I'm trying to decide between an inverter-charger or separate units. House bank is 550 AH of Lifeline
AGM for now, but eventually will likely switch to
Lithium Iron. It's a US
boat, but I plan to
cruise far and wide, so options for
shore power could be important, but not often. I had been planing on a
Victron Multiplus 3000 as it ticks off many boxes, but then began considering separate
charger and
inverter for other reasons.
Inverter/Charger (Victron)
Pros: Simpler install and
wiring. Certainly adequate for the job. Integrates nicely with the entire
Victron family. (Will likely be using Victron
solar controllers). "May" have some advantages when I convert to
Lithium.
Cons: The
charger is 120 VAC only, so can't be used elsewhere without a transformer. I considered an isolation transformer, but for the limited times I'd spend in
marinas (really anywhere), I don't think it's worth the weight and space it would take. The only real advantage I see (beyond the obvious isolation aspects) is that I "may" be able to run my A/C in foreign
ports. But there remains the 50 Hz. issue, so perhaps not really.
Separate Charger and Inverter (likely Promariner / Sterling gear)
Pros: The charger is universal input, so I can charge anywhere. Also, as the Promariner/Sterling run just fine as
power supplies when not connected to
batteries, so when I convert to Lithium, the
batteries can be disconnected when charged, leaving house loads running from the charger. Not all chargers can do this. Also, keeping chargers and loads separate has advantages in a lithium system with the ability to disconnect loads and chargers separately.
Cons: The charger is only 60 Amps. I won't be on
shore power often. My main
charging will be via large
alternator and
solar. The charger is really only for the rare times in a marina. But 60 Amps still seems lite for this bank. I could go with 2x chargers for 120 amps. The complexity goes up, but maybe what's needed. These chargers may not play as well as Victron with Lithium.
So I thought I'd ask here to get some opinions. I'm open for discussion.