GMC Jimmy wrote on Thu, 02 March 2017 20:33
> Hello All, I purchased the Xantrex Freedom 2000 inverter and need to arrange for the install. I would like to hear from anyone who has installed
> this type of inverter or has suggestions for installation.
>
> I understand from some of the research I've done that locating the inverter close to the house battery is ideal, however, it appears the closest I
> can get is in a cabinet I'm building in the front lounge area behind the drivers seat, this makes it approximately 10' from the battery. My current
> set-up is one 12V deep cycle battery located in the front right side compartment. 1975 Royale.
>
> 1) what are my options as far as cable, with the distance I require is #4-0 cable my best option?
>
> 2) is the rear of the coach an option or will this require a complete reconfigure of the existing house wiring?
>
> 3) should I replace the one 12V battery for two 6V wired in series?
>
> I'm clearly new at this and as always appreciate your helpful advice, what did you do, what should I not do, anything else you care to suggest?
>
> Regards,
> Mike
Mike,
I did a lot of this stuff when we did boat work before the depression. We converted more than a few retired racing sloops to "Performance Cruisers".
That means making an old race boat comfortable when that had never been a consideration in the past. House electrics is always a big part. That
company is gone now, so I have time to write about a lot of this and I am still hoping to pass on some of the lessons learned.
A Xantrex Freedom 2000 is a BIG box. It needs to be someplace that it is close to the house bank, but not too close as even AGMs can create fumes
that it will not tolerate well. (AGMs just do a tiny fraction of what flooded cells will do.) It will also need free air to cool.
If you are going to put in the XF2K, do not bother with less house bank than either a single 4D (134# battery) or 2ea - GC2s (72#ea). Look among the
suppliers, there is available a battery tray that will slide out far enough to allow servicing the most inside cells. Get that one.
The closer you can get the XF2K to the house bank the better. Spend the money on copper right up front. What ever copper you buy, get marine wire.
The tinning is nice, but it is finer strand that others and to easier to handle. Without knowing your final run length, I can't suggest a minimum
cable size. Just for reference, the last full upgrade I did the bill for just the copper was 900$.
If I recall correctly, you said something about a back battery. If you have such, it is the start battery for the APU and suffers most form being
ignored and unused. You can cross that service onto your new house bank.
Other semi important thing. Make the connections to the bank from the XF2K the only connections on the bank proper. Connections to batteries are
notable unreliable and will need to be serviced. As such, a ball of cables there is no help at all. Make all those connections at the XF2K
terminals. Those should be a make once and forget.
Get enough 12-2G marine romex to do two(2, dos, zwei) runs between the Xantrex and the current AC panel. Run a circuit just for than and bring the
same back to a distribution box for such that you might like to have on the inverter. The XF2K has a transfer inside it already, so you might as well
use it.
You can remove your existing converter. If it is a buzzbox, offer it to someone that does electronics, it will be a great bench supply and the noise
will keep him awake. You can use that space for the new subpanel.
If you plan to drycamp at all, this would be a really good time to include a real battery monitor like a Bogart Trimetric or a Xantrex Link in the
system.
This will be pretty serious tear-up, so you might as well get it right the first time.
If you have questions or need other suggestions, I here and I do read private messages when I read the forum.
Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Still Loving OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit