Replacing Xantrex Freedom XC Pro 3000W Inverter

[Sak]

Recently, my inverter stopped working and wouldn't power on.

Here is what I found so far (long story, feel free to skip and go to installation section below)

• The trailer was parked in at my property with shore power and the inverter was working when we were back from camping trip a few weeks ago. Over the weekend we found that the breaker was tripped and narrow it down to problem with the inverter.
• When on shore power, either the breaker at the shore power or main breaker underneath the dinette seats would trip unless switched the breaker of the inverter to off. The inverter screens didn't show anything for both remote and on the inverter itself located under the street side bed.
• When not on shore power, inverter didn't power on. Checked the voltage at the DC positive and negative terminal at the inverter using digital multi-meter and confirmed that there's ~13V at the terminal.
• Tried to reset the inverter by cutting DC power using the 2 red button switches near the inverter and confirmed using digital multi-meter that there was no DC at the terminal. This also didn't work. The inverter wouldn't power on when restoring power to it.

I decided to submit a ticket and Jason and I agreed that there's an issue with the inverter itself and I had to contact Xantrex.

After submit a ticket to Xantrex, the technician recommended updating firmware and that didn't help. Xantrex agreed to send me a new one because it's still under 2 year warranty. 

Installation

I got most of the information below from Oliver and it's specific to my 2021 LE2, please contact Oliver to confirm if you have a different model year.

• Disconnect Shore Power from the camper.
• Flip the 30A Main Breaker to the OFF position (located in the AC Breaker box under the Dinette)
• Flip the 25A Breaker for the Inverter to the OFF position. 

• Trip the 200 or 300A Inverter Breaker located under the street side bed access panel area. The breaker is located up & under next to the side of the battery box.

• Remove the inverter cover in order to gain access to the wire connections. The 120V wires on located on the left with the 12V connections on the right, pictured below.

• Once the cover is removed you will need to disconnect all 4 wiring connections inside the inverter. As a precautionary measure, do not let the wires contact each other. 
  With shore power removed & the Inverter breaker tripped there shouldn't be any power but it is best to be safe just in case you got in a hurry and skipped or missed a step.

• Make note of the 120V Wires once you disconnect for which one is the AC In and which one is the AC Out
• Disconnect the ground wire located on the top edge of the inverter.

• Remove the screws securing the inverter to the white AP1 board. There are two screws located on the bottom and two located on the top. You may see other screws that are securing the wires to the white board but it is not necessary to remove them when replacing the inverter unless you are installing new wires. See screws pictured below as reference.

• Follow the steps in reverse to install the new inverter.
  • Mount the inverter on the white board & secure with the 4 screws
  • Connect the ground wire
  • Connect the 12V Wires. Red is positive & Black is Negative.
  • Connect the 120V Wires. Be sure to connect the AC In & AC Out wires correctly. 
  • Reinstall the cover
  • Reset the Inverter Breaker by pressing the leg by in.
  • Turn inverter on at the inverter itself (not the remote display) and verify 12V to 120V operation through the inverter.
  • Turn the inverter off at the inverter
  • Flip the 30A Main & 25A Inverter breakers back to the ON position.
  • Connect shore power to the camper and verify charge state through the charger to the batteries. It may take a minute or two for it to engage.
• Once the inverter has been installed you will need to check the settings and set it based on your battery type
• The only settings that are changed by the Oliver factory are: #02 ,#05, #20, #24 & #28, based on your options, and are in bold font below

 

Xantrex Customer Support: 800-670-0707

Oliver Service Department: 888-526-3978 

 

[johnwen]

WHEW!!  Thanks for the pictures :)

[John E Davies]

Sak, thanks very much for the detailed instructions and annotated pictures. Those are always most helpful! It is very time consuming to write up this sort of post and edit the pictures. FYI everybody …..

