I am considering buying a 3000 watt inverter for my travel trailer. I would like to run my air conditioner whiling driving to my destination. My hope is that short stops for lunch can be accomplished in a comfortable trailer. The specs on my 20 amp air conditioner states is uses about 2700 watts to start then 1300 to run. I have 270AH batteries that I hope will supplement the startup power needed. I am wondering will my alternator on my Jeep Grand Cherokee provide enough power to run the tow vehicle, run the air conditioner and charge the Jeep and trailer batteries? I could not find any definitive answers from Jeep.

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Realistically, no. The air conditioner will take about 130A when running on its own, assuming the specifications are correct. The Jeep has (according to the specifications for the current model year) either a 160A or a 180A alternator. That leaves either 20A or 40A for everything else, assuming it's running full-out all the time; and at idle or low engine speeds, it can't put out full output, nor would it be happy doing so long-term--it would likely overheat and die pretty quickly.Even if it did, getting that much current efficiently to the trailer would be impossible via the standard seven pin connector. You'd have to run a separate, quite heavy charge/inverter power line. More effective and efficient would be to have the inverter in the Jeep and run a 120V line.

This would probably need dual alternators. Or install a generator to produce 120v direct to the A/C like a motorhome.

The cheapest and easiest would to buy a generator for the trailer and power the A/C with that

Why run the trailer ac going down the road?

Running Air Conditioner Via Inverter while Towing/Driving

dougrainer
Nomad
Jul 03, 2019
NRALIFR wrote:
I understand they make these neat things called “generators”.

Honda, Yamaha, Champion , etc.

I’d check into one.

:):)

Yes, if he had a truck. He has a Jeep. No place to store/mount the genset. Doug
John_Wayne
Explorer II
Jul 03, 2019
A portable generator on the trailer is about then only way. One 3000w or two 2000w
NRALIFR
Explorer
Jul 03, 2019
dougrainer wrote:
NRALIFR wrote:
I understand they make these neat things called “generators”.

Honda, Yamaha, Champion , etc.

I’d check into one.

:):)

Yes, if he had a truck. He has a Jeep. No place to store/mount the genset. Doug

Baloney. I could make a place for it. Probably quicker and cheaper than what he’s proposing.

This came out of my sick mind.

And this.

Don’t doubt a determined fabricator.

:):)
2oldman
Explorer II
Jul 04, 2019
I do this with 400ah of battery fed by 800w of solar.
MrWizard
Moderator
Jul 04, 2019
Isn't that 400 ampHr of 48v, which is equal to 1600 ampHrs of 12v
A/C using 1200w the 800w of solar is Not going to keep up with energy use
1/3 of the needed energy will come from the batteries, but You have a surplus of battery power
The OP does not
Veebyes
Explorer II
Jul 04, 2019
All of this to eat lunch in the cool! !!!!
2oldman
Explorer II
Jul 04, 2019
MrWizard wrote:
Isn't that 400 ampHr of 48v, which is equal to 1600 ampHrs of 12v
A/C using 1200w the 800w of solar is Not going to keep up with energy use
1/3 of the needed energy will come from the batteries, but You have a surplus of battery power
The OP does not
No. It's 100ah @ 48v. I don't expect solar to keep up. The a/c is cycling.
Dtank
Explorer
Jul 08, 2019
2oldman wrote:
MrWizard wrote:
Isn't that 400 ampHr of 48v, which is equal to 1600 ampHrs of 12v
A/C using 1200w the 800w of solar is Not going to keep up with energy use
1/3 of the needed energy will come from the batteries, but You have a surplus of battery power
The OP does not
No. It's 100ah @ 48v. I don't expect solar to keep up. The a/c is cycling.

Maybe the OP should take up cycling!!.

.
dougrainer
Nomad
Jul 08, 2019
NRALIFR wrote:
dougrainer wrote:
NRALIFR wrote:
I understand they make these neat things called “generators”.

Honda, Yamaha, Champion , etc.

I’d check into one.

:):)

Yes, if he had a truck. He has a Jeep. No place to store/mount the genset. Doug

Baloney. I could make a place for it. Probably quicker and cheaper than what he’s proposing.

This came out of my sick mind.

And this.

Don’t doubt a determined fabricator.

:):)

You must be delusional. The OP has a GRAND CHEROKEE, NOT a Truck. Besides, I want YOU in front of me if I rear end you with 10 gallons of gasoline sticking out the back of your truck. I would bet, Having Gasoline mounted like you have must be a violation of some Law, as long as being plain stupid. Ever hear of the Ford Pinto:h Doug
Chum_lee
Explorer
Jul 08, 2019
NRALIFR wrote: "Don’t doubt a determined fabricator."

Somehow, . . . . . . I believe you! There could be a new reality TV show here somewhere. I've always liked people with an attitude like yours. Make America Great Again! (Re)Build it from the ground up.

Chum lee