Inverter
- Thread starter cousinjc
- Start date
Rusty
Senior Member
Voltage from a battery can be changed with an inverter. You must match the inverter with the demand needs and it should be hooked up to your truck...so a charging system is working on the battery as the voltage is inverted....It will drain your battery quickly....believe me...
An auto shutoff circuit should be in place to shut off the inverter when the truck stops generating power....
A refrigerator....smallish...will drain your battery while you're pumping gas for your truck....believe me on this one
and...don't think you can plug an inverter into your cigarette lighter....the demand will soften wire insulation and in some cases burn it....wire size is critical.
An auto shutoff circuit should be in place to shut off the inverter when the truck stops generating power....
A refrigerator....smallish...will drain your battery while you're pumping gas for your truck....believe me on this one
and...don't think you can plug an inverter into your cigarette lighter....the demand will soften wire insulation and in some cases burn it....wire size is critical.
I use a Black and Decker Inverter I picked up at Lowes that I keep hooked to the house battery in the camper. I run a 90 Watt laptop on it regularly but mostly I use it to charge the laptop. If powering the laptop and network card you will probalbly have to keep the truck running to keep the house battery charged to capacity. And yeah, the cigarette lighter adapter isnt heavy enough for that much load.
ntsqd
Custom User Title
Also be aware that some electronics need a true sin wave inverter to work right while others don't care. And now you know as much as I do about inverters....
SunMan
King Taco
Also be aware that some electronics need a true sin wave inverter to work right while others don't care. And now you know as much as I do about inverters....
A permanent inverter is one of those things i've been meaning to get around since I first bought my camper, still putzing around with my el cheapo 12V plug in ( I don't carry a lap top or anything hi-tech), works fine for my little AAA battery charger and iPod dock.
In my initial research I called one of those on-line inverter stores and did manage to find out that a modified sine-wave will cover most of your needs as far as lap tops and cameras go. Just a little info for anyone considering making a purchase. Pure sine wave inverters are mighty expensive. YMMV.
A permanent inverter is one of those things i've been meaning to get around since I first bought my camper, still putzing around with my el cheapo 12V plug in ( I don't carry a lap top or anything hi-tech), works fine for my little AAA battery charger and iPod dock.
In my initial research I called one of those on-line inverter stores and did manage to find out that a modified sine-wave will cover most of your needs as far as lap tops and cameras go. Just a little info for anyone considering making a purchase. Pure sine wave inverters are mighty expensive. YMMV.
Rusty
Senior Member
I have an Engineer son....who means well....and has the brains...he got from his mother
anyway we're making a long distance trip to go fishing and he buys me one of the 400 watt inverters to "run the refrigerator" on the trip, during the day when we're driving
He plugs it into the cig lighter, runs a short extension cord from the inverter on his lap through the rear window and plugs it into the 120 port just behind the drivers side on the Alaskan.
worked fine....until we stopped for gas....and he watched the voltage drop in the battery....
So he shuts it down and we go on our way, turns the thing on again....it starts blowing fuses
We stop at a parts store and get replacement fuses....but I'm saying..the fuses are blowing for a reason....nah dad It's this truck
We stopped the foolishness after a package of fuses and one power port stops working....pulled the port out later to find the wires fried and dangling behind the dash....
Refrigerators pull alot of juice....I might see a small battery charger or a laptop...
I'm looking into installing a solar system and permanent inverter under the hood....bigger wires back to the camper
and....someone else to do the wiring
anyway we're making a long distance trip to go fishing and he buys me one of the 400 watt inverters to "run the refrigerator" on the trip, during the day when we're driving
He plugs it into the cig lighter, runs a short extension cord from the inverter on his lap through the rear window and plugs it into the 120 port just behind the drivers side on the Alaskan.
worked fine....until we stopped for gas....and he watched the voltage drop in the battery....
So he shuts it down and we go on our way, turns the thing on again....it starts blowing fuses
We stop at a parts store and get replacement fuses....but I'm saying..the fuses are blowing for a reason....nah dad It's this truck
We stopped the foolishness after a package of fuses and one power port stops working....pulled the port out later to find the wires fried and dangling behind the dash....
Refrigerators pull alot of juice....I might see a small battery charger or a laptop...
I'm looking into installing a solar system and permanent inverter under the hood....bigger wires back to the camper
and....someone else to do the wiring
I have an Engineer son....who means well....and has the brains...he got from his mother
anyway we're making a long distance trip to go fishing and he buys me one of the 400 watt inverters to "run the refrigerator" on the trip, during the day when we're driving
He plugs it into the cig lighter, runs a short extension cord from the inverter on his lap through the rear window and plugs it into the 120 port just behind the drivers side on the Alaskan.
worked fine....until we stopped for gas....and he watched the voltage drop in the battery....
