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Old 06-16-2022, 05:08 AM   #1
2022 Winnebago Sunstar 32
 
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: Ruther Glen, Virginia
Posts: 11
Inverter Plug use on Sunstar?

I noticed that the inverter on my Sunstar has what looks like regular plug receptacles. Can I plug in regular 120 devices and use it like any other plug or are they special and have specific uses? I definitely do not want to plug something in only to find I shouldn't have done it.

Thanks for any advice.
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Old 06-16-2022, 07:19 AM   #2
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Pflugerville/Austin, Tx
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Something to ease your mind, perhaps?
If an item is US/Canada, the builders will not install an outlet that fits a regular 110AC plug and use it for something else!
I'm speaking of the regular folks who follow the rules, not necessarily some hammer head who does his own "thinking/ Lack of thinking" design.
So if it is a regular ready made item it is safe to plug in!
Note that the rules require different shapes for plugs and outlets that have different voltages.
That's why we can't plug a 15 amp 110 plug into a 30 amp outlet. Different shapes for different uses.
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Old 06-16-2022, 09:41 AM   #3
Winnebago Master
 
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Location: Elk Grove, CA
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Morich is correct, but here's some more information. According to page 61 of your owners manual, you should have a 1000W Magnum Dimensions CSW1012 inverter. Even if you have a different model, it's the wattage that's important.

It will power appliances up to 1000W with a 2000W Peak or start up capacity. At 1000W, it won't power many hair dryers or most toasters. It may power a coffee maker, depending on its wattage. Many owners use them to power their CPAP machines when shore power is unavailable. You need to carefully read the label on your appliance before trying to run it off the inverter. The inverter also draws battery power even in standby mode so turn it off when not in use.

The other thing to consider is that a 1000W appliance will draw 1000/12 = 83.3 amps from your battery, which is a huge draw on the typical 100Ah (amp hour) RV battery, which is good for 50Ah to 80Ah.

You should have received a manual for the inverter with your 2022 MH. In any case here are links to your Sunstar owners manual and the inverter manual:

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File.../21Sunstar.pdf

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File.../21Sunstar.pdf
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Old 06-16-2022, 12:44 PM   #4
Winnie-Wise
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Kansas
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dbest1, according to the wiring diagrams for your RV, your inverter is wired like my Vista. On my Vista, there is a regular GFCI outlet on the front of the inverter with one cord plugged into it. That plug then goes to the inverter transfer switch. If I am connected to shore power, 120VAC is routed from shore power through the transfer switch to the electrical outlets in my RV. If I am not connected to shore power and the inverter is on, then 120VAC comes from the inverter through the transfer switch to the outlets.

The GFCI outlet on the inverter is always on if the inverter is on - it doesn't matter if shore power is on or not. Therefore, if you have something plugged into the GFCI outlet on the inverter and the inverter is on then you will be drawing from your batteries. Depending what you have plugged in to that outlet, the converter charger might not be able to supply the current to keep your batteries charged.

So, yes you can use that outlet as long as you watch out for the load on your batteries (as Bob C mentioned in post #3 above) and remember how it works when on shore power.
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Old 06-16-2022, 01:00 PM   #5
Winnebago Master
 
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Just to reiterate. If you leave the inverter "on" it will eventually run down your batteries even if you're not using it. Just leave it "off" until you need it and never leave it on while in storage.
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Old 06-16-2022, 08:11 PM   #6
Winnie-Wise
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Morich View Post
Something to ease your mind, perhaps?
If an item is US/Canada, the builders will not install an outlet that fits a regular 110AC plug and use it for something else!
I'm speaking of the regular folks who follow the rules, not necessarily some hammer head who does his own "thinking/ Lack of thinking" design.
So if it is a regular ready made item it is safe to plug in!
Note that the rules require different shapes for plugs and outlets that have different voltages.
That's why we can't plug a 15 amp 110 plug into a 30 amp outlet. Different shapes for different uses.
Your comment reminded me of an idiot uncle of mine. He decided to use inexpensive 2 wire extension cords as speaker wires. He cut the female socket off of one cord and attached it to his speaker. He cut the male end off of another cord and attached it to his amplifier output. He plugged the two cords together and everything worked fine. If he ever wanted to move the speakers, he could simply add an extension cord in the middle for extra length. On day, his wife was vacuuming and snagged a cord, which became unplugged. Seeing a nearby wall plug, she plugged it into that. Even the best speakers won't play 60 hz at 115v/15 amps for very long. 115v/8ohms=14.13amps or 1620 watts.
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Old 06-16-2022, 08:39 PM   #7
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I once worked in a customers house where they asked me to remove three wires sticking out of their child's bedroom wall. Went in and found three grey wires commony used as telephone ground wires sticking about a foot out of the wall.

Standing there with snips in hand, I wondered why in the world there were THREE ground wires in a bedroom? So I went to look where they came from on the other side of the wall and found they were wired to the 220 outlet for a stove and had been run into the bedroom for window unit air!

Still connected and hot! Removed very carefully and advised the lady to contact the landlord!

Beware the hammer head!
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Old 06-17-2022, 08:25 AM   #8
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I must have a similar internet on mine. It has a GCFI outlet built into the inverter. It works even when the inverter is off. I once had an issue when the GCFI plug on the unit went out, so the other plugs on the circuit also went out. Since it was a standard GCFI plug, the fix was a simple $2 replacement of the outlet.
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Old 06-17-2022, 10:00 AM   #9
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Before getting too far into how the inverter and details work, I see no mention of which RV the OP has. Is it the 30 amp or 50 amp version?

Looking at the drawings here:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File.../000204041.pdf

So my question would be which do you have, like sheet 6 with no transfer switch or sheet 7 with transfer switch?

Since this is a new RV and you likely have lots of things you have not found or figured out yet, perhaps the easy way to tell the difference is by looking at the load center.

Do you have 30 amp main breaker as sheet 6 or the upgrade package with 50 amp breakers as on sheet 7?

Also do you swap the power cord from an outlet in the RV to shore power or is it running through a tranfer switch that does the transfer when using the generator?

Some of those small points is what can make shopping difficult as we may find one dealer with a cheaper price on "the exact same" RV but he doesn't mention what upgrades/options may be missing on one or the other!
This is frequently true of car dealers and has been the custom for a long time!

But to telll how the inverter works, we may need to know how it is wired.
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Old 06-17-2022, 10:36 AM   #10
Winnie-Wise
 
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Richard, if you look at page 4 of the drawing you reference in post #9 you will see that the inverter has its own separate transfer switch. As far as the inverter is concerned, I don't think it matters if the RV is a 30A or 50A version. On that drawing you can also see that the inverter transfer switch is plugged into one of the GFCI duplex outlets on the left side of the inverter. That leaves the other GFCI outlet available.
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