By Cheri Sicard
The invaluable video below from Jared Gillis and All About RVs, one of the winners of our 2024 Best RV Video Awards, involves a discussion of all things RV inverters, including the best RV inverters, and how to install them.
For those not familiar with an RV inverter, Jared begins with a discussion of what it is and what it does:
In a nutshell, an inverter allows you to use 120-volt AC power in your RV when there is no generator running and there’s no shore power. The inverter converts the power in your RV’s batteries to power that is usable for things you would normally plug into your wall outlet at home.
Once he defines what an RV inverter is and what it does, he builds upon that starting with the simplest RV inverter solutions to the more complex, because inverters can be complex—but they don’t have to be.
The best RV inverters and why
The video continues with a discussion of the two types of inverters:
- Pure sine wave
- Modified sine wave
Watch the video at about the 2-minute mark as Jared explains what the terms mean, the differences between them, and why RVers will want to choose a pure sine wave inverter. This is the one he uses and recommends in the video.
The next decision you will have to make is the size of your RV inverter, which is rated by watts. Jared discusses size implication at about the 3:10 mark in the video. The size you need will depend on what you will need the inverter to do.
While it is possible to have enough solar and battery power to even run your A/C, Jared discusses what’s possible versus what is practical and recommends some practical RV inverter solutions at about the 5:40 mark.
Jared begins a discussion of RV inverter installation at about the 6:45 mark and it merits watching, as installation can be extremely simple to complex as well.
On the simple side, you can simply attach the inverter to the battery posts with a fuse in between your battery and the inverter, something you will always want to do regardless of the setup.
On the complex side, you can opt to hardwire it into your RV’s electrical system. This can also be done simply or in a more complex way, depending on your needs. Jared explains and then recommends some good RV inverter brand options for various points in the complexity scale.
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I put a Giandel 3000 watt pure sine wave in and spliced it into my shore power line with an automatic transfer switch and remote control inside the RV.
Now I just shut off the breaker for the battery charger on my electrical panel, turn on the inverter, and VOILA!, my entire RV is now powered by the batteries.
We bought a 3000 as we wanted to be able to run our microwave and even though I can start my A/C through the inverter, it would kill the batteries in short order.
Thank you, Cheri! 🙂 That is a nice video, a bit older, but still full of useful information aside from prices, which are “just a bit” higher (with apologies to Bob Uecker https://youtu.be/IVP9WUGdgPg?feature=shared). We have a factory-installed Xantrex 3000-watt pure sine wave inverter in our RV that works very well. Thanks again Cheri, and safe travels! 🙂