What's confusing is the terms, since they both actually describe a "conversion" process, but only one's called a converter!
CONverter "converts" 110vAC power to 12vDC. (In RVs, anyway...)
An INverter does just the opposite (the "inverse"???)- it makes 12vDC into 110vAC.
P.s.
As if that's not confusing enough- technically speaking, those "adapters" we all use at home for everything from answering machines to radios etc. are really doing the same thing as a converter- turning AC to DC., though of course not always to 12v. Sometimes they're also called "transformers"!
" Not every mind that wanders is lost. " With apologies toJ.R.R. Tolkien
Some very basics:
(There will be some, before you are done, who will provide much more technical explanations. They will probably add to your confusion, but they are really quite knowlegible about the electronics.)
CONVERTER
When you are plugged in to shore power:
CONverts 120Volt AC to 12Volt DC.
This runs most of the interior lights, ceiling vent fans, power jacks or landing gear, slideout motors, and the control boards for the fridge and water heater while they are on propane. All of these devices are 12Volt DC.
While it is providing DC power, it is also charging your battery(ies).
When you are NOT plugged in to shore power (towing or boondocking): the converter is doing nothing.
(Note that some devices such as the microwave, the air conditioner, wall outlets, TV, some lights, and the fridge and WH on "electric" run directly off of the shore line (fridge and WH still need 12Volts for control).
INVERTER
When you are plugged in to shore power:
The inverter does nothing.
When you are NOT plugged in:
The INverter takes 12Volts DC from the battery and inverts it to a small amount of Sine Wave 120Volt AC to run such things as the TV or a laptop computer. Not much AC power and not for long unless you have a super bank of batteries and/or a solar charging system (some do).
There is usually a switch that connects one wall outlet to either the shore line or the inverter output (but never both at the same time. Bad things happen.) so you can use the inverter when off the power grid.
You will figure them out. It just takes a little time.
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You can also get portable inverters in varying sizes (watts) so you can plug into your cigarette lighter in the vehicle, or 12v outlet in the RV and use small 110v appliances. You can find these at just about any truck stop or auto parts store.
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Francesca Knowles wrote: What's confusing is the terms, since they both actually describe a "conversion" process, but only one's called a converter!
This is a pet peeve.
It's only according to RVers secret language that an inverter is not a converter. According to Websters dictionary a converter converts one thing to another, and if it's good enough for Websters, it's good enough for everyone.
Almost all campers have a built in converter to change 110 volts (yet another name for this is a rectifier that "fixes" the alternating current to direct current.
The "inverter" takes direct current and rapidly inverts it to make alternating current (along with stepping it up to 110 volts).
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Val0921 wrote: Can I run things like our coffee maker while we are in motion? Yes, however the safety aspects of hot water and a vehicle in motion should be considered.
Do all household items like laptops, hair blowers etc work off all outlets?Yes when on shore power or a generator. An inverter may only power some plugs. It all depends upon how your rig is wired.
We have a cigarette lighter outlet by our dining table. I assume that's what you mentioned for charging cells etc when there is no shore line. Yes, just like your car it can be used to charger or power various devices like a cell phone, rechargeable flashlight, etc.
Be aware that running household appliances on an inverter can place a heavy drain on a battery. An 8A 120V AC coffee pot for example would cause a draw of about 88A from the 12V batteries.
Many rigs are better suited for lighter loads like watching a TV for a few hours.
The term inverter is used commonly across many fields. There really shouldn't be any confusion there.
The confusion is that the term converter is primarily used only in the RV industry, anywhere else it would be called a power supply. Some units combine the breakers, and fuses in the same cabinet. After doing that it is even more confusing because in reality it is a power center/power supply/battery charger all wrapped in one cabinet and called a converter!
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
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