Inverter install for Minnie 2801BHS

[jonnyr1]

Hey all,


I have a minnie 2801bhs with solar currently and purchased a 1000w inverter with transfer switch and MPPT solar controller.

I'm thinking of undertaking the task of installing the inverter this spring, however, I'm struggling to find a decent wiring diagram of the unit. Its fairly likely I may have someone install it at this point, however, I'm willing to learn. As a part of this work I'd like to move the battery inside the front bay, with the ability to remove the batteries and inverter easyish for winterizing and such.



I'm getting a little confused with the default converter connections, here's what I had in my brain (scary ),


And this is what I think to do:


Any feedback on the above would be appreciated. Its the first step in me trying to understand this stuff.

[Fred 2106DS]

jonnyr1,

What's the make and model of your inverter/transfer switch/mppt combo unit. I'm not familiar with such a unit. I would like to read up on it before providing feedback.

Since you want to move your battery into the pass through, I assume you have a LiFePO4 battery or will be purchasing one?

My LiFePO4 batteries and chargers, inverter and solar controller, which are inside the pass through, are removable as a single unit. All I do is unplug a few connections inside the pass through and the unit slides out the pass through door. At that point the unit can be stored or used as a standalone power center.

Fred

[jonnyr1]

Thanks Fred.



I purchased this one: https://watts247.com/product/pip-1012lv-ms/?wpam_id=3 as recommended by this Will Prowse dude (https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/al...-packages.html). Its cheap just as a try me kinda thing. If I can run a few plugs, TV and fridge off it I'd be super happy.



I have a 100ah LifePO4 battery, and I've seen your setup, its basically exactly what I'd like to do .



Thank you sir.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by jonnyr1

as recommended by this Will Prowse dude (https://www.mobile-solarpower.com/al...-packages.html). Its cheap just as a try me kinda thing. If I can run a few plugs, TV and fridge off it I'd be super happy.

I have a 100ah LifePO4 battery.

Will Prowse is a great resource for information. One thing to keep in mind is that he is really centered on residential solar, not too much mobile or RVing stuff.

Generally, you’ll want the inverter directly connected to your battery. Even a short run will be best with heavy gauge wiring to handle loads. Since the device is also your solar charge controller that too would be directly connected to your battery. Though that connection doesn’t require much more than 10 gauge wire unless you have more than 400w of solar.

Also, with one 100aH LFP battery you are limited in what you can power. A few plugs and TVs for sure. But a fridge may be pushing it. But that depends on the fridge.

[Marine359]

1000w = 83.3 amps dc. Size your wire for 100amps, which would be 1/0 awg, and use a 100 amp fuse between battery and inverter. Advice you also install a manual reset breaker between the pv array and the inverter. This gives you the ability to quickly disconnect the array from the circuit. Size the breaker to match maximum amperage of the array. Use another piece of 10awg wire to connect the breaker to the inverter.. you’ll also need a combiner post/terminal to connect the negative leads from array to the negative wire to the inverter solar input.

As long as you do not have a compressor fridge. With 100ah LiFePo4, You should nominally have enough power to boondock without generator for 3 days. That’s at a consumption of 33ah per day; about normal unless you’re switch on the inverter and start using ac power. Your inverter is not big enough to run any ac appliance other than your tv. Possibly can run a 800w coffeemaker.

[Fred 2106DS]

jonnyr1,

Below is a PDF diagram showing how I believe your inverter combo will interface with your Battery, Solar Panel, Power Center and Shore Power connection.

Assuming you will be installing the Inverter in the pass through and moving your Battery there also...This will involve extending or rerouting your existing Battery, Solar Panel and Shore Power wiring. You would also need to run new properly sized AC wiring between the Inverter and Power Center and new properly sized DC wiring between the Inverter and the Battery.

As for easy removal of the Inverter and Battery for storage, you will need to work that out yourself. I will try and answer any questions you have, but the system you are building is quite different from mine.

Reading through the inverter manual that it is recommended to mount the Inverter on non-combustible material.

As for appliances you can run off 1000W...besides TVs, I also found 4-cup coffee makers and cheap 2-slice toasters such as Walmart brand work. You just can't run the coffee maker and toaster at the same time.