“Remove the screws securing the inverter to the white AP1 board. There are two screws located on the bottom and two located on the top”

There have been a number of owners who have found one or more of those screw holes stripped, and some like me have found that white board partially or COMPLETELY pulled away from the mounting surface (failure of the epoxy bond). I do not think that those four dinky little sheet metal screws are strong enough for that much weight, especially when going  over rough roads. I drilled completely through mine in four places and installed longer machine screws, flat washers and nylock nuts.

This is something to be aware of, keep a close eye on the boards where they are attached,  and on the mount screws of all these components.

Thanks again, great post!

John Davies

Spokane WA

[BillandDoris]

We also discovered today that our inverter has completely pulled away from the wall mounting surface, as a result of the epoxy failure.  It's free floating in the compartment but is still working.   My question:  Do I need to unplug all the wires connecting the inverter, re-attach the white board to the wall with new epoxy then reconnect the wires, or just re-attach the board with the inverter still attached to it?  I'm obviously no expert there...

Thanks and I appreciate any advice.

Doris and Bill

[BillandDoris]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the inverter is still attached to the white board.  The white board with the inverter pulled away as a result of epoxy failure.  Bill and Doris

[John E Davies]

22 minutes ago, BillandDoris said:

We also discovered today that our inverter has completely pulled away from the wall mounting surface, as a result of the epoxy failure.  It's free floating in the compartment but is still working.   My question:  Do I need to unplug all the wires connecting the inverter, re-attach the white board to the wall with new epoxy then reconnect the wires, or just re-attach the board with the inverter still attached to it?  I'm obviously no expert there...

Thanks and I appreciate any advice.

Doris and Bill

Take out the unit completely (disconnect battery power first!!!)

I sanded the surfaces with rough paper, cleaned the board and wall surfaces with alcohol, and reattached with JB Weld. You should be able to figure out a way to brace the panel overnight, wedging in a trimmed piece of wood will work, or a large adjustable clamp, if if is deep enough to reach. That will get you back to where the factory did it. Do you trust that heavy inverter to stay on with those tiny short screws? Not me.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/J-B-Weld-10-oz-Pro-Blister-Epoxy-8281/308472730

Drill out all the holes clear through the wall, install appropriately sized stainless machine screws, washers and locking nuts. Place the heads where they are visible (put the nuts inside). 

Slot (cut) the lower holes in the inverter so that you can preinstall those lower washers and nuts and simply lower the unit down onto them (they are kind of hard to reach). Reinstall the inverter. Now it cannot possibly fall off. Open a service ticket, Oliver needs to know that this is a problem!

Please add your TV and trailer info to your signature so we know what we are talking about…. and please start a new thread with pics.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[BillandDoris]

Thanks John, I was dismayed to discover Oliver would attach such a heavy unit with what looks like liquid nails!  And thanks for the link to Home Depot.  We don't do too much off road camping with the trailer but we do drive on plenty of lousy roads in the west.  Sunbaked, washboard, gravel, dusty, wavy, cracked, filled with potholes.  Up and down mountain passes, narrow, steep grades, cold and hot weather.  I wonder if the unit fell off the wall when we camped out during a recent cold spell and the temp fell to 26 degrees? 

Anyway, thanks again, and I'm going to send a service ticket as you suggested.  It's a total pain to have to re-install this unit because of cheap installation.

Doris and Bill

Santa Fe, New Mexico

[Geronimo John]

Thanks JD. 

Early this summer as part of our LiFePo4 upgrade, I replaced our OEM 2K inverter with a 3K Renogy.  As you know it is a LOT larger and heavier than the OEM 2K unit.

I drilled out the four mounting holes, and added supplemental wood supports to accommodate the longer Inverter and to bring the four 3K mount holes in line.

I too was concerned about the weight and poor support.  Some JB weld and through the bunk vertical wall went four SS bolts, SS Fender Washers and 1/4 X 20 bolts with nylock nuts.   Yep I trust JB Weld, but I trust it more with thru-bolting with SS bolts and fasteners. So yes, if anybody wants to look, you can see under the street side bunk rail two of the four attachments. 

PS:  Used he same approach on the mounting of the Victron 12/12-30 charger under the street side front dinette seat facing aft. 

