BCC and Adding Inverter to 2860DS

[PoppySteve]

I am thinking about adding an inverter to a 2860DS. A 600 watt was an option according to the brochure. In the photo there is a connector screw at bottom right labeled inverter. Does anyone have any information on this connection? Would it be necessary to use this connector with an after-market inverter install?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[RamblerGuy]

Your battery control center looks like the one in our 2011 Sunseeker model 3100. I can’t look at the panel in ours, but looking at a photo of it, I’d say that you are correct that the printed circuit board has a provision to supply 12 volts to an inverter. Just to the left of the screw labeled “Inverter” is a space with a stud and nut on each side, marked “Mini ANL Fuse”. The label above the space is partially obscured in my photo by a wire, but I think is says “Max Fuse 100A”. This is where you can put a fuse block to supply your inverter. I wasn’t familiar with a “Mini ANL Fuse”, so I looked it up. Unfortunately, I couldn't copy and paste illustrations of the fuse and fuse block, but you can find them on the internet. It looks like the fuse block will simply fit on the printed circuit board studs. Personally, I’d prefer to use a circuit breaker, but that may not fit well. Others in the forum may express opinions on a circuit breaker versus a fuse.

I’ve never checked, but I think the screw marked “Inverter” is connected to a stud that passes through an insulating sleeve in the back of the battery control center compartment. Feel behind the circuit board and maybe you can verify this. Look on the outside of the compartment and check the cables as shown in my attached photo. Unfortunately, the technician at Forest River sprayed more anti-corrosion paint on my labels than on the terminals, so they aren’t very legible. There may be four large red cables on the back of the compartment. The single large red cable on the lower left stud (when facing the front of the coach) connects the chassis battery to the BCC relay. The two large cables on the right stud connect to the coach batteries and to the generator starter. Another stud above the two studs has a cable that goes to the main 12-volt distribution panel (fuse panel) and thereby from the convertor. To the left of this stud is another one that is partially hidden in my photo. On our coach, there’s no cable attached to it. I think this stud is connected to the “Inverter” screw on the printed circuit panel, and would provide 12 volts to an inverter. You can verify this with a continuity test from the screw head to the stud.

You don't have to wire the inverter from the BCC panel like I think the factory does, but be sure to have a cutoff switch and proper fuse or circuit breaker.

By the way, you probably already know this, but the circuit paths on the printed circuit board are shown by the clear film on the front of the board. That's handier to me than having to keep up with a circuit diagram.

Also, be sure you use the correct size cable. To feed a 600 watt inverter, it takes about 50 amps. Here’s a link to a table for selecting conductor sizes:

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/amps-wire-gauge-d_730.html

Be careful and have fun.

[PoppySteve]

Thanks!, you are absolutely amazing! Could not ask for a better response! I want to clean up the outside area of the foam, dirt and stuff and do some tracing.

My goal is to have a modest 2 batt, inverter, solar charged setup.

[RamblerGuy]

You are welcome. Glad to help. I had problems with our battery control center and had to dig into it. It had one of those aggravating problems that would be fine when I tested it in the driveway but would act up 2 weeks into a 2 month trip. I finally figured out the battery interconnecting relay wasn't working consistently.