So he shuts it down and we go on our way, turns the thing on again....it starts blowing fuses
We stop at a parts store and get replacement fuses....but I'm saying..the fuses are blowing for a reason....nah dad It's this truck
We stopped the foolishness after a package of fuses and one power port stops working....pulled the port out later to find the wires fried and dangling behind the dash....
Refrigerators pull alot of juice....I might see a small battery charger or a laptop...
I'm looking into installing a solar system and permanent inverter under the hood....bigger wires back to the camper
and....someone else to do the wiring
anyway we're making a long distance trip to go fishing and he buys me one of the 400 watt inverters to "run the refrigerator" on the trip, during the day when we're driving
He plugs it into the cig lighter, runs a short extension cord from the inverter on his lap through the rear window and plugs it into the 120 port just behind the drivers side on the Alaskan.
worked fine....until we stopped for gas....and he watched the voltage drop in the battery....
So he shuts it down and we go on our way, turns the thing on again....it starts blowing fuses
We stop at a parts store and get replacement fuses....but I'm saying..the fuses are blowing for a reason....nah dad It's this truck
We stopped the foolishness after a package of fuses and one power port stops working....pulled the port out later to find the wires fried and dangling behind the dash....
Refrigerators pull alot of juice....I might see a small battery charger or a laptop...
I'm looking into installing a solar system and permanent inverter under the hood....bigger wires back to the camper
and....someone else to do the wiring
pods8
Contributors
Refrigerators pull alot of juice....I might see a small battery charger or a laptop...
I'm looking into installing a solar system and permanent inverter under the hood....bigger wires back to the camper
and....someone else to do the wiring
Do the alaskan fridges work on propane too? If so look into doing the relighter mod. I covered 3000mi & 2 weeks of driving with mine on propane the whole time last year.
I'm looking into installing a solar system and permanent inverter under the hood....bigger wires back to the camper
and....someone else to do the wiring
Do the alaskan fridges work on propane too? If so look into doing the relighter mod. I covered 3000mi & 2 weeks of driving with mine on propane the whole time last year.
Rusty
Senior Member
Do the alaskan fridges work on propane too? If so look into doing the relighter mod. I covered 3000mi & 2 weeks of driving with mine on propane the whole time last year.
With the top down on an Alaskan the vents for the refrigerator are blocked. There wouldn't be any combustion air or way for the heat to dissipate in the absorption cooling, let alone combustion gases venting.
Electric is the best way to get around that, even though the cooling won't be as effective as when the vents are cleared. I run the small computer cooling fans in transit, but right now I'm off the 120v operation as well, until I get the inverter install worked out.
With the top down on an Alaskan the vents for the refrigerator are blocked. There wouldn't be any combustion air or way for the heat to dissipate in the absorption cooling, let alone combustion gases venting.
Electric is the best way to get around that, even though the cooling won't be as effective as when the vents are cleared. I run the small computer cooling fans in transit, but right now I'm off the 120v operation as well, until I get the inverter install worked out.
pods8
Contributors
With the top down on an Alaskan the vents for the refrigerator are blocked. There wouldn't be any combustion air or way for the heat to dissipate in the absorption cooling, let alone combustion gases venting.
Electric is the best way to get around that, even though the cooling won't be as effective as when the vents are cleared. I run the small computer cooling fans in transit, but right now I'm off the 120v operation as well, until I get the inverter install worked out.
Darn blocked vents... So is it only propane and 120V I take it since you're trying to run it off an inverter verse just running 12V with a cutout for when the vehicle shuts off?
Electric is the best way to get around that, even though the cooling won't be as effective as when the vents are cleared. I run the small computer cooling fans in transit, but right now I'm off the 120v operation as well, until I get the inverter install worked out.
Darn blocked vents... So is it only propane and 120V I take it since you're trying to run it off an inverter verse just running 12V with a cutout for when the vehicle shuts off?
Rusty
Senior Member
cousinjc has the problem with his 12v cutting off
pods8
Contributors
cousinjc has the problem with his 12v cutting off
No, what I'm saying is I'm assuming your fridge doesn't have a 12V option since your are converting 12Vdc to 120Vac with an inverter to run the fridge? Otherwise if it has 12V option I'd assume you would just run it off that if the truck is going to power it either way. With either option I'd want some sort of cutout on it when the truck turns off so it doesn't accidentally drain the battery.