GJ  

[connor77]

John D & GJ, 

How did you both through bolt your PVC board for your inverters with that wall of fiberglass in the way?  What am I missing?  I'm having a separate issue with my inverter and stumbled upon this thread.  I just looked and confirmed that my inverter is held in place on that white PVC board with the 4 small sheet metal screws and I agree that the unit is too heavy to be held up by just those.  But I have no idea how you're able to through bolt that board back on.  Where/how are you accessing the washers and nuts?  Or are you just through bolting the inverter onto the PVC board and then reattaching the PVC board (with the inverter mounted to it) to the fiberglass wall with longer/better/more screws?

I'd like to be proactive and get something better in place and I'm considering just longer, beefier screws that will go into the fiberglass in the existing 4 holes that the small screws occupy now. 

Any chance you took pictures?

 

[ScubaRx]

1 hour ago, connor77 said:

John D & GJ, 

How did you both through bolt your PVC board for your inverters with that wall of fiberglass in the way?  What am I missing?  I'm having a separate issue with my inverter and stumbled upon this thread.  I just looked and confirmed that my inverter is held in place on that white PVC board with the 4 small sheet metal screws and I agree that the unit is too heavy to be held up by just those.  But I have no idea how you're able to through bolt that board back on.  Where/how are you accessing the washers and nuts?  Or are you just through bolting the inverter onto the PVC board and then reattaching the PVC board (with the inverter mounted to it) to the fiberglass wall with longer/better/more screws?

I'd like to be proactive and get something better in place and I'm considering just longer, beefier screws that will go into the fiberglass in the existing 4 holes that the small screws occupy now. 

Any chance you took pictures?

 

You are on the right track by being proactive. Eventually, those things that are glued to the vertical inside walls are going to fall off, especially the heavy electronics now being used. The way they did theirs is the best way to go. It will require a little swallowing of pride however. Since your unit is still attached, your "fix" should be much more simple.

1 - Remove ONE screw holding the inverter to the PVC backer board. Using that hole as a marker, drill from the inside completely through the fiberglass out into the aisle.

2 - Place your SS bolt into the hole from the outside and put a washer and nylock nut on the inside and tighten it down.

3 - Repeat for the other three screws, one at a time.

Yes, this requires drilling a hole through the fiberglass. There goes some of that pride I spoke of. You'll survive, and I promise it won't fall off the wall now. If you wait, it's gonna be a lot harder and the end result will still be drilling those holes. I really don't understand why they don't do it that way at the factory.

[Patriot]

19 minutes ago, ScubaRx said:

You are on the right track by being proactive. Eventually, those things that are glued to the vertical inside walls are going to fall off, especially the heavy electronics now being used. The way they did theirs is the best way to go. It will require a little swallowing of pride however. Since your unit is still attached, your "fix" should be much more simple.

1 - Remove ONE screw holding the inverter to the PVC backer board. Using that hole as a marker, drill from the inside completely through the fiberglass out into the aisle.

2 - Place your SS bolt into the hole from the outside and put a washer and nylock nut on the inside and tighten it down.

3 - Repeat for the other three screws, one at a time.

Yes, this requires drilling a hole through the fiberglass. There goes some of that pride I spoke of. You'll survive, and I promise it won't fall off the wall now. If you wait, it's gonna be a lot harder and the end result will still be drilling those holes. I really don't understand why they don't do it that way at the factory.

Thank you Steve. This is on my to do list tomorrow morning. 

[connor77]

13 minutes ago, ScubaRx said:

You are on the right track by being proactive. Eventually, those things that are glued to the vertical inside walls are going to fall off, especially the heavy electronics now being used. The way they did theirs is the best way to go. It will require a little swallowing of pride however. Since your unit is still attached, your "fix" should be much more simple.

1 - Remove ONE screw holding the inverter to the PVC backer board. Using that hole as a marker, drill from the inside completely through the fiberglass out into the aisle.