Let me know what other questions you have.

Fred

[Fred 2106DS]

jonnyr1,

I've been thinking a little more about easy removal of the inverter and battery for when you winterize.

What I would probably consider is mounting the inverter to a backer board that is a couple inches wider on each side of the inverter.

I would then use this area to install 1/4" thumb screws that would thread into well nuts installed into the backwall of the pass-through.

As for the battery, I would install it in a battery box and secure the box to the pass-through floor using mounted D-rings and a rachet strap over the top.

Since the inverter and battery will be secured separately, I would install pigtails with proper plugs on each of the inverter connections. This will allow the battery, solar panel, power center and shore power connections to be unplugged for removal of both the inverter and battery.

Fred

[Marine359]

Yes, using a Ply backer board to mount components works well. We pre-mounted most components to 3/4” backer board, then affixed it to the pass thru rear bulkhead. The inverter can be hung from pan head screws not completely screwed in, then clips at the bottom end. You can protect any components exposed to cargo shifting by using acrylic guards mounted to the pass thru ceiling with hinges. Another option for quick removal is to order your cables with Anderson terminals. With Anderson’s, you just pull the plug and remove whatever is connected to it.

Learned all I know from Fred.

[Fred 2106DS]

Yes, I would highly recommend Anderson connectors for all your DC connections.

Also, as Jim did with his system, I would suggest using 30 amp shore power cords for your AC runs and connections. Shore power cords will be much easier to run than the conduit and wires as I did.

[jonnyr1]

Originally Posted by Marine359

1000w = 83.3 amps dc. Size your wire for 100amps, which would be 1/0 awg, and use a 100 amp fuse between battery and inverter. Advice you also install a manual reset breaker between the pv array and the inverter. This gives you the ability to quickly disconnect the array from the circuit. Size the breaker to match maximum amperage of the array. Use another piece of 10awg wire to connect the breaker to the inverter.. you’ll also need a combiner post/terminal to connect the negative leads from array to the negative wire to the inverter solar input.

As long as you do not have a compressor fridge. With 100ah LiFePo4, You should nominally have enough power to boondock without generator for 3 days. That’s at a consumption of 33ah per day; about normal unless you’re switch on the inverter and start using ac power. Your inverter is not big enough to run any ac appliance other than your tv. Possibly can run a 800w coffeemaker.

Thank you Jim. I just have some 4 awg for testing (no loads), will look to get some 1/0, I have a 100 amp fuse with a switch as so I can switch the circuit.



Thank you for the solar connection pointers too.

Eventually I'd like to purchase more batteries, this is just a start. 100ah would be fine I think for now.

[jonnyr1]

Originally Posted by Fred 2106DS

jonnyr1,

Below is a PDF diagram showing how I believe your inverter combo will interface with your Battery, Solar Panel, Power Center and Shore Power connection.

Assuming you will be installing the Inverter in the pass through and moving your Battery there also...This will involve extending or rerouting your existing Battery, Solar Panel and Shore Power wiring. You would also need to run new properly sized AC wiring between the Inverter and Power Center and new properly sized DC wiring between the Inverter and the Battery.

As for easy removal of the Inverter and Battery for storage, you will need to work that out yourself. I will try and answer any questions you have, but the system you are building is quite different from mine.

Reading through the inverter manual that it is recommended to mount the Inverter on non-combustible material.

As for appliances you can run off 1000W...besides TVs, I also found 4-cup coffee makers and cheap 2-slice toasters such as Walmart brand work. You just can't run the coffee maker and toaster at the same time.

Let me know what other questions you have.

Fred

Hi Fred,



I'm lucky in that the solar inverter is inside right where i'd like the battery and inverter to be. So I'll likely need to use the existing paths for those bits.



For the shore power connectivity i'm tempted to have a local RV place to do that bit as they'll have better access and tooling to route the new cable though. Using a 30amp Rv cord is a good shout too.



I love the idea of the Anderson connectors. Would make it a breeze to remove for the winter. I actually bought a new battery box last year so that would work well with the d-rings.



