Electricity!?

The truck has 3-4 batteries which store a significant amount of amps. Most of us either use 12v appliances and televisions or have an inverter which takes 12v battery power (DC) and "inverts" it to 110v oulet power (AC). The inverter is probably the easier route. Healthy batteries should provide enough juice for the use of your electrical devices while parked. Of course if the truck has an apu, it should automatically kick on to charge the batteries if you drain them with electronics. Inverters also usually have a digital readout and a warning letting you know how much voltage the batteries still have and when its time to start charging.

 

Check the truck stops for variety and price. Inverters can be had for needs ranging from 100w to 3000w. The very small ones used for cell phone chargers and whatnot just plug into a 12v outlet in the cab. Any "regular" inverter will need to be wired directly to one of the truck's batteries. Any competent shop should be able to do this. It's not a difficult diy either but I doubt any company would want you doing it yourself. To figure out what size inverter you'll need, just look at what you'll be running. Most microwaves will do fine with 1500w, as they draw a bit more than they put out. An lcd tv/dvd shouldn't need more than 500w, a cooler should draw no more than 250w. If you ever plan to run all three of those simultaneously, get a 2500w inverter. Always go a step up from your needs or you will be unplugging one thing to use another. I have seen 3000w units for less than $200 new and it obviously goes down from there.

 

When your looking at inverters, it's also important to remember the amperage and proper cabling they will require. A 1500 watt inverter will pull roughly 125 amps running full blast. If the wire run is less than 6 feet, you'll need 4 gauge power cables, less than 10 feet,then you'll need 2 gauge, more than than that 1/0. Plus you'll need to get a high amp fuse holder like an ANL at the batteries. You can easily spend $100 in wiring these days to do it properly, plus labor. Any car stereo shop can do it if you're not comfortable or your company requires professional installation.

PS,
You will not be able to run a microwave without running your engine at the same time.

 

Looks like this:



Small ones (300w to about 400w) you can plug into the many 12v outlets in the cab. Larger ones need to be wired to the battery set. Plug your appliances into this, or an extension cord for your appliances.

 

I use a CPAP with an inverter and I'm able to use it 6-7hrs a night without draining the battery. I also have a TV and fridge. Additionally my truck has a low voltage cutout which will kill all the accessory power until the engine is started if the voltage drops too much in order to preserve sufficient cranking power.

 

Being new, you most likely will be in a company owned truck. Most carriers are quite particular about what is added to a truck. They usually have it set up exactly the way they want it. They are particularly weary about inverters, as an improperly wired one can end in disaster. However, If the truck is setup with an apu or any of the climate management systems that operate on batteries, it will usually include a sizable inverter with the system. When you chose a carrier to work for, I suggest making this a consideration. Good luck.