Running appliances on lithium battery power

[BarbaraD]

Installed Battle Born batteries (4), and upgraded our converter to allow us to boondock a little. Upon connecting them to our Solitude 2020 GK-R, we found they will only run the refrigerator. No plugs are live. Can we use the inverter installed to run the coffee pot for instance, and if so, what do we need to do to make the plugs in our kitchen live. Anyone have any experience with this.

[howson]

Installed Battle Born batteries (4), and upgraded our converter to allow us to boondock a little. Upon connecting them to our Solitude 2020 GK-R, we found they will only run the refrigerator. No plugs are live. Can we use the inverter installed to run the coffee pot for instance, and if so, what do we need to do to make the plugs in our kitchen live. Anyone have any experience with this.

Hi Barbara (I assume),
First off, welcome to Grand Design's Owners' (Technical) Forum. You figured out the sig line so I suspect you've already read the Welcome Letter to New Members -- thank you!

Can I assume that someone else installed the batteries for you? That's a healthy battery bank--I have four Battle Borns in my 315RLTS so I know they are very capable batteries.

The 310GK-R (residential) has a "household" refrigerator, right? According to the Parts Lookup website (link on menu bar above) it's the one shown below. Is that correct?



If so there's a dedicated 1000W inverter for the refrigerator. It's only job is to power the refrigerator's outlet (make 120vAC) from your battery bank. See https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...3007#post13007 and subsequent posts for a related thread.

To get your Battle Born batteries to power more than just the refrigerator circuit is not a simple task. Have you worked with electricity and are you comfortable with a DIY project?

It may be overwhelming, but give this thread a read to see what I went through to power my trailer with an inverter: https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...s-in-a-315rlts

Howard

[BarbaraD]

We were afraid it was going to be a bigger project than expected. Dan (my husband installed the batteries, new converter and busbar etc.) We'll look at your info and go from there. He is very comfortable with electricity and DIY project. Just didn't understand the electrical set up on our unit. Thanks for your info! As he just stated, it's probably just more money rather than difficulty. Sigh..... Nothing is ever easy. Thanks so much for your quick response.

[Jims94vmx]

You could get say a 1500w inverter and hook to batteries then run an extension cord (heavy duty ) to your hutch. My basic install is 2 BB batteries, 1500w pure sine wave inverter. This has 3 outlets on it
I run a HD extension cord from that to under my hutch. Gotta have coffee! Lol 2nd outlet I ran another HD cord to bedroom and made an outlet for sound machine and wife's phone charging at night. 3rd outlet on my inverter another HD cord that I use to plug my entire rv into to be able to watch some TV at night. I use an adapter that is 50a to male 15a, then plug into that. Make sure if doing the last tip to turn off the converter.

Also note you will need to run water heater on propane. when I go to bed I usually turn off main breakers....uses less battery compared to whole rv plugged in.

I also have to use the over ride button on my EMS or it won't let power through in last scenario. This is just my quick way, not necessarily the best way to do it.

Others will chime in with more professional ideas. Have fun.

[BarbaraD]

Hmmm. This is a quick fix, although hopefully temporary. It is imperative that we have our coffee pot in the am. I have a generator but we can't always run it because of the noise. Tends to upset any neighbors at 6am. Thnks for your reply.

[BarbaraD]

howson We are using a different set up than you did ie. a Magnum MSH3012RV hybrid inverter/charger. Question: Is the refrigerator AC power from the 1000watt inverter currently in the unit run straight to the refrigerator or does it go to the circuit breaker panel. If the wire runs straight to the refrigerator, would I then run it straight to the new inverter. A wiring diagram for the unit would be really helpful. Any idea how we can get one?

[ncitro]

howson We are using a different set up than you did ie. a Magnum MSH3012RV hybrid inverter/charger. Question: Is the refrigerator AC power from the 1000watt inverter currently in the unit run straight to the refrigerator or does it go to the circuit breaker panel. If the wire runs straight to the refrigerator, would I then run it straight to the new inverter. A wiring diagram for the unit would be really helpful. Any idea how we can get one?

Howard is traveling right now, so I thought I would try to help. You can contact Grand Design Customer Service and ask for a wiring diagram, but from I am told they will not tell you much. Howard converted to a residential fridge (as did I), so we do not have the factory 1000 watt inverter for the fridge, all of our circuits (including the fridge) are powered by the inverter we added.

Reading through the thread I think you will find that your 1000 watt factory inverter is wired directly to the fridge and is not connected to your panel. I would wire the Magnum into the panel. You should at that point be able to turn off the factory inverter, and leave it in place. Your fridge (and your other loads) will run off of the Magnum. If for whatever reason down the road the Magnum fails all you would have to do is turn the factory inverter on and your fridge will run again while you get the Magnum sorted out.

