Inverter-chargers and shore power
Household 120V from your battery bank, with or without shore charging built in, and a shore power inlet on the outside of the van.
120V when you need it, shore power when you have it
An inverter turns battery power into household 120V for laptops, kitchen appliances and induction cooking. An inverter-charger adds a battery charger and a transfer switch, so when you plug into shore power at a campground or a friend's house, it passes power through to your outlets and charges the batteries at the same time.
Not every van needs the charger. If you camp off grid and charge from solar and the alternator, a plain inverter with an automatic transfer switch can be the simpler, cheaper choice. If you want shore charging, an inverter-charger does it all in one box. Either way, we mount the shore power inlet on the outside of the van and run every 120V circuit through a breaker panel, with GFCI protection where water is nearby.
The AC side. Shore power comes in through an inlet on the outside of the van, the inverter-charger switches between shore and battery, and every 120V circuit runs through a breaker panel.
- 1DC fuse sized to the inverter's surge current
- 2Inverter-charger 120V from the battery, charges from shore
- 3Built-in transfer switch or a separate auto transfer switch with a plain inverter
- 4Shore inlet mounted on the outside of the van
- 5AC breaker panel every circuit protected
- 6GFCI outlets where water is nearby
Inverters and inverter-chargers we install
| Unit | Type | Shore charging | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victron MultiPlus-II 12/3000/120 | Inverter-charger, 3000VA | Yes, 120A, with PowerAssist | Most full builds on 12V |
| Victron MultiPlus-II 24/3000 | Inverter-charger, 24V | Yes | 24V systems with big AC loads |
| Victron MultiPlus 12/2000/80 | Inverter-charger, 2000VA | Yes, 80A | Smaller vans and lighter AC loads |
| Xantrex Freedom XC Pro | Inverter-charger, 2000 or 3000W | Yes | A non-Victron inverter-charger with Bluetooth |
| Renogy REGO 3000W | Inverter-charger | Yes | Renogy-based systems |
| Victron Phoenix | Inverter only | No, add a separate charger if wanted | Off-grid vans that charge from solar and the alternator |
| BougeRV 2000W + transfer switch | Inverter only | No | Budget upgrades to an existing van |
Specs from manufacturer listings. Victron units are rated in VA. We size the inverter to your largest loads and the bank and cable to the inverter.
How we do it
Size it
Inverter sized to your biggest AC loads, and the bank, cable and DC fuse sized to the inverter.
Mount and wire DC
Inverter mounted close to the bank with short, heavy cable and a DC fuse sized for surge.
Shore inlet
Weatherproof inlet on the outside of the van, wired to the inverter-charger or transfer switch.
AC distribution
Breaker panel, outlets and GFCI protection where water is nearby, with proper bonding.
Test
Inverting, shore pass-through, charging and switchover tested under load.
What to know before you buy
Idle draw
An inverter left on draws power all night. We set you up to switch it off when you do not need 120V.
Do you need shore charging?
Off-grid vans often skip it. If you plug in at home or campgrounds, an inverter-charger makes it simple.
Size to the loads
Induction cooktops and microwaves need a big inverter, and a big inverter needs a bank and cable to match.
12 or 24 volt
Inverters over about 3000W are usually better on a 24V system.
Questions about inverter-chargers
What does PowerAssist do?
On a weak 15A campground pedestal, a MultiPlus adds battery power on top of shore power so a microwave or kettle does not trip the breaker.
Do I need a 2x120 MultiPlus?
Only if you want 240V shore power passed through. When inverting it still outputs 120V.
Can you add shore power to my existing van?
Yes. We add an outside inlet and either an inverter-charger or a charger and transfer switch to match your system.
Can I run an induction cooktop?
Yes, with a large enough inverter and bank. We size both from the cooktop's draw.
Get an inverter quote
Send a few details and we will call you back with ideas, options and a ballpark.
- 6771 Emigration Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City
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