Newbie question -- bypassing the inverter when on shore power

[bfs21]

Hi all -- Posting on behalf of my parents, who are the new owners of a 2015 Roadtrek Adventurous CS. We're all new at this.

When they purchased it (used) the previous owner was upfront that the inverter needed replacing. He even cut the price to allow for it. We'll enlist a professional to carry out the fix in a few weeks.

We're trying to figure out our options for running appliances on the AC system in the meantime, while the inverter is still out.

It would seem logical that one could plug into shore power and run the AC appliances directly from that -- as that in theory shouldn't require the inverter. But we tried it and no joy.

Then again we're newbies. Point us in the right direction? Any thoughts welcome.

[themexicandoctor]

There are a lot of good experts here.

You might want to change your title to include 2015 Roadtrek Adventurous CS in the heading.

Plus owners will be able to give you their hard earned lessons in Inverter Replacement.

Depending on whether you have Solar or not or will add it, Magnum makes excellent units. If going Solar, invest in Victron.

[markopolo]

You should be able to bypass the inverter assuming the 120VAC leads to an electrical panel in the coach. I had a Magnum inverter/charger let some smoke out once and had to bypass it to restore 120VAC to the coach.

You'll lose the ability to recharge the batteries on shore power until the inverter/charger is replaced or another charger added.

[themexicandoctor]

Originally Posted by markopolo

You should be able to bypass the inverter assuming the 120VAC leads to an electrical panel in the coach. I had a Magnum inverter/charger let some smoke out once and had to bypass it to restore 120VAC to the coach.

You'll lose the ability to recharge the batteries on shore power until the inverter/charger is replaced or another charger added.

Marco - did they replace the Magnum?

What happened?

[markopolo]

It just failed one morning, no shore power in the coach. I suspect it was the internal transfer switch or something related to that part that failed. Some smoke came out & it smelled burnt. It would have been 5 years old & I never looked into warranty or repairing it. I think it was repairable.

[themexicandoctor]

What did you replace it with?

[markopolo]

For the immediate fix (we were living in that Class C while renovating a house), I used a converter/charger instead as there was no pressing need for an inverter & later sold the RV.

Magnum is a good brand & a Magnum PSW + ARC50 remote + BMK kit is probably the best option available if caring for lead acid batteries.

[Jim McGuire Nue-Era]

Wire the input AC to the former inverter AC out put (observe polarity) and purchase a small battery charger to maintain your house batteries until you get a new inverter charger.
Tank a look at Xantrex been very good to me.

[Yoshimura]

Shore power is connected to the inverter AC input and the inverter AC output is connected to the breaker panel. Disconnect both cables from the inverter and connect them together.

[booster]

Did Roadtrek use the "inverter outlet" system in the AGM Sprinters like they did on the Chevies? In those the inverter outlets were the only ones that went through the inventer/charger, the rest came directly off the main transfer switch and went to the main breaker panel.

[booster]

Originally Posted by markopolo

For the immediate fix (we were living in that Class C while renovating a house), I used a converter/charger instead as there was no pressing need for an inverter & later sold the RV.

Magnum is a good brand & a Magnum PSW + ARC50 remote + BMK kit is probably the best option available if caring for lead acid batteries.

I completely agree on the Magnum brand and chargers, good stuff, we have one with all the charging control setup.


But, if you want all the control availability, you have get at least an MS series inverter/charger with ARC50 and BMK. The smaller, lower priced units don't get all the features that the ARC50 can give, so they aren't capable of the return amp (tail amp) controlled charging off the built in monitor. IMO, that is the biggest reason to get a Magnum as they are about the only ones that has the good charging control available.