Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: racephoto on December 17, 2014, 08:47:13 pm
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Hi all, I use a lot of electronic gadgets and I am a bit afraid of the MSW inverter in my PC Cruiser. I had my first ever hard drive failure while plugged into it, and have had issues with the new laptop. So I am thinking of swapping it out with a pure sine wave model. Any one else ever do this?
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I asked PC about putting a pure sine wave inverter in when they built my unit for that reason, but they only wanted to use the modified sine wave that they've been using all along, indicating that there haven't ever been any complaints about it. I didn't push the issue, and instead I got a nice adapter thingie so I could charge electronics from the dashboard when driving. Then, once I moved into my rig and started using stuff and sort of understanding how things work, I realized that the inverter would only be charging my computer (or phone or whatever) if I were not plugged in to shore power, but using the house battery. I usually am plugged in somewhere, so it is my understanding (and I may be waaaayyyyy wrong, in which case I welcome correction) that if I am plugged in to shore power or even using the generator, then even the inverter plugs won't be using the inverter, because it isn't needed then. It is only needed when using just your battery power. So when I did dry camp, I made sure my electronics were charged up ahead of time and if they needed charging while out there, I could use the adapter while driving or just take my chances with an occasional charge being done with the modified sine wave inverter. Sorry, that was way too long, and probably confused, and maybe wrong. But it's my two cents!
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Thanks. I do dry camp almost all the time. I had a small inverter that I plugged into the 12v outlet by the tv that I used for the longest time as I thought using the 2000w inverter to run under 100w of electronics was a waste. But I guess I got tired of extension cords hanging out of the cabinet and started using the built-in inverter. And promptly had a hard drive fried. Maybe a coincidence but it's also pretty noisy which I don't care for.
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I asked PC about putting a pure sine wave inverter in when they built my unit for that reason, but they only wanted to use the modified sine wave that they've been using all along, indicating that there haven't ever been any complaints about it. I didn't push the issue, and instead I got a nice adapter thingie so I could charge electronics from the dashboard when driving. Then, once I moved into my rig and started using stuff and sort of understanding how things work, I realized that the inverter would only be charging my computer (or phone or whatever) if I were not plugged in to shore power, but using the house battery. I usually am plugged in somewhere, so it is my understanding (and I may be waaaayyyyy wrong, in which case I welcome correction) that if I am plugged in to shore power or even using the generator, then even the inverter plugs won't be using the inverter, because it isn't needed then. It is only needed when using just your battery power. So when I did dry camp, I made sure my electronics were charged up ahead of time and if they needed charging while out there, I could use the adapter while driving or just take my chances with an occasional charge being done with the modified sine wave inverter. Sorry, that was way too long, and probably confused, and maybe wrong. But it's my two cents!
Carol, an inverter converts 12v to 115 volts. So if you are plugged in, or not, running generator or not, it's always running off the coach batteries
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But when you are plugged in the converter is charging the coach batteries, so it is similar to not running the inverter. The inverter takes from the batteries and the convert puts the charge right back into them. :-D
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If the inverter is turned off, and your on shore or generator line power, the receptacles powered by the inverter are still hot (at least in my 2551) so these receptacles must be powered by both line power and inverter. Does that make sense? Still trying to learn about the coach electrical system.
Thanks,
David
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You are correct.
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When we use inverted 110V for our laptop, the power supply buzzes and gets warmer than would otherwise. I considered getting a 12V power supply specific to work with a 12v outlet, but never followed through getting one. I think a laptop 12V supply would be electrically cleaner for the computer, and use less power too.
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Our cell phones died on inverter power. We pulled batteries and were lucky that they reset. Kermit said it was the charger cable that couldn't handle it and that the larger charger cords/wall warts (like those for laptops) should be fine. We haven't had problems with the laptops on the inverted outlets but we now charge the cell phones and Kindles directly from the round twelve volt outlets - two in the truck dash drawing from the truck battery and one in the forward cabinet drawing from the house battery. We bought a little multi port charging station that lives in that front cabinet and has two USB ports as well as a couple of round ones. So far it works for us.
However, that pure sine wave inverter is on my wish list also so I am very interested in how your swap out goes.
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I use my computer plugged in to the outlet under the dinette, which is not on the inverter, so as long as I am not dry camping, it is all right. I don't really understand from the replies above whether the other outlets are safe or not for electronics when we are plugged in to shore power (or generator) but use an inverter outlet. I thought I read somewhere that in such a case, the inverter will be bypassed. Anyhew, maybe PC will reconsider having an option to put in a pure sine wave inverter for people who ask for one. :-D
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I thought I read somewhere that in such a case, the inverter will be bypassed.
That has been my understanding too. When plugged into shore power or running the generator, all 110v outlets get their energy direct from those sources, not the inverter. I wonder now.
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We are far and away so we can't test this but could we hit the battery kill switch to lock out that power, plug in to AC power, then see if there is power to the inverter outlets?
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The Xantrex inverter used in the newer PC's monitors the 120AC power (generator or shore power). Only when it is turned on and AC power falls below 90V will the inverter supply 120V (MSW). I'm not sure how the older Tripp Lite works.
Barry
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Racephoto
Here is a link to the Tripp Lite 2000 W Inverter/Converter owners manual just in case your unit did not come with a manual. This looks like the Inverter/Converter we had in our 2008 2350 but can not confirm it is the sme model number.
http://www.invertersrus.com/trippliteaps2012.html
Then Select DOWNLOAD TAB
Barry