I understand that Europe doesn’t use Split Phase so the current products are sort of kludged together (in my opinion) for the US market. (requiring 2 inverter chargers) I seem to be forced to go with SOB to get a US Spec I/C to give me the split phase power I am going with. (or a non mobile device, missing automatic neutral bonding)
I am hoping Victron has to realize the US is not the backwater originally thought and will make something for our market soon? I will be pulling the trigger this winter and today I am only finding one solution that can do everything a large US motorhome needs. Unfortunately its only 7000 watts so its de-rating at the higher temperatures we have in the southwest US leaves me wanting/needing way more to keep the rig cool while boondocking in the heat. (4000w per leg @65 degrees) Batteries are so cheap here now I can get 40Kwh for what I paid for my original LI 12v batteries just 7 years ago. I have a lot of Victron Equipment now and would love to stay in the ecosystem but I am not able to do whats needed with the current offerings here in the US market.
A 3-Phase LV system would also be nice for the same reason. Many of my friends have gone for Deye, Hoymiles and such systems since they are available in a single package.
It’s a much bigger world than just RV’s I run my business on a three phase Victron system, for example. But to your point, North America is at the bottom of Victron’s priority list. And they are a privately owned, mature company with a very small engineering team. When they bring a product to market it’s high-quality, but the world moves faster than Victron can move and they have fallen behind in the stationary market. But for the RV market, you’re not going to find anything better, even if it means having two inverters for a large RV.
SOB means something completely different to me. What does it mean in the context of your post?
It seems like you are wanting an all-in-one solution rather than a modular solution. I prefer modular, so I can size components as needed and not buy more than I need in an AIO just to size up one piece of the pie. It’s also nice to replace just one component that might fail rather than the entire AIO box.
If you have a large coach and want/need 240V for large loads, then two Quattro 48/5000 would be a good match. It has two AC inputs so you can separately control one AC input for the genset and the other for shore power. Our “full timer” RV bundle includes two 5kVA Quattros, 3kW+ of solar, and starts with 30kWh of lithium battery storage.
If you are intimidated with the separate components, then work with a good Victron distributor to help you design the system and provide you with detailed wiring schematics so you can successfully install it yourself. Or find a good installer with experience beyond single inverter systems.
I hope you find something that works well for you.
I’m sure you do deal with a much larger world, but I am only looking at the RV/Marine “Mobile” World. Every one makes really great stuff for the Home/Business world, I am not sure I would even look at Victron for my home needs. The RV/Marine world is a lot smaller with lots fewer players providing switched neutral bonding that’s needed. Hopefully the Bluetti RV5 doesn’t eat them for lunch with their new 48v 5kwh system. It won’t work for me, but it will easily replace most of Victrons RV bread and butter for US users needing just L1 to be fed. A buddy of mine just ordered one to retrofit his 40’ diesel pusher.
I’m going to send a link to this thread to my Victron rep. He hears all the same things from me and his other US distributors. I’ve shared my thoughts with Matthijs and Johannes. I think it falls on deaf ears. I sent my rep information on the RV5 and told him that I suspect it’s probably just as crappy as the Bluetti portable power stations, but it WILL eat into Victron’s only strong market in North America. I wish your buddy well, but have him ask Bluetti where he goes for repair or support? Unfortunately, I know the answer and it’s why we don’t sell their stuff. But most consumers don’t think about that until something breaks.
SOB = Some Other Brand.. And I am not looking for something “I consider Kludged together” to sell us in the US Market. Split Phase is the Standard here, obviously not where Victron is engineered. There are lots of Single Inverter Chargers that do Split Phase for a home or business I can buy, A LOT. Its the mobile side that there seem to be few options. I don’t really want to build a neutral bonding relay to be able to use one of those. But I may have to in order to get the high temperature Watts I want available in a single inverter system.
I am a retired computer system engineer, designing and maintaining hundreds of eCommerce systems for all of north and south America. (WebSphere commerce/tomcat and lots of other homegrown B2B & B2C systems. intimidated by complicated systems? I wish I was, as I would have had a lot less stress in my life.
I installed my 12v system 8 years ago with lots of Victron equipment cause I listened to folks back then saying to keep it to 12v as that is what the RV needs. But in hind sight that was really piss poor advise. Now that my current inverter is starting to show signs of being old I am going to redo it all the way I should have built it back then.
So put two Quattros in a single cabinet with only split-phase input, output, and battery and get on with life. Yes, I wish VE had a 240/120V single-phase inverter, but at the moment they don’t. I’m told one is in the works, as in actively being developed. I don’t recommend you hold your breath, though. It’ll come, but there are no timelines. What you call a “kludge” is actually fairly convenient in some ways.
With a single model of 120V inverters, I can build a 120V system, 240/120V two-phase system, and a 208/120V three phase system. The MultiPlus-II 48/5000 is our bread-and-butter inverter and the one we stock the most of for our installations. And in my personal systems I have one in my RV (30A shore power), two in our solar trailer (for 240/120V at events), and three on the wall of my shop to run my business. That’s one advantage of modularity, but it would be nice to have a 10kVA Quattro-II 240/120V to simplify installations.
I find it amusing that you are offended having to wire up two inverters but are willing to kludge together your own N-G relay with a lesser brand 240/120V inverter so you can grind that axe of yours
Same and I can tell by those old timey technologies that you mentioned that you and I are probably close in age. haha
Way Too Much Hard Sell on buying two Inverters… If I was in the Sales/Installation business I too would be telling everyone to buy two inverters…..
And I would buy a 10kw 240v Quattro tomorrow. It appears I will have to settle for a Midnite Big Rosie. Sure wish it had more Watts.. But as far as I can see there is nothing else that can do what it does.. And surprisingly its Made in the USA.. Go Figure..
Zero loads today as I cannot find a solution that will provide that to my motorhome without installing a lot of extra equipment right now that should not be required to work in the USA. A bunch of distributors are trying to sell me home I/C models but no one seems to think automatic Neutral Bonding switching is a must have to mobile stuff. So today I have nothing that can do 10kw. The closest I can get in a single inverter is the Midnite Big Rosie MNROSIE7048M, but its only 7Kw.
I run my business on a three phase Victron system, for example. But to your point, North America is at the bottom of Victron’s priority list. And they are a privately owned, mature company with a very small engineering team. When they bring a product to market it’s high-quality, but the world moves faster than Victron can move and they have fallen behind in the stationary market. But for the RV market, you’re not going to find anything better, even if it means having two inverters for a large RV.