Power Inverter Install poll

[DTAYLOR]

I would like to hear from those of you who have installed power inverters in your cruisers.

Permanently installed?

Where?

Useful mod?

How have you used it?

I am considering installing one or two of these and connecting direct to the harness. One in the forward area, in or around the console and one in the rear area, right inner quarter most likely.

I would also like some ideas on where to connect to the harness in both locations.

Thanks,

DTaylor

 

[RavenTai]

I would also like some ideas on where to connect to the harness in both locations.

unless you are installing very small inverters you need to go direct to the battery with the wiring, to not tap into the factoty wiring, there is nothing in the cab that has enough capacity to run a large inverter,

check out the input specs on an inverter you are looking at and look for the amperage, take that amperage to a wire chart and see how large of a wire you will need to run,

 

[Romer]

I installed a 400 watt (800 watt peak) inverter. I have a line from the battery to an aux fuse block in the engine compartment. I run the 12Volt line to the rear with higher gauge wire (can't remember gauge I used) Off of the 12V line, I run my engle and the power inverter. The power inverter is off (switch) unless I am using it.

Have used it to charge cameras, laptops, drill battery, work light, etc.

Mounting location, not the best pic. Mounted to the right of the engle and you can see part of it (red little box). The unit is drilled into the drawer assembly panel. The outlets and switch face the front of the rig, so I can get to it from the passenger rear door with ease and don't have to open the tailgate.

 

[PHAEDRUS]

I just ran a small inverter,
already had a 30 amp in line fuse on 8 guage wire fromteh battery to a two post fuse block behind the e brake handle for the cb, hard wired direct to the fuse block (two 30 amp fuses). I mounted mine on the bck side of the center console (think passenger feet). I use it to run a lap top as a dvd player for my son on log trips, not much else.
Dave

 

[Pete483]

I've got a 750 watt/1500 surge inverter that I have installed partially permanantly. I put it in the back, next to my drawer system. Since really thick wire is a pain to work with, I ran three stands of 10 ga wire from a fuse block on the battery with each strand fused with a 35 amp fuse. The instructions with the inverter said to use 4 ga and a 105 amp fuse, but it was a lot cheaper to just do the smaller wire in parallel. I call it partially permanately because in the back, I have all three strands twisted together and connected to the inverter with the supplied battery clamps to those wires and the third row seat support as a ground. Works just fine. I also soldered in a wire in the power switch on the inverter so I could put a switch to control it on the dash as well as hook up a relay turning it odd when the ignition was off, but I haven't gotten around to doing either of those yet.

 

[nakman]

I used some dead space in the rear panel below the speaker, then ran a switch & plugs from that. 8 ga. wire runs straight to the battery, under the truck then poked up in that compartment in the same grommet as the sunroof drain. Power is switched using a switch in place of the ashtray, and a plug was added toward the back of the truck. Only downside is when I have inverter issues I have to remove a lot of my home-made cargo box, which is a pain.

 

[DTAYLOR]

Great replies!

Romer, where did you run your wires, inside or outside?

 

[RoddQLD]

My 240v inverter was only ever used temporarily. It's only 150w as I used it to run the laptop and the odd charger. I did have problems with it turning off, and I also read that inverters aren't good for rechargable batterys (esp laptops), so I have replaced it with a power supply that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket and powers the laptop directly (14v?).

I don't really have anything that I need to run off 240v in my cruiser.

 

[Romer]

Great replies!

Romer, where did you run your wires, inside or outside?

Inside. I have the Fuse Block over the Brake Res on the firewall, I ran the wire over the the gromet on the passenger side. I removed the trim and floor trim peices and ran the wire under that. I used a good ground from the back. Make sure it's a good ground (measure)!

 

[DTAYLOR]

Inside. I have the Fuse Block over the Brake Res on the firewall, I ran the wire over the the gromet on the passenger side. I removed the trim and floor trim peices and ran the wire under that. I used a good ground from the back. Make sure it's a good ground (measure)!

I am picturing a wire running accross the top of the firewall right past the heater hose managerie, and over to said gromet. Is this the gromet that the main loom runs through?

Got any pics of this?

 

[Romer]

Yes on gromet, no on pictures.

Shove the wire through (need to cut hole) and grap from under dash.

 

[DTAYLOR]

cool, thanks

 

[Cube Dweller]

I'll be permanently mounting a 2kW/4kW inverter over the passenger side rear wheel hump. I plan to make a bracket that will take the place of the 3rd row seat mount. I'm going to run 1/0 welding cable from the main battery to the rear, fused w/ a 250A ANL fuse in the engine bay. I'll run another 1/0 cable from the negative battery post to the frame, then ground the inverter to the frame in the rear. Based on Raven's advice, I plan to run the cable inside the passenger compartment. I also plan to build a simple expanded metal "cage" around the inverter so when the 's throw clothes and other junk over the rear seat, it won't land on the inverter, blocking air circulation to the fans and fins.

Prob. no pics for a couple weeks.

 

[drsales]

My two outlet unit is located on the trans hump on the passengers side with the outlets up at a 30 degree +/- angle, held there with velcro. This way I can plug in my laptop as it sits in the pass seat.

 

[450 DUDE]

I,m using a 1000 w unit mounted in the aft right cargo area.
This mod is handy but not something I use all the time.
The power is fed by a #2 wire off a marine circut breaker @ the battery.

The interor plugs are shore power type, located in aft right cargo panel and
the aft side of the center console.

Ill try pics.



ken