[Yoda]

howson We are using a different set up than you did ie. a Magnum MSH3012RV hybrid inverter/charger. Question: Is the refrigerator AC power from the 1000watt inverter currently in the unit run straight to the refrigerator or does it go to the circuit breaker panel. If the wire runs straight to the refrigerator, would I then run it straight to the new inverter. A wiring diagram for the unit would be really helpful. Any idea how we can get one?

Barbara
How did you wire the Magnum in? Are you using it as your new converter? It appears the Magnum model you have has a pass through capable of handling your 50A split phase service. What this means is you 50 amp service goes to the Magnum first and then to your distribution panel. This is fairly easy wiring to do. This means it can be wired to both legs of your distribution panel. I pulled this information from the operation manual found here https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/pr...-msh-rv-series Manual section 2.5.5 indicates you inverter can handle a split phase out. In 2.5.6 it mentions something about needing a sub panel. I would first give Magnum a call so they can clarify this to you. I am not a wiring expert.

Hope this helps

[BarbaraD]

ncitro Yoda
Thanks everyone,
I was pretty sure that the Fridge had a straight line to the inverter. I checked the A/C breaker panel and there is a 15 amp c/b for the fridge. So it looks like once the Magnum is in place we should be good. The A/C line to the old inverter can have wire nuts installed and moved out of the way. The new inverter will go where the old one is. The Magnum folks have been great to work with and yes the wiring should be pretty easy. Of course nothing is ever as easy as we hope. We do have a sub panel as you mentioned "Yoda" and I am installing that now. Trying to get this done for our upcoming 6 week trip so we can do some boondocking. Might be back if any other issues come up but thanks so much everyone! And by the way, the brains behind this operation is my husband Dan. I'm just the fetch person. Thanks Barbara

[BarbaraD]

Ok - We've run into another problem just when we thought it was done. (All receptacles and appliances now work off battery except the refrigerator.) We were expecting the new inverter to allow the refrigerator to run just like the inverter that was in the unit. However, the refrigerator now will not come on even under shore power. The Magnum inverter is wired straight to the AC panel. The wires from the old inverter have been disconnected and capped. The disconnected wires are showing they are hot and the refrigerator will not come on. Need some help with the wiring so the refrigerator will run. Any expertise out there because we don't understand how the routing of the refrigerator wiring should be or again, can we get a wiring diagram for this unit? HELP!

[BarbaraD]

Addendum to above - The disconnected wires are not hot. Our mistake as we tested them next to another wire that was hot so the disconnected wires showed hot. Anyway, we have a light plugged up to the place where the old inverter 1000w was plugged in that ran the refrigerator. Do you think if we add a plug to the disconnected wires and plug it in there that the refrigerator will then work??? At this point, we don't know what to think.

[howson]

Ok - We've run into another problem just when we thought it was done. (All receptacles and appliances now work off battery except the refrigerator.) We were expecting the new inverter to allow the refrigerator to run just like the inverter that was in the unit. However, the refrigerator now will not come on even under shore power. The Magnum inverter is wired straight to the AC panel. The wires from the old inverter have been disconnected and capped. The disconnected wires are showing they are hot and the refrigerator will not come on. Need some help with the wiring so the refrigerator will run. Any expertise out there because we don't understand how the routing of the refrigerator wiring should be or again, can we get a wiring diagram for this unit? HELP!

<edit Just saw your addendum so deleted what I previously wrote here as it is n/a>

There is a transfer switch connected to the output of old inverter, right? Maybe the transfer switch thinks you're on shore power so it's not passing the Magnum's inverter power? Can you take some pictures of how this is wired or maybe have Dan draw a sketch and post it?

Please be careful...working with electricity can be dangerous and unforgiving. If in doubt, call a professional. Me and the rest here are just owners like you.

Howard

[BarbaraD]

Dan is an OSHA ASP so he is nothing but too careful. LOL. He figured it out though. The AC line going to the original inverter acted as a pass through for the refrigerator. The old inverter was plugged into a receptacle under the stairs that was connected to the AC refrigerator breaker. Dan put a male plug on the inverter output wires and plugged it into the receptacle to complete the circuit. Whew! What a project this has been. Thanks so much for your response though. ITS DONE!!!

[howson]

Ummm...he wired a male plug that's now hot? I believe that's called a "suicide plug". I hope I'm reading your post incorrectly...

[BarbaraD]

The wires go directly to the refrigerator that I put the male plug on. The wall receptacle is hooked to the refrigerator breaker on the AC panel. All I did was take the old inverter out and plug the wire into the outlet that the inverter was plugged into so we had a complete circuit. The old inverter was just a pass through. No suicide plug!!