover capability this idea is perfect!