Inverter options
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Seminole Wind
Well-known member
thatt all depends on what type and size fridge fan and laptop charger...
all of those loads could be native 12v dc if you wanted and could get away with no inverter. if you have an unmodified dorm fridge a standard wall plug laptop charger and 110 lights a good 1000 watt invert er could be ok. if you have a sufficient battery bank.
in one of my rigs, a short bus. i have a 12 volts fridge/freezer and all migh lighting is 12 volt. i do have a 135 watt high quality inverter and only use it for a regular wall plug laptop charger and charging cordless drill/saw
in my other rig i have a 3.1 cubic foot dorm type fridge/freezer cordless tool charging and laptop charging and i get by with a 375 watt quality inverter, but if the fridge cycles while the chasrger is pulling good, it will fault out. then i have to unplug everything but fridge, get fridge started and then plug the other stuff back in.
the fridge would not start on the 375 watt inverter till i installed a "hard start kit"
just a few examples for you
oh, i am currently fond of the victron phoenix inverters pure sine wave
all of those loads could be native 12v dc if you wanted and could get away with no inverter. if you have an unmodified dorm fridge a standard wall plug laptop charger and 110 lights a good 1000 watt invert er could be ok. if you have a sufficient battery bank.
in one of my rigs, a short bus. i have a 12 volts fridge/freezer and all migh lighting is 12 volt. i do have a 135 watt high quality inverter and only use it for a regular wall plug laptop charger and charging cordless drill/saw
in my other rig i have a 3.1 cubic foot dorm type fridge/freezer cordless tool charging and laptop charging and i get by with a 375 watt quality inverter, but if the fridge cycles while the chasrger is pulling good, it will fault out. then i have to unplug everything but fridge, get fridge started and then plug the other stuff back in.
the fridge would not start on the 375 watt inverter till i installed a "hard start kit"
just a few examples for you
oh, i am currently fond of the victron phoenix inverters pure sine wave
Almost There
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Maxxair fan is 12 V as is any lighting you'll want to install unless you plan on plugging in a lamp from your house.
Most laptops can be charged from a 12V cord rather than the one supplied with the laptop.
A regular household fridge is a power hog as compared to any of the 12V compressor units that a lot of us invest in. Yes, they are more expensive but they save a lot of money in the long run because they play nice with solar and battery systems thereby requiring a much smaller system to run off of.
If it were me, I'd hold off on buying the inverter until you have an actual need for one.
For example, I run most everything I need off of either a $20.00 Black and Decker plug-in inverter and also have a 400W pure sine wave inverter hard-wired for when I actually need more 120V. It's wired with a power switch in the living area so that it's turned off until I actually need it.
Most laptops can be charged from a 12V cord rather than the one supplied with the laptop.
A regular household fridge is a power hog as compared to any of the 12V compressor units that a lot of us invest in. Yes, they are more expensive but they save a lot of money in the long run because they play nice with solar and battery systems thereby requiring a much smaller system to run off of.
If it were me, I'd hold off on buying the inverter until you have an actual need for one.
For example, I run most everything I need off of either a $20.00 Black and Decker plug-in inverter and also have a 400W pure sine wave inverter hard-wired for when I actually need more 120V. It's wired with a power switch in the living area so that it's turned off until I actually need it.
wagoneer
Well-known member
Yah double that Get a 12 volt COMPRESSOR CHEST FRIDGE/FREEZER. I make ice in water bottles and use a GOOD COOLER, as a fridge.
Well we need to know what cooler and if it has had a "hard start modification done" and how you plan to power the inverter and if that 450 watts is the constant use rating and then someone here smarter than me can probably explain it to you.
B and C
Well-known member
I think he is talking about a peltier cooler. They will only cool 30-40 degrees below ambient. An RV tech probably doesn't know more than the average joe about those, they work on absorption fridges and maybe occasionally a compressor fridge. I might use a small one to keep a drink cool while driving but I wouldn't put groceries in one and trust them to eat. And yes to what Bullfrog said. You gave very little information.
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