When I am going down the highway can my roof ac units work off the house batteries or do i need the generator to be running.
You need the generator to be running. Unless you have a large inverter and big lithium battery bank. I can run min for 5 hours off the battery but won't do it unless I have to.
So did you say earlier that one of the units works through the inverter and i suppose the other does not?
Rick,
Most coaches come from the factory with the A/C units wired through the main breaker panel. This means they either require shore power or the generator running to operate. Some forum members have modified their electrical system to allow the inverter to power one or both A/C units. As Bob mentioned, to run a air conditioner off inverter requires a sizable house battery bank, a large capacity inverter, a big alternator, and (usually) a "soft start" module installed on the A/C unit.
Except for the newer "all electric" coaches, running A/C off inverter is not very practical. Best to use the generator going down the road.
As a FYI, the IH45 has the second AC unit from the front on one of the Inverters from the factory.
It is one quick way to run the batteries down when not connected to shore power and engine or generator is not running.
100% of the coaches of your vintage will only run the roof A/C off the generator FROM THE FACTORY.
Have a few upgraded their electrical system SUBSTANTIALLY. Enough to run one A/C-- yes. But this is the very rare exception.
Thanks for the info.
Little by little.
Good info. So any good reason to NOT run the generator while traveling down the road?
The only downside I have found is the extra fuel you use. :D :D :D
We run ours in summer or any other time we need AC.
Using generator to run AC is a good reason for exercising it.
Correct. Mine is wired to run the front AC unit via the inverter panel only. The other is thru the main circuit breaker panel.
Haven't tried running it off battery power alone since I switched to the Attwood AC and soft start. Going down the road we run the genny. If I ever changed out the alternator to a high capacity one, I could run it via that I suppose with the solar. But at this time my alternator doesn't charge my house batteries. Future project.
I would ask AM Solar what is the best way to connect your current engine alternator to charge your lithiums, since they are the ones that did your lithium batteries for the previous owner, they will have detailed info on that install. They probably are the ones that wired the front a/c to run off the inverter.
My thoughts exactly Jack.
Thinking about putting a very large 300 plus amp alternator in at some point. Setting like an electrodyne or ecotech alternator going through a DC to DC charger.