By Steve Savage, Mobility RV Service
If you own a diesel pusher, odds are that you have an on-board power inverter. Not only does the thing charge your batteries, it also converts battery power to shore power for appliance use when you’re away from the grid and don’t want to use your generator.
Since the inverter doubles as a battery charger when tied to shore power or running the generator, a frequent question is this: What happens if the inverter stops working? Happily, you can keep your batteries charged by running your coach engine. Trouble is, if the transfer switch inside the inverter fails, you may no longer have “shore power” to run stuff like your microwave oven or entertainment center. This is because some power outlets may be fed through the inverter, regardless of whether you’re on battery power, on generator, or plugged into an outside source of shore power.
One work-around: Use extension cords inside the coach to temporarily plug into outlets that are still “hot.” Can’t find any? You may be plain out of luck until you can get your inverter repaired. Like so many things in high-end RVs with lots of high tech, inverters are great when they work, and a bust when they don’t.
