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Old 04-23-2018, 09:04 AM   #1
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Iota inverter in 2008 Jayfeather

Hello,
We just bought our first camper, a used 2008 Jayfeather, which had been set up for solar by the previous owners. We hooked everything up to our solar panel and all went well except that we cannot use the outlets or the microwave.

There is an Iota IDP 30-4 distribution panel installed but I am finding that these were discontinued and that it is nearly impossible to find manuals or tech info on them.

1st question: Could I be missing something simple with regard to getting it to work the 120 stuff? If so, what?

2: If I upgrade/replace with new, should the connections be the same or will we need to rewire? and, what should we upgrade to?

3: If we replace, will we need to add anything else to the system? We have a solar controller and a Trimax 2020 and its 30 Amp.

Thank you in advance!!
-Lori & Jeff
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Old 04-23-2018, 09:18 AM   #2
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Here. I'm a little confused by your question, that is only a distribution panel not an Inverter.
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File Type: pdf IOTA IDP-30 Dist. Panel.PDF (331.5 KB, 13 views)
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Old 04-23-2018, 09:31 AM   #3
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Ok...I know nothing about this stuff lol. The place where we purchased the camper told us that it was the inverter. Should the inverter be wired close to this panel? We haven't pulled it out so not sure if its behind it. We were just hoping to be able to use 120 while boondocking. Not sure what we need to make it work.

and it a Trimetric 2020, not Trimax
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Old 04-23-2018, 09:45 AM   #4
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Not necessarily, the inverter is sometimes put close to the battery. If it has a "hidden" inverter there should be a remote on/off switch on the wall someplace.
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Old 04-23-2018, 09:50 AM   #5
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Ok. Thank you.
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Old 04-23-2018, 09:59 AM   #6
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The distribution panels are for your 120VAC and 12VDC items installed in your unit...

Not real sure what a 2008 JAYFEATHER is. Could be anything from a POPUP to a Travel Trailer... Need to provide what Model you have...

Here is a typical 30A Trailer setup. Of course POPUP trailer have less items installed



As you can see this all requires Shore Power 120VAC to run most of the Appliances and Air Conditioner and then most of the lighting and other items is all 12VDC either run by a Converter/Charger unit like the IOTA when you are plugged into Shore Power mdl you mentioned or from an installed Battery....

If you are running just from your battery none of your 120VAC Items will work unless you provide an optional POWER INVERTER device which will pull alot of power from your battery.

Everyone on here will need more info to give you good answers on what to expect.

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Old 04-23-2018, 10:10 AM   #7
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Yea, I'm with Roy and I also think, by what you have described, you do not have an inverter at all and therefore cannot run any outlets off of your battery. Running a microwave off batteries is another subject altogether.
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Old 04-23-2018, 12:36 PM   #8
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Thank you for responding!!
The Jayfeather is a hybrid...EXP 26L

We really just want to be able to plug in our cell phones, coffee maker and maybe a laptop. We don’t mind if the microwave doesn’t work.
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Old 04-23-2018, 01:55 PM   #9
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OK. I pulled everything out and checked...no inverter. The previous owner must have removed it or never had one.

After the inverter is connected to the battery, can it be wired to the distribution panel to ren the outlets? If so, how would that be done?
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Old 04-25-2018, 12:01 PM   #10
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Hello,
We have been researching our options with regard to installing an inverter. We found where someone had installed a 30 Amp receptacle and a relay switch with a 10 Amp, 120 vac coil NC between the converter and inverter. Our batteries are in a box on the tongue and we have a storage compartment close to the battery where we would like to place the inverter. The converter is under the refridgerator, about 10-12 feet away. What would be the best way to run the wiring from the inverter to the converter?
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Old 04-25-2018, 12:47 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LJDarling View Post
Thank you for responding!!
The Jayfeather is a hybrid...EXP 26L

We really just want to be able to plug in our cell phones, coffee maker and maybe a laptop. We don’t mind if the microwave doesn’t work.
Your cell phones can easily be charged by using a car type charger which can be plugged into the 12V cigarette style outlet which probably already exists somewhere in your camper (look near the entertainment center/radio). Or you can buy inexpensive USB outlets that can be fed from any 12V source and mounted anywhere you like--near the beds is a good spot. There are probably empty 12V fuse slots in your 12V panel.

Your laptop can be charged using a cheap portable inverter from Harbor Freight that will plug into your 12V outlet. Perhaps something like this: https://www.harborfreight.com/80-wat...ter-66944.html

As far as a coffee maker goes, you can probably forget about using an electric one when boondocking unless you get into some pretty serious solar and a large inverter. There are several stove-top percolators out there that can be used to make coffee on your propane stove; electricity is not necessary.
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Old 04-25-2018, 01:05 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by LJDarling View Post
Hello,
We have been researching our options with regard to installing an inverter. We found where someone had installed a 30 Amp receptacle and a relay switch with a 10 Amp, 120 vac coil NC between the converter and inverter. Our batteries are in a box on the tongue and we have a storage compartment close to the battery where we would like to place the inverter. The converter is under the refridgerator, about 10-12 feet away. What would be the best way to run the wiring from the inverter to the converter?
I'm not sure what you're describing here. A 30A, 120V AC receptacle would be pretty unusual on a camper. Perhaps it's some sort of inlet for a generator and the relay is some sort of transfer switch?

Or is this a 30A, 12V DC receptacle designed to feed an inverter? That's going to toast your batteries quickly unless you have several of them and lots of solar to charge them up again.
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Old 04-25-2018, 07:23 PM   #13
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You want to make sure you use a "pure sine wave" inverter if you plan to use it for computers or any other sensitive electronics. A modified sine wave inverter, although cheaper, should not be used.
Wish I could help you more on your connections but someone needs to have eyes on your situation to effectively help. Especially when it comes to using correct wire gauges, controllers and fuses.
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Old 04-26-2018, 03:39 AM   #14
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Thank you! Our converter is on its own breaker so we're going to try simply wiring the inverter to the battery with a 200 amp fuse and plugging the camper's plug into it only as needed.
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