Do I need an inverter

Do you have a generator? If yes, than you can do all these things.
No generator, then no TV or charging the laptop. These items would need household current (120) via an inverter.

If you want 120vac power then you need an inverter or a generator.

Inverter runs off battery power. Battery will need to be charged about every one to three days. Generator or solar is needed for charging although a few jump some power off the tow vehicle.

The 12 Volt Side of Life

Ok, I am not looking at doing anything crazy, so would a 300W be enough or should I look at something bigger?

kfrenette,

There are lots of things to consider here and you have given no specifics.
You can get a little (cheap) inverter or a 12 adapter for the laptop.
Unless you have added some, your HTT battery will probably not support much of a television for very long. You should look it over and find a power tag an think about an inverter that is large enough to handle that plus. Remember that the 12V current drain will be about 10X the 120V current. So, if you don't have a house banks that would sink a small boat, get the kids some books.

Matt

kfrenette wrote:
Ok, I am not looking at doing anything crazy, so would a 300W be enough or should I look at something bigger?

Add up the wattage of all the things you want to run at once and then add at least 15~25% for a safety margin. That will give you the size you need.

300 Watts should take care of the TV or the laptop. You will be limited to what you can run with the inverter. It will run the battery down faster. Hope you have a good battery system. Gary


Added information You will need some way to recharge the battery

I have 2 232ah 6v and 85ah 12v . We aren't going to be that long, and I can charge the laptops in the truck, so I am not looking for much. Just wanted to know what I am in for, like I said this is all new to me.

Thanks for the responses.

You need to look at the TV and see what its power requirement are before choosing a inverter.

For powering a television or laptop a small inverter 300W ~ 500W should work for you. The 400W unit I have get's plugged into a 12V car adapter in my TT to run my television/DVD and charge cellphones, tablets, etc. when I'm not hooked up to shore power or when the generator isn't running.