Highest plug in inverter?

Discussion in 'Swift' started by Buckeye 'bedder, Dec 12, 2010.

  1. Buckeye 'bedder

    Buckeye 'bedder Road Train Member

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    Since Swift does not allow power inverters hard wired to the battery in their tractors, what is the highest wattage plug-in inverter you can use (before the cigarette lighter 12 v. goes blows a fuse and goes 'poof' and you say "uh, I smell smoke"? I will want to brew my coffee in the morning (I am too cheap to buy it every am), so I would like to bring a 4 cupper Mr. Coffee maker. Do those 12 volt coffee makers work well? A cooler, crockpot?, electric razor, cell phone, laptop to surf and play my Catholic Nuns Go Wild porn collec...urr..oops, I meant my old John Wayne dvd collection..tee..hee. Hmmm...what else can I not live withoutwhen I begin living on a truck? lol
     
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  3. Palazon

    Palazon Road Train Member

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    Those 12v coffee pots do work, but the longest I ever got one to last was 3 months. To be fair, that was 3 pots of coffee a day for me. The really bad news is they take 45 minutes to brew a 12 cup pot. I finally got smart and made it when I shutdown for the night and tossed it in my thermos.

    Fun story: I was running on a small mountain pass early morning and pulled into a wide spot to grab a cup. Another trucker (old time logger) pulled in behind me to make sure everything was ok. Mike and I became friends quick when he got a fresh cup of joe for his consideration.
     
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  4. JustSonny

    JustSonny Big Dummy

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    Most of the "store bought" coffee makers are 925W or so. Not good for the truck. Max Burton (or maybe it's RoadPro) makes a 5 cup unit that can be plugged into a cig lighter plug. If there's an Academy Sports near you, you can find one there (about $25) and maybe for a better price than a TS.
    I think you'll find that a 400W plug in inverter is about the strongest out there. I saw a stronger plug in (750W) but was told that the 750W is peak and probably only 400W continuous.
    Academy also has small coolers for about $50. I have a Max Burton "Stove-to-Go" that works great for heating soups, stews, etc. It has a steaming tray that sits on top of the cookpot.
    Google Max Burton, RoadPro and 400W inverters.
     
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  5. Lee76

    Lee76 Light Load Member

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    I could be wrong here, but my company too has a like wise rule on inverters too. Biggest wattage (plug-In) I can find is a 300 watt, I use a "Cobra" or a "Power Drive" you might find at a Petro on sale for 30 clams. Good luck with it. Personally I run two inverters in this "Cascadia". My laptop, coffee pot, tv, and fridge, no fuse problems yet.
     
  6. DickJones

    DickJones Road Train Member

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    Peak 400 watt plug-in....about $38 at Menards. but that is about as high as i've ever seen em.
     
  7. scottied67

    scottied67 Road Train Member

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    400 watts is largest you will find with a 12v plug. Remember you can only pull 150 watts from that while it's plugged into the ciggy lighter (maybe a little more like 180 watts or so). Otherwise you'd have to clamp it to the battery terminals for the full 400. I have the Cobra 400 which has 2 household plugins and a 5v USB which is handy for my camera/camcorder, bluetooth, GPS and other accessories. I have a 60 watt tower fan zip tied in the corner of the bunk area along with 2 other fans which run off of the many several other 12 volt ciggy lighter ports throughout the truck in the summertime. The inverter is invaluable for charging my laptop, DVD player and a rechargeable battery charger. I also use it to power my satellite radio because I can't find the 12 volt plug accessory for it. I rolled my pickup truck in the ditch December 7 2007 in the heavy rain and they towed it to a wreck yard where I got what I could out of it. Afterward I set up the satellite radio in the garage and didn't worry about ever needing to use the unit in a mobile capacity due to the new truck I bought had it integrated in the stereo system.
     
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  8. Buckeye 'bedder

    Buckeye 'bedder Road Train Member

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    Geez, that stinks. I would like to at least be able to use a crock pot in the truck. Don't want to eat in the TS, etc., all the time when I want something hot to eat. Guess I'll have to adapt if I get on with Swift.
     
  9. Prairie Boy

    Prairie Boy Road Train Member

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    Get a 360 inch Wheelbase tractor and tie down a small holiday trailer on the back.
     
  10. JustSonny

    JustSonny Big Dummy

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    It's not a crock pot, Buckeye, but it'll heat up a nice stew in about 10 minutes. I think it'll heat up to 325 degrees. I use it and I like it. Clean up's a breeze because of the teflon coating on the pot. The steaming tray will steam up raw veggies in short order. You just have to do the steaming first. Then put the stew in (doctored up with extra canned vegetables, whole potatoes, tomatoes, etc) and in less than 30 minutes...a ###### healthy meal. I don't use paper plates, bowls or plastic forks, spoons and knives either.

    (One of these days I'll tell you about the portable dishwasher I installed in the truck!)
     
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  11. Buckeye 'bedder

    Buckeye 'bedder Road Train Member

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    Huh? :smt017
     
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