Installing My 1000W Inverter: A Small Win for Off-Grid Living

Today, I installed my Renogy 1000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter in my 5th wheel, finally giving me a way to run my WiFi without firing up the generator. A little peace, a little quiet, and one less thing draining my limited fuel supply.

Picture of the inverter.
The new addition to my off-grid living set up, all shiny and new in my dirty basement.

Why This Inverter?

There are cheaper options, but I’ve used Renogy gear before and trust their quality. Their instructions are simple, and this model comes with a wired remote, so I can turn it on and off from inside—no more crawling into the battery compartment!

Did I need 1000W? Not really. 300W would have covered my current needs, but I opted for extra wattage for future flexibility.

The Setup

My inverter is wired into my two 109Ah marine batteries (with two more to install). They’re housed in my 5th wheel’s basement in a custom setup I built. Eventually, I’ll add a 200W suitcase solar panel (a gift from my family), giving me even more off-grid power.

Right now, my wiring is still a mess—I’m holding off on tidying it until I’m certain of my setup needs. No point in securing everything just to rip it out again in a week.

Lessons & Safety Tips

• Take off all jewelry before working on batteries (learned this from past experience).

• Sketch out your wiring first—if unsure, run it by someone knowledgeable.

• Don’t overthink it—it seems complicated, but once you start, it’s pretty straightforward.

A hand drawn attempt at a schematic from my 2017 journal.
Might not be pretty but it helped!

The Payoff

I can now run my WiFi without the constant drone of the generator. That alone makes this a worthwhile upgrade. Plus, I get to monitor my battery levels from my phone.

Oh, and I did slice my finger open on a rogue screw. But I’m tough. I’ll survive. 💪🏼

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