171 Inverter Prep

Originally posted by Dragon Pilot I have a 178. The forward storage bin is the most practical space to put in, say, a 2000-3000 watt inverter, and get it close to the battery. It's a fairly tight space to work in. And the wires to the battery would probably have to go through a hole in the floor (I hate drilling into flooring). the hole would have to be sealed really good after the wires are run through to the battery.

That’s what I did when I installed an inverter in our 179. To keep the wires as short as possible. I drilled through the front to connect to the batteries. I sealed the penetrations liberally. The problem I ran into was battery capacity. For a 2000watt-3000watt you are going to need 200ahr battery capacity at the very least. There are some very experienced boondockers on another forum I’m on that say 400ahr is the minimum for a 3000watt inverter. The only way I could achieve that on our 179 was a lithium battery bank in the front storage area. So my wife and I opted to get a camper more suited to our needs.

Originally posted by Rpod-Couple The River Forest 2025 Rpod 171 interior pictures show “Inverter Prep” label on the dinette seat adjacent to the sink. There are screws holding the plywood seat in place. Remove the screws and lift up the plywood and I believe you will find the inverter wiring. (I wouldn’t put the screws back in to make it easy to get to the water pump, heater and inverter.)

I have a 2021 R-pod 171. I suspect the inverter prep is under the dinette seat on the drivers/sink side. Pretty sizable space and it’s close to the battery, and battery cutoff switch.

As a rule, inverters are placed as close to the battery(s) as possible. Usually within 1-2ft. I believe StephenH is right. It probably means there are simply 12v leads located where you can install an inverter.