I am considering swapping out my Trace Inverters for later technology Outback inverters...anybody have any experience with them? Good/bad?
I am considering swapping out my Trace Inverters for later technology Outback inverters...anybody have any experience with them? Good/bad?
Granvil Tracy
2000 Vantare XLV45, S-2
I have had mine in the Liberty for 4 years and they have been perfect,you can adjust all the battery charging rates as well at the amount of time in each mode.I will invert at night sometimes with 1 cruise air on,the bay that the inverters are in must be vented well as the units do make a good deal of heat while inverting as well as when they are charging the batteries.It is very easy to adjust the charging rates which is useful on a hot day when all AC units are drawing max current and the batteries really don't need max charge.
I was told that the only peculiar aspect is they can't be adjusted to account for less than 50 amps when using a 30 amp incoming ...I think I'm saying it right
Granvil Tracy
2000 Vantare XLV45, S-2
Granville, Are you sure you want to replace the whole Barn if it just needs a new Door ? The units you have are dependable and repairable. Dave Gusdorf in N.M is working on one of mine at this time. Easy fix. No moving parts except a fan to keep them cool.
99 Country Coach 45XL
Jeep Liberty
Both of mine are apparently shot due to water damage , repairs are 1500 on the low side 3000 on the high side each. New inverters would be 2- 4 k more depending. I am told Trace( xantrax) is no longer supporting or mfg replacement parts so it is a matter of time before Trace owners will be forced to switch...don't want to do it ,but...
Granvil Tracy
2000 Vantare XLV45, S-2
When looking at your options I would not overlook the pure sine wave inverter/chargers from Magnum Energy.
Gil and Durlene
2003 H-3 Hoffman Conversion
The biggest consideration to retrofitting Outback or Magnum inverters into a Vantare or a Parliament coach is that the existing 4000W Trace Units have two AC inputs. They synchronize with each AC source (either shore cord or generator), and actually operate in parallel with that source. There is NO "automatic transfer switch" in these coaches because the inverters ARE the transfer switch for each AC leg respectively.
The installation of Outback Inverters into a Marathon Coach would be a little easier, but there are still issues that keep that retrofit from being a "Plug-and-Play" situation.
There ARE still Trace SW4024MC2 inverters out there, or the other alternative, with which I will be experimenting in the coming months, the Victron Energy Quattros. These units have the same basic design idea as the SW-series Trace/Xantrex, but with up-to-date network capabilities, less user-interaction (aside from setting the Shore Cord size like the SW's), and Series AND/OR Parrallel-Stacking capability. I will write a formal evaluation of the use/operation as well as retrofit-ability as a replacement for the Trace SW-series as soon as I have completed my testing and evaluations.
Ben Cummings
U.S.A. Luxury Coaches, LLC
Clearwater, FL