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Old 11-11-2014, 14:06   #1
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Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

Can I use a Freedom XANTREX FREEDOM 458 INVERTER CHARGER 2000W from a motorhome in my boat to replace my 1996 Original in my Hunter 42. I.E Does it have to say Marine on it. Why or why not ? Thanks

I heard something about grounding so I need to do some homework on this.

Any short course on this would be helpful as I am in the USA and need to go to my boat in the Rio with a replacement for my Inverter/charger
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Old 12-11-2014, 05:21   #2
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

The designation of "marine" is typically just code for "over priced junk", it has no standard definition, purely sales & marketing rubbish. Any good quality inverter that meets your power needs will work just fine.

Proper grounding, and electrical installation, is applicable regardless of where it is installed.
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Old 12-11-2014, 05:59   #3
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

The difference is usually a transfer switch that switches the neutral and ground bond if connected to be uninterruptible with shore power. If you do not use it that way (it will be an isolated stand-alone system), it won't be a problem.

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Old 12-11-2014, 06:21   #4
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

you NEED the words MARINE written onto the item of interest, as that guarantees you 400 percent mark up BEFORE chandler pricing comes into play, then you NEED the ....

the only difference between marine and non marine is connections.
folks have gotten away with using the lower priced stuff for decades... is your call.
i would, because i like stuff i have to check often.
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Old 12-11-2014, 07:37   #5
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

Price has little to do with this. The 458 price is comparable to a Xantrex marine inverter with the same output.

What is different is the neutral bonding. The 458 maintains a bond between ground and neutral whether it is inverting or not. This is not what you want on a boat. The neutral and ground should only be connected at one place - the source. With the 458 installed on a boat there would be 2 connections, both the source and the inverter, whether it is on or off.

The 458 manual does state that it is NOT suitable for marine installation.

From the manuals - first the non-marine 458 and than the marine SW2000:
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Old 12-11-2014, 09:08   #6
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

If he is installing it as an isolated, stand-alone system, the neutral bonding is not an issue.

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Old 12-11-2014, 09:43   #7
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

And how do you propose that? Unless you use it for inverter only, and have a 2 pole transfer switch on the output, and never feed ac into it. ( no charger ). You can't
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Old 12-11-2014, 09:59   #8
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

Ah, yes you are correct. I only read the OP as inverter and missed the charger part. If the charger is to be used, then the unit needs to be able to switch its gnd/neu bond.

However, reading those excerpts from the manuals, they are saying they do the same thing - bond when inverting and breaking the bond when external AC is supplied. So it looks like the RV version will work just fine in this regards on a boat.

Did I misinterpret that?

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Old 12-11-2014, 10:10   #9
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

Quote:
Originally Posted by colemj View Post
Ah, yes you are correct. I only read the OP as inverter and missed the charger part. If the charger is to be used, then the unit needs to be able to switch its gnd/neu bond.

However, reading those excerpts from the manuals, they are saying they do the same thing - bond when inverting and breaking the bond when external AC is supplied. So it looks like the RV version will work just fine in this regards on a boat.

Did I misinterpret that?

Mark
Yes, you did. The 458 connects ground and neutral whether the unit is inverting or not. In other words when used as a charger the ground and neutral are connected. The marine inverter only connects neutral to ground when inverting, disconnects at all other times.
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Old 12-11-2014, 10:19   #10
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

I don't see that. The blurb states that when external AC is applied, the internal neu/gnd bond is automatically lifted and the gnd system is connected to the source power ground, where neu and gnd are bonded together.

That sounds just like how the marine version works.

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Old 12-11-2014, 10:23   #11
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

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Originally Posted by colemj View Post
I don't see that. The blurb states that when external AC is applied, the internal neu/gnd bond is automatically lifted and the gnd system is connected to the source power ground, where neu and gnd are bonded together.

That sounds just like how the marine version works.

Mark
As a charger the transfer switch is not engaged, therefore when used as a charger the ground would be connected at the source (dock power) as well as at the charger.

The marine version disconnects the ground to neutral connection when the inverter is connected to external AC power - ie when used as a charger.
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Old 12-11-2014, 10:45   #12
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

Quote:
Originally Posted by belizesailor View Post
The designation of "marine" is typically just code for "over priced junk", it has no standard definition, purely sales & marketing rubbish. Any good quality inverter that meets your power needs will work just fine.

Proper grounding, and electrical installation, is applicable regardless of where it is installed.
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Old 12-11-2014, 11:00   #13
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

Quote:
Originally Posted by belizesailor View Post
The designation of "marine" is typically just code for "over priced junk", it has no standard definition, purely sales & marketing rubbish. Any good quality inverter that meets your power needs will work just fine.

Proper grounding, and electrical installation, is applicable regardless of where it is installed.
Exactly, but you have no control of the internal connection between neutral and ground.

"Good quality" generally costs more whether it is marine or not.

In my internet search the Xantrex SW2000 marine inverter/charger is available for the same or less than the 458 - and it is pure sine wave vs the 458's modified sine wave output and has the same charging capabilities.

A stand alone inverter, without AC pass through and transfer switch, and therefore without internal charger, connected through a source selector switch would work.
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Old 12-11-2014, 11:59   #14
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

Quote:
Originally Posted by mitiempo View Post
As a charger the transfer switch is not engaged, therefore when used as a charger the ground would be connected at the source (dock power) as well as at the charger.

The marine version disconnects the ground to neutral connection when the inverter is connected to external AC power - ie when used as a charger.
I am not really debating this because I have no experience with these units, but the blurb you posted again states differently.

It states that the neu/gnd bonding is changed from inverter to external source whenever an external source is present. The charger cannot operate without an external source.

BTW, why would an RV unit differ from a boat in this regard?

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Old 12-11-2014, 12:54   #15
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Re: Motorhome Inverter/charger in my Hunter 42 ??

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Originally Posted by colemj View Post
I am not really debating this because I have no experience with these units, but the blurb you posted again states differently.

It states that the neu/gnd bonding is changed from inverter to external source whenever an external source is present. The charger cannot operate without an external source.

BTW, why would an RV unit differ from a boat in this regard?

Mark
I don't think I'd want a floating neutral in either case. Be a bitch to get electrocuted by a neutral. I believe a had read something about tying your hull ground (earth for those on the other side of the pond) to the dock ground caused an electrolysis problem? So maybe there is something that isolates it in a marine combo since an RVs prop. is hard to eat up.

I do know old USN ships , circa WWII, had a floating neutral. Played hell with electronics, The Navy was still using tubes, our equipment was solid state, guessing 1970.

Maybe someone knows more on the electrolysis than I, about tying the ground to ground and will chime in.
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