Which type of inverter for my needs.

[aridgedell]

My electrical system has been "finished" for a while now however I have a desire to run more items off an inverter/pure sinewave while driving and boondocking so I am looking for possible solutions.
My current set up is 50amp shore power and a 4000 watt honda generator (not an inverter generator) mounted under the bus with a 25 gallon fuel tank. Both of those are on an automatic transfer switch. I have a 500watt pure sinewave inverter inside the bus that currently runs an entertainment system and phone chargers for while driving. I have a 55amp converter/charger supplying 12v when powered up.
My issues I have had are not being able to run as many appliances as I would like while boondocking or driving. I also would like to have our 120v appartment fridge running on pure sinewave at all times. I would like to be able to run at least one maybe both of our roof top a/cs on the generator but I think both might be asking a bit much if I want to use the microwave or coffee maker.
My thinking is that moving more appliances to pure sinewave would run them better while on generator power. For example I noticed microwave, fridge, and coffee maker don't run as good on the generator, but if the fridge is plugged into the inverter is gets just as cold as it does on shore power.
My question is the most econimical/easiest/reliable way to accomplish this. I just ordered two micro-air easystarts to help the a/cs draw less on start up.
Things I've been considering is just upping my current inverter to a 1500 watt and leaving the entertainment and fridge hooked up to it all the time. A victron multiplus II, or getting a bigger inverter style generator to replace my current generator. or any combination of the above.
I like the idea of the multiplus II but if I'm running my current generator I won't be running anything on pure sine wave will I? Perhaps there is some other solutions I havn't thought of or considered yet.

[kazetsukai]

There's more "types" of inverters than pure-sine versus mod-sine:

• HF / High frequency: Smaller, lighter, typically less powerful, typically cheaper, better for smaller systems / individual appliances
• LF / Low frequency: Larger, heavier, capable of higher surge loads, for larger systems or "whole house" operation
• HF and LF inverters also have split phase options (providing both 120V and 240V with a single inverter).

You could use a small, dedicated HF inverter for the fridge and always run it on DC. Perhaps a larger, LF inverter for everything combined with multiple AC -> DC chargers would allow you to run everything pure sine wave, your generator is then only ever used to charge the batteries using those chargers.

We use a whole-house, split phase LF 6kW inverter, which goes well with the 50A RV inlet.

[aridgedell]

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

There's more "types" of inverters than pure-sine versus mod-sine:

• HF / High frequency: Smaller, lighter, typically less powerful, typically cheaper, better for smaller systems / individual appliances
• LF / Low frequency: Larger, heavier, capable of higher surge loads, for larger systems or "whole house" operation
• HF and LF inverters also have split phase options (providing both 120V and 240V with a single inverter).

You could use a small, dedicated HF inverter for the fridge and always run it on DC. Perhaps a larger, LF inverter for everything combined with multiple AC -> DC chargers would allow you to run everything pure sine wave, your generator is then only ever used to charge the batteries using those chargers.

We use a whole-house, split phase LF 6kW inverter, which goes well with the 50A RV inlet.

Thanks for the info. I think Im leaning towards just adding a second HF inverter specifically for the fridge like you mention. Then upgrading to a large inverter generator in the future like the duromax 9000. It seems like a lot of people with solar and battery bank utilize large inverters more so than my situation. I dont have plans to add solar so a large LF inverter may not make as much since in my application... unless Im missing something else?

[LargeMargeInBaja]

Originally Posted by aridgedell

My electrical system has been "finished"...

.
You are writing to an audience with some old folks [points to self] in it.
The phrase 'has been' can be... Ouch!

[Iceni John]

Originally Posted by LargeMargeInBaja

.
You are writing to an audience with some old folks [points to self] in it.
The phrase 'has been' can be... Ouch!

Exactly! I've been working on my bus for thirteen years now, and it's still not finished. I do however hope to have it ready (note I didn't say finished) by the end of this year so I can take it to Quartzsite next winter, but how many years have I been saying that? Some of the old farts on the BCM forum quite rightly assert that no bus conversion is ever truly finished: there's always something else to be redone, fine-tuned, upgraded, modernized, or just changed simply because one is bored doing nothing to it! I plan on my bus being a perpetual work in progress, so I'll probably keep my workbench in the front of it. Cozy and homely be damned - I've got opposable thumbs, so I'm going to keep using my tools, even when I'm out on the road living a peripatetic lifestyle. Yeah!

John

[Rwnielsen]

I'm keeping my workbench up front too. I like to tinker with stuff

[HamSkoolie]

The OP made no mention of a battery or battery bank.

Without one there's not much to be done unless you're running a second alternator with a high output to run the larger inverter.
Also HF does not mean pure sine wave. It only means more cycles or higher frequency. It can still be a square wave, modified sine wave, even a sawtooth wave. BE SURE it's a pure sine wave device if you're running electronics on it.