No, what I'm saying is I'm assuming your fridge doesn't have a 12V option since your are converting 12Vdc to 120Vac with an inverter to run the fridge? Otherwise if it has 12V option I'd assume you would just run it off that if the truck is going to power it either way. With either option I'd want some sort of cutout on it when the truck turns off so it doesn't accidentally drain the battery.
HERR42
01110010110101
that fridge will draw over 11 amps on 12v......not to be used without the engine running.
pods8
Contributors
that fridge will draw over 11 amps on 12v......not to be used without the engine running.
That is why I was talking about a cutout when the truck is off either way. But what I was getting at is I'd assume the wattage requirements for 12V verse 120V are likely the same so if you're providing the 120V via an inverter pulling 12V off your truck you're likely pulling even more amps (due to inverter losses) that just running straight 12V. So unless the fridge happens to use substantially less watts on 120V I don't see the desire to install a larger inverter to power it (assuming it has a 12V option).
That is why I was talking about a cutout when the truck is off either way. But what I was getting at is I'd assume the wattage requirements for 12V verse 120V are likely the same so if you're providing the 120V via an inverter pulling 12V off your truck you're likely pulling even more amps (due to inverter losses) that just running straight 12V. So unless the fridge happens to use substantially less watts on 120V I don't see the desire to install a larger inverter to power it (assuming it has a 12V option).
Rusty
Senior Member
Mine is a 2-way....120/gas
the 120 merely converts to 12v for the use of the frig through its own cicuitry. We were inverting 12v to 120v for the traveling portion of its use....It worked fairly well....Cousinjc pointed out that it works with the window open and that's what we were doing but I wouldn't encourage the use of propane in transit. Not only is there an open flame back there but the venting is more critical with the heat generated in gas mode. Even with the two fans I've installed there is more heat than it could handle effectively.
My method of install puts the venting several inches above the vent opening...hence the need for the additional copper sync and the fans.
Whether the frig was operating in 120v or 12v there is definitely a need for a cutout in the circuit. It's alot like pulling the plug in a bath
the 120 merely converts to 12v for the use of the frig through its own cicuitry. We were inverting 12v to 120v for the traveling portion of its use....It worked fairly well....Cousinjc pointed out that it works with the window open and that's what we were doing but I wouldn't encourage the use of propane in transit. Not only is there an open flame back there but the venting is more critical with the heat generated in gas mode. Even with the two fans I've installed there is more heat than it could handle effectively.
My method of install puts the venting several inches above the vent opening...hence the need for the additional copper sync and the fans.
Whether the frig was operating in 120v or 12v there is definitely a need for a cutout in the circuit. It's alot like pulling the plug in a bath
pods8
Contributors
Mine is a 2-way....120/gas
the 120 merely converts to 12v for the use of the frig through its own cicuitry.
This doesn't make a ton of sense in fridge design to only accept 120Vac power but then convert it to 12V without also accepting 12V. Can you let me know what fridge you have, my curiosity has been peaked here.
I'd just hate to see someone install a larger expensive inverter to run something if it could have been ran off 12V all along.
the 120 merely converts to 12v for the use of the frig through its own cicuitry.
This doesn't make a ton of sense in fridge design to only accept 120Vac power but then convert it to 12V without also accepting 12V. Can you let me know what fridge you have, my curiosity has been peaked here.
I'd just hate to see someone install a larger expensive inverter to run something if it could have been ran off 12V all along.
Rusty
Senior Member
norcold 300-2
they also make a 300-3, 3 way
2.7 cu ft
here's a link for the fix patch kit Cousinjc
http://www.ligneous.com/cedar/content/tips/N300_Repair.htm
they also make a 300-3, 3 way
2.7 cu ft
here's a link for the fix patch kit Cousinjc
http://www.ligneous.com/cedar/content/tips/N300_Repair.htm
HERR42
01110010110101
it is odd as its only the addition of a 12v heater strip and a notch on the control knob to activate it.
pods8
Contributors
the 120 merely converts to 12v for the use of the frig through its own cicuitry.
This is incorrect when you look at the wiring diagram. The heat strip operates on VAC and does not get converted to DC to power the heat cycle.
It doesn't pull a ton of watts 150-180range so that is nice in terms of an inverter if you get one for constant duty, but you'll want to keep it cool and have to wire leading into it definitely rated for the draw (could be 15amps + depending on the inverter efficiency).
This is incorrect when you look at the wiring diagram. The heat strip operates on VAC and does not get converted to DC to power the heat cycle.
It doesn't pull a ton of watts 150-180range so that is nice in terms of an inverter if you get one for constant duty, but you'll want to keep it cool and have to wire leading into it definitely rated for the draw (could be 15amps + depending on the inverter efficiency).
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