Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 15, 2025 ...

Victron can eliminate ATS and pass through 50 amps.
Sadly I could not take advantage of that without significant additional wiring expense.
Per AM Solar, The ProSine 2.5 could not pass through 50 amps. So FT put in a second transfer switch to switch the inverter in and out of circuit, and wired 50 amp direct to panel from Dhore power/generator output Since inverter panel was 2.5 max, the AC wire from ProSine was sized for the output of the ProSine 2500 watts, (maybe it was sized for 30 amps, I can't recall exactly the gauge of the wire) not 50 amps So significant wire pulls are required from the bed area to the inverter position in the basement back to the bed. Or moving the inverter location with changes to the 12 VDC cabling In the end, looking at 8 plus labor hours plus materials to go that route. So I opted to stay with two transfer switches and OEM wiring Yes, smart readers might ask replacing 2500 watts with 3000 watts will that overload the OEM AC wire.
Not sure, but don't intend to use high load devices any differently, so don't expect to exceed 2500 watts. Usually start generator for washer/dryer, induction top, microwave, coffee maker or hair blow dryer if not on shore power Anyway, that is how my feeble mind remembers the conversation at AM Solar

For What It's Worth:

I have followed Technomadia's blog for the past couple of years, with regard to both internet and solar.  I became sold on the value of lithium batteries.  Yes, they are expensive, but like choosing how to invest, it all depends on your "investment horizon".  If you live in an RV full time your choice may be different from someone who does not.  If you plan to keep living that way for 20 years, likewise, your choice might be different from someone who does not.  My operating assumption was to set this rig up for 20 years of full time use.  Given that assumption, lithium became a serious contender.  Yes, lithium batteries are much more expensive than lead acid batteries - up front.  But they have their benefits.  To begin with they can be expected to last a lot longer.  They can also be discharged down to around 20% without damage, vs. lead acid which can drop to about 40%.  What was in the coach before was a nominal 725 Ah of AGM batteries - which is actually good for about 50-60% of that (435 Ah).  What is in the coach now is 600 Ah of lithium batteries, which is good for about 80% of that (480 Ah).  Not much of an increase.  But the re-charge speed is MUCH faster, the number of discharge cycles they can deliver is MUCH greater, they weigh a LOT less, and take up less space.  And they can be expected to cost less per unit of power delivered over their lifetime, probably significantly less.  So my thought was that making that purchase was an investment in energy and freedom for the next 20 years.  For someone else, none of that may apply and for them it would appear foolish.  To each his own.  Some have told me "diesel is a lot cheaper."  It is.  In my world silence is golden.

When I had the Victron batteries installed (to go with the all-Victron system built around the MultiPlus) I had decided in advance to put everything in the old washer/dryer compartment.  I chose to go with Victron batteries and to put them in this location based on this Technomadia post Technomadia - Lithium Update which suggested that the lack of heat regulation and insufficient charge balance were the probable causes of his home-made lithium battery bank showing more wear than expected after 3 and a half years.  Mine are in a mostly climate controlled space, and take advantage of Victron's tight integration to monitor and balance the batteries as well as possible.  And it sure was nice this past summer when driveway surfing not to have to worry about running the air conditioner on just 15 Amp shore power!  I'm sure it's not to everyone's taste, but when my intent is to cover ground while still working, I have been known to boondock during the day while working, and travel a few hours at a time after work, going without hookups for days at a time and running the generator for perhaps a couple of hours every few days if it gets cloudy or I decide to splurge on electricity.

I never worried about where the equipment was made.  Maybe I'm seriously naive?  But one thing I do know is that we all drive cars and use computers, cell phones, tablets, networking equipment, rely upon medical devices and equipment - all of which are either manufactured or contain components that are manufactured all over the world - China, India, Malaysia, Macao, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Brazil...  But surely I must be missing *something*.  Obviously I'm not "in the know" since I don't believe that technology manufactured "elsewhere" must be inferior.  (What about cars manufactured in the US in the 70s and 80s?) I'll have to pause and reflect the next time I board a JetBlue Embraer Jet Designed And Manufactured In Brazil  Opinions and speculation are all good.  Problems arise when we confuse them with actual facts.

I don't know whose inverters are better.  The answer will depend an awful lot on who you ask.  I doubt very much the question will be answered with certainty - here or anywhere else.  Check back in 20 years or so.

Mine are stacked on on top of the other on the right side of the bed electronics bay

I guess you wired your victron so it used pass through and used battery to assist when running ac on 15 amps shore power? Agree country of manufacture is not really a factor.

Yes - only one air conditioner gets power through the inverter while the other gets power from shore or generator only.  Of course both will run when shore or generator power is available.

Now all we have to do is help John with the original issue.  Someone can start another thread if they want to carry on the inverter vs inverter line.