How can I find out what type of inverter I have?

[jgiffen]

Hi folks...
I am trying to install solar on my RV. This has been the most confusing process...EVER. (for me anyway) Trying to understand what I need, what I have, where it's located on the rig...etc. I removed the internal "solar on the side" sticker without realizing the value of the placement. I have no clue where it was. I removed it years ago. Even if I took down all the walls of the rig, I wouldn't even know what I was looking for. What is it that is behind the missing sticker anyway? My biggest question before I purchase a battery (suggestions welcomed), i what kind of inverter do I have? I searched the entire manual, nothing. It just says inverter. Not very helpful information Jayco. I have watched a LOT of videos on solar and the math involved. I cannot wrap my non-math brain around the difference between amps, watts, volts! It's overwhelming to say the least.

I realize this rant is negative in town. I'm sorry. I am very defeated.

[Wirenut]

Your inverter should have a label on it with the model number. My camper came with a separate manual for each of the appliances including the inverter. Do you only have the Jayco manual?
As to what type, do you mean modified sine wave or pure sine wave? I can't imagine it's a modified design. They are kind of like black and white televisions. You can find them but nobody really uses or wants one.
I wouldn't worry too much about the sticker you took off. It likely only indicated where some wires were. You can run your own wires wherever you want. You will likely need to install a charge controller for your solar panels as I doubt the camper came with one if it didn't have solar panels on from the factory.

[Jayhawk 29]

Originally Posted by jgiffen

Hi folks...
I am trying to install solar on my RV. This has been the most confusing process...EVER. (for me anyway) Trying to understand what I need, what I have, where it's located on the rig...etc. I removed the internal "solar on the side" sticker without realizing the value of the placement. I have no clue where it was. I removed it years ago. Even if I took down all the walls of the rig, I wouldn't even know what I was looking for. What is it that is behind the missing sticker anyway? My biggest question before I purchase a battery (suggestions welcomed), i what kind of inverter do I have? I searched the entire manual, nothing. It just says inverter. Not very helpful information Jayco. I have watched a LOT of videos on solar and the math involved. I cannot wrap my non-math brain around the difference between amps, watts, volts! It's overwhelming to say the least.

I realize this rant is negative in town. I'm sorry. I am very defeated.

Well if you are talking about a sticker that was stuck on some inside wall, this has nothing to do with any inverter possibly being in your rig.
You probably do not have an inverter, but can tell by looking at your battery connectors and cable sizes. Solar panels and controllers are two different items and are wired differently using a much smaller wire to the batteries for your solar panels than what inverters require to work correctly.

First off we don't know your rig type. The sticker that you removed probably was wires in your wall that came from a roof connector prep connector, since it sounds like you don't have any solar. The wiring is normally a number 10, as a rule from my observations and experience with the pre-wired setup. The wires that would be run to your batteries that would feed them thru the controller that I take it you do not have are are capped off in the wall.

If you have an inverter, those are wired with a heavy gauge wire, like a 1AWG or 2 AWG wires. Inverters are mounted fairly close to your batteries too.

You do need to somewhat match your solar needs and battery capacity to your selected inverter size. You don't want too big of an inverter since your inverter when on stays on standby and requires a certain amount of AH for the reserve.

So I am concluding that if you do not have an inverter now on your rig if you do not see big wires connected to you battery now. What type of battery do you have now? Thats a starting point.

By the way there was just a thread I think within the past week that someone posted that provided a video showing what you would have behind a sticker stuck on a wall. But I can't find it or remember. Maybe someone can follow up with the visual description.

[TaftCoach]

Originally Posted by jgiffen

Hi folks...
I am trying to install solar on my RV. This has been the most confusing process...EVER. (for me anyway) Trying to understand what I need, what I have, where it's located on the rig...etc. I removed the internal "solar on the side" sticker without realizing the value of the placement. I have no clue where it was. I removed it years ago. Even if I took down all the walls of the rig, I wouldn't even know what I was looking for. What is it that is behind the missing sticker anyway? My biggest question before I purchase a battery (suggestions welcomed), i what kind of inverter do I have? I searched the entire manual, nothing. It just says inverter. Not very helpful information Jayco. I have watched a LOT of videos on solar and the math involved. I cannot wrap my non-math brain around the difference between amps, watts, volts! It's overwhelming to say the least.

