Have you once thought about owning a Recreational Vehicle (RV)? or do you already have one? If yes, you probably heard of a power inverter, one of the materials needed to make your RV worth riding. As you know, this is one of the best accessories to help you be more comfortable and convenient while traveling everywhere or even going for campings.
Also, this single piece of equipment has a significant impact on running things in your RV, such as your laptop, computers, t.v., lights, and any other types of equipment found in your home. If you are curious about how it works in your RV, you may continue reading. So here’s some information that may help you.
What is an RV Inverter?
In providing power to your RV, it needs to have a specific type of material to operate. Most people spend a considerable amount of time using shore power or a generator to give electricity to their RV. However, using an inverter, everything would be much easier. It is a piece of electronic equipment that helps provide power to appliances without generators or even using your car’s battery.
If your RV doesn’t have one, you are not yet too late to add one. But you have to remember that adding an inverter to your RV could have a massive change or adjustment to your 120v power system. Overall, having an RV inverter is hugely convenient and helpful, especially during your trips and getaways. It gives your gadget’s power when they lose their batteries while taking pictures, provides electricity when it gets dark, and eases your boredom by watching t.v. All of these might be an excellent option for you, especially if you prefer to have minimal use of power outlets.
How does an inverter for RV work?
Before you decide to give an inverter a try, you must first thoroughly understand how this electronic module works. It is a type of converter, which provides power to your outlets through the battery of your RV. However, an inverter works differently. In addition, an inverter uses 12v batteries of your RV to give power, and then it inverts the battery to 12VDC to make it 120VAC power.
An RV inverter’s primary purpose is to make compatibility between the two types of power. RV’s batteries work on DC or Direct Current, which is quite distinct from how the AC or Alternating Current amperage works that can run most appliances. Meanwhile, the inverter guarantees that devices will operate smoothly and securely in either of these ways. In other words, if you have a large inverter, you may use your RV’s batteries to give power to your fridges or anything like and an AC to small power devices, like phone chargers, TVs, etc.
What appliances work with an RV inverter?
If you are interested to know more about other appliances you can power using an RV inverter, here’s the list you should know:
- Phone Chargers
- Television
- Computers/Laptop
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Video games consoles
It would be best to remember that the more appliances you want to put in your RV and the larger they are, you also need a powerful inverter that can level its intensity. Otherwise, the devices you put into your RV will not be helpful to use. Lastly, you can also employ multiple inverters to power your electricity individually.
How to spot the best inverter?
You always want to choose the best equipment for your RV in every situation. But, for example, of course, it already includes a suitable inverter, which works efficiently and meets your needs. Hence, to help you spot the best inverter, the following are the things that you must consider first:
Effectivity
One of the things you need to do is check its efficiency. Although the inverter already works at the topmost level of its performance, you still must ensure its working pace. As you would know, the more an inverter assures its effectiveness, the better it will operate that suits your needs. So if you don’t want to risk your RV, you need to ensure how good it is.
Power Capacity
Before you decide to add an inverter to your RV, you have to know first the appliances you want to have. You need to be aware that inverters differ in size in watts of output power. For example, if you’re going to add an outlet where you can charge your phones and laptops, you will only need 500 watts or less. However, if you want to power more things, you need to know that an RV with 30A shore power is only limited to 3600 watts.
In other words, your inverter’s power capacity will vary depending on your appliances. Also, you need to know how much power you will need so that it won’t have any complications. If you want to pick the best inverter, you should first understand its regular power operation and overall rating.
Type of Inverter
An inverter has two types: standalone unit and integrated model. If you asked which of the two is a good option, it would depend on what appliances you want. For example, if you have a converter or a charger and you want to upgrade it, an integrated type of inverter would be best to use. Meanwhile, if you plan to add an inverter to a modern multi-stage charging system, which is quite huge to manage the size of the battery bank, you can employ the standalone type.
Conclusion
Having an inverter in your RV undoubtedly provides convenience during campings and travel; however, you have to ask yourself first if you need to add one. Of course, inverters aren’t always the best options for RV, but, as stated, it will be the best choice if you are fond of campings. Above all, you need to conduct thorough research before having one, such as considering the suitable model for your RV and how it works. But it can assure you that adding an inverter will surely give justice to your effort and expenses.