Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-12-2015, 06:00 PM   #21
Senior Member
 
jegstrup's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Divide CO
Posts: 187
So I got some details from the repair guy today. He said the 3000w inverter/charger(130 amp on charging side) is about $3200.
another $400 to upgrade the remote.
About $200 to upgrade the fuse to 300a. And a few other odds and ends bringing total parts to just over $4000. I guess the other $4500 is labor.
I checked the prices at Magnum Energy website and can get a 2800w inverter with 125a charger for $1700.
The remote is $169, and the fuse upgrade is $69.
That's half the cost!
I understand the garages like to markup the price on parts a little but that's way out of line.



2012 Forest River Berkshire 390FL
2013 Hyundai Veloster
jegstrup is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 06:16 PM   #22
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,748
Not sure what to say to that. P.T. Barnum may apply here.
Still Kickin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 06:40 PM   #23
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
Quote:
Originally Posted by jegstrup View Post
So I got some details from the repair guy today. He said the 3000w inverter/charger(130 amp on charging side) is about $3200.
another $400 to upgrade the remote.
About $200 to upgrade the fuse to 300a. And a few other odds and ends bringing total parts to just over $4000. I guess the other $4500 is labor.
I checked the prices at Magnum Energy website and can get a 2800w inverter with 125a charger for $1700.
The remote is $169, and the fuse upgrade is $69.
That's half the cost!
I understand the garages like to markup the price on parts a little but that's way out of line.



2012 Forest River Berkshire 390FL
2013 Hyundai Veloster

Are you running a residential fridge? That is a lot of inverter. If you have that 2800 installed what upgrade will you need to do to the battery bank. The stock battery will last 5 minutes with that much draw. I don't see how you could add batteries unless you moved them to another compartment and that would need to be vented unless you went with all AGM batteries. Just curious.



Phil57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 06:48 PM   #24
Senior Member
 
jegstrup's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Divide CO
Posts: 187
I don't have a residential fridge, and nothing was said about a battery upgrade.
I don't even use the Inverter except as a passthru for shore power. The inverter is never turned on.
It's looking like the issue must be in the charger side of it.


2012 Forest River Berkshire 390FL
2013 Hyundai Veloster
jegstrup is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 06:50 PM   #25
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Rowlett, Texas
Posts: 49
Find a new mechanic!
RodneyD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 06:51 PM   #26
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
Why not just replace what you have or just a slight upgrade. Anymore and you are wasting your money especially if you aren't really doing major dry camping.



Phil57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 07:33 PM   #27
Senior Member
 
jegstrup's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Divide CO
Posts: 187
Phil,

The more I look into this, the more I agree with you. I'm currently swapping emails with someone at Magnum Energy and after looking at inverter sizes on bigger/pricier rigs than mine, im not seeing anything with more than 2800w.
I might look at upping it to 1500 but that's about it.


2012 Forest River Berkshire 390FL
2013 Hyundai Veloster
jegstrup is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 07:41 PM   #28
Senior Member
 
I-RV's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Mount Laurel, NJ
Posts: 1,024
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil57 View Post
Why not just replace what you have or just a slight upgrade. Anymore and you are wasting your money especially if you aren't really doing major dry camping.
X2 to what Phil & Dianna said. As I stated before, I have the same 2012 Berk as the OP and feel it has enough power. As another option, can't the factory recondition the inverter at a fraction of a new one? Or is that a pipe dream!
__________________
Gale & Hank- 2012 Berkshire 390BH
I-RV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 07:56 PM   #29
Senior Member
 
jegstrup's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Divide CO
Posts: 187
The mechanic said my extended warranty would cover repair but not replace.
But he also said they'd pay about $1500 to repair it but it only costs around $750 new so I have trouble with anything he says


2012 Forest River Berkshire 390FL
2013 Hyundai Veloster
jegstrup is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 09:57 PM   #30
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Alberta Canada
Posts: 440
I am just curious, how many Berk owners feel that they have an undersized charger/inverter?
lefaivre is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 10:12 PM   #31
Senior Member
 
accumack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 522
Mine is fine no complaints.
__________________
2011 Berkshire 390-rb-40, upgraded tires and front axle airbags, 2012 Jeep Wrangler 2 door, Blue Ox baseplate and BlueOx aladdin tow bar, Blue Ox Patriot brake system, wiring run through right frame rail and homemade led taillight bar.FB.
Ham KG5LTL.
accumack is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 10:22 PM   #32
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
Mine does everything I want it to do. We don't dry camp often mostly when traveling. We also don't have a res fridge so I only need it for lights and TV.



Phil57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 10:50 PM   #33
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 277
2014 400BH and my inverter is fine and I do a fair share of dry camping


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums
__________________
Jc
2014 400BH-60
jcowles3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2015, 11:20 PM   #34
Senior Member
 
jegstrup's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Divide CO
Posts: 187
Jcowles,
What size is your inverter? Is it the Magnum Energy MM1212?


2012 Forest River Berkshire 390FL
2013 Hyundai Veloster
jegstrup is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2015, 07:02 AM   #35
Senior Member
 
klucas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 376
Problems, problems, problems...

I have a 2012 390bh. My inverter is the mm1212 it stopped charging last year. After call in tech support and randy at fr they said it was time to replace it. Ironically is was out of warranty by a couple months. I ordered one online it was just under 800 and switched it out myself. Not a hard job. The alternator on the engine will charge house batteries. I learned this from not having the inverter working for a week or two while on the road.

And after about 150 camping days in the berk. Never had a problem with the size of the inventor.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums
klucas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2015, 08:31 PM   #36
Senior Member
 
jegstrup's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Divide CO
Posts: 187
Update on the inverter ...

Bought an inverter off of Amazon. Since I am a member of Amazon prime, I was able to get free 2 day shipping. For $11 more I got overnight shipping. Ordered it Friday, had it in hand before noon on Monday, installed it myself in under an hr, no problems so far.
$730 vs. $8500!


2012 Forest River Berkshire 390FL
2013 Hyundai Veloster
jegstrup is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2015, 08:35 PM   #37
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Crawfordville, Florida
Posts: 610
Great!!!!
__________________
Jerry. Vietnam vet.
Retired
jgahlhoff is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2015, 08:58 PM   #38
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: West Michigan/Fort Myers
Posts: 3,927
Quote:
Originally Posted by jegstrup View Post
Update on the inverter ...

Bought an inverter off of Amazon. Since I am a member of Amazon prime, I was able to get free 2 day shipping. For $11 more I got overnight shipping. Ordered it Friday, had it in hand before noon on Monday, installed it myself in under an hr, no problems so far.
$730 vs. $8500!


2012 Forest River Berkshire 390FL
2013 Hyundai Veloster

Great news! Did you install the same inverter?
No go pull the mask off that RV repair crook.



Phil57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-18-2015, 09:03 PM   #39
Senior Member
 
mud yapster's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,162
Pays to do things yourself and not let them make $7700 off you for 1 hr of your time installing it.
Take the $7700 savings and eat a big juicy steak and laugh at how you almost go robbed. These dealers think we are dumb I guess.
Glad your all fixed up now and saved your self from shotty people, now you know not to return to the thieves you just left.
__________________
2014 Palomino Columbus 3650TH
435AH 12V VMax Charge Tanks, 520 watt Monocrystilline Solar Array, Morningstar MPPT TS-60 CC,Morningstar Remote,Cotek True Sine Wave Inverter,Cotek Remote Controller,50amp Progressive Hardwire Surge Protector
2015 Dodge 3500 6.7L 4X4
2011 CanAm Commander XT 1000
mud yapster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2015, 10:09 AM   #40
Senior Member
 
jegstrup's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Divide CO
Posts: 187
Installed same inverter, Magnum Energy MM1212.
I just couldn't see how I needed 3000 watts of inverter if I don't even turn on the inverter.
I'm spoiled, I park where there's water, electricity, and sewer.
If I'm parked in a Walmart parking lot, it's only for sleep.
Thx for all of your input guys!!!


2012 Forest River Berkshire 390FL
2013 Hyundai Veloster
jegstrup is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:59 PM.