theboondork's RV blog

If it ain't one thing it's another

11/28/2017

Boondocking sunset

Last night when I turned on my microwave, it ran for about 10 seconds and kicked off my inverter. That's usually not a big deal because my microwave and my inverter are both about 1000 Watts so the microwave is about all my inverter can handle and kicking off the inverter happens every now and then, but this time the inverter didn't come back on.

Since it was dark outside and I didn't want to go out and check the inverter itself, which is in the front storage compartment, I just checked all of the normal things inside the Arctic Fox that you would check when something kicks off. I checked the breakers first, then fuses, then switched the on and off switch a couple times, and finally tapped on the inside wall to see if it had fallen asleep, but nothing helped.

First thing this morning I got out my electrical tester that has wires hanging from it, lots of Dials and buttons all over, and switches with hieroglyphic names , none of which I know how to use, but the mere sight of me holding this thing not only makes some electrical components start working again but impresses anyone who may be looking on with my ability to use such a gadget. And after waiving this gadget around in front of the inverter for a few minutes I determined that the inverter was not working.

I called the factory that made the infernal beast and after discussing the problem with a couple of people that couldn't help me I finally got shuffled off to the department that handles nonworking inverters, And after explaining the problem to them they determined that the inverter was not working.

Being in possession of a nonworking inverter, which means I no longer have any AC power, is not as horrible as it first seemed. I gave some thought to what I use AC power for and how I can deal without it for a while.

In my case I use AC power to run my television, which I seldom turn on, run my microwave, which is not a big deal to live without. And to charge my laptop, cell phone, camera and drone batteries, Those things are very important, my life revolves around those things. What to do, what to do.

In my truck I carry a little portable 750 watt inverter for running gadgets that don't use a car charger. So I brought it into the Arctic Fox, plugged it into a 12 volt cigarette lighter type plug which I then used to charge up my laptop and my cell phone. So it looks like I'm covered for battery charging. And as for the TV and the microwave I can live comfortably without them for a while.

Figuring that I needed an inverter powerful enough to run the microwave without getting the vapors, I ordered a 2000 watt inverter that should last longer because it won't be running at its limit when the microwave is going. You would think I would've thought of that before I bought an inverter too small to do the job. Oh well, life goes on.

theboondork

A Saguaro forest, they don't make very much shade. And you definitely don't want to hug one.

Vulture peak Wickenburg Arizona boondocking

Vulture peak from a different angle

6 Comments

Barney Ward

11/28/2017 06:17:37 pm

Now all you need is larger wiring and breakers to handle the bigger wattage. That should not be any trouble for a mechanical genius like you

theboondork

11/29/2017 10:16:40 am

Fortunately when I put in the new lithium iron batteries I ran bigger cables to the solar controller, and the inverter. So all the main cables now are 00 welding cable which should handle the new 2000 watt inverter just fine.

My biggest worry is will I actually get the thing, I'm having it sent general delivery to the post office here in Wickenburg so it's a crap shoot as to whether or not it will actually show up.

Tom

Vall & Mo link

11/29/2017 01:41:28 am

Hi Tom,

Interesting that you made it through all these years with a 1KW inverter; almost every reference we've consulted recommended as lot more, from 2KW up.

In fact, we were planning to go with this 3KW (9KW peak) inverter: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Inverter-Charger-9000W-Surge/dp/B00NZCRFRQ

Your experience makes us wonder whether a 2KW like the one you're upgrading to won't serve us better (lower cost, probably less idle amps, etc).

Can you please share which one you're getting?

Cheers,
--
Vall & Mo.

11/29/2017 10:18:56 am

I had figured, obviously erroneously, that since the biggest watt user in the Arctic Fox was my 1000 watt microwave, that a 1100 watt inverter would be enough. I based that on the fact that I don't use the microwave all that much, maybe once or twice a day at the most and never for more than one minute. I don't cook in it I just warm things up, after all the thing uses about 120 amps an hour and nothing else in the Arctic Fox comes anywhere near that.

Like I said in my post yesterday I was kind of amazed when I sat down and figured out how few important things I use that require AC. Now the TV, the microwave, the air conditioner, and the vacuum cleaner might be very important to other people but I almost never use the air conditioner and the TV, and the last time I looked at the vacuum cleaner it had cobwebs on it.

Oddly enough it turns out the thing that I can't live without is the ability to charge batteries. I'm sure that won't be the way everybody feels but for me since I live on sunshine I guess I've become a DC kind of guy.

When I bought this 1100 watt inverter I picked that size for two reasons. One because it was big enough for my biggest user, the microwave. And two because of what you mentioned less idle amps. As you know the bigger the inverter the more amps it uses just sitting there doing nothing.

Where I messed up was not understanding how the internal system of an inverter works and not realizing that the closer it gets to operating at its maximum potential, even for very short periods of time, the faster it wears out. And by me using it pretty much maxed out running the microwave even for one minute a day for years I shortened it's life expectancy considerably.

So I would say base your inverter size maybe twice the size of your biggest user and don't plan on using your microwave and a hairdryer at the same time. Speaking of which, I personally haven't found it inconvenient at all, since I live by myself, to only use one big AC thing at a time, like the microwave and the TV but I can see why a couple would have to be more careful and possibly need a bigger inverter.

The inverter I'm getting, and the inverter I had are made by Exeltech. They're located in Fort Worth Texas and when I was looking for an inverter years ago they were the only company I could find that actually make inverters here in America. In their advertising they say that their products are mil spec. And provide communication backup inverters to every US Embassy in the world.

The one I'm going to send back to them to have repaired first chance I get is the XP 1100 and the one they're sending me is the XP 2000. I figured as much boondocking as I do a backup inverter might be a good idea.

Tom

11/29/2017 11:42:12 am

Naturally I am at the other end of the spectrum. I have one 400 watt inverter from Walmart and that is all. When not plugged in, I use my stove instead of the microwave. Of course I have been full time for only ten years so it might not work out in the long run.

11/29/2017 12:40:27 pm

You are indeed the king of sort of minimalist full-time living but I am nowhere near the other end of the spectrum. I talked to a guy in Quartzsite some years back that had converted a Greyhound bus into a class A motorhome and had filled up the entire basement with Trojan six volt batteries and told me he could run both of his air-conditioners all day long with no problem on batteries alone.

And I think I put a picture in my blog from Quartzsite two years ago of a class A motorhome that was pulling an enclosed car trailer and both the motorhome and the car trailer roofs were covered with solar panels and the trailer also had two wind generators on it. Now that's boondocking in style.

For me I'm somewhere in the middle between the serious minimalist and the class A people with bunches of batteries and solar panels. And because we full timers get to choose the kind of lifestyle we want to live I decided in the beginning that I wanted to live a fairly normal lifestyle, the kind of lifestyle that most people live at home. And just like living in a normal house I didn't want to suffer from too much cold or too much heat I just wanted to be fairly comfortable in all the different places I lived.

I also didn't want to give up too many of the amenities that a normal home has, after all I'm not trying to live a Spartan lifestyle I'm trying to live a semi normal comfortable life which for me means leaving my computer running all day if I want to, and watch TV all night if I want to, which I don't. Or make some popcorn in the microwave, which by the way is a terrible way to make popcorn but it uses electricity which for me is free instead of propane which I have to pay for.

I guess you could say that I wanted to live just like I did in a sticks and bricks house except I wanted it to move to a new place every few weeks. And I think I'm fairly close to living like that.

Tom.... Living without toooo much 110 AC

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