Power Inverter installed
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Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Discription: General Mobile Electronics Questions and Answers
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=7809
Printed Date: May 15, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Topic: Power Inverter installed
Posted By: andy84
Subject: Power Inverter installed
Date Posted: January 07, 2003 at 10:13 PM
Hey guys, I just installed a 600/1200 watt AC power inverter in my Ford Ranger. It is bolted in next to the battery under the hood, I have a switch on the dash to turn it on and off. Then I wired in 2 outlets (just like a house--bought at Lowe's) wired in behind the driver's seat, and two more outlets in an outdoor box in the bed right by the tailgate. The one in the bed is pretty neat because I cut out the metal so it fits flush, same as the one inside since there was enough extra room behind the carpet insulation.
It has enough power to run a shop vac, most power tools, TV, stereo, laptop, small fridge, even a microwave!
All-in-all it only cost me about $80. I have a few pictures of it if anyone is interested.
C-ya,
Andy.
Replies:
Posted By: brianh
Date Posted: January 08, 2003 at 6:12 AM
I would like to see ht e pictures. Brian
Posted By: jrilla
Date Posted: January 08, 2003 at 8:30 AM
I am interested in seeing some pictures, and I am also interested in hearing how all of those devices actually work. I have been trying to decide what output I need but they can get pretty expensive so I dont want to get one bigger then I have to. what it you pay for yours?
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J Rilla
Owner/Installer
Posted By: andy84
Date Posted: January 08, 2003 at 8:12 PM
Ok, I will post some pics tomorrow (I can post pics on here, right?).
There are different wattage ratings for power inverters. Here's what you do: divide the watts (mine is 600 continuous) by 110 (vor the voltage). That equals 5.4 amps. That is the maximum you can run on it. Most appliances have their amp rating on them so you can see. If you try to run something with too many amps, it will shut itself off.
You can run the inverter with the engine on or off. If the battery is starting to get too low, it will shut itself off. If the battery voltage gets too high, it will shut itself off to prevent damage.
Most inverters are only 200 to 300 watts. If you want to run bigger stuff, you should get at least a 600 watt. They make some that are 800-900 too. The second number (1200 on mine) is the maximum peak wattage, and is irrelevant for all practical purposes.
The reason there is an on/off switch is because if you aren't running anything on it, you should turn it off because it has a fan inside and will drain the battery. The power inverter came with a switch on it, I took the switch off and ran the wires inside and put one on the dash so I don't have to open the hood to get to it.
Wiring in house outlets was an idea I came up with. I'm sure others have done, but I haven't seen them. The hard part was making sure they didn't touch any metal on the car, because that would interfere with the 12 volt grounding system. The way that outlets mount, the bracket is connected to the ground terminal, so that makes it a challenge.
On my ranger, if you take off the taillight, there is a lot of extra room behind there. Thats how I fit it in flush with the bed.
I bought mine on ebay, it was new but about 40% off retail price. It didn't come with any instructions though.
Posted By: jrilla
Date Posted: January 08, 2003 at 9:23 PM
What did the unit look like: Outputs and inputs? were there recepltacle outputs that you plugged an extension cord into and cut off the other end to wire the household receptacle, or were the outputs set up for wires?
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J Rilla
Owner/Installer
Posted By: auex
Date Posted: January 08, 2003 at 9:49 PM
Is your power inverter water proof? ------------- Certified Security Specialist
Always check info with a digital multimeter.
I promise to be good.
Tell Darwin I sent you.
I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.
Posted By: andy84
Date Posted: January 08, 2003 at 11:13 PM
The unit is blue. It is a Gator 600/1200. It sort of looks like an amplifier for a subwoofer. It originally had two 3-prong outlets on it. I cut one of them off because I was going to hard-wire it in, but decided not to, so there is just an extension cord plugged in, then the extension cord (heavy-duty outdoor type) goes underneith the truck. I cut off the other end of the extension cord and wired those into the outlets, with a splice in the middle (one half goes to inside outlet, other half goes to the one in the bed).
Is it water proof? No--but its on top of the fender so its not in a likely place to get wet. Even if it did I think it would dry out quickly (I would have to leave it turned off). It has fuses built into it also. The inverter came with battery clamps (like jumper cables). That is the last thing I need to do, I need to hard-wire those to the battery but I'm looking for battery terminal connectors that are big enough for those wires (I think they are 10 gauge). Pics tomorrow...
