New to Forum and new to Van solar

[tjbedgood]

I am building a van conversion and I am kind of at my max knowledge level with solar, which is just above nil. I'll keep it short..... I have two 325w panels. 200a/h Lithium battery. 40amp/controller. I will be running a fridge probably an Engel or and Iceco 45L or 50L. I will have a charging station for iphone, ipad, laptop, led lights, camera, and a blend jet. I do not for-see anything else to power. I would like the option to charge my batteries by shore, solar, and/or my van. MY question .... Should i buy an inverter or inverter/charger and I have been told 1000watt to 3000watt how much do I really need. I am not rich but leave price out of the equation as I just want to know the best setup no cheapest. If anyone can help I would be super thankful. I am brand new here to the forums. I just watch a youtube video from Will Prowse ( Good video ) and a link brought me here.

 

[fratermus]

Should i buy an inverter or inverter/charger

Is the blend jet a USB rechargeable charger? If so, I think no inverter is needed for any of those things. If you wanted to charge the devices from inverter it could be quite small (sized for all simultaneous loads). I keep a small inverter (300w PSW) around for convenience in charging things with odd input voltages, or running a thrift store crockpot.

Traditionally a stand-alone converter has been used to charge house batteries from shore power. Combo inverter/chargers tend to be much more $$$ (with less ability to size either function to your needs).

With solar + alternator charging, Li batteries, and those minimal loads I'd be surprised if you ever used shore power charging. I run bigger loads on a cruder system and have been offgrid for 971 days as of this writing. The shore power port and DIY converter sit unused and lonely.

 

[HRTKD]

It sounds like your AC needs are minimal. In that case, I would find a good quality 1000 watt pro sine wave inverter that is used standalone, not connected to the existing AC system. This is what the setup in my RV trailer looks like right now. I don't use the batteries to run my microwave or air conditioning, so my AC needs aren't much. I was given a high quality 1000 watt modified sine wave inverter for free. It satisfies my needs at this time. Eventually, I'll move up to a 2000 or 3000 watt pro sine wave inverter that will probably have a charger built-in.

Like fratermus in the above post, solar satisfies 99.9% of my charging needs. Rarely do I connect to shore power or fire up the generator just to charge the batteries.

 

[OnTheRoadAgain]

It sounds like your AC needs are minimal. In that case, I would find a good quality 1000 watt pro sine wave inverter that is used standalone, not connected to the existing AC system. This is what the setup in my RV trailer looks like right now. I don't use the batteries to run my microwave or air conditioning, so my AC needs aren't much. I was given a high quality 1000 watt modified sine wave inverter for free. It satisfies my needs at this time. Eventually, I'll move up to a 2000 or 3000 watt pro sine wave inverter that will probably have a charger built-in.

Like fratermus in the above post, solar satisfies 99.9% of my charging needs. Rarely do I connect to shore power or fire up the generator just to charge the batteries.

What is a "Pro Sine Wave" inverter ?

I am aware of Modified and Pure sine wave but have not yet heard of "Pro" sine wave inverters.
Thanks

 

[HRTKD]

What is a "Pro Sine Wave" inverter ?

I am aware of Modified and Pure sine wave but have not yet heard of "Pro" sine wave inverters.
Thanks

Sorry, autocorrect got me. Pure Sine Wave is what you want.

 

[OnTheRoadAgain]

I know so little......I thought it was something new.

Tell you what....you overlook a few dozen of mine, we'll let this slide

 

[HRTKD]

MSW is cheaper than PSW. However, some devices won't like MSW. There are some battery chargers that don't like MSW - supposedly. So far, all my devices have worked on my MSW inverter. Laptop, vacuum cleaner, small space heater, phone charger, Dewalt battery charger, electric blanket, etc. I would be reluctant to connect something expensive, like a residential refrigerator, to my inverter.

If I was starting from scratch and didn't have a (free) inverter already, I would be buying a PSW inverter, not MSW.

 

[OnTheRoadAgain]

MSW is cheaper than PSW. However, some devices won't like MSW. There are some battery chargers that don't like MSW - supposedly. So far, all my devices have worked on my MSW inverter. Laptop, vacuum cleaner, small space heater, phone charger, Dewalt battery charger, electric blanket, etc. I would be reluctant to connect something expensive, like a residential refrigerator, to my inverter.

If I was starting from scratch and didn't have a (free) inverter already, I would be buying a PSW inverter, not MSW.

They may work, but it may be at the cost of longevity as MSW is known to make devices run a bit hotter.
MSW inverters are also known to consume about 30% more power...thus the heat, created by increased THD