Inverter with or without incorporated charger?

[Joolsm]

I'm planning to ask our dealer to install a Victron inverter in our new MH (which we're picking up soon). Should I go for the 'Phoenix' (just inverter) or does it make more sense to get the Multiplus (with incorporated charger). I'm guessing the MH will come with a charger (it's an Itineo) but I've no idea what model. I'm pretty new to all this (and enjoying learning all the new stuff) so I have a noddy question. The charger in question here is it simply to charge the leisure battery from mains or does it charge the vehicle battery too? Thanks.

 

[funflair]

I guess it comes down to how you are going to use the 240v power side of you van, We have a Buttner inverter/charger that is very similar to the MultiPlus in that it has the network compensation or "powerAssist" as Victron call it which basically means that you can plug into a power supply that may be say just 3A but you still want to use your 2kw electric kettle so as long as the MultiPlus has been told what the hook up limit is the MultiPlus will match the phase and supply the shortfall from your batteries before going back to charging when demand falls.

Great bit of kit but might make you question what batteries you have to supply 100-160 amps.

 

[Joolsm]

Great bit of kit but might make you question what batteries you have to supply 100-160 amps.

Thanks for the useful info. So with a couple of 200ah LiFePo4 batteries would it be overkill? We don’t plan to use EHU too much, but you never know!

 

[funflair]

No I think it would be spot on 400ah of LiFePO4 gives you plenty of power to use the inverter for an electric kettle and all the other toys most of the time this would be serviced by solar and you could stand a couple of days without much sun, in the winter months just a low power hook up is all you need to still be running on fullpower.

 

[DumfriesDik]

Top tip with inverters, get a remote on/off switch fitted. Wish ours had one

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[autorouter]

Another vote for the Multiplus inverter/charger. If you are on a low-power EHU, say 5A, you would like the charger to dial down if you wanted to run a mains device, so that the draw from the EHU post never exceeded 5A. Then go back to charging when the device has finished. You'd like it to top up the mains power with the inverter power, so that you could have 5A from the EHU plus 8A from the inverter. The Multiplus will do all that automatically. With just an inverter, it's either EHU or inverter, never both.

 

[Jo662]

Another vote for the Multiplus inverter/charger. If you are on a low-power EHU, say 5A, you would like the charger to dial down if you wanted to run a mains device, so that the draw from the EHU post never exceeded 5A. Then go back to charging when the device has finished. You'd like it to top up the mains power with the inverter power, so that you could have 5A from the EHU plus 8A from the inverter. The Multiplus will do all that automatically. With just an inverter, it's either EHU or inverter, never both.

I also have a Multiplus and have to say it's a game changer with lithium batteries.

 

[Jo662]

Top tip with inverters, get a remote on/off switch fitted. Wish ours had one

We have a remote on/off switch fitted and I would recommend one too.

 

[Raul]

Multiplus now question about. It charges the house battery with 70-80a and the starter with 4a. You std. ehu charger will be nowhere near as strong and configurable. Plus it can do transfer, pass-trough, and power assist.

 

[Stealaway]

Top tip with inverters, get a remote on/off switch fitted. Wish ours had one

I fitted a battery isolater switch in the battery feed cable to my one

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