Posted By: auex
Date Posted: January 09, 2003 at 3:53 PM
"How could the siren get waterlogged? It is high on the firewall." If I had a dollar for every time I had replaced sirens from people going through a car wash that washed the undercarriage, well I would have alot of dollars. Sure the sirens still worked but you couldn't hear them from more than 5 feet away. Also it is not just about getting it wet it is about corrosion and rust. You might still want to look into doing something to waterproofing it more than just setting it high on the fender. ------------- Certified Security Specialist
Always check info with a digital multimeter.
I promise to be good.
Tell Darwin I sent you.
I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.
Posted By: andy84
Date Posted: January 13, 2003 at 8:24 PM
Posted By: brianh
Date Posted: January 14, 2003 at 5:23 AM
Hey those look pretty good! I have mine mounted behind my jump seat on the passanger side of my ranger. I made a cord that I leave behind the jump seat and can pull out when I neeed it. I like your way better. Good job. Brian
Posted By: Jimbob
Date Posted: January 22, 2003 at 5:23 PM
Hey guys I just posted some questions about an inverter I just bought. Could you guys check it out and see what you think? Thanks a lot https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=1&TopicID=8462&PagePosition=1#thread Thanks ------------- Jimbob
Beverly Hills
Posted By: Big Purds
Date Posted: January 23, 2003 at 10:04 PM
well...most inverters come with a warning and a disclaimer that there is NO WARRANTY if not mounted properly IN THE CAB...the extremes in weather are not good for the units...and the likelihood of them getting wet is alot greater than you think...you should really reconsider your mounting choice before you cause damage to the unit or your vehicle... I have installed 3 or 4 inverters in the past couple of years, and just bought a 1500/3000W inverter for my father in law's new Mack truck...it goes in on Sunday...I think I paid 180 or so on ebay for the unit I bought for his truck...it is about 4 inches high by 8 inches wide by 26 inches long...quite large, really, but the interior of his truck has alot of cabin space and I dont anticipate any room problems...I will be running 4 ga and a 150A inline fuse, as the unit is unfused... if you have any other questions jrilla, dont hesitate to ask...inverters are quite easy, but if you are an audiophile, they induce an incredible amount of noise into the system while they are on...they are quite handy though, for some things anyway...
Posted By: jrilla
Date Posted: January 24, 2003 at 10:02 AM
Big Purds, I am curious where the noise come into the audio system. Do you mean the noise is induced into the system that is plugged into the inverter or the inverter will just induce noise into any audio system in the car, like the factory system? All I have is a FM modulated CD changer hooked up to my factory deck and still ahve factory speakers. will running the inverter induce noise into this setup, or will it only do so if i plug in a TV or dvd player etc. I am not exactly sure of all of my future uses for the inverter I have, but I always wanted one. Could you explain the effects of the noise a little more. I may be adding a LCD TFT and a dvd player to the vehicle so I judt want to know what the inverter will affect. I think knowing will help me decide what I want to purchase as well: I wasn't sure if I wanted to get an AC or DC tv and dvd so this might help. I also read another post you responded to about an inverter suggesting 4 gauge wire on a 800 watt inverter. which was the same gauge wire you mentioned you were using on a 1500/3000 watt unit. I am not much into installing audio systems except replacing factory speakers, head units, and an occasional amp, so I dont get into the really heavy gauge wire. Is 4 gauge just playing it safe for an 800 watt inverter or is it playing it smart? I have no problem getting 4 gauge, but I dont want to if it is not necessary. Thanks a lot ------------- J Rilla
Owner/Installer
Posted By: themagicone
Date Posted: January 24, 2003 at 10:05 AM
A inverter will induce noise into a system. It does this the same way that you can get noise from your alternator.
Posted By: Big Purds
Date Posted: January 24, 2003 at 1:51 PM
on a short run 8 ga will be fine really, but I buy 4 ga bulk and always fear of limiting myself by wire size, so I use at least 4 ga almost everywhere...in all my personal audio setups, I use 1/0 at least...the 4 ga for the big inverter is over a very short run or it would be 1/0 too... I wouldnt know much about the factory setups, because all of the inverters I have done have already had aftermarket stereo in them...but it induces static basically into the system...but only when its on...it will induce noise into your factory stereo, not just what you are running off of it... also be aware that you shouldnt really plug anything rechargeable into an inverter as well...dont recharge your phone, drill batteries, razor, etc...I am not sure why, but apparently it is bad to run a battery charger off of an inverter...I havent really looked into why ever, but they say it will destroy the charger... I would consider them a great asset in a work vehicle or like my father in laws truck, because 110 power is handy if you essentially live in your vehicle or will use it, but I dont really advocate them too much as a "nifty add on" to the average vehicle...that is just a matter of opinion tho, take it for what its worth, heh...
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