Question about inverters

[bronc076]

I’ve been reading through threads about inverter types, installs, brands, lots of great info and opinions on here. I carry a small one that plugs into a cigarette lighter that I use when I need 110vac which is usually recharging 18650 batteries, and that’s just because I have not bought a 12V or USB charger yet. I see folks installing 1500 watt inverters which are cool but I have one real question, what do you Use these for?
Almost all my electrical stuff is usb,usb-c, 12V. I’m trying to figure out what I would use a 1500 watt inverter for?

Can I run a:
toaster
coffee pot
hair dryer
blender
Hitachi Magic Wand

What do you guys and gals do with all this 110V alternating current?

I have a friend that likes to string some Christmas lights from his truck to a tree as it makes a nice warm glow, that’s always cool.

Honestly I’m curious what you are using these gigantic inverters to power?

 

[TeCKis300]

Can I run a:
toaster
coffee pot
hair dryer
blender
Hitachi Magic Wand

My inverter comes as part of a portable Goal Zero 1000 unit, which is nice as standalone inverters can be pretty dang large on their own

When car camping
1) 800W Single serving k-cup coffee maker
2) 1200W Old George Foreman grill which works great as a panini press or food wrapped in foil heater
3) Charger for misc electronics Laptop, Nikon dSLR, Dewalt 20V tools, RC car

I also use the same Goal Zero unit in my camper with a 120V auto transfer switch
1) Same 800W k-cup coffee maker
2) 1400W microwave
3) 1400W hair dryer
4) 1500W toaster oven
5) 900W rice cooker
5) Misc electronics

 

[radman]

1am cliff notes:
I have a 100ah LiPo4 battery connected to a pure sine 1200w inverter:

Amazon product ASIN B07G36Z2TH
when possible, it’s always best to use the 12v battery direct if you don’t need the inverter since there’s efficiency loss (i.e. led Christmas lights, heating blankets, etc).
inverter for the big stuff: drone battery charging, margarita machine, microwaves, bagel toaster

just remember that amps * volts (120) = watts

 

[CharlieS]

Related question: what are the practical limits of the factory inverter in the left side of the cargo area? (I’ve never used mine.). I think it is 100w?

 

[KLF]

Related question: what are the practical limits of the factory inverter in the left side of the cargo area? (I’ve never used mine.). I think it is 100w?

I've used mine to charge my laptop battery, and keep a batch of chili warm in a Crock Pot on low. I have a lighted wreath for my grille that I run in the season. But it's pretty pathetic how weak it is.

 

[bronc076]

@CharlieS That is exactly the question that prompted me start searching for inverter related threads last night.

I still have my interior apart and I was looking at the factory inverter and the 18 or 20 gauge wires from it wondering why it is even there. I guess to recharge toys for kids or maybe a laptop but you can't do a lot with 100W. The little inverter I use i've had since the kids were small and used it to charge their stuff on car trips, and back then I always had a laptop with me as it was before we could do everything on our phones. it's only 200W so it's not good for running any appliances.

There is an inverter built into my 12 Tacoma and I've never used it. I seriously doubt I will ever use the one in the LC. It would be nice to have one to run a blender but I think I will take the approach @TeCKis300 and many others have and get a stand alone unit with a built in battery that will do many things. I bet the portability of it is another great feature.

Not exactly welding cable.

 

[bronc076]

I've used mine to charge my laptop battery, and keep a batch of chili warm in a Crock Pot on low. I have a lighted wreath for my grille that I run in the season. But it's pretty pathetic how weak it is.

I'm surprised it will run a crock pot, that's pretty cool.

 

[RET2]

I’ve been reading through threads about inverter types, installs, brands, lots of great info and opinions on here. I carry a small one that plugs into a cigarette lighter that I use when I need 110vac which is usually recharging 18650 batteries, and that’s just because I have not bought a 12V or USB charger yet. I see folks installing 1500 watt inverters which are cool but I have one real question, what do you Use these for?
Almost all my electrical stuff is usb,usb-c, 12V. I’m trying to figure out what I would use a 1500 watt inverter for?

Can I run a:
toaster
coffee pot
hair dryer
blender
Hitachi Magic Wand

What do you guys and gals do with all this 110V alternating current?

I have a friend that likes to string some Christmas lights from his truck to a tree as it makes a nice warm glow, that’s always cool.

Honestly I’m curious what you are using these gigantic inverters to power?

A Hitachi what?

