Inverter for camper off leisure battery

Solas8

Hi, I am new to campers and would appreciate advice on buying a safe and useful inverter. I wish to run a hairdryer etc off the leisure battery power. Also possibly a heater. Is this possible? Thanks in advance.:rolleyes:

Aidan_M_M

Possible yes , practical...not really . Not unless you have a very very low powered hairdryer , or a really big battery .

*Kol*

Aidan_M_M wrote: »

Possible yes , practical...not really . Not unless you have a very very low powered hairdryer , or a really big battery .

Or feck all hair!!
Seriously the likes of hairdryers and electric heaters can only be used if you have a 220v electrical hook up. For heating gas is the alternative. Not sure about an alternative for a hair dryer. I am sure tho it would be possible to hook an air hose up to the cab heating??

*Kol*

*Kol* wrote: »

Not sure about an alternative for a hair dryer.

A towel.

*Kol*

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

A towel.

For my head yes!!

Here ya go!

300 battery cycles; pretty abysmal but sher you could just hard wire it to the van battery.

Looks like absolute junk tbh but thought it was funny enough to post.


Here's a nice little inverter; for electronics and sensitive what-have yous. Pure sine, low idle.
Unfortunately I can't seem to find a stockist this side of the water.

Here's a tongue in cheek guide to installing the standard low end jobs with those dreadful croc. clips.

nailer8

I would say as a general rule of thumb.

If it gets hot it shouldn't be plugged into an inverter running off a leisure battery.

Inverters are great for phones/ipad charging, laptops, TV, Sky box, Wifi, LED lights, kids toys, elec fans that sort of stuff.

Not good for Heaters, cookers, toasters, microwaves, hair dryers, george foreman etc.

nailer8

nailer8 wrote: »

Inverters are great for phones/ipad charging, laptops, TV, Sky box, Wifi, LED lights, kids toys, elec fans that sort of stuff.

They're all low voltage DC anyways they'd run better off regulators than an inverter.

nailer8

True and obviously much more efficient with regulators.

However with all the different voltages the inverter one size fits all is handy for short term use.

Indeed.

I'd only get an inverter when it's cheaper and more efficient than acceptable cable losses due to distance and I need to run motors in power tools and such....besides DC tools are becoming increasingly popular these days.
Neither of which are camper problems.

I don't see much call for them under 7.5kWh storage and then I'd be looking at 2 x 2.5kW inverters.

That Morningstar inverter I posted to isn't plug and play. You need to wire your own battery and output connections. I'd actually prefer this approach because things with leads rarely have the right gauge leads and circuit protection.

Solas8

Thank you all so much for the replies EVEN THOUGH you are telling me what I didn't want to hear!! So, what wattage do I need for my lap-top and phone etc then? You are all so kind.

Solas8

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

They're all low voltage DC anyways they'd run better off regulators than an inverter.

What is a regulator?

spaceHopper

Buy a tablet and leave the laptop at home then use a car charger for the table and phones. A good Samsung table will set you back 200 and a car charger 20 or less, any thing for €5 will be junk don't buy it. You could spend about 50 on very a cheap and nasty inverter but you have to wire it in.... my way you spend more but you can use the table at home to surf the web.

Solas8

spaceHopper wrote: »

Buy a tablet and leave the laptop at home then use a car charger for the table and phones. A good Samsung table will set you back 200 and a car charger 20 or less, any thing for €5 will be junk don't buy it. You could spend about 50 on very a cheap and nasty inverter but you have to wire it in.... my way you spend more but you can use the table at home to surf the web.

Thank you .:P

Solas8

Solas8 wrote: »

What is a regulator?

Something like this : 15V - 20V
Runs for about half the power of an inverter and less likely to let the magic smoke out of your PSU with nasty inverting square waves.

I'd swap the cig lighter plug for a DIN connection, mostly because I've melted three of those now



or this 1.5V to 12v




or this USB +12v unregulated.

The cable to these sockets ought to be about 6mm² if you plan on pulling more than 40W off it. Which means modifying those extension leads which are a mite shambolic.

If I was to get a proper inverter then I'd cut off the croc. clips and install cable lugs you can screw down onto the battery clamp for better contact surface area and security. Then add an appropriate inline fuse on the DC side and an MCBO on the output.

Either way nothing on the market is suitable for our applications off the shelf imho. :rolleyes:

Not to be discouraging most of it works until it doesn't.
True sine is best for hi-tech gizmos.
Modified square wave for resistive loads and dumb appliances.

Solas8

Solas8 wrote: »

So, what wattage do I need for my lap-top and phone etc then?

It'll be written on your laptop/phone PSU as well as voltage in and out, and current in and out.

300W should cover everything practical, I daresay 150W might be adequate.

Add up all your appliances in a realistic max. load situation and then spec. the inverter to this +20%.

There's no economy in buying one larger than you need as it'll have a higher idle consumption and run your battery down faster.
In most instances it works out the same in expense and a saving in energy to buy a small inverter for the little things and a large inverter for the big ones, and only using the large one as required.

Dexter Bip

Solas8 wrote: »

Thank you all so much for the replies EVEN THOUGH you are telling me what I didn't want to hear!! So, what wattage do I need for my lap-top and phone etc then? You are all so kind.

I've had a 500W one for a few years. Does the job for the all low powered stuff. Can't remember if I picked it up in Lidl or at Halfords. It wasn't that expensive as far as I remember.

I've a 600W MSW I got in Maplins donkey years ago pretty cheap.
Probably used it twice a year on average until last year where I realised it was better at running my fridge than 12V because dometic never thought anyone would want a thermostat on a 12v fridge element. :rolleyes:

5W idle.

-=al=-

Used a 300w inverter for a couple of phone charges, a laptop, a light and some small things...

300w is as low as I'd prob go! It was also modified sine wave.. Not ideal for electronics but a surge protector was there for added protection and I was assured it would be aok for giving some protection for electronics. Never had an issue.

Assured by whom? Surge protection won't do a thing for you for heat derived from a reduced power factor and added harmonics.

SMPSs will chew through a MSW in most cases.

Depends on what you're running, induction motors, induction cookers, clocks, microwaves, desktop computers, HID lights, fluorescents, battery chargers, sewing machines, transformerless devices, modern compressor fridges, anything with PFC, radio, etc. don't like them.

What it does run that has an offset power factor it will run less efficiently and with more heat.

All I've ever run off mine is an LCD, 5.1 computer surround, an external hard-disk, laptop and fridge. Runs them all fine.