Need advice on best inverter/charger for camper van

[Bobastrat]

Hello all, I have the Chins 300ah 12v battery (I bought it before I saw the review on this forum ?) and I will charge it with shore power and a generator and will later add solar.

My budget max for inverter/charger is around 1800$ and I need a 3000 watt continuous.

Which model or brand should be my top options?

 

[HRTKD]

The Victron Multiplus should fit within that budget. There are a few 12v models to choose from. 3000 watts is a lot on a 12v system.

 

[Bobastrat]

I forgot to mention it needs to be able to charge from a regular AC outlet as well as 30amp shore.
So for my top contenders are:
Xantrex freedom xc pro marine

FREEDOM XC PRO Marine

Dimensions FREEDOM XC PRO MARINE 2000 & 3000

www.xantrex.com

Go power ic3000

IC Series 3000-watt Inverter Charger

Go Power!'s IC Series 3000-watt Inverter Charger offers more power as an inverter, battery charger and transfer switch in one compact unit.

gpelectric.com

Victron multi plus 3000 12 volt

MultiPlus - Victron Energy

The MultiPlus, as the name suggests, is a combined inverter and charger in one elegant package. Learn more about the MultiPlus models.

www.victronenergy.com

May the power of Prowse guide my van life journey ?

 

[jwelter99]

The Victron is the way to go if you have the budget. You can set it as to what it "consumes" via it's AC-IN so I just set that to 15A and use an adapter to plug it into a normal electrical outlet and it works fine.

 

[HRTKD]

My RV trailer has a 30 amp shore power connection. I connect it to a 15 amp "regular" AC outlet sometimes, but I have to manually throttle what is turned on in the trailer. This is all with the typical dumb power distribution panel found in most RV's. It isn't pretty, but it works.

Eventually, I'll get a Victron Multiplus, but even then you're going to want to be careful on a 15 amp shore power circuit. The Multiplus will draw from the battery to make up the difference. Not a big deal if you have plenty of battery Ah and PV to help out.

 

[Q-Dog]

The Victron Multiplus with the Digital MultiControl might be exactly what you are looking for.

 

[Bobastrat]

Thanks guys, I was really liking the xantrex marine for it's marine grade qualities does it lack any features that the multiples has or vice versa that anyone can think of or is the multiplus just more trusted?

 

[HRTKD]

The Victron landscape has excellent integration. Most of the devices can communicate with other devices. Specifically, in my system, the Smartsolar MPPT 100/50 communicates with the BMV-712 battery monitor through bluetooth.

 

[rmaddy]

The Victron Multiplus with the Digital MultiControl might be exactly what you are looking for.

I originally bought and installed a Digital Multi Control for my Multiplus. It's $131 for the plastic one or $148 for the metal one. I've since replaced it with a Raspberry Pi ($40) and touch screen ($50) running Venus OS. This does require the MK3 cable but you probably need to get one of those anyway. So for less money than the Multi Control you get the equivalent of the $516 Cerbo GX with touch screen. With two more $28 cables I also connected the BMV-712 and the MPPT to the Raspberry Pi. It's a really nice (and cheaper) setup. I wish I knew about that option before I bough the Multi Control.

 

[Q-Dog]

I originally bought and installed a Digital Multi Control for my Multiplus. It's $131 for the plastic one or $148 for the metal one. I've since replaced it with a Raspberry Pi ($40) and touch screen ($50) running Venus OS. This does require the MK3 cable but you probably need to get one of those anyway. So for less money than the Multi Control you get the equivalent of the $516 Cerbo GX with touch screen. With two more $28 cables I also connected the BMV-712 and the MPPT to the Raspberry Pi. It's a really nice (and cheaper) setup. I wish I knew about that option before I bough the Multi Control.

I didn't get the Multi Control because I could always use my computer and a MK3 to change the input using Victron Connect. I have since added Raspberry Pi running Venus OS, but didn't get the touch screen. I have a phone and ipads and computer that can interface with it.

But if I were frequently plugging in to questionable shore current in a vehicle or boat, and didn't want or need the ability to monitor and make changes remotely, the Multi Control would be handy.

There are multiple ways to accomplish things with Victron. I had considered the Xantrex, but Victron's Power Assist, ability to use smaller generators, and the remote monitoring ability are what convinced me to go with them.

BUT, if the OP is truly going to draw 3000 watts continuous, a 24 volt version may be a better choice. And then, the 3000 kVa Multi may not be big enough, depending on the operating environment (i.e. heat).

Install and operating manuals are available online for both products. I wouldn't make a decision without reading the manuals thoroughly.

 

[Bobastrat]

Thanks for the tips here is my list so far anything missing besides fuses and cables?

Victron Energy 200/200 amp Digital Multi Control Panel GX
$130.90

Victron Energy VE.Bus Smart Dongle (Bluetooth)
78$

Victron Energy BMV-712 Smart Battery Monitor (Grey)
$206.55

Victron Energy MultiPlus 3000VA 12-Volt Pure Sine Wave Inverter
$1,284.35


Victron Energy SmartShunt 500 amp Battery Monitor (Bluetooth)
$130.90
(500 amp version for my 300 amp battery right?)

Anything here not needed or needs to be added?

 

[HRTKD]

The SmartShunt and BMV-712 are redundant unless you're monitoring two separate battery systems. The BMV-712 comes with a 500 amp shunt.

 

[rmaddy]

You'll probably need a Victron MK3 to USB interface ($68.85) in order to be able to connect the Multiplus, via USB, to a computer to run VE Config or to access most settings via the VictronConnect app.

There's several cables you need to buy separately as well.

• To connect the Digital Multi Control to the Multiplus you need an RJ45 UTP cable (looks like a regular networking cable), just a few bucks on Amazon in whatever length you need and color you want.
• You need a second one to connect the Smart Dongle to the Multiplus. The Multiplus has two connectors for those two cables.
• The MK3 also needs one but don't get a third cable. The rare times you'll actually need the MK3 you can disconnect the Smart Dongle from the RJ45 cable and connect the MK3 in its place. Swap them back when done.

The BMV-712 comes with a ridiculously long (at least for my needs) RJ12 cable so at least you don't need to buy anything for that.

 

[HRTKD]

The BMV-712 comes with a ridiculously long (at least for my needs) RJ12 cable so at least you don't need to buy anything for that.

At 10 meters, it IS long. I thought about cutting the cord to a reasonable length and crimping on a new connector, but in the end just coiled up the cable and hid it in dead space.

 

[rmaddy]

At 10 meters, it IS long. I thought about cutting the cord to a reasonable length and crimping on a new connector, but in the end just coiled up the cable and hid it in dead space.

I ended up doing the same. I still have an old tool for crimping RJ12 connectors from the computer modem days but it was safer to just coil all but the 3 feet I needed and secure it to the wall inside the battery compartment. I guess Victron thinks it harder to order a pre-made RJ12 cable of the needed length so they include the long one. It's trivial to get RJ45 UTP cables in different lengths so they don't include them at all.