2000 Converter to 3000 Converter

[Ozmanutah]

Upgrade 2000 Watt Inverter to 3000 Watt inverter

I will try to explain this as best as I can.

I have a 2021 Keystone Cougar 23MLS. I have 3 ZAMP 170 Watt solar panel, ZAMP 40 AMP Charge Controller, 2000 watt Xantrex inverter and 2 200AH Lithium Batteries.

Currently the only power I have on solar is for three outlets connected from the 2000 watt Inverter to a 15 AMP Solar Circuit breaker. (Factory setup)I would like switch to a 3000 watt inverter and power all my outlets and the microwave. On the drawing I attached is a copy of a similar electrical system as mine. With the exception that I don't have an AC breaker in the red box. Mine is labeled as a spare since the AC is on the other set of breakers.

I have also added a pic of the setup for my type of power box. If I want to power everything in the red box on my drawing for the circuit breakers is it as simple as running the red wire from the shore power cable and a white neutral wire from the neutral bar to the invertor and back to the main breaker for that side of the breaker box. Then I can run all my outlets and microwave off solar/batteries.

 

[foldbak]

You better speak with the inverter manufacture. You have a 50 amp rig which is a total of 100 amps split between 2 legs. This is going to require a specific inverter with either a built in transfer switch or an external transfer switch. I installed a 4K AIMS inverter that powered my whole rig but it was a 30 amp rig. I've seen people install the same inverter but wired differently. They like me took the shore power directly to the inverter and back to the beaker panel. For the 50 amp set up they used an external transfer switch. On my 30 amp I used the inverter internal transfer switch. Be careful!
In the transfer switch diagram, substitute the generator for the inverter. Use shore power as priority power.

 

[Ozmanutah]

Thanks. That's great info. There is a lot to learn with this. I'm thinking of adding the MultiPlus-II 2x 120V. it looks like it will solve my problem.

 

[NH_Bulldog]

Don’t forget that you have to upgrade your DC wires. You want 4/0 AWG wire for a 3000W 12V inverter. That is needed for all battery connections and wires to/from the inverter's battery connections. You will also need to size the AC wires from the inverter to the power panel appropriately 10 to 8 AWG depending on distance.

You don’t have to worry about voiding your warranty at this point, but a couple of words of caution; the 50A main breaker is a Double Pole Single Throw so you can’t just use half of it. You need to isolate the Converter from the system to avoid creating a death-loop. Lastly, breakers are not switches, so don’t use them to turn circuits on/off. Ideally, you should wire in a sub-panel from a transfer switch. It is a lot of cost and effort that will not give you a good return on investment but it can be done.

 

[Ozmanutah]

Thanks. I have the 4AWG from the battery to the invertor. I'm going to install the Victron MultiPlus-II 2x 120V to make things easier.

 

[NH_Bulldog]

Thanks. I have the 4AWG from the battery to the invertor. I'm going to install the Victron MultiPlus-II 2x 120V to make things easier.

Not 4 AWG, you need 4/0 AWG (0000 AWG), there is a BIG difference! The 4/0 AWG wire is more than twice the diameter of 4 AWG wire. Also the wire that connects the batteries together needs to be 4/0, as does the ground to the inverter, and the positive to the inverter.

Please do your research before you burn your RV to the ground. If you are not comfortable/qualified, you should consider seeking assistance from a knowledgeable professional.

 

[flybouy]

One other consideration...the solar panel capacity. Obviously you want to use a larger inverter to power more things. The more you drain from the batteries ( higher the load) the more watts required to replenish the energy used from the batteries. A 170 watt solar panel will replenish a very light usage, say a an hour or so of tv and a cap. It will NOT be sufficient to recharge 400 ah of at even at medium disharge. And that's IF you are in the camper is oriented to provide direct sun on the panel.

The system requires balance in order to work. The amount of power withdrawn from the batteries needs to be replenished with taking into account for the reduced or for practical purposes non existent charging capacity of the solar panel if it's raining, cloudy, shaded or dirty solor panel.

I'd recommend that you review the needs and desires of what you want out of the system. Then calculate a system required to meet that use and calculate the cost. Solar power can be a rabbit hole if your not going into it wide eyed and informed. The system is only as good as its weakest links and those links can be very expensive. The rabbit hole you can find yourself falling into is starting out by adding a larger inverter, then more battery capacity just to find out that now you need a way to recharge that battery bank so you'll need more solar capacity. At some point you realize that you're already into deep water so you "may as well spend some more and go the next step."

Just one last thought. As larger capacity solar systems get installed, the greater amount of dollars are on the line if you sell or file a total loss with your insurance. If you sell or trade in the camper it's doubtful that you'll recoup that investment. Yes, you can "reverse" the modification at the cost of your time & labor. As for the insurance, I'd check your policy carefully as many will only compensate the "book value" of the unit. Often, modifications (especially undocumented) won't be considered. Personally, I photo document and record the cost keep original reciepts) and my time to install any modification. This has been beneficial over the years with auto claims when an insurance company wanted to replace for example a headlight with a junk yard headlight instead of the $300+ aftermarket one that was on the vehichle. It's good practice to document the contents of your vehichles (including RV, boat, etc) as it can add up quickly and be difficult to prove if the unit is reduced to a pile of ashes in a landfill.

Don't misread this as a negative Outlook on doing solar modifications. It's simply advice from someone that's learned some lessons in my youth. When I was young I loved to "wrench" on cars and boats to make them my own and improve the performance. I quickly learned that the drivetrain was a system that when partially improved would make weaker components wear quickly or break. Those experiences taught me to take on projects with more preparation and wider eyes.

 

[Ozmanutah]

Thanks flybouy. I am looking at my needs. I just want to use the system when I'm at State parks with no hookups and maybe some weekends in the woods or Walmart overnight on the way to destination. I won't be using AC and maybe use the microwave only for a few minutes every day to heat the dog's food. (Let's leave that alone). As long as I can run the coffee pot in the morning, watch some TV in the evening and run the furnace I'm happy. Right now I'm looking at:

3-170 Watts Solar panels for 510 Watts
Renogy 60 AMP MPPT Charge Controller
Victron MultiPlus-II 2x 120V 3000 Inverter
Victron Shunt
2 Lipo 4 200Amh Lithium Batteries.

 

[NH_Bulldog]

Just for perspective; we camped multiple times this year for 3 day stretches at State Parks and National Forest campgrounds. At the time, our system was two 100ah LiFePO batteries and a single 220w panel. We never took our system to zero and didn’t feel the need to conserve power (and our refrigerator is a 10cf 12v model). We have never used our microwave, but we did run a small fan at night as well as my CPAP, lights in and out, water pump, etc.

My point being, you might be trying to over-build a system that you may never really need.

 

[L. Rempel]

Hi,
I have a large battery bank (460 amp/hours of Lithium) and installed a 3000 watt Giandel pure sine wave inverter.
I connected it to my electrical panel through an ATS (Automatic Transfer Switch) with a remote on/off switch inside my RV. I do need to shut off the battery charger breaker first to prevent an "infinite charge loop."
Now if I am dry camping I can use the microwave, TV, and any outlets the same as if I was hooked up to shore power. My Giandel inverter can even start and run an air conditioner, but not for long as they are power hogs!
If you are reasonably comfortable and handy, there are many good YouTube videos available to assist in installing an ATS. That is what I did, and I could not be happier!