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Upgrade converter to inverter/charger
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FreeRangePod View Drop Down
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Joined: 02 Jun 2016
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Posts: 10 		Post Options Post Options   Quote FreeRangePod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Upgrade converter to inverter/charger
    Posted: 18 Apr 2023 at 10:04am
I am almost finished with my off grid system. I have a question. Is the Orange Romex attached to the WFCO Electrical panel the connection to the shore power plug?

I am planning to disconnect it and plug into a watchdog surge protector. The output of that surge protector is a new Ancor 10/3 AWG marine wire connected to the input (AC in) of the inverter/ charger.  
FreeRangePod
2016 RPod 178
2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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hank*pod View Drop Down
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Posts: 61 		Post Options Post Options   Quote hank*pod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Apr 2023 at 8:20am
Originally posted by FreeRangePod

Hi HankPod, 
The 1460 watts is only the peak requirement at start up. Wattage is similar to yours.
Now I'm going to have to try actually making a pot of coffee plugged into my Jackery rather than talking about it. Wink 
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FreeRangePod View Drop Down
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Posts: 10 		Post Options Post Options   Quote FreeRangePod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Apr 2023 at 8:09am
Hi HankPod, 
The 1460 watts is only the peak requirement at start up. Wattage is similar to yours.

My new system will allow me to camp off grid for 3 or 4 days. So National parks, BLM and Harvest Hosts will be free or close to it. I have saved enough by not going to hotels in the last 7 years to cover the cost of the RPod, extra gas and campsites. šŸ’• Love nature so much more than another expensive, boring hotel
Room. 
FreeRangePod
2016 RPod 178
2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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hank*pod View Drop Down
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Posts: 61 		Post Options Post Options   Quote hank*pod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2023 at 8:30pm
Originally posted by FreeRangePod

My coffee maker needs peak of 1460 watts. 
Just as a data point, I recently bought a small Mr Coffee (5 cups) and it consumes 800 watts.

Your power problem will be easier to solve if you adjust your power requirements. 

If necessary I can plug my Mr Coffee into my Jackery for long enough to brew a pot and not hit its 800 Wh capacity too hard.
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gpokluda View Drop Down
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Posts: 278 		Post Options Post Options   Quote gpokluda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2023 at 5:22pm
I tried to do as much wire routing as I could underneath the trailer, encasing the wires in wire loom. When it was time to route into the trailer, I used the smallest spade bit that would accommodate the wires and then sealed with spray foam from top and bottom. 
Gpokluda
2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023)
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FreeRangePod View Drop Down
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Posts: 10 		Post Options Post Options   Quote FreeRangePod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2023 at 5:05pm
I am well into my installation of my off grid system. DC box under the dinette with 2 100 Ah lithium batteries in parallel, from positive of battery bank  to 300 amp fuse to battery shutoff to positive bus bar. From negative of battery bank to Vitron smart shunt to negative bus bar. Smart shunt connected to app and setup looks correct. 
Now I Need to take battery connects off tongue and connect to bus bars. Any suggestions where best to drill hole and how best to seal off?
FreeRangePod
2016 RPod 178
2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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Colt View Drop Down
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Posts: 383 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Colt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Feb 2023 at 9:31pm
I'll suggest a better coffee maker (Bodum) and a teapot. 


You might investigate a Bodum Vacuum siphon, but use a Yama filter.  These are messier to clean, though.  You can use it on your gas burner.  Superior coffee. 

I use the pour over in my R-Pod for speed and convenience. 
John
'16 R-Pod 180
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FreeRangePod View Drop Down
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Posts: 10 		Post Options Post Options   Quote FreeRangePod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2023 at 8:46am
Hi Gpoklida,
Thank for your reply. I am leaning towards putting the whole thing in a storage compartment, using an inverter/charger and lithium batteries. My trolling boat batteries on my bass boat were 2010 and 2014%#@, so I moved my two RPod batteries ( 2018) to the boat.  Took it out yesterday, worked great!

Now to choose the inverter/charger and Lithium batteries to install. 
FreeRangePod
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2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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gpokluda View Drop Down
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Posts: 278 		Post Options Post Options   Quote gpokluda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2023 at 8:36am
Originally posted by FreeRangePod

So Gpokluda you left your converter/ charger and added an inverter? Since my converter is no longer working, I want to not use a converter at all. I watched a video where they rewired the charger breaker for inverter and ran wires from it to a inverter/charger behind the panel, installed under a bed. The back of my panel is the bathroom in a RPod 178. So Iā€™m trying to figure out where to install the inverter charger.

Hi FRP, I wired the inverter as close as possible to my batteries, which meant locating it in the front storage area. My charger/converter, which is located on the other end of the trailer on a 179, was working fine so I left it in place.

Apologies, I missed the part where your charger converter wasn't working in your situation. 

Best of luck
Gpokluda
2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023)
2022 Escape 5.0TA
2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6289 		Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2023 at 8:47am
Remember that the converter is doing two things:  Supplying 12V power to the RPod and charging the battery. An inverter/charger is doing much more. In addition to charging the battery, it is also monitoring the AC power input and when that is disconnected, transferring to battery/inverter power to keep your AC items running, much like an uninterruptible power supply for your computer. It much be much bigger to do these things. You would need  to find a different mounting point for an inverter/charger. In my case, I think there would be adequate space behind the power panel if I were to do that. However, I haven't found a need to have an inverter running. Given, I do carry a generator for when we are traveling and don't have shore power available and I want to run the AC or the microwave. Neither would be suitable to run on an inverter anyway, not in the RPod at least. A motor home with lots of room to carry a large battery bank, perhaps, but not the RPod.
StephenH
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