What is the benefit of having a Victron Phoenix Inverter Smart 12v 1600 (Invertor 230v) - brand new and free with my van

[EuroTrotters]

It should be well capable of charging your mac book. Microwave and hairdryer perhaps less so as your batteries may not be able to provide enough 12v amperage to the full load of the inverter.

What is the inverter set to? In eco mode the current drawn to the mac book charger may be too low for the inverter to be sensing. You may need the inverter in on mode rather than eco.

Not sure why it won’t charge your computer. A bigger version May be required for hair dryers.

Our 3kw does Everything! Within reason

 

[Peregrinator]

Hi gang apologies for my naivety but when I bought my 2010 Autotrail Arapaho last year I was told to ask the dealer for a few extras to be fitted

eg 2 new 80 leisure batteries, a solar panel and an inverter

So they have fitted a Victron Phoenix Inverter Smart 12v 1600 (Invertor 230v) worth about £700 and I cannot for the life of me see what I gain from having it

I get that when off EHU it can convert my 12v batteries power to 240v and I can recharge a phone but it doesn't charge my powerful MAC book laptop, run a normal hairdryer or the microwave

Surely for £700 it must do a lot more e.g. it has Bluetooth to an app so it must be capable of something but the instruction booklet tells me nothing

In fact, there is a switch next to my EM50 that allows me to turn it on and off but I have only tuned it on once or twice to charge a phone

Any ideas what else I should be gaining from it - if not I will just sell it

Many thanks for any advice on why people buy these?

You said it doesn't charge your "powerful MAC book laptop" why? doesn't it charge at 67W via USB‑C Power Adapter? and if so, it should be no problem, I use a 300w inverter to charge mine, also if you get a travel Hair Dryer you should have no problem there too, this is also true concerning the Microwave, if it's a 600w or 700w then that too would be no problem, because peak should be no more then 1200w.