Inverter-can it REALLY invalidate a warranty? (1 Viewer)

Dec 28, 2015
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Hi all. this may seem like a strange question, but has anyone heard of this

I was told by the main dealer where we bought our Swift Lifestyle moho that they wont fit inverters at all, in case there is "consequential damage" that may invalidate the warranty, in case of interference with other electrical goods and something else too weird to remember

sound a bit of a strange cop-out to me but I stand to be corrected.

Has anyone else heard of this please?

ps i only really want it to run the 20" tv and charge my laptop
 
D

Deleted member 29692

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Sounds like a typical dealer cop out to me.

However, if you only want it for those two uses you might want to consider whether you really need it.

Have you considered a 12v TV? There is plenty of choice available

Similarly with the laptop. Most charge at 19v or similar. You will be stepping 12v from the batteries up to 230v with then inverter and then back down to 19v in the charger itself. Probably with the best inverter money can buy you will only be getting about 75-80% efficiency doing that. There are 12v chargers available for most brands of laptop.
 
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Jim

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Just a couple of years ago, when van sales were thin on the ground; dealers were only too quick to offer new buyers; solar, inverters, sat systems alarms, paint protection, bike racks etc etc. Now sales of vans are high they are back to normal and most are not interested in fitting any extras. They are to busy with PDI's and warranty work. You've just been fobbed off.
 

Emmit

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One has to ask the question;
Do Swift, as a supplier of motorhomes, fit a habitation battery as standard (or do you have to buy one).
If the answer to that question is "No" (ie, they do not supply the hab. battery), then I fail to see what the consequences of fitting an inverter are.
They might as well say "You fit a habitation battery but THAT may invalidate your claim under warranty"

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R

Robert Clark

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Have you considered getting a proper inverter, professionally fitted by @eddievanbitz ?

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OP
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Dec 28, 2015
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Sounds like a typical dealer cop out to me.

However, if you only want it for those two uses you might want to consider whether you really need it.

Have you considered a 12v TV? There is plenty of choice available

Similarly with the laptop. Most charge at 19v or similar. You will be stepping 12v from the batteries up to 230v with then inverter and then back down to 19v in the charger itself. Probably with the best inverter money can buy you will only be getting about 75-80% efficiency doing that. There are 12v chargers available for most brands of laptop.
good point thanks
 

hilldweller

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Should you abuse an inverter you could kill the leisure battery, so possibly invalidate the battery warranty.

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pappajohn

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I can understand their point to an extent.
If you fit an inverter with no modifications to the original 230vac circuit then no problem.
If, on the other hand, you utilise the vans 230vac sockets and wiring then that will invalidate any warranty on those factory fitted circuits.
Any future fault could, and would, be blamed on the inverter.
 
Jan 28, 2008
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have you checked your tv isnt 12v has it got a lead direct to plug or is there a brick in the middle looking like this Broken Link Removed
 
OP
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have you checked your tv isnt 12v has it got a lead direct to plug or is there a brick in the middle looking like this Broken Link Removed
thanks i will check that straight away, when i get home . i didnt realise that you could use 12 v on that sort !

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Aug 6, 2013
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There's a thread running at the moment where the OP is using an inverter. Each time he plugs the item he wants to use into the inverter the 12v hab supply trips. There's a good & simple explanation for this but from a dealers viewpoint it might be more trouble than it's worth answering customer enquiries / complaints each time an inverter is used for a hairdrier.

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DBK

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That is exactly what I wrote.
So why did your Cobblers get through but mine got changed.
Infamy, infamy, they've all........................................:D:D:D

Richard.
You have clearly been singled out as a subversive. Wear the badge with pride. :)
 
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Oi! I didn't write that......................at least I didn't write 'shoemakers'.
Looks like the thought police are at it again.
Almost as daft as that dealer.

Richard.
Ah ha! I see that the original post has been returned to what was originally written i.e. Cobblers.
I see dark forces at work here. :unsure::unsure:
You have clearly been singled out as a subversive. Wear the badge with pride. :)
I will be forever proud of that badge.(y):D:D Thank you.