2 - Place your SS bolt into the hole from the outside and put a washer and nylock nut on the inside and tighten it down.

3 - Repeat for the other three screws, one at a time.

Yes, this requires drilling a hole through the fiberglass. There goes some of that pride I spoke of. You'll survive, and I promise it won't fall off the wall now. If you wait, it's gonna be a lot harder and the end result will still be drilling those holes. I really don't understand why they don't do it that way at the factory.

I would love to do exactly what you've suggested Steve but there is no access whatsoever to get behind the wall of fiberglass to put a washer and nut on a machine screw.  That is what is confusing to me about what JD and Geronimo John did.  There are no port holes and I've tried putting my arm underneath the Xantrex unit to see if there is access that way.  There is none.  Based on how my Xantrex is mounted, it's not possible for me to through bolt the PVC board to the fiberglass.  I *believe* my only option is to install longer screws into the 4 existing holes and have these screws go into the fiberglass through the PVC board.  I doubt my installation is unique to me.  Meaning I'm sure most or all of the 2021's have inverters installed similarly or identically to our trailer. 

[ScubaRx]

Just now, Patriot said:

Thank you Steve. This is on my to do list tomorrow morning. 

I didn't mention this, but probably should have. I'd use 1/4" SS button head machine screws. They look pretty good. And you will be able to see them on the aisle wall. I would try to make them line up vertically and horizontally so they create a box or rectangle shape, just for aesthetics.

[connor77]

This is a picture from the rear of the trailer facing the inverter.  That wall of fiberglass that the PVC board is mounted to has no access on the other side which is obviously where I'd be putting washers and nuts. 

I still think my only option is to replace the 4 small screws with longer ones that actually go into the fiberglass.  And even this won't be easy because the 2 on the bottom of the inverter are really difficult to get to.  I'll need an incredibly long drill bit too. 

If you're suggesting that these holes come out through the nice gelcoat under the bed that would be the only way but maybe this is what I've been missing. 

[ScubaRx]

8 minutes ago, connor77 said:

I would love to do exactly what you've suggested Steve but there is no access whatsoever to get behind the wall of fiberglass to put a washer and nut on a machine screw.  That is what is confusing to me about what JD and Geronimo John did.  There are no port holes and I've tried putting my arm underneath the Xantrex unit to see if there is access that way.  There is none.  Based on how my Xantrex is mounted, it's not possible for me to through bolt the PVC board to the fiberglass.  I *believe* my only option is to install longer screws into the 4 existing holes and have these screws go into the fiberglass through the PVC board.  I doubt my installation is unique to me.  Meaning I'm sure most or all of the 2021's have inverters installed similarly or identically to our trailer. 

I wondered about access and I'm sure you are correct about others having the same problem. However, if you can get to the screws to install longer ones, could you not get to the same area to install a nut onto a bolt inserted from the outside?

If so, put your longer screws in and let them come through the fiberglass to the outside. Then you would know where to drill holes for a bolt.

Since, I don't have this setup, I'm really just trying to imagine how I'd fix it if I did.

Thoughts?

[connor77]

Mystery solved.  I wasn't thinking that the screws would actually be going through the gelcoat into the aisle but you and Patriot have educated me that this is exactly what is being proposed.  Thank you both. 

[Rivernerd]

2 minutes ago, connor77 said:

I wasn't thinking that the screws would actually be going through the gelcoat into the aisle but you and Patriot have educated me that this is exactly what is being proposed. 

My 2022 Elite II is the same as your 2021.  I am following this thread with interest, because I am having issues with my inverter as well, and may end up replacing it. 

Yep, drilling through that nice gelcoat into the aisle, and leaving four less-than-attractive bolt heads visible on the aisle side is just what is being proposed.  I expect Oliver doesn't do this during production because it would significantly degrade the appearance.  I hope I don't have to do that to our Ollie.  But, we leave the bed made up most of the time, so the bolt heads would rarely be visible.