 

[linuxgod]

I’ve been reading through threads about inverter types, installs, brands, lots of great info and opinions on here. I carry a small one that plugs into a cigarette lighter that I use when I need 110vac which is usually recharging 18650 batteries, and that’s just because I have not bought a 12V or USB charger yet. I see folks installing 1500 watt inverters which are cool but I have one real question, what do you Use these for?
Almost all my electrical stuff is usb,usb-c, 12V. I’m trying to figure out what I would use a 1500 watt inverter for?

Can I run a:
toaster
coffee pot
hair dryer
blender
Hitachi Magic Wand

What do you guys and gals do with all this 110V alternating current?

I have a friend that likes to string some Christmas lights from his truck to a tree as it makes a nice warm glow, that’s always cool.

Honestly I’m curious what you are using these gigantic inverters to power?

VCR and tube TV

Seriously though the 100W inverter is sufficient for laptop charging and small stuff like that. I've looked at adding a 1500W inverter to my trailer, but I won't have time to do that until next year. It's a bit of a different use case, but I would wire mine into the existing 120V outlets in my trailer. We mostly live off 12V but I have a few 120V use cases:

• Laptop charging. Yes you can do this with a small portable inverter or the one in the back of the LC, but again for me it would be tied into the 120V in the trailer so no need to drag around the portable 12V one
• Sonicare toothbrush charging. Can do this off the LC but inductive charging takes forever to do and they'll fall out of the charger when driving
• Mr Coffee. Presently I either use a percolator on the propane stove or boil water and use a french press. The perc takes 10-15 minutes to boil, then 20 minutes to perk and another 20 minutes or so until it cools enough to drink. The press takes ~15 minutes to get the water hot, pour, stir, wait. Mr Coffee takes 5-6 minutes, so not a huge time savings but faster and easier clean up
• Hair dryer (for the wife... my limited hair towel dries in about 30 seconds)

If I was considering an inverter for the LC I'd seriously look at the Goal Yeti or similar, tied into the vehicle to recharge when the alternator is running, and maybe a solar panel to help recharge on occasion I'm not on the move. Portability and you don't have to drain the vehicle battery to use it.

 

[FrazzledHunter]

VCR and tube TV

Seriously though the 100W inverter is sufficient for laptop charging and small stuff like that. I've looked at adding a 1500W inverter to my trailer, but I won't have time to do that until next year. It's a bit of a different use case, but I would wire mine into the existing 120V outlets in my trailer. We mostly live off 12V but I have a few 120V use cases:

• Laptop charging. Yes you can do this with a small portable inverter or the one in the back of the LC, but again for me it would be tied into the 120V in the trailer so no need to drag around the portable 12V one
• Sonicare toothbrush charging. Can do this off the LC but inductive charging takes forever to do and they'll fall out of the charger when driving
• Mr Coffee. Presently I either use a percolator on the propane stove or boil water and use a french press. The perc takes 10-15 minutes to boil, then 20 minutes to perk and another 20 minutes or so until it cools enough to drink. The press takes ~15 minutes to get the water hot, pour, stir, wait. Mr Coffee takes 5-6 minutes, so not a huge time savings but faster and easier clean up
• Hair dryer (for the wife... my limited hair towel dries in about 30 seconds)

If I was considering an inverter for the LC I'd seriously look at the Goal Yeti or similar, tied into the vehicle to recharge when the alternator is running, and maybe a solar panel to help recharge on occasion I'm not on the move. Portability and you don't have to drain the vehicle battery to use it.

We went the Goal Zero Yeti 1500X route instead of adding a high wattage inverter to the LC. It's portable and has all sorts of features that an inverter by itself doesn't have. Yes it's expensive but worth it IMHO. To charge a Yeti X series using its high power input requires something that imitates a solar panel as the high power charging input plug is in front of a 600W MPPT controller. Charging an X series with 12V will not work as the voltage floor for the high power input is 14V.

To charge the 1500X I use a Victron Orion Smart Charger 12/24 15A configured as power supply. It's connected to an Anderson SB-50 plug which runs through the driver's side firewall straight to a 50A breaker and then to the starting battery. With the Orion, The Yeti charges at 360+ watts which is 3X more wattage than the 120V wall unit using the 8mm input port that it ships with. The Orion can be configured to stop & resume charging at any voltage you wish to prevent over-discharge of the starter battery. You could get fancy and connect the Orion's on/off cable to IGN I suppose.

