cigarette lighter plug in inverter

the lighter circuit should br OK for upto about 400 to 500 watts,,go to walmart and get one,,it will run a tv, power cell and computer charges etc,, any thing larger and it would be best to wire direct to the batteries,,be careful and don't run the cables out the door to the batteries,,slamming the door hard will short out the cables and either weld the door shut of at least make a lot of sparks fly,,many companies do not allow inverters,,check with your company,,,

 

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, you will be fine though if ya just don't slam the door....

 

Here's the $64,000 answer...amps (times) volts = watts. So figure this:
Appliance needs 5 amps. A * V=W, in this case we are 5*120=600. You need a 600 MINIMUM watt inverter.
And the other kicker? Most inverters have a max rating, but only run 80% over long usage (5 minutes). So realistically, to run a 5 amp appliance SAFELY, you should be at 800 or better. Just bite the bullet, spend about $400 and buy a 3,500 watt inverter and direct wire it to your battery.

 

That's outstanding. I'm surprised a truck driver would know this. Were you an electrical engineer in your former life or what? Now if you could provide a formlua for voltage drop across the circuit I would truly be impressed.

 

And like I said in your other post, a 400W inverter will only operate at 150W when plugged in to a 12V socket.

All that stuff about Amps with a 120V appliance doesn't apply when you are using a 12V socket, until you amp it down to 12V. And then, it is no way.

 

I have a small 400w continuous 800w peak inverter out of a truck stop that plugs into my dc outlet. Works great for my tv whenever I can find the chance to watch it. But that's the biggest thing I use on it.

 

That will work just fine for a coffee pot!