Run AC from inverter in truck?
Just wondering if a 160 amp alternator can handle running an AC unit through an inverter? Also would a modified sine wave run it or would it need to be pure sine wave? I'm not sure if the AC is a ...
Forum Discussion
The roughly 2,000 - 2,500 watts needed to start the AC translate to 17-21 amps at 120 volts, or 167 to 250 amps at 12 volts. And that will require your engine to be running at highway rpm. So the short answer is no, bad idea, won't work.
The somewhat longer answer is that your truck's engine used as a generator is a horribly inefficient and extremely expensive way to run an air conditioner. If you want to run that AC, frankly, the only practical power sources are shore power at a campground with hookups or a dedicated generator of at least 3,000 watts capacity. At this point in the universe of modern technology, virtually all other schemes for ways to avoid those two power sources fall into the classification of "hair-brained schemes."
The somewhat longer answer is that your truck's engine used as a generator is a horribly inefficient and extremely expensive way to run an air conditioner. If you want to run that AC, frankly, the only practical power sources are shore power at a campground with hookups or a dedicated generator of at least 3,000 watts capacity. At this point in the universe of modern technology, virtually all other schemes for ways to avoid those two power sources fall into the classification of "hair-brained schemes."
