Trainman Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 We just ordered a Elite II the other day and did not want the Inverter as we have not had a need for one in the past. I have no problems doing the work myself as long as I have the wiring diagram and know what parts are needed. Just any thoughts on this would be appreciated, I can still add one to our build sheet if need be, we did not order any solar equipment or extra batteries as we don't Boondock, only a Walmart stop if we have to. I did look at the wiring diagrams in the Oliver University site, but no Inverter wiring diagrams there. trainman 2019 RAM 1500, 5.7 Hemi, 4X4, Crew Cab, 5'7" bed, Towing Package, 3.92 Gears. Oliver was sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overland Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 I installed my own inverter. It can be either a simple or monumental task, depending on your electrical know-how and how far you want to take it. My advice would be that if you're a novice and just doing the inverter, then it's probably better to get Oliver to do it, since they run different sized cables to the batteries and install a transfer switch. At the end of the day, I don't think that the money saved would be worth the effort. I did mine because I also wanted a different solar controller and battery monitor, and also a hybrid charger/inverter. And different batteries. Pretty much the entire front end with the exception of the fuse panel, and one day I might replace that, too. I was an effort, but it's by far my favorite upgrade, so well worth it for me. But it's something that I think only a small subset of owners would benefit from. You can find basic wiring diagrams for units with and without inverters in the back of the manual - there are four diagrams in the very back that show wiring combinations with the inverter and water heater. You'd need the inverter, some 4/0 cables and lugs to go from the inverter to the batteries, a transfer switch, junction box, and some 20 amp romex. Plus you'll need to figure out how you want to mount it all, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Davies Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 What did you plan to operate off it? With only the standard batteries you can't draw a big load (microwave, toaster, hair dryer) for very long. In your situation (no boon docking) I would just buy a small high-quality portable inverter and plug it into a 12 volt outlet when I needed to charge or run something small. Don't get a cheap one since the power output is nasty and can harm electronics. Something like this Tripp Lite would be fine. https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Inverter-Outlets-PV375/dp/B012E9GYNQ?th=1 Keep in mind that the trailer comes with several 5V USB ports for plugging in your phone or other device. I am not sure what type of charger is used now, mine (Hull 218) came with three 1 amp chargers and I replaced two of them with better ones for faster charging. OTH a factory inverter will add to the resale value, lots of folks order it. I suspect they also get the big battery bank too, but that could always be added later with no problem. Inverters require huge amounts of 12 volt power, don't expect to pull more than maybe 150 watts AC continuous from your round 12v DC outlet. My factory inverter draws more than 75 amps when running a 1000 watt microwave. Thus the really big cables... John Davies Spokane WA SOLD 07/23 "Mouse": 2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KountryKamper Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 The factory inverter and transfer switch is very nice even if you (like us) don't have factory solar. We use portable solar when needed. The inverter just makes things easy. We got caught in the middle of Wyoming once 140 miles from a cup of coffee with no inverter or perculator for the stove to make coffee. After that I said it would never happen again so added the inverter and 4 AGM batteries when we built the Ollie. Bought a $8.00 perculator pot for the stove too. ? Tom & Cheryl LE II #305 2018 GMC 2500HD SLT Duramax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted March 15, 2019 Moderators Share Posted March 15, 2019 We have the inverter from Oliver but don’t use it too much. It’s handy when on the road and we want to make a couple cups of quick coffee with the Nespresso. When boondocking we use a percolator on the stove top. Occasionally, we use the microwave with the inverter but not too much. Mike Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators SeaDawg Posted March 15, 2019 Moderators Share Posted March 15, 2019 We installed an inverter in our elite ten years ago, because we then used laptops. Now that we use tablets and phones, we no longer need it. When it died, we didn't replace it. But, we don't have the battery power to run much on an inverter, in all fairness, in our 2008 Elite. We do have an inverter in the truck thst we can plug into the cigarette lighter type plug, if we need it. Can't remember the last time we used it, though. Sherry 2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4 2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12 Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes.... 400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries . Life is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainman Posted March 15, 2019 Author Share Posted March 15, 2019 Thanks for the responses, looks like we probably won't be needing one, just because of actual using it, or should I say not using it. Coming from a Casita a trailer that didn't have too many options to start with and for some reason we didn't seem to miss-out on too many things, we should be ok without one. I know I'm asking a lot of questions and many I probably know the answers to, but then again you learn something everyday and knowledge from owners like you will just help in making a decision for the correct setup for us, Thanks trainman 2019 RAM 1500, 5.7 Hemi, 4X4, Crew Cab, 5'7" bed, Towing Package, 3.92 Gears. Oliver was sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspy Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 I have a little inverter, similar to the one John included a link to. We use it to charge the computers, or run the DVD player. Then I have a very small one, about the size of an avocado, that plugs into a cigarette lighter socket and has a 115 receptacle. It's used to charge a phone, or the laptop. Coffee is always made on the stove. I also have a 3000 watt inverter, carried in the truck, that I can use if needed. I connect it with jumper cables and it will run a compressor or I can plug the trailer into it. With that, everything in the trailer works, except the AC. John "I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt." LE2 #92 (sold), Black Series HQ19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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