Run AC's from Inverters or not

[davidbrady]

I've always enjoyed the ability to power cruisairs and roof airs via my Trace SW inverters powered by the engine driven alternator. My cruisairs need around 2kW of power each; the engine driven Delco Remy 50DN alternator is good for 7kW continuous. At 24V the draw is 80A per cruisair which to me doesn't appear to be a strain on the venerable 50DN. When traveling in moderate climates I'll often run up to two cruisairs off the alternator/inverters, one on each inverter. The 50DN is rated at 300A continuous duty and the inverters are known to run 7x24 for 15 years or more without failure in off-grid installations. In hot, hot weather I'll run the generator and four cruisairs but when I pull into a CG I often kill two cruisairs and turn off the generator. My inverters quickly and seamlessly transfer power over to the batteries. (Or, I can let the Vantare Power Management automatically prune two cruisairs). When I connect shore power the inverters seamlessly transfer power to shore all with nary a hiccup from the cruisairs. I enjoy the flexibility, redundancy, and seamlessness of this approach. What's your opinion on running air conditioners from the inverters?