Has anyone supplemented the 110 supply into their breaker box with 110 from an inverter? I would like to have this capability for my 19' Standard. The idea would obviously be to (1) have access to a LITTLE 110 power to all the plugs while Walmarting or otherwise boonie bashing, and (2) to be able to run the 110 on the fridge while driving. If you have done this, or have given thought as to how, I would be interested in any and all you could share.
Sun, 06/21/2015 - 17:05
#1
Inverted, supplemental 110 power to the system for Walmarting?
I think it was Kamper Bob who built a generator mount on the tongue over the mounting ball using a reciever tube. If you wired a generator directly to your panel you would need a transfer switch so your power cable would be hot and when you plug-in line power it would not back feed the generator.
Eddie
http://kamperbob.com/EU3kReceiver/
Many thanks Elongest, but I wanted to avoid that. I still can't help but think that I can supply my fridge with supplemental inverted power going down the road. I've thought of my truck alternator, the charge line size, my inverter capacity, the indifference of the fridge to the modified square wave, the ease of shutting off the converter, and it seems feasible. But I'm not nearly as experienced as other posters and wanted to pick their brains on THIS idea. But the gen pix are very thought provoking, and I DO appreciate them.
I know this is offered as an option on Escape Trailers. They use a 1500w Inverter and you can choose a single 110 outlet hot or all. This is usually ordered in tandem with 160W Solar panel setup. As far as how it is wired in I'm not sure, someone who has added this would need to chime in. However, depending on what one wants to plug in to 110 may destroy the battery capacity pretty quickly. I probably wouldn't head this direction without considering changing to dual 6v batteries.
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You can easily get 110v inverter power into your trailer with a suitably secured extension cord from your tow vehicle (inverter) to your trailer. We ran a small refrigerator in our pop-up on the road that way for years. Make sure you don't have a 12v connection between the two at the same time or your inverter will be trying to charge (through the trailer converter-charger) the same source it's drawing from. "Perpetual motion" doesn't work. Also, keep loads in mind: 100 watts is less than 1 amp @ 110vac but needs ~10 amps @ 12vdc inverted. Not a problem while driving but be careful while parked if your only 12v source is your tow vehicle battery. You could be spending a good part of the next day "Walmarting".
Lynn
Many thanks Lynn. I think I've got the e load part down. And I benefit from a converter that's super handy to switch off. My inverter is rated for 410 watts, steadily. My truck alternator is good for WELL over a kilowatt. Mytruck/trailer charge line is burly and has a 25 amp fuse. My questions are more nutsy boltsy. Where to install the inverter on my 2007, 19' standard, line routing to the breaker box, line sizes, connections, problems with using the modified square wave power thru my reefer heating element - stuff like that. I can imagineer it myself and will PROBABLY be ok, but wanted to cheat and benefit from prior installs.
All good (and good hearted) points though, and well taken. Thanks for each of them.....
I think you may be over thinking your installation, you don't want to power all outlets in your Scamp with the inverter due to transmission loss.
First, let's take your first need listed, a little bit of 110v power while boon docking. Easy, plug your inverter into your 12v power supply and plug in your 110v item into the inverter, i.e.: Laptop, Cell Phone, Tablet, etc.
Second let's look at your desire to provide 110v to your fridge (ONLY while driving). Find out how your refrigerator gets it's 110v power, mine uses a standard 110v wall plug and outlet mounted on the floor underneath the fridge. If your fridge uses a 110v plug all you would need to do is to plug your fridge directly into the inverter which is then plugged into your 12v power supply (the Converter never gets involved).
So now your problem is how to conveniently plug your fridge into the inverter. One option is to only use the 110v refrigeration while driving, this would allow you to plug the refrigerator directly into the inverter and mount a 12v switch to turn the inverter on and off . This solution would work fine for me since I prefer to use propane to cool my refrigerator.
So now, how do you satisfy both of your stated needs with only one Inverter? If you choose to mount your Inverter under or near the fridge and you have 2 outlets on the Inverter you can simply plug a heavy duty cord into the inverter and route it to a convenient location inside the Scamp (alternatively, you could take that cord and wire up a permanently mounted outlet). If this is the option you choose, then I would suggest adding a switch to the 110v side of the fridge so there is no power being drawn into the fridge. Option 2 is to mount the Inverter in a convenient spot and run a cord to the fridge.
Of course, all of the above is predicated on you actually needing to plug the fridge in while driving. Take a look at your actual camping/traveling style. If, for example, you only camp within 2 hours of home, then you would not need to operate the fridge while driving (assuming you have pre cooled the fridge for several hours before loading) because the fridge should keep cold for 2 to 3 hours (especially if you add a couple of bottles of frozen water on the top shelf as I do). Also, if while traveling you like to take long lunches (1 hour +) then you could simply turn on the fridge while you are eating lunch. You also have the option of operating the fridge on propane while traveling.
Please keep us updated on how you choose to solve these issues.
As Always,
Happy Scamping !!!
"I think you may be over thinking your installation, you don't want to power all outlets in your Scamp with the inverter due to transmission loss.
Actually, I think I do. The idea, when boondocking or Walmarting isn't to have MUCH 110 power, but to have a tiny bit handy, and not to have extra wires to trip over. A phone charger by the bed. A radio outdoors. A TV to plug in. Nothing big. Transmission losses, especially with the 110, would be negligible.
As for a proximate inverter to the fridge and a simple plug in, thanks for the tip and I'll check my fridge hook up. The choke point will be the burly 25-30 amp rated 12 volt cables needed. If I can find a source straight from the battery nearby, that could work.
Lots of this springs from my natural lassitude. I don't like dodging wires, or crawling under cabinets to flip switches any more than necessary. And I find the idea of having small amounts of 110 available at my outlets, while not hooked up appealing. We like non hook up camp sites better than full service in moderate/cool weather, as they tend to be prettier and closer to the areas attractions. We also part time on the Cal central coast 2-3 mos/year, meaning long distances, with 8-10 Walmart nights going to and from. I really want to keep my frozen food frozen during the day.
But all that being said, I'm gonna holistically consider EVERYTHING in your post, ManWithaVan. It's all good common sense, and many thanks for taking the time to reply to me.
My solution has always been to power the inverter with an extra battery in the tow vehicle, minimizing loss with a short cable run, and connected with a relay so it's only in the the TV circuit while power is being produced. You can run your fridge on 110v in transit with no concern about line loss and you can't kill your starting battery if you forget to swith to propane when you're camped. We even use an extension cord from that inverter to the picnic table 110v LED lamp at night. An 800 lumen LED draws <1 amp @ 12v.
Lynn
I see your point on line loss in general. But specifically where is your tow vehicle extra battery, the 12 volt line from the extra battery to your "relay", the 12 volt line from there to your inverter, where is your inverter (and is it mounted permanently), and how, specifically, does your 110 line connect from the inverter to the fridge. Also, is your "relay" a relay swtitch, or some knd of circuit that protects your main tow vehicle battery from discharge by the fridge?
Once again L, I REALLY appreciate the time you're taking here......
We use a Thermocooler to keep key things cool while driving, then transfer them to a small refer when 110v is available. Two units; too simple?
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