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Old 09-06-2015, 08:52 AM   #1
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Inverter question on 2014

So after reading the entire manual of my preowned 2014 AI I have come to realize that the dealership I bought from was not so knowledgable. Tech said that I should not run the inverter and generator together. However, I can't figure out why that would be. thanks in advance. This forum is a great help.
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Old 09-06-2015, 10:19 AM   #2
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So after reading the entire manual of my preowned 2014 AI I have come to realize that the dealership I bought from was not so knowledgable. Tech said that I should not run the inverter and generator together. However, I can't figure out why that would be. thanks in advance. This forum is a great help.
It's important to understand that your inverter is actually an inverter/charger. It can invert or charge, but not both at the same time.

Whenever you have another source of 120vAC power— shore power or the generator— the inverter/charger, if turned on, automatically switches to charger mode. So in one sense, you cannot run the inverter and generator together even if you tried. But in another sense, you must have the inverter/charger turned on when running the generator if you want to charge your batteries while running the generator. But it will be in charger mode by default when the generator is running.
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Old 09-06-2015, 10:22 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by Blackpearl View Post
So after reading the entire manual of my preowned 2014 AI I have come to realize that the dealership I bought from was not so knowledgable. Tech said that I should not run the inverter and generator together. However, I can't figure out why that would be. thanks in advance. This forum is a great help.
If you are talking about your Magnum MMS-1012 inverter/charger, here is the scoop:

When off-grid: the inverter (when turned on) will provide 120VAC house current to what ever outlets are connected to it. It is best to leave the inverter 'off' until you need it, and then turn it 'off' when done using it as it does have a low level parasitic draw that will eventually drain your batteries

When on shore power/generator: The inverter 'passes thru' the 120VAC coming from the shore cord or generator passing thru your external (located in the left rear corner of your rig) transfer switch by means of the inverter's internal transfer switch to again energize the same outlets as above, along with all of the other 120VAC loads like your microwave and roof A/C. If the inverter switch is 'on', nothing will happen as the unit is smart enough to not activate the inverter section. It will essentially be in standby mode. This is also why it has it's own transfer switch.

In addition, when your inverter 'sees' the 120VAC input from either shore power or generator, it automatically activates the charger section in the unit that is responsible for charging your house batteries. Both the inverter section and the charger section can not operate simultaneously. This function is fully automatic in all Magnum inverter/charger units.

SO............You are correct in that your dealer has no knowledge of how an inverter operates!

Let me know if you have any further questions.
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Old 09-12-2015, 03:40 PM   #4
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I'm sure this is covered somewhere in the forums, but I can't find it. Simple question: in my 2015 AI (kitchen on the passenger side), which outlets are powered by the inverter? There is a pilot light on the power panel labeled "coffee", but maybe that's just a generic face plate used for other RVs. The two TV outlets have power, and also the one in the rear on the pass side, but not the one above the kitchen counter. It seems to me that this is where I would be making "coffee", but it's the only receptacle that is not powered when using the inverter (it's fine on shore AC). Thanks for the help!
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Old 09-12-2015, 04:16 PM   #5
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The outlet labeled "Coffee" requires either shore power or the generator to be running.
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Old 09-12-2015, 04:55 PM   #6
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There is a pilot light on the power panel labeled "coffee", but maybe that's just a generic face plate used for other RVs.
Actually, before 2012, there was an optional built-in coffeemaker for the Interstate, before the appliance manufacturer in Italy went out of business. It was supposed to be installed in one of the overhead lockers in the galley area. There was a circuit dedicated solely to the coffeemaker, and four years after they quit installing coffeemakers in Interstates, there's still a circuit dedicated to a non-existent coffeemaker because no one at Jackson Center ever bothered to change the circuit breaker panel labels to match reality.
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Old 09-12-2015, 05:12 PM   #7
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Thanks for the help. But I still have one question; are ALL the receptacles supposed to be powered by the invertter, or just the two nearest the TVs (haven't tried the outside one). It seems to me that the one above the countertop should be powered as well.
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Old 09-12-2015, 07:07 PM   #8
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Thanks for the help. But I still have one question; are ALL the receptacles supposed to be powered by the invertter, or just the two nearest the TVs (haven't tried the outside one). It seems to me that the one above the countertop should be powered as well.

On my 2013 there where four outlets powered by the inverter; two for the TVs; one under the galley, behind microwave, for the refrigerator and one near the floor behind the driver's seat.

I rewired mine to eliminate the one inside galley cabinet and relocated an inverter outlet at rear end of the galley so I can use it for small appliances on the counter.


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Old 09-12-2015, 07:27 PM   #9
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You're right, I forgot about the hidden outlets for the fridge, freezer and microwave. I'm not worried about those; I'm really only concerned with the four visible ones (not counting the outside one). In my 2015, there is one behind the driver's seat (with the front TV plugged in), one on the same side in the rear near the floor just aft of the bath (with the rear TV plugged in), one on the pass side down near the floor between the rear bench seat and the sideways facing seat, and a fourth one up under the overhead storage bin above the galley countertop. Three of them are powered when the inverter is on, EXCEPT the one over the countertop. I'm wondering if this one should be powered also with the inverter. IBTW, it is live when on shore power (they all are), but not when inverting.
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Old 09-12-2015, 07:51 PM   #10
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Remember, you only have 1000 watts available from your inverter. That's a bit over 8 amps, which is not much.


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