Inverters

[Weldon]

I am looking at two inverters from HF one is 1500 watt continuous and 3000 watt peak or 2000 watt continuous and and 4000 watt peak. I have three 12 vote in parallel. I thank any for your opinion.

[WaltBennett]

Don't know if Harbor will have any that have a built-in transfer switch and pure sine-wave output. Another really nice to have is a remote control switch. The brands that I know do have these are Magnum, Morningstar and AIMS. While the first two are pricy, I found my 4kw AIMS on eBay for $805 shipped since no one else bid on it and its also got a built in MPPT solar charger (although I already had a Morningstar).

As for your three 12v batteries, I'd seriously think about getting four 6v Trojans. Anything else won't give you much run time.

[jcurtis934]

I have bought a lot of stuff from harbor freight...but I did so knowing that it generally light duty usage and not the best for functional specs and I have worn the stuff out or had it go bad. A lot of this stuff is offshore knockoffs, so one really has to understand this going in. An inverter for use in the monte should be pure sine wave design and the level of usage should be part of the decision. If you want this inverter to be around for several years, then buy quality. Opinion from an electrical eng type. John

[DQDick]

Fully agree with the comments above. I would stay away from HF unless it meets all the criteria and I'd be careful even then. We have a 2,000/4,000 and only poped the breaker once (didn't get with the wife on what we were running). On the other hand many things in the monty can draw a lot of juice. The big TV, the microwave etc. We have 7 solar panels and 6 golf cart batteries, but that's because I don't want to be telling Joyce "no you can't do that now". Reasonable usage would require fewer batteries.

[8.1al]

Admittedly pure sine wave is better and a modified sine wave may damage certain electronics over time. I have been using a modified off and on for several years with no problems. I also know a few people using ones from HF extensively with no problems.

[1retired06]

Agree, about HF. We bought our inverter from tractor supply and running strong after six years

[jlb27537]

Our SOB pusher had a modified sine wave inverter/charger. When we sold it, the inverter/charger was working just fine after 17 years. BUT, it was not make in China.

I would be looking at a better "class" of inverters for my rig.

Pure sign wave might be over kill, but dropping down to HF electronics is just too low for me.

[mhs4771]

I guess it all boils down to your expected usage. Is it just to run a few lights or maybe a small heater, or are you looking to run the Tele and other electronic devices.

[Artemus Gordon]

This subject is complicated and requires high quality with excellent cooling capacity. I have read many reviews and from personal experience on boats, found cheap is not an option. If it's being used for low consumption non electronic devices you can might be able to save a few dollars. First time someone tries to run a more sensitive component, that's when trouble can start. The heat issue is also a killer of inverters. They put off lots of heat and also require properly sized cables. Do some research on your own. Read up on reliability and warranty's!

[Rainer]

After installing a solar panel on Monte and four 6v golf cart batteries, I needed an inverter to drive the satellite TV system without running the generator. I foolishly opted for an 800w inverter from Pep Boys for about $75. It worked for a while but it was very noisy, and after about a 18 months, it started sparking and smoking. Not good.

I found a replacement this January in Quartzsite, it was 750w, it worked, but it wasn't anything near a pure sine wave, and it induced an excruciating hum in the audio system.

To alleviate the headaches, I purchased a 1000w RENOGY® pure sine wave inverter from Amazon for less than $275 delivered to my front door.

What a difference! This, unlike the previous two inverters, is phenomenal. The cooling fan has yet to come on so it's totally quiet. And it does have a remote on/off. Much better.