Debate about whether to DIY, hire an electrician or find an electrical engineer

[KSagal]

On an ancillary note, not quite off topic but nearly so...

I added a 2500 watt inverter to an older camper that I own, a 1985 Chevy driven class C camper with a V8 engine.

It has a very large house battery(nearly amidships, just in front of the rear axles, and a truck battery under the hood.

I believed the inverter was well over sized for the load, and that the camper construction and wiring was adequate. I did use just a couple feet of very heavy cable for the run from the house battery to the inverter, both positive and negative because the camper box included wood and aluminium framing, and I did not want to involve the truck frame.

The output of the truck alternator, and the AC shore system that charges the house battery when plugged into 120 vac or 240 vac could all handle the charging of the battery.

I also knew that at max draw, the current pull from the battery would be greater than the recharge rate, but thought it would give the required time...

Then I took some teenagers and loaded this system up...

I drove home one evening and I swear that every light and component in that camper was on. I felt a bit awkward with this traveling light house, with the multiple televisions and video games running...

And of course, I overheated and shut down the alternator...

The inverter could indeed pull more current than could be returned to that battery, but at the same time, the charging system did try.

I stopped mid trip, shut down their 120 volt entertainment, and put them back on a 12 volt limit. (only 12 volts were available to them for the rest of the trip)

I have since tripled the size of that alternator, or at least the output. I did replace the belt, as I thought it prudent, but even though this is a camper and not a minivan, the process to purchase a high output alternator and confirm the vehicle's capacity to use it, was pretty easy to do with some internet help.

The pulleys, the mounting procedures, the wiring and the rest were all pretty easy with a bit of research. I generally agree with most parties here in that most of the perspectives are a bit single visioned, but most are also saying mostly the same things. Seems all the major points are close enough so most of the arguing is over the smaller points.

We do not really know the depth of knowledge of the OP. There have been many suggestions and potentials offered up, and the only one that can decide if the optimum plan for the OP's needs has been presented is the OP themselves.

Good luck to all. I eventually figured it out, and if I could do it, I am sure that most others people with any moderate evaluative and technical skills can do it too.

Proper precaution need to be taken, but this is not quite as hard as bringing people to the moon...