[ScubaRx]

9 minutes ago, connor77 said:

Mystery solved.  I wasn't thinking that the screws would actually be going through the gelcoat into the aisle but you and Patriot have educated me that this is exactly what is being proposed.  Thank you both. 

I realize this is very contrary to what most people think of or recommend when attaching something to a surface in the Oliver. The first hole you drill is always the hardest. After that first one, you'll feel more at ease drilling the next. I've drilled so many in mine through the years, I've probably lightened it a couple of pounds. You really will be pleased with the stability as a result.

[John E Davies]

1 hour ago, Rivernerd said:

 four less-than-attractive bolt heads visible on the aisle side is just what is being proposed.  I expect Oliver doesn't do this during production because it would significantly degrade the appearance.  I hope I don't have to do that to our Ollie.  But, we leave the bed made up most of the time, so the bolt heads would rarely be visible.

NObody is making you put ugly hardware store hex head bolts there, you can buy expensive chrome ones at Ace Hardware (they keep them locked up or else kids would steal them) or use a nice looking satin stainless button head screw like this. I do not recall the size I used for my inverter repair, but they are scattered all around the interior of “Mouse”. They look perfectly fine. I think they look custom and classy.

Do remember to countersink any holes that go through gelcoat to prevent chipping and cracks.

I used six of these to through bolt the new wood fridge frame I built, you can see them here. Yes they are visible, no they don’t look at all bad.

Make very sure they are lined up and parallel to any nearby edges, if at all possible. Measure thrice, drill once….

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

[Patriot]

7 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

I wondered about access and I'm sure you are correct about others having the same problem. However, if you can get to the screws to install longer ones, could you not get to the same area to install a nut onto a bolt inserted from the outside?

If so, put your longer screws in and let them come through the fiberglass to the outside. Then you would know where to drill holes for a bolt.

Since, I don't have this setup, I'm really just trying to imagine how I'd fix it if I did.

Thoughts?

I will take a look at how to tackle this without cracking, chipping or potentially spider webbing the interior gelcoat finish. This procedure will require first drilling a pilot hole from inside the hull to the outside gelcoat finish in order to perfectly line up the holes where the existing screws secure the inverter to the mounting board. It seems drilling in this manner inside to outside could/will cause the gelcoat to chip once the drill bores through the interior gelcoat.

Second, will the direct weight of the inverter on the new SS bolt fasteners post installation result in stress cracks even with counter sinking the new SS fasteners?
Third I am wondering if securing the inverter through the fiberglass wall will withstand the rigors of travel without eventually showing stress cracks in the interior wall. How thick/strong is the fiberglass in the wall?
Thoughts?

Patriot🇺🇸

[GrayGhost]

My LE2 was built in late 2015, and I thought that Oliver used 3M 5200 to attach the white pvc board to the inside fiberglass surface. (hard to be sure, none has loosened or fallen off)

For anyone that’s used 5200 for marine applications, you know it’s a PERMANENT attachment.  Do not use it to seal anything that you might want to remove at a later date. (3m 4200 is semi-permanent and can be removed, with some difficulty) It’s not cheap stuff, and once it’s opened, needs to be used within a short period of time (day or two) before the remainder in the tube hardens. I just used it to attach a piece of pvc board for an accumulator tank and worked great.  You do need to clean the surface of the fiberglass with acetone, NOT alcohol for it to harden properly. It takes 24 hours to cure.

[Ollie-Haus]

This may be a consideration if you choose to go that route. The integrated washer is a clean look with more surface for support. Box of 10pcs McMaster Carr

https://www.mcmaster.com/97654A265/

[MAX Burner]

10 hours ago, Patriot said:

Thank you Steve. This is on my to do list tomorrow morning. 

Same here, thanks, Brother!

[dewdev]

When drilling through fiberglass gel coat, drill slowly so you do not chip the gel coat along the sides of the hole. Maybe even use a smaller diameter bit to make a pilot hole first

[topgun2]

25 minutes ago, dewdev said:

drill slowly so you do not chip the gel coat along the sides of the hole.

Also, place some painters tape or masking tape on the gelcoat.