Inverter on 1995 Winnebago Luxor diesel

mhastings58 · 04-22-2020, 11:47 AM

My microwave was not working and the dishwasher in my RV. I took it to the shop and they said the inverter had gone bad. They said it needed a new transfer switch and a new inverter and a touchpad. They are going to charge me 2000 for an inverter and 600 for touch pad and 500 to put it in. Does this sound expensive for an inverter or about the right price? They also said it needed a hydraulic motor for the jacks and that would be 600 and install 500. I have a 1995 Diesel Winnebago Luxor. The inverter it has now is a Freedom Combi Inverter/Charger. I live close to Huntsville AL. I looked up some inverters last night and they were not 2000. I just thought the forum might know if the price was about right or do you think they are gouging the price? Thanks for any help.

**creativepart** · 04-22-2020, 02:18 PM

A 22 year old RV is going need a lot of stuff, and if you are not able to DIY the repairs it's going cost a ton.

A new model of the Freedom Inverter/Charger is about $1,000 to $1,200. Then there is removing the old one and installing the new one. So, yeah, that can be $2,000. You might be able to buy the inverter/charger yourself and hire an independent RV repair person to install it and save $300 or more dollars. But you'll need to know which model to buy.

You can 100% guarantee that a 22-yr old inverter/charger is going to be totally outclassed by a new model inverter.

The Luxor was a super deluxe RV back in the 1990s. Full of tons of expensive items that are all likely aged out. Hopefully, the drivetrain is good and you got it so cheap that you can afford tens of thousands in similar repairs.

mhastings58 · 04-22-2020, 07:02 PM

Well I didn’t have a clue what I was doing when I bought it so it wasn’t cheap and I have put Ton of repair in it. Now the inverter is bad. I was trying to sell it and then the inverter went out. It is actually going to cost 3100 to install the inverter. He said 2000 just for the inverter by itself and then 600 for the touchpad and 500 for the labor. So I guess they did jack up the price of the cost of the inverter. The engine and the transmission are great in it though. I don’t know of an RV repair person except at the RV repair facilities. I guess I have to have the inverter. I can’t just not have one correct? Someone said I could just put a converter in instead of an inverter combo like mine has in it now.

**creativepart** · 04-22-2020, 07:07 PM

On "that" RV I think you are more or less bought into the deluxe part of it. Back then it was state of the art.

Very old RVs are great DIY projects. Not so much if you have to pay someone to do everything.

They are like boats "a hole in the ocean that you dump all your money" without the ocean.

mhastings58 · 04-22-2020, 07:37 PM

Yep. I agree with you on that.

MNGolfer · 04-29-2020, 04:25 PM

The Dimensions Inverter/charger died on our 2004 Journey several years ago. Since we never used the inverter, I decided to pull it out the just put in an IOTA converter charger. Never did approve of the method Dimensions used to charge and maintain the house batteries. When it went into "condition" cycle, it always managed to boil out the water. No more problems with that with the IOTA. About $200 invested, including a new AC breaker box where the Dimensions unit was located. Not at all a difficult job if you are handy at all with electrical. No way would I spend the money for a new inverter/charger, when a charger was all that is typically needed. If you have no need for the inverter, why replace it?

anndrennan · 04-30-2020, 07:13 AM

We recently had inverter problems. We have a local RV mobile repair guy come out and take the inverter out and we took the inverter to a repair shop. Long story, but we did end up having to have it replaced and we did end up with an RV repair center as it is a very long story. BUT, the bottom line, look up your inverter on the internet -hopefully, you can find it cheaper, you should be able to and see if you have a local mobile repair guy that you can hire to take the old one out and put the new one in. I actually could have done this if I could have managed the heavy inverter and the disconnecting. I am a 60 something female and had instructions on how to disconnect. I chose to hire it out though. Something to think about.

Good luck!
Ann
2014 Itasca Suncruiser 38q