Power Inverters

possibly too small wires

 

Check to see if your wires are loose. That can sometimes cause a problem. You could also be putting more on your inverter than you should for the capacity. Check to see what wattage you are using. If your wires are getting hot then you could have a fire. Electrical fires in a truck are not pretty.

 

loose connections and/or too small of a wire gauge for the load capacity of your inverter.

 

The wires are probably not just too small, but too long. The longer the run of the wires, the thicker they have to be in order to safely carry the load.

Next time you go home, find a welding supply store and ask them to make you some inverter cables out of welding cables. They'll also have the ability to crimp permanent ends on that are sufficient for the load. It's a bit of pretty cheap insurance.

 

You shouldn't have over a 4 foot run, 6 foot max. The wire gauge should be the size of the connection hole. Make sure all connections are clean and tight.

 

Remember volts X watts= amps....
So unless it is a tiny inverter, the cables need to be pretty heavy....think heavy duty jumper cable thickness...guage when you buy them at an auto store (for dc wire/ battery cables) the smaller the number, the thicker the cable....for 1500 watts you need a big thick cable...like a 0.

 

The company I am starting with does not allow hard wired inverters. I have a 1200 watt unit that could easily have a "pigtail" wired to it that would allow it to attach to a cigarette lighter/power port type of connector.

But only smaller inverters (up to about 400 watts) are pre-wired with the lighter plug. That makes me wonder about possible problems using a larger one like that (beyond a possible fuse situation).

What are you more experienced drivers doing? 400 watts is not enough to power a microwave or even a small coffee maker. But creating an electrical problem seems a bad idea!

As discussed elsewhere the 12 volt versions supposedly (aside from Engel) are unreliable and all are expensive.

Would a larger inverter with a long shockproof/waterproof type cable (like used on a boat) and alligator clamps attached directly to batteries be practical? Or is it too "jerry rigged"?

Thanks for the help!

 

I've seen guys do something like that from the jump terminals on the catwalk back into the sleeper. Just don't leave them on there when you hit the road. I'd keep the inverter to a lower power model (no nuclear reactor types) just to make sure you don't have overheated cables.

 

Word of advice: you need at least 2x the size of your inverter than your intended use. If you're shacky on hardwiring, then use the 12v appliances. Don't think there is the microwave for 12v, though. Anyway, if you'll go the cheap and shady route then, you'll regret it later.

 

I just ordered a 1500 watt inverter in hopes it will run a small microwave.
Just something to heat up soups and stuff liked that.
Tired of heating up cans of soup and Ravioli on the turbo...lol!
Will it be strong enough?
I will wire with 6 gauge direct to the battery.

I have another 500 watt that runs my TV,laptop and DVD just fine so it will stay hooked up on the other side of the sleeper.

Advice guys? Thanks!