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Xantrex RV Series Inverter/Charger Owner’s Manual
26
Battery Cable Connection
Observe Battery Polarity! Place the ring terminal over the bolt and directly against the inverter’s
battery terminal, place a lock washer over the terminal and tighten the 5/16” nut to 10–15 ft./lbs.
Do not place the lock washer under the cable terminal.
Note: Connecting the battery cables to the inverter battery terminals will cause an arc, usually
accompanied by a “snap”. This is normal—don’t let it scare you.
Never disconnect the battery cables while the inverter is delivering power or the battery charger is
operating. Keep in mind that the on/off switch on the RV does not turn off the charger section, it
only turns of the inverter. To disconnect the batteries for service, follow these steps: (1) Turn the
power switch OFF, (2) disconnect all AC inputs, and (3) disconnect the battery cables.
Battery Cable Sizing
The bigger the battery cables, the better. Undersized cables result in additional stress on the
inverter, lower efficiency, reduced surge power, and lower peak output voltage. Don’t use cables
that are too small in diameter and degrade the RV Series Inverter/Charger’s efficiency. The
following table gives recommended cable sizes for various cable run lengths and inverter
voltages.
Minimum Recommended Battery Cable Size (In Free Air)
Cable length
Model Typical
Amps
Minimum
Fuse Size
Under 5 ft 5 to 10 ft 10 to 20 ft
RV2012 200 amps 250 A 00 0000 0000
RV2512 250 amps 300 A 0000 0000 ----
RV3012 300 amps 400 A 0000 0000 ----
The National Electric Code requires that the cables be protected by a fuse or breaker rated to
match the cables’ ampacity at 75 °C.
Cable Size Rating in Conduit Rating in Free Air
2 AWG cable 115 amps maximum 170 amps maximum
00 AWG 175 amps maximum 265 amps maximum
0000 AWG 250 amps maximum 360 amps maximum
The National Electrical Code (NEC) allows rounding up to the next fuse size from the cable rating.
For example, a 150-amp cable size rounds up to a 175-amp fuse size.
WARNING! Battery cables that are very small will melt and burn the first time the inverter is
asked to produce high power.