RV Repair Manual
for the RV Do-It-Yourselfer
A power inverter converts 12-volt DC (Direct Current) stored in your solar or wind-charged battery bank into 120-volt AC (Alternating Current). Anything that plugs into a standard wall outlet in your home runs on AC power.
RV power inverters are designed to integrate seamlessly with onboard solar panels and deep-cycle battery banks. Having an RV solar power system is like having a mini onboard power plant, giving you the freedom and flexibility to camp out where there is no conventional grid power.
The key to portable solar success is investing in a properly sized pure sine wave inverter. A well-made power inverter should be efficient across all load levels, rugged enough to handle road vibration, and thermally protected to avoid overheating while powering sensitive electronics and small household appliances.
In order to pick out an RV inverter perfectly suited to your needs, you must calculate what appliances will be powered, how much energy they consume (in amp-hours), and account for phantom loads.
Phantom load is the electricity consumed by an appliance even when turned off. Television sets and microwave clocks are typical examples, but the worst offenders are wall-plug power adapters used for phone chargers. These transformers can be 60% to 80% inefficient and should be unplugged or controlled via a switched outlet strip when not in use.
Power ratings are stamped on the appliance label in AC watts or AC amps. To calculate the equivalent draw placed on your 12V battery bank, use this simple formula:
Look for an inverter charger unit featuring 3-stage smart charging: bulk stage (charging at full output capacity), absorption stage (tapering current as battery voltage rises), and float stage (maintaining full charge without boiling off electrolyte). Pairing your system with an automatic transfer switch ensures smooth switching between shore power and inverter mode.
Installing an inside remote control panel or a digital battery monitor shunt allows you to monitor DC voltage, real-time current draw, charging status, and fault alerts directly from inside the coach cabin. Always ensure your main battery connections use heavy-gauge, low-resistance pure copper inverter cables to minimize voltage drop.