Inverter

[Duramax2017]

Should this on board inverter be left on the on position at all times?

[Skyliner]

If it is on and connnected to a battery, it will have a parasitic load that will kill your battery in a couple of days.

I do not know what your inverter powers but my inverter in my 5th wheel is turned on with a remote switch only when I need to use it.

[RAMMIN_TIME]

I have a Puma 31BHSS and have the same brand inverter. Mine is for the fridge when traveling because it doesn’t use propane just electric. I turn off before plugging in shore power. I couldn’t get a straight answer from the dealer...

[PumaL5P]

I have the same one in my 32BHKS. I have done a ton of reading and the consensus i came to is that i only turn it on when i am running the fridge off of the battery while traveling or boondocking. When i arrive at a campsite with power i plug in the power and then press the button to power off the inverter. The inverter directions say that it can be left on to 'protect' the appliance but that's what i have a surge protector outside for and i don't like to hear the inverter fan running underneath my bed if there is no need. I have confirmed that the power will pass through the inverter whether it's turned on or off.

So while we are here... What all does your inverter power? Just the fridge or have you found other plugs to have power? I was hoping that the inverter would run my TV but it doesn't and i am curious to know how big of a project it will be to make that happen.

[RAMMIN_TIME]

Originally Posted by PumaL5P

I have the same one in my 32BHKS. I have done a ton of reading and the consensus i came to is that i only turn it on when i am running the fridge off of the battery while traveling or boondocking. When i arrive at a campsite with power i plug in the power and then press the button to power off the inverter. The inverter directions say that it can be left on to 'protect' the appliance but that's what i have a surge protector outside for and i don't like to hear the inverter fan running underneath my bed if there is no need. I have confirmed that the power will pass through the inverter whether it's turned on or off.



So while we are here... What all does your inverter power? Just the fridge or have you found other plugs to have power? I was hoping that the inverter would run my TV but it doesn't and i am curious to know how big of a project it will be to make that happen.

So far mine powers the inside fridge and tv. I haven’t noticed anything else yet.

[Ale_Brewer]

Originally Posted by Duramax2017

Should this on board inverter be left on the on position at all times?
Attachment 175561

It all depends on if you have an automatic transfer switch (ATS) installed, which has a voltage sensor on the shore power input and will switch AC electricity between sources (shore or inverter) with shore power being the primary. If your inverter powers everything electrical in your camper, it will almost always have an ATS installed. If the inverter only powers one outlet or one appliance, or was installed aftermarket it may not have an ATS. And you may not need one if the 1 outlet it powers is ONLY powered by the inverter. If you know for sure that you have an ATS installed, leave that bad boy on all the time unless draining the battery while not using is an issue (then turn it off in storage). If you don't know if you have an ATS or not, the safest method is to never have the inverter turned on while connected to shore power. Basically, only one electrical source at any given time, never both.

[Skip12]

At least in my case, even when connected to shore power, the fan runs and it's pretty loud. I leave it off until I need it.