Xantrex RV 3012 M Inverter Installation, Reinventing the wheel!
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06-10-2008, 02:33
Post: #6
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Xantrex RV 3012 M Inverter Installation, Reinventing the wheel!
Dorn,
Yes a cool, dry, clean place for the new unit. Within a few feet of the batterries. Sounds perfect, speaking of sound. Did you notice the large cooling fan on the back of the inverter. I wonder how loud that baby is when she spins up? You could vent that fan out of the cabinet somehow, maybe like a side wall mounted water heater. I am sure you will have to vent it somehow. The installation instructions warn about mounting in an enclosed space. Kurt Horvath 95 PT-42 10AC --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Dorn Hetzel" wrote: > > I'm absolutely planning on running the 3012 I bought while the engine is > running, to provide some amount of 120VAC while driving down the road. I'm > considering mounting it inside the coach in the cabinet behind the drivers > seat, since that would be within two or three feet of the batteries... > > Dorn Hetzel > 77FC35 > Hogansville, GA > > On Tue, Jun 10, 2008 at 12:22 AM, Gregory OConnor wrote: > > > The only time it is hot is when the engine is running. I learned > > with the refer mod that moving air with a fan has little cooling > > effect. replacing the air in the compartment with a fan has the most > > advantage. > > > > If you look at the inverter box that BB engineeres (BirdBrains) > > installed(in my '94), it floats in the battery compartment with air > > gap around the entire box. Even the material it is made of looks > > like it is a special (maybe, low heat conductive) product???????I > > wonder if the box by design cools with passing air as you drive or > > is there a better way to move the engine heated air away from the > > inverter box? I wonder if a scoop would move more air or hinder the > > existing path > > > > The "three enemies of inverters" Xantrex quote may be three enimies > > of an Inverter/Charger and not necessarly of just the stand alone > > inverter??????? . I wonder why BB speced units with remote > > batterychargers??? and why they moved the chargers so far away. Is > > it a heat issue with the chargers only??? . > > > > if Chargers-only have the heat issue (prompting the BirdBrain move), > > chargers are not worked while driving unless you drive with the > > genset running, so while driving heat is of no issue with inverter > > only???? It may be that you need to cut 110V input to the inverter/ > > chargers when the detroit is running (or InverterBox temp is too > > hot) to keep the chargers from lighting up if the genset is used. > > > > GregoryO'Connor > > 94pt in need of new inverter chargers. > > > > > > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com > > "bumpersbird" > > > > > > > > Gregg, > > > > > > Your probably right. > > > > > > I spoke with several people today, Xantrex support, Solar power > > techs > > > etc. after I posted my little progress report. It seems as it does > > > not matter how heavy the cable is after a certain lenght the DC > > side > > > decreases efficance for every foot past 7' and after about 12' it > > may > > > not function at all. I've learned there are three enemies of an > > > invertrer: 1- Moisture,2- Heat,3- Dirt > > > > > > I have been told that it can be done but the majority opinion is > > it's > > > better to keep the inverters as close to the batteries as > > possible, > > > even if they run hot and are in a dirty enviroment. By the way > > those > > > who think it's doable have not elaborated on how to do it. > > > > > > So I'm going to put the new units in the inverter box in the > > engine > > > compartment. It will be a tight fit. Moisture is not really a > > > problem, perhaps condensation on the rare occasion. I will vent it > > in > > > some fashion, probably a couple of 130 cfm computer fans. The fans > > > that I'm installing to cool the engine compartment should also > > help a > > > lot. I'm mounting 2 - 1650 CFM radiator fans on the right side > > grill. > > > The inverters are just a 10" or 12" away. I might place some sort > > of > > > air filter on the door in an attemp to keep the box interior > > somewhat > > > clean. > > > > > > I have 6 Lifline Batteries, they are only 24 month old and in time > > > switching to something else could happen, but these will have to > > die > > > first, especially at $600.00 each > > > > > > SSSSHHHHHH_________TTTTTTTT !!!!!! There I go again, trying to > > > reinvent the wheel. To be honest this was probably one of > > Bluebirds > > > bigger engineering screw ups. Then again maybe not the old > > inverters > > > were in there for 13 years. > > > > > > Hey on the bright side the bay with the BBQ is now metal lined, > > Looks > > > good and should be easier to clean. > > > > > > Kurt Horvath > > > 95 PT-42 WLWB > > > Fayetteville TN > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com > > "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" > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 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! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > |
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