Inverter use

[Arvie1]

I have a 2008 Roadtrek 190. From your experience does the inverter need to be turned on or off when hooked up to shore power in order to charge the coach battery. I honestly didn't realize that the inverter is actually a charger as well. Up until now as per the instructions received from the dealer, I have always made sure the inverter was off when hooked up to shore power.
Thanks very much !

[time2roll]

All I see is reference to the remote. Regardless it would appear the inverter itself would be in the "auto/remote" setting and the remote switch just controls the inverter portion. Same function as the remote without the indicators. So off still seems best when plugged in.

[booster]

A 2008 Roadtrek would come with a simple on/off switch for the inverter, not the remote panel. IIRC the Tripplite manual for the inverter/charger covers the use of using the added switch like Roadtrek does.

[time2roll]

Yes RTFM, then verify your battery voltage indicates battery is getting a charge.

I think the manual you want is actually the remote.

APSRM4 manual

https://www.tripplite.com/remote-control-module-APSRM4/

I think either position is harmless but I agree that "Line/Charge Only" position is best when plugged in.

[shastagary]

download the instruction manual here rv750 page 4 tells about the switch position functions.

[booster]

booster wrote:
Wow, doesn't anyone actually read what we say before going off?

My reply, first line:

Having both on should be fine on shore power, but totally unnecessary.

The other information was to fill in the blanks about how most people use the inverter switch to be the most useful and not waste power. Seems relevant to me :B Of course this refers to when you are not on shore power, as the batteries are charging when on shore power.

1.5 amps, as someone mentioned, is not much if you have 800ah of batteries, but if you have one 100ah battery, you will use up 36ah, or over 1/3 of it (nearly 1/2 of usable) of it per day with inverter switch on. If that is OK with you, have at it, and leave the inverter switch on.

[booster]

Wow, doesn't anyone actually read what we say before going off?

My reply, first line:

Having both on should be fine on shore power, but totally unnecessary.

The other information was to fill in the blanks about how most people use the inverter switch to be the most useful and not waste power. Seems relevant to me :B

1.5 amps, as someone mentioned, is not much if you have 800ah of batteries, but if you have one 100ah battery, you will use up 36ah, or over 1/3 of it (nearly 1/2 of usable) of it per day with inverter switch on. If that is OK with you, have at it, and leave the inverter switch on.

[2oldman]

OP's question: does the inverter need to be turned on or off when hooked up to shore power in order to charge the coach battery.

The question seems pretty simple to me. I lived with an IC for years and didn't touch it. The batteries charge just fine whether the inverter is on or off. That's my answer.

[full_mosey]

2oldman wrote:

booster wrote:
f you just leave the inverter on, you are wasting about 1.5 amps continuously and will kill your batteries much more quickly.

It's a small draw.. but that wasn't the OP's question.

Your reply may not be relevant either.

Well, yes 1.5 Ahs is not much when you have 800Ahs of battery, or whatever you have in equivalent Whs.

Since the question was whether the OP needs to turn the inverter switch off when on shore power, it appears the answer is YES. The reason is that there is more AC wattage available from shore power than the inverter alone and it would be easy to trip the inverter's overload limit which would result in the transfer switch activating AC at the outlets. This would cause unnecessary/unintended wear and tear on those circuits.

But, If the OP is off shore power and has 100 Ahs of 12V, then 1.5 A is 36Ah per day, or 36% of 100Ah. That leaves 14% left for something useful if the OP wishes to keep the daily capacity at 50% or above. In this case, leave the inverter switch off when the AC outlets are not needed.

HTH;
John

[2oldman]

booster wrote:
f you just leave the inverter on, you are wasting about 1.5 amps continuously and will kill your batteries much more quickly.

It's a small draw.. but that wasn't the OP's question.

[booster]

2oldman wrote:
Both switches left on should not be a problem at all.

Having both on should be fine on shore power, but totally unnecessary. Most folks keep the inverter switch off unless they are not on shore power and need some AC power. Then turn on the inverter only for the time you need the AC power. If you just leave the inverter on, you are wasting about 1.5 amps continuously and will kill your batteries much more quickly.

[2oldman]

Both switches left on should not be a problem at all.

[Arvie1]

Thank you both for your replies. My inverter/charger is a Tripp-Lite RV750ULHW and is buried without easy access. The on/off switch is located beside the monitor panel which does display the charge level of the coach battery. I do get full power in all outlets when using shore power with the inverter in the OFF position. Ardum Snowbird, I think my unit is the same as the one you describe, so thank you again for clarifying that the switch is actually a remote and the OFF position is correct for charging when hooked up to shore power.

[Artum_Snowbird]

You should not need to have the inverter switched on to watch TV when plugged into shore power. 2005 is the year that Roadtrek began to make the switch from a separate inverter unit and charger/converter unit to the Tripp-Lite single unit that does all three functions. If you have the Tripp-Lite then you certainly should not need to have the inverter wall switch on when plugged into shore power to have power in the outlet that shares the inverter. If you have the two separate units, then this design may have been different and then the inverter may need to be on to keep power to that outlet. My Roadtrek with the Tripp-Lite has an inverter switch on the wall. I understand that some earlier years did not have such a switch. This switch is connected to the Tripp-Lite as a remote - ON puts the unit into supplying inverted power OR charging batteries. OFF puts the unit into Charge Only mode in which it only charges the batteries and does not supply power to the outlet(s).

[2oldman]

Arvie1 wrote:
The owner's manual, which I always refer to is a little less than explicate (explicit) regarding the inverter/charger.

Share with us the make and model. You may be looking at the manual for the RV.

Many IC's have separate switching for the charger and the inverter. Generally you do not need to turn off the inverter since an on-board transfer switch does the work.