Full Installation of a Xantrex 3000w Inverter in a 2021 Leisure Travel Van

[@johnbremer7827]

Sandy, thanks for your amazing videos and advice. You were the first person to respond to a question I had on the LTV forum and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. After watching your videos, I am confident I can upgrade the battery myself but this one (inverter) still has me doubting myself even though you make it look logical and doable.

[@SSTraveler-Sandy]

Go ahead try it, just Messenge me on FB and I'll help get you through any bumps in the road. You can always pay somebody to finish what you start, but if you persevere, success tastes very sweet, plus you learn a lot!

[@bobanddawnlong9679]

Great video! That was one lucky guy to get all that help 😅

[@SSTraveler-Sandy]

🤣 I hope he gets out and uses it. Lots of fun times ahead, no more power worries.

[@fredzuccarelli]

Sandy....you're one amazing gal!!!!

[@ronaldportwood522]

Sandy, how does one go about getting a receptacle that only works on AC power, to work on AC or DC power? When I purchased my 5th wheel, the service tech that installed my Xantrex 2000 he stated I can only have 3 outlets wired and I had a choice of the ones I wanted powered. Now after 3 years I need an additional outlet to work on AC/DC?

[@SSTraveler-Sandy]

@ronaldportwood522 He told you that because he didn't want to overload the circuit. A 2000w inverter is only good for 15a. As long as your mindful not to overload your inverted power outlets, meaning 15a draw for everything plugged into them, you can either add an outlet to the circuit wiring or if you have a dual busses breaker box and a bus just for inverted breakers, then you can add another 15a breaker with an outlet wired to it. In the LTV of this video, I would just add a 15a circuit breaker on the inverter bus and use 14/2 Romex wire to wire an outlet any place I needed one. As I said you just need to understand that the sum total of all things plugged into the outlets supplied by the inverter can't exceed 15a in draw or the inverter will shutdown on overload.

[@ronaldportwood522]

@@SSTraveler-Sandy Thank you for responding, I guess I will add another outlet.

[@BKHMD44]

Hi Sandy, I have a 2024 Unity RL and 2/0 cable was used. Can I still safety use a 3000W inverter to run the AC which has already had the breaker moved to the inverter side in the distribution panel or do I need to upgrade to the 4/0 cable?

[@SSTraveler-Sandy]

@BKHMD44 Only Lithionics battery recommends 2/0 all other Lithium battery brands require 4/0 will a 3000w inverter and Xantrex recommends 4/0 cable.

[@hike9924]

@@SSTraveler-Sandy Sorry, I asked that wrong. Can I safely use the existing 2000 watt xantrex with 2/0 cables to run the Truma Eco air conditioner with soft start. I want to add more battery, but would like to keep the existing inverter.

[@SSTraveler-Sandy]

@hike9924 In my opinion the 2000w inverter is really inadequate, but its probably okay if your just using it for 30 minutes, short periods, here and there to run the Truma. In high summer temperatures you're really overloading inverter, batteries, and Truma because everything has to work harder. There's more resistance to overcome, which the 2000w inverter and batteries aren't able to do in high temperatures. Then the Truma has to run harder, which isn't good for any of them.

[@2hotscottpro]

Low frequency? Hi Sandy.I watched your PDC swap.I have an extra breaker box beside it for inverter power to 3 outlets. How can I wire an AC from the PDC to auxiliary inverter panel and still have AC wired to PDC for shore power?

[@2hotscottpro]

Run power from shore plus inverter to AC unit.Couldn’t I split with wago to make a branch from ac line in main panel to inverter panelUse transfer switch?Sandy this has me puzzled.

[@2hotscottpro]

Branch PDC power to inverter panel.Then without shore power a flip of breaker turns on inv power. I’ll have easy access from 14/ 2 to 10/2 for AC.

[@SSTraveler-Sandy]

@2hotscottpro Why would you want to do this? I'm not sure you're understanding the power flow. When you're on shore power, it simply passes through the inverter to supply the air conditioner. When your not or shore power, then the battery powers the inverted bus and runs the air conditioner. If you're on shore power and loose it, then the inverter automatic transfer switch immediately transfers the load to the battery, which then runs the inverted bus items and continues to power the air conditioner.

[@SSTraveler-Sandy]

@2hotscottpro The inverter does this automatically because of its automatic transfer switch. That is a beautiful feature of the inverter. If you lose shore or generator power to the main bus in the breaker box, then the inverter's automatic transfer switch transfers to battery power in milliseconds. The inverter automatic transfer switch is so fast that there is no interruption of power or operation, even when running a high draw item like the air conditioner. But you do have to have a powerful Lithium battery like the Lithionics 320ah battery, so you experience a big voltage drop when a heavy load it transfered to it.

[@SSTraveler-Sandy]

@2hotscottpro You don't want to do anything like this. You'll be introducing big problems for yourself.

[@williamf8257]

Oops, I noticed in the video that Bob's Victron solar controller is not grounded with the supplied grounding screw.

[@SSTraveler-Sandy]

It is mounted to the steel compartment wall that ultimately has connections to the frame so you don't need a case ground if you put it in the inverter bay.

[@williamf8257]

@@SSTraveler-Sandy Thanks, in the video I didn't see anywhere that it was attached to the any of the walls... But, wouldn't the black paint need to be removed from the cooling fin stands to have bare metal touching bare metal?

[@SSTraveler-Sandy]

@@williamf8257 Not if it's anodized metal.

[@williamf8257]

@@SSTraveler-Sandy Thanks for the updated info and keep up the excellent work. I'm in the process of upgrading to a Victron 3K inverter, and will be running a new marine grade 6 gauge wire from the transfer switch directly to the Victron Inverter and then a wire from the inverter to the breaker box. I will also replace the 30 amp main breaker with a 50 amp breaker to take full advantage of the "power assist" function that is built into the Victron inverter. This should eliminate low amperage at some RV shore power hook-ups. Then, I'm going to connect the current inverter wires In and Out together per your previous instructions. The only other breaker swap is the 20 amp down to a 15 amp breaker due to the wire gauge used in that circuit.. This should eliminate moving of any breakers, neutrals, and grounds inside the breaker box.