Victron has been working hard to develop a range of high quality products offered at a fair price and the Multiplus Inverter/Charger (2K & 3K) is no exception. It's an advanced solution for those looking to power energy-hungry appliances (such as air conditioning or induction cooktop) and for people spending time in serviced campgrounds (thanks to its built-in transfer switch). Want to learn more about the Victron Multiplus inverter/charger? Keep reading!
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1- Inverter/Charger Devices In A Nutshell
Inverter/Charger devices combine a power inverter and a charger/converter into a single unit, making the installation and wiring a bit more streamlined:
Power Inverter
1. Convert power from 12V DC (from the battery bank) to 120V AC, allowing to use common household appliances.
Charger/converter
1. Charge the battery bank from a 120V source (a.k.a. “shore”) by providing a multi-stage charging profile adapted to the battery type (AGM, Lithium, etc).
2. Convert 120V AC to 12V DC to power the 12V appliances directly. This means using 12V loads (refrigerator, lights, etc) won’t discharge the battery when the charger/converter is plugged in.
Inverter/Charger
1. Convert power from 12V DC (from the battery bank) to 120V AC, allowing to use common household appliances.
2. Charge the battery bank from a 120V source (a.k.a. “shore”) by providing a multi-stage charging profile adapted to the battery type (AGM, Lithium, etc).
3. Convert 120V AC to 12V DC to power the 12V appliances directly. This means using 12V loads (refrigerator, lights, etc) won’t discharge the battery when the charger/converter is plugged in.
Typically, an inverter/charger does NOT include a solar charger nor an alternator charger; you’ll need separate devices for that (see installation section below).
2- Victron Multiplus Features
Power Inverter (duh)
Heads up! The 2000VA model is rated for 1600W continuous output and the 3000VA model is rated for 2400W continuous output. Also, keep in mind that inductive loads (anything that has a motor generally speaking) and higher ambient temperature reduces the output capacity (see Victron’s datasheet below), so keep that in mind when sizing your inverter!
Battery Charger
The 2000VA model can charge a battery at a current rate up to 80A, while the 3000VA model can charge at a current rate up to 120A. The charge rate can be limited and configured according to your battery bank (chemistry, size, etc.).
Transfer Switch
Both models come with built-in transfer switch. This means that when the shore power is connected (house, serviced campground or generator), the Multiplus instantly switches the power input to the shore instead of the battery bank.
AC Output(s)
The 3000VA model (only) has 2 AC outputs. The first output is active at all time (battery or shore), while the second output is active only when plugged into the shore. That’s useful to prevent battery drain from power-hungry appliances (A/C, water heater, etc.).
AC Input Limitation
It is possible to limit the AC current that the inverter can draw. That’s convenient when plugged into a house outlet (15A) or when plugged into a small generator. This can be configured with the DIP switches, or more easily with the rotary knob of the Digital Multi Control remote (optional).
PowerAssist
When plugged to shore, the output current (to appliances) cannot exceed the input current (from shore). With PowerAssist enabled, the Multiplus can increase the maximum output current by getting assistance from the battery bank. In other words, the Multiplus gets its power from the shore + battery simultaneously. That’s roughly an additional 15A output (2000VA/120V) for the 2000VA, or 25A output (3000VA/120V) for the 3000VA inverter. This, of course, discharge the battery bank; but when power demand is reduced, the Multiplus will compensate by re-charging the battery bank.
Dimensions
Digital Multi Control Remote
The optional remote allows to turn the Multiplus ON, OFF or to Charger Only (no inverter). The rotary knob allows to limit the input AC current. So let’s say you’ve configured your system for 30A shore power (30A shore receptacle and 30A AC main breaker), you could use the remote to limit the input current to 15A when plugging into a regular house outlet (to prevent tripping the house breaker which is typically 15A). That’s also useful if you plan on using a small generator as input.
3- Where To Buy the Victron Multiplus
4- Installation
First things first, let’s compare the wiring diagram of an electrical system with a power inverter + battery charger (separate devices) versus an inverter/charger:
Inverter + Battery Charger
Above you’ll notice a power inverter under “120V AC” and a battery charger under “SHORE”. The biggest inverter allowed with this wiring diagram is 2000W, so components (wire gauge, terminal fuse, bus bars, etc.) are sized accordingly. Because this diagram is designed for modest 120V needs (mostly off-the-grid), there is no 120V AC distribution panel (loads are connected directly to the inverter) nor shore power receptacle.
Inverter/Charger
Above you’ll notice a Victron Multiplus inverter/charger under “SHORE (INVERTER/CHARGER)”. The biggest inverter allowed with this wiring diagram is 3000W, so some of the components must be beefed-up to handle the huge amount of current (wire gauge, terminal fuse, bus bars, etc.). In addition, a 120V AC distribution panel is hardwired to the Victron Multiplus in order to safely distribute the power (via breakers) to the 120V AC appliances. Finally, a 30A shore receptacle is installed outside the van to take advantage of the Multiplus built-in transfer switch.
You'll want to refer the the Victron Multiplus Quick Installation Guide for the wiring of the inverter/charger:
5- Configuration of the Victron Multiplus
On delivery, the Victron MultiPlus inverter/charger is set to standard factory settings:
| Inverter frequency | 60Hz |
| Input frequency range | 45-65Hz |
| Input voltage range | 94-143VAC |
| Inverter voltage | 120VAC |
| Stand-alone/parallel/3-phase | stand-alone |
| AES (Automatic Economy Switch) | OFF |
| Ground relay | ON |
| Charger ON/OFF | ON |
| Battery charge curve | four-stage adaptive with BatterySafe mode |
| Charging current | 75% of the maximum charging current |
| Battery type | Gel deep discharge |
| Automatic equalization charging | OFF |
| Absorption voltage | 14.4V |
| Absorption time | up to 8 hours |
| Float voltage | 13.8V |
| Storage voltage | 13.2V |
| Repeated absorption time | 1 hour |
| Absorption repeat interval | 7 days |
| Bulk protection | ON |
| AC input current limit | 50A |
| Dynamic current limiter | OFF |
| WeakAC | OFF |
| BoostFactor | 2 |
| Programmable relay | alarm function |
| PowerAssist | ON |
While the owner's manual mention that the factory settings are OK most setup (AGM, Lithium, etc.), we recommend configuring it properly to get most of your system:
5.1- Configuration Overview:
First watch this short video (made by BattleBorn) to understand what you're getting into and how to connect the interface to the Victron Multiplus:
5.2- What you need:
5.3- Firmware Update
Click the 3 dots at the upper-right corner:
The password to enable the settings is: ZZZ
Click "Product Info" and update as required:
5.4- General Tab:
AC1 input current limit should be set according to your shore power inlet (and AC main breaker) capacity: 50A, 30A (or 15A when plugged into a "normal" house outlet or a small generator).
5.5- Grid Tab:
UPS function should be disabled with generator as input.
5.6- Inverter Tab:
5.7- Charger Tab:
The "Charge current" limit is set to 50% of the total battery bank capacity for lithium, or 20% for AGM. For example, it is set to 100A (200*50%) for a 200Ah lithium battery bank (2 BattleBorn batteries) or to 40A (200*20%) for a 200Ah AGM battery bank.
For Lithium battery bank, "Absorption time" can be set to 0.5h for each 100Ah battery. That's 1h for 200Ah battery bank, 1.5h for 300Ah battery bank, and so on.
5.8- Reset
At this point it's OK to click on "Reset" in order for everything to work.