I realize this rant is negative in town. I'm sorry. I am very defeated.

Solar on the Side is usually for portable panels and it's just a proprietary two pin connector that possibly is hooked back to your battery. But you said internal so that is probably where the wires are running from your roof to the battery. You would need to install a charge controller on that line.

A couple things to maybe clear some confusion.

If you've ever used a battery charger the concept is the same. You are plugging an electronic device in-between a power source (outlet) and your battery to charge it.

Solar Panels = Electric Outlet
Charge Controller = Battery Charger

So you need to contact the panels to a controller and connect the controller to your batteries. If your unit was pre wired it is probably easier. If that sticker is missing then tracing the wires the factory installed will be trickier. Up on your roof should be a box to plug your panels into. A guess is directly below that box should be where your wires are installed.

I would stop here and buy a $25 endoscope diagnostic camera that hooks to your phone from Amazon. By drilling a small, easily covered hole in your wall, you may find those wires.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by jgiffen

I have watched a LOT of videos on solar and the math involved. I cannot wrap my non-math brain around the difference between amps, watts, volts! It's overwhelming to say the least.

I realize this rant is negative in town. I'm sorry. I am very defeated.

We've all been there. But I'd offer you need to spend a few more minutes on Youtube tutorials for amps, watts, volts. You really need to get this one down as its fundamental to doing any DIY solar install.

That said - we'll ALL be here to help! We'll help you with the math.

Finally, one suggestion. When I started into Solar, I knew nothing. So what I did was to buy ONE inexpensive solar panel (100 watt, 12 Volt) off Amazon for $80. I bought an inexpensive Solar Charge Controller (20 amp) off Amazon for $20.

Then I played around with it. That helped immensely to learn about how solar works.

In the end, I kept the panel. Put it up top. But dumped the cheap controller for a better one. Now that I had a grasp of what was needed.

[TaftCoach]

While eventually the math will have to be done, all you are doing is recharging a battery. Just like you can plug a battery charger in at home without knowing the charge rate, etc you can with solar. Then you will learn by using of 200 watts is enough for how you camp. Them you add a bigger battery and more panels. Don't complicate it any more than it needs to be.

What really helped me was using an extra deep cycle and solar panel to run my yard lights. I did the design and wiring myself.

[jgiffen]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond!! Yall are great! I am looking to replace my battery with a lithium battery. I want to make sure that my current inverter is
compatible. What are the chances that the one that came with my jayco is compatible?

[jgiffen]

I attached a picture down below. Does this answer the question as to whether or not I have an inverter.

[jgiffen]

[jgiffen]

I cant find the damn thing. but i also am not 100% sure what I am looking for.

[billcf7]

Originally Posted by jgiffen

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond!! Yall are great! I am looking to replace my battery with a lithium battery. I want to make sure that my current inverter is
compatible. What are the chances that the one that came with my jayco is compatible?

When you are saying you want to make sure your lithium battery is compatible it is to the convertor not invertor. The convertor is usually part of your breaker/fuse panel. If you find the manufacturer and model number or the manual provided with rv it should tell you or can find on-line. Some convertor/chargers auto detect lithium batteries and others there will be a switch for lead acid or lithium. Convertor/chargers installed in rvs after model year 22 most are lithium compatible

[jgiffen]

Yes, converter. I get them confused. Mine is a 2019. I will have to look in all of my stuff to see if I can figure out what type of converter it is. I have been unsuccessful and locating any piece of paper that tells me which kind I have installed.

[billcf7]

Remove the front cover from your converter and see if you can see a tiny switch, one way will be la for lead acid and the other li for lithium. Google some photos of what it should look like