quote:

Originally posted by WWFan:
E Z Livin:

Glad to see ya here! This was/is one of the most popular threads for getting good info to alot of people...Howie's gonna see if he can get some of the pics to work hopefully!

Sean

Hi all,

I just updated my posting and it has all the
photos of the install. Ya need to go back to the
first post which I have revised.

I'd sure rather be riding than writing.....

Bless you Howie!! Thanks so veeeery much...looks good.

I'd also rather be out riding than sitting around with rain everywhere! You take care..have a great weekend anyway, OK?

I finally did my inverter project on my 95 Vectra.

I ended up with a 700 watt constant 1800 watt surge unit from Harbor Freight which was $49 minus a 20% off coupon that I had. I installed it under the gally sink which is right above the left side of the battery box and will allow me to reset the inverter without exiting the coach. I ran a wiremold right into the main breaker box and installed 1 - 20 amp double pole double throw and 2 - 15 amp triple pole double throw relays which when energized by the presence of shore or genset power automatically switches to shore or genset power and when at rest switches to the inverter. This now controls distribution of power to the 5 recepticle circuits fed by the main panel. I have 4 - 15 amp circuits and 1 - 20 amp circuit which left me with 1 - 20 amp and 2 - 15 amp contact sets free in the relay bank. I used one of the free sets of 15 amp contacts to automatically switch off the charger/converter when running on inverter power so I won't have a looping condition from the inverter to the charger to the battery and back to the inverter which would run a 10% or so drain on the system and could cause the inverter to overheat.

Final cost was less than $100 for a fully automatic transfer system with inverter that makes inverter power available to every outlet in and outside the coach.

I did spend an extra $10 to put a nation wide 2 year over the counter replacement plan on the inverter.

With my current batteries this setup will run the fridge and entertainment system for close to ten hours straight together with enough power to make a pot of coffee and vacuum the coach once before getting a low battery signal.

I am pretty pleased with the results which makes things much more convenient in my coach now.

Regards,

Neil

Neil!

Excellent! Great idea! So you're using the inverter within that circuit to swamp with the genset power?

Boy...if you've got any pics or diagrams, that sure would be nice. That certainly is another option to consider when doing a inverter install!

Thanks much!

Sean

quote:

Originally posted by WWFan:
Boy...if you've got any pics or diagrams, that sure would be nice.

Sean,

I plan to photograph, diagram and document the final install which I won't be able to get to for a bit. I need to addres one glitch that is either a poor design or a malfunction of the original transfer switch for the genset and shore line. When you kill the genset the main transfer switch does not cut power to the main panel and allows everything in the coach to run down with the generator. I really didn't notice this until I installed my relay bank becase they tend to flutter during the rolloff of power that happens when the genset is killed. This is not very good for the TV, VCR or any other device that may be drawing any power for an electronic control circuit. My plan now is to devise a cutoff for the relay fields that is tied into the generator kill circuit so that nothing in the coach will be affected by the rolloff of power from the genset as it shuts down.

Regards,

Neil

Hi, I just finished 56nomad's inverter install project. I wired three switches for three different circuits and ran a nwe circuit from the panel to the converter just to isolate it from the tv up front. My question is, when I plug in the little outlet tester that you use to check for proper wiring, all three lights come on. The code on the tester doesn't even show a condition with 3 lights. I get the same result even if I plug directly into the inverter outlet, so I don't think it is my wiring job. I bought a 1200 watt special from Harbor Freight when they were on sale. Can anyone enlighten me about what my outlet tester is showing? Thanks, HarveyP

quote:

Originally posted by HarveyP:
Hi, I just finished 56nomad's inverter install project. I wired three switches for three different circuits and ran a nwe circuit from the panel to the converter just to isolate it from the tv up front. My question is, when I plug in the little outlet tester that you use to check for proper wiring, all three lights come on. The code on the tester doesn't even show a condition with 3 lights. I get the same result even if I plug directly into the inverter outlet, so I don't think it is my wiring job. I bought a 1200 watt special from Harbor Freight when they were on sale. Can anyone enlighten me about what my outlet tester is showing? Thanks, HarveyP

Probably the inverters approximation of a ground lug. Did you connect the case ground on the inverter to the ground of the motorhomes electrical system?

Hi, no I didn't connect to the RV electrical panel ground. I did connect the case of the inverter to the frame of the motorhome chassis. Do I need to connect to the electrical ground in some way? Thanks, HarveyP

quote:

Originally posted by HarveyP:
Hi, no I didn't connect to the RV electrical panel ground. I did connect the case of the inverter to the frame of the motorhome chassis. Do I need to connect to the electrical ground in some way? Thanks, HarveyP

Harvey,

If you have the 93761 inverter from Harbor Freight the manual instructs as follows:

2. Connect the Battery Cable (not included; #3 AWG or larger cables recommended)
lugs to the (Positive) red and (Negative) black terminals on the back of the
Inverter, see BACK above. Connect the Ground Cable (not included; #6 AWG or
larger cable recommended) lug to the Ground terminal, see BACK above. Securely
tighten.

4. Connect the Ground Cable to the appropriate location below:
a. If this unit is mounted within a vehicle with a grounded metal chassis,
attach the Ground Cable to a nearby location on the chassis.
b. If this unit is mounted in a boat or vehicle with an ungrounded chassis,
attach the Ground Cable to the vehicle’s grounding system.
c. ONLY if this unit is being used outside a vehicle,
attach the Ground Cable to the Negative Terminal of the Inverter.

SKU 93761 Page 5 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.

Operation
Warning: NEVER operate this inverter unless it is properly grounded.
1. Plug the 115 VAC device(s) you wish to power into the 3-prong AC Receptacles.
See FRONT above. The appliance(s) must not use more than 1,200 (total) watts
during continuous operation, otherwise it may overload the Inverter.
Caution: Some rechargeable appliances may damage the Power Inverter or the
appliance. When first using a rechargeable device, check the inverter’s temperature
for the first 10 minutes. If it becomes abnormally hot, do not use this
device with the Inverter.
2. Flip the Power Switch to the ON position to turn on. Do not use the appliance
until the power LED illuminates.
3. Turn on appliance. If an alarm sound is heard, turn off the appliance.

The best advice I can give you is make sure that you have followed the instalation and operation instructions from the manual and then call the Toll Free number and ask the Harbor Freight Techs for further instruction.

I have now connected the inverter ground lug to the ground wire of the RV electrical panel. Still shows all three lights on the outlet tester which isn't even listed on the tester as a code to expect. Has anyone out there ever tried an outlet tester on an inverted circuit? What results did you get? I need to try a test when I'm running on generator power. That will have to wait a few days. Thanks to everyone who contributes to this forum, it's a lifesaver. HarveyP