RV Converters & Inverters

Converters, inverters, and how they fit together

Almost every electrical question in this branch comes down to two things: which direction the power is flowing, and what is feeding it. Shore power and the generator supply 120-volt AC; your batteries store 12-volt DC. Each of the four categories below handles one part of moving power between them, so start with the task you are trying to accomplish.

• Power Converters & Centers. The AC-to-DC direction. A converter/charger runs your 12-volt lights and pumps off shore power and keeps the house batteries topped up. The all-in-one power center lives here too, combining the converter with the fuse and breaker panel.
• Pure-Sine Inverters. DC-to-AC with clean, grid-quality output for laptops, CPAPs, and anything with a motor or sensitive board that a cheaper inverter would buzz or damage.
• Inverter-Chargers. One box that inverts off the battery and charges from shore power, switching between the two on its own. This is the piece most serious boondocking builds are organized around.
• Transfer Switches. The device that ties your generator into the same wiring as your shore cord and guarantees only one source is connected at a time, so the two can never backfeed.

Keeping batteries charged on shore power is a converter's job. Making your outlets live off the battery is an inverter's job. Running a generator into the coach wiring calls for a transfer switch to tie it in safely.