 

[TeCKis300]

Related question: what are the practical limits of the factory inverter in the left side of the cargo area? (I’ve never used mine.). I think it is 100w?

Unfortunately, it's pretty low. It's spec'd at 100W and holds to that pretty faithfully, and will cut-off with a load even trying to pull 130W. I don't know it's exact cut-off. That was a laptop type power supply trying to deliver 60W charge output to my GZ. Just short of working with with the factory inverter.

It's too bad as Tacoma's and 4R's get a factory 400W inverter. Much more useful.

 

[CharlieS]

Unfortunately, it's pretty low. It's spec'd at 100W and holds to that pretty faithfully, and will cut-off with a load even trying to pull 130W. I don't know it's exact cut-off. That was a laptop type power supply trying to deliver 60W charge output to my GZ. Just short of working with with the factory inverter.

It's too bad as Tacoma's and 4R's get a factory 400W inverter. Much more useful.

I wonder if they could easily be transplanted?

 

[andyp]

I wonder if they could easily be transplanted?

Was about to post the same thing.

 

[stonekutters]

Great question OP! I am still not sure what to do with an inverter or Goal Zero Yeti.

Do folks carry all the electronics (laptops, coffee makers, microwave) on short camping trips? Week long trips?

 

[RET2]

Great question OP! I am still not sure what to do with an inverter or Goal Zero Yeti.

Do folks carry all the electronics (laptops, coffee makers, microwave) on short camping trips? Week long trips?

Yep there is a standard load out for the Mall, Costco, overnight and multiday. Perhaps someone has a PDF.

 

[FrazzledHunter]

Great question OP! I am still not sure what to do with an inverter or Goal Zero Yeti.

Do folks carry all the electronics (laptops, coffee makers, microwave) on short camping trips? Week long trips?

Yes. Guilty. We camp and we Glamp depending on our mood & the destination.

It all depends on the trip but here goes:

Not the microwave but the convection plate, GPS (2 of them one for me & wife), oscillating fans (hey they're great for in the tent and for keeping cool & keeping mosquitoes away), cell phones, video camera, bug light, walkie talkies, camp lighting, spotlights, boom box and who knows what else. Oh yeah, I've taken an electric leaf blower as some campgrounds are utterly full of dirt & leaf debris. If I'm working at the shooting range then all kinds of power tools.

Funny though: I'll take my Coleman 502 stove and Weber Smokie Joe for cooking.

I should be ashamed.

 

[RET2]

Yes. Guilty. We camp and we Glamp depending on our mood & the destination.

It all depends on the trip but here goes:

Not the microwave but the convection plate, GPS (2 of them one for me & wife), oscillating fans (hey they're great for in the tent and for keeping cool & keeping mosquitoes away), cell phones, video camera, bug light, walkie talkies, camp lighting, spotlights, boom box and who knows what else. Oh yeah, I've taken an electric leaf blower as some campgrounds are utterly full of dirt & leaf debris. If I'm working at the shooting range then all kinds of power tools.

Funny though: I'll take my Coleman 502 stove and Weber Smokie Joe for cooking.

I should be ashamed.

Not to worry you appear to be well fed and equipped for about anything.

 

[linuxgod]

Yes. Guilty. We camp and we Glamp depending on our mood & the destination.

It all depends on the trip but here goes:

Not the microwave but the convection plate, GPS (2 of them one for me & wife), oscillating fans (hey they're great for in the tent and for keeping cool & keeping mosquitoes away), cell phones, video camera, bug light, walkie talkies, camp lighting, spotlights, boom box and who knows what else. Oh yeah, I've taken an electric leaf blower as some campgrounds are utterly full of dirt & leaf debris. If I'm working at the shooting range then all kinds of power tools.

Funny though: I'll take my Coleman 502 stove and Weber Smokie Joe for cooking.

I should be ashamed.

I hardly have anything in the LC when we camp. Just a cooler and clothes.

Now the 21' travel trailer is a whole different story...

 

[stonekutters]

After each camping trip cleaning and putting everything away is a chore that I am often too lazy / tired to want to do, especially with work usually the next day. In one sense more stuff equals more work (at least for me).

 

[RET2]

After each camping trip cleaning and putting everything away is a chore that I am often too lazy / tired to want to do, especially with work usually the next day. In one sense more stuff equals more work (at least for me).

Clarity is creeping into your karma Grasshoppa, congratulations.