Xantrex RV 3012 M Inverter Installation, Reinventing the wheel!

[Gregory OConnor]

Kurt,
Would it be less costly and with less issues to re vamp the heart
inverter box area above the batteries to make it waterproof and may
be even taller????

With L-16 I have more room under the inverter box as the top
battery tray was removed.
http://www.pbase.com/gregoryoc/image/86932717

you can also split the inverters up?????????


GregoryO'Connor


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "bumpersbird"
wrote:
>
> The two inveters arrived in new sealed boxes. The RV7/GS
controlers
> arrived in as new condition, but they were in non mfg packaging.
>
> cost to date:
>
> $1370.00 inverters.
> $ 305.00 controls.
> $ 100.00 Sheet metal and aluminum angle for lining bay.
>
> I decided that I will move the inverters into bay 3, right side in
> place of the electric grill, from the hot, dirty, and sometimes
wet
> inverter box in the engine compartment.
>
> After the renovations I will convert the old inverter box to hold
2
> more house batteries.
>
> I have removed the grill and I have lined the area with sheet
metal,
> and framed the opening with aluminum angle. I also replaced the
> small angle iron mounting peices with wider aluminun braces and
ran
> an angle support under the shelf to help support the 120+ lbs. of
> weight, Overkill! When the tool box is under the shelf it does not
> move or vibrate. I will post photos shortly.
>
> There is the question of how large the wires have to be that
connect
> the invertes to the batteries. It will take appox. 115' of cable
to
> get the job done and if you have bought heavy copper cable of late
> it's not cheep! It looks like around $10.00 a foot for 350 MCM
> welding cable.
>
> It is 0.970 in diameter So I am having a bit of trouble figuring
out
> how or where to run these cables. Idealy inside the frame rail
would
> be my first choice, but after spending a few hours under the
coach,
> poking around, this will be impossible without getting the coach
on a
> lift. Anybody know what size cable is used on the coaches that
have
> factory installed inverters in the bays?
>
> Here is a responce from Xantrex about the cable size. YIKES!!!
>
>
> Dear Kurt Horvath,
>
> My wire size calculator says 1000 MCM, which I didn't even know
> existed until just now. Is there any way you can shorten the run
to
> 12 feet, which would allow you to use 500 MCM?
>
> For all correspondence regarding this issue, please make sure to
> leave the ID number [ref:00D3Wjr.500351Yfr:ref] in the subject
line
> or body of the email.
>
> Allegra Sloman
> Customer Service Operations
> Xantrex Technology Inc.
>
> Well there goes the farm 1000 MCM cable????
>
> There are 2 large cables running along the top inside of the wheel
> well from the engine compartment into the holding tank bay and
> forwards from there. This looks like the easy way to run the
cables
> but it is exposed to a lot road damage and wear and tear, not to
> mention a tire coming apart. So it's not really a good choice. Any
> ideas on this option?
>
> I am checking into STACKING the inverters. I really don't know
much
> about how this system works. Or what is required to change from
the
> two unit system to a STACKED system. I do know that it reduces the
> required cable lenght in half. Any ideas here would be helpful.
>
> I also have to run the control wires and 120v wires from the
engine
> bay to the new invert bay. The control wires are also a small
problem
> the origonal wires are 6 wire data lines and the new control wires
> call for a 4 wire telephone line in place of the old data line.
I'm
> told that these can be used with a little effort. I haven't gotten
> that far into the project yet. I hope that I don't have to re-run
the
> control lines through the whole coach.
>
> One thing that bothers me is that the inverters are now surrounded
by
> water pipes and tanks. Water pumps on one side and a small water
tank
> on the other with plumbing going over the top. i guess I'll just
have
> to keep an eye out for leaks.
>
> I am considering installing some small fans with snap thermostats
to
> control venting the compartment. Here again I'm asking for ideas.
You
> can vent out the back of the bay but it blows against the fuel
tank.
> That doesn't seem like a good idea. Or I could mount the fans on
the
> shelf and pipe it down through the bottom of the bay. But here
again
> hot air rises and this will be trying to draw it downwards. I'm
not
> even sure if this is needed. But it sounds like a lot of fun.
>
>
> Kurt Horvath
> 95 PT-42 WLWB
> Fayetteville TN
>
>
>
> PS. After the e-mail from Xantrex I am considering putting the new
> inveters back in the engine compartment. After all the old
inverters
> were there for 13 years?!?!?!?!?!?!? HELP!
>