Hopefully once the snow goes I can get the RV back to my place and take a look at the distribution box and stuff.

Really appreciate the help.


Edit: In looking at the diagram I have to move the shore power connection to the inverter. Say if the inverter dies and I can't use it, would I be able to connect the shore power to the MPP AC Output cable?

[creativepart]

Fred2106DS, I'm late in catching up with this thread. And, don't really have a dog in this hunt. But I looked at your diagram PDF and see something that can't be accurate. I've attached an image of the contents of the PDF so that others don't have to download the PDF to see what I'm referring to.

Your diagram has shore power direct connected to the Inverter/SCC Combo. But shore power must go to the input of the converter/charger not the Inverter.

Typically, the solar charge controller output simply goes to the battery bank. The inverter input comes from the battery bank and then it's 110v output goes directly to specific breakers on the AC side of the Power Center.

I said "typically" above, because while that's always the setup in an RV, I'm unfamiliar with this (Residential) Inverter/SCC Combination device and how it's configured and wired.

But I feel pretty confident in saying that shore power feeds the Converter/Charger and not this combo Inverter/SCC device.

[Fred 2106DS]

Originally Posted by jonnyr1

Hi Fred,



I'm lucky in that the solar inverter is inside right where i'd like the battery and inverter to be. So I'll likely need to use the existing paths for those bits.



For the shore power connectivity i'm tempted to have a local RV place to do that bit as they'll have better access and tooling to route the new cable though. Using a 30amp Rv cord is a good shout too.



I love the idea of the Anderson connectors. Would make it a breeze to remove for the winter. I actually bought a new battery box last year so that would work well with the d-rings.



Hopefully once the snow goes I can get the RV back to my place and take a look at the distribution box and stuff.

Really appreciate the help.


Edit: In looking at the diagram I have to move the shore power connection to the inverter. Say if the inverter dies and I can't use it, would I be able to connect the shore power to the MPP AC Output cable?

Yes, you can bypass the inverter by disconnecting the pigtail connections at the inverter.

This is how I envision making the AC power connections if using 30 amp shore power extension cords.

Using two 30 amp shore power extension cords that have male and female plug ends, take one extension cord and cut off the male end to whatever length is appropriate and create the pigtail for the AC input connection on the inverter. I would then do the same using the second extension cord, but this time cut off the female end and connect it to the AC output on the inverter. Then using the remaining length of extension cord with the intact female end, use the cut end to extend the shore power connection to the inverter and using the other extension cord with the intact male end, connect the cut end to the power center.

Wired this way, if your transfer switch inside the inverter were to fail, you can easily bypass the inverter by unplugging the extension cords from the pigtails and directly plugging them together to bypass the inverter.

Also, by using a male pigtail on the input side and a female pigtail on the output side you minimize the risk of a short or being shocked when plugging in and unplugging these connections.

[Fred 2106DS]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Fred2106DS, I'm late in catching up with this thread. And, don't really have a dog in this hunt. But I looked at your diagram PDF and see something that can't be accurate. I've attached an image of the contents of the PDF so that others don't have to download the PDF to see what I'm referring to.

Your diagram has shore power direct connected to the Inverter/SCC Combo. But shore power must go to the input of the converter/charger not the Inverter.

Typically, the solar charge controller output simply goes to the battery bank. The inverter input comes from the battery bank and then it's 110v output goes directly to specific breakers on the AC side of the Power Center.

I said "typically" above, because while that's always the setup in an RV, I'm unfamiliar with this (Residential) Inverter/SCC Combination device and how it's configured and wired.

But I feel pretty confident in saying that shore power feeds the Converter/Charger and not this combo Inverter/SCC device.

This inverter combo has a built in transfer switch so the shore power needs to be redirected to the inverter combo before going to the converter/charger.

[Fred 2106DS]

jonnyr1,

One other thing you will need to think about, if you install this inverter combo you will need to disconnect the converter portion of the power center when you’re running off just the battery and inverter, such as when your boondocking.

If you’re planning to only use the inverter's built in battery charger and not the power center's converter/charger, then you can disconnect the converter wires from the AC side of the power center and be done with it.