Richard.
PS. so sorry to hijack this thread with my own load of old cobblers. :)

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Zigisla

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Should you abuse an inverter you could kill the leisure battery, so possibly invalidate the battery warranty.
That exact quote was given to me yesterday when the Hab Batts were replaced, but at my cost. You must have used more then you replenished!!!
 
OP
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thanks everyone - been away for a few days so hence the silence. thanks for all your help.
so one more question. I think we are going to get a low volt tv and laptop whcih are low volt already (instead of inverter)
so, the question is "will the laptop actually work on the 12v, or is the 12v just to charge it. we want to watch films on the tv and wondered if the 12v would keep pace with the usage
 
Jul 5, 2013
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Most laptops are 18V or so, but you can buy adaptors (for the ciggy lighter socket) to go from 12V to the laptop's voltage. Even if you buy a laptop which works at 12V (like my new one which is a Microsoft Surface Pro) you will still need an adaptor because the laptop needs a steady voltage rather than the 12.5V to 14.3V you will get with your 12V system in the motorhome.

12V TVs usually use 20 to 35W, which equates to about 2 or 3 amps. So how long it will last before recharging will depend upon the capacity of your battery (which is stated in Amp Hours), and remembering that you will be use other electrical appliances as well and as a rule of thumb the you should avoid draining the battery below 50% of its capacity.

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D

Deleted member 29692

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thanks everyone - been away for a few days so hence the silence. thanks for all your help.
so one more question. I think we are going to get a low volt tv and laptop whcih are low volt already (instead of inverter)
so, the question is "will the laptop actually work on the 12v, or is the 12v just to charge it. we want to watch films on the tv and wondered if the 12v would keep pace with the usage

A 12v TV is designed to have low power consumption compared to standard ones. You can buy 12v chargers for any laptop, if it's one that charges at 18 or 19V the charger just steps the voltage up. As Peter says it all depends on your battery capacity and also your usage as to whether the batteries will "keep up"

That would be the same if you fitted an inverter - it still takes it's power from the batteries but because no inverter is 100% efficient you would actually end up using more power to achieve the same thing.
 
OP
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Most laptops are 18V or so, but you can buy adaptors (for the ciggy lighter socket) to go from 12V to the laptop's voltage. Even if you buy a laptop which works at 12V (like my new one which is a Microsoft Surface Pro) you will still need an adaptor because the laptop needs a steady voltage rather than the 12.5V to 14.3V you will get with your 12V system in the motorhome.

12V TVs usually use 20 to 35W, which equates to about 2 or 3 amps. So how long it will last before recharging will depend upon the capacity of your battery (which is stated in Amp Hours), and remembering that you will be use other electrical appliances as well and as a rule of thumb the you should avoid draining the battery below 50% of its capacity.
Thankyou do much peterc10. I am going to browse online now for an adaptor. Seems cheaper and safer than an inverter
 
OP
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A 12v TV is designed to have low power consumption compared to standard ones. You can buy 12v chargers for any laptop, if it's one that charges at 18 or 19V the charger just steps the voltage up. As Peter says it all depends on your battery capacity and also your usage as to whether the batteries will "keep up"

That would be the same if you fitted an inverter - it still takes it's power from the batteries but because no inverter is 100% efficient you would actually end up using more power to achieve the same thing.
Thanks for the advice. It's great to get such valuable help from fellow funsters

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Jul 5, 2013
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Thankyou do much peterc10. I am going to browse online now for an adaptor. Seems cheaper and safer than an inverter
I used Amazon for the ones I bought. Just search using "12V adaptor" plus your laptop make and model.

But one thing you will need is at least one ciggy type socket fed by the habitation battery. The one(s) in the dash board are usually fed by the engine battery and only work when the ignition is on. We got the dealer to fit 4 additional ones (you can't have enough!!) in different places in our new motorhome when we bought it.
 

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