Truck Camper adding inverter

[computermonkey]

Would like to hear from people on there recent experience on adding an inverter.

My goal. To power a 1350 watt microwave for 10 minutes at max power.
I have two group 27 batteries and a 120 watt solar panel. Wanting to add at least a 3000 watt pure sine inverter.

Would like to know if someone has tried this kind of set up before?
What inverter did you use?
How long could this set up run a microwave?

Appreciate your time and help.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

There is no mention of this being a hybrid unit. So how are you combining power from the generator and the inverter?

Or do you have the generator powering only the converter?

NRALIFR wrote:
The brand name on the inverter is Novopal. The exact inverter I bought on Amazon is no longer available, but it’s physically and spec’s are identical to this one. I suspect it’s made in the same Chinese plant.

Edecoa 1500 PSW Inverter

The only difference on mine is the remote switch is a simple mechanical on/off switch, where this one has an LCD panel which looks nice but does draw a little power. I haven’t looked at the output waveform with a scope, but everything with digital controls I’ve plugged into it has run fine, and I’ve verified that the idle current draw is .5 amp. It’s very quiet, the fans are on/off and speed controlled depending on the cooling needs. With light use, the fans hardly run at all. When running at highest speed they aren’t annoying screamers like some inverters I’ve had.

I’ve been using it for about a year.

:):)

[Kayteg1]

Side note, with generators getting cheaper and cheaper I don't think I would do the big inverter again.
I have smaller microwave in my camper and I was able to run it on 800W generator I bought at Harborfreight for 70 bucks. As well as my coffeemaker.
The 2-cycle engine on HF generator is a bit annoying, but few months ago a member here gave great tip and I add $1000 W inverter generator to my stable for $150.
Why hassle with big batteries, big solar and inverters when 19 lb generator does it for pennies?
Sportsman generator on sale again

[2oldman]

jaycocreek wrote:

According to Don Rowe's calculator your two group 27 batteries at 100 AH each will run your 1325 watt microwave for .74 hours..

Theoretically. No mention is made of Peukert's law, which is significant with just 2 batteries and a large draw.

[Freep]

Don Rowe's calculator is interesting.

How would I go about determining the amount of drive time I would need in order to recharge my batteries? We don't stay in any place more than a day or two and will generally drive a few hours between campsites at a minimum.


I ask because I only use the gen occasionally for running the MW and if install an inverter, I don't think I will need to lug around a generator. Might as well take it out and reclaim the space for batteries. Right now I have a couple of Lifeline GPL-31XT batteries and a 90W panel on the roof. But the batteries are always 100% when we arrive at a campsite. Saturday night we were camping and the battery readout never dipped below 100%. This was after dropping jacks, opening the slide outs, listening to the radio, using the water pump and charging our phones.

[computermonkey]

jaycocreek wrote:

According to Don Rowe's calculator your two group 27 batteries at 100 AH each will run your 1325 watt microwave for .74 hours.

Scroll down to calculator

Very generic but an idea of run time.

Nice

[Freep]

manwithoutoption wrote:
The 3000 watt version will impose 300WattHr more energy over the 2000 watt version. Why spend more money so your inverter can be less efficient, require cable upgrade for the maximum capacity and chances are you don't even need the additional capacity?

Oddly enough the 2000 watt version is 50 dollars more than the 3000 watt version.

[jaycocreek]

My goal. To power a 1350 watt microwave for 10 minutes at max power.
I have two group 27 batteries and a 120 watt solar panel. Wanting to add at least a 3000 watt pure sine inverter.

According to Don Rowe's calculator your two group 27 batteries at 100 AH each will run your 1325 watt microwave for .74 hours.

Scroll down to calculator

Very generic but an idea of run time.

[computermonkey]

That is a good information to note. Thank you.

[manwithoutopti1]

computermonkey wrote:
Thanks everyone.

I'm going off the label on the microwave for power draw.

I'm not sure what the length is from the batteries to the where I'm thinking of mounting the inventer. I will need to take the camper off the truck to get to it.

This is the inventer that I'm looking at: https://www.amazon.com/AIMS-3000-Watt-Power-Inverter/dp/B01E3V673A

I understand there is a lot of variables, condition/age of batteries, amount of charge, and how much wattage the solar panel is putting out.

I have a 150 watt solar panel. Some reason I was thinking 120.

Thanks for the welcome. We first had a Jayco Talon ZX toy hauler that we pulled with a 98 GMC suburban that I had done a Cummins engine swap about eight years ago. We sold the toy hauler about five years ago and have been deciding what to do. We take trips to Colorado a few times and have stopped by a Lance and last year a Arctic fox dealer. This winter my wife was browsing the internet and came across a 2013 Ram crew cab one ton long bed (10600 miles) with a Eagle Cap camper. Both had been kept inside. Anyways fast forward to now.

Hey I've looking at the same inverter/charger. I just want you to know that the 3000watt version has idle power consumption of 55watts, as oppose to 25watt from the 2000watt version. It is rather signification. Imagine you are sleeping and running your dehumidifier over 10 hours. The 3000 watt version will impose 300WattHr more energy over the 2000 watt version. Why spend more money so your inverter can be less efficient, require cable upgrade for the maximum capacity and chances are you don't even need the additional capacity?

[NRALIFR]

JimK-NY wrote:
It seems to me that some compromises are in order when traveling. With years of RV living, we have only tried to use the microwave a handful of times. For a while my wife made batches of semi-instant polenta that required the microwave so I had to run the generator once a week for 10 minutes. We both decided that store bought polenta was way more convenient and just as good. We also gave up the polenta fad and only get it once in a long time.

At home it seems we use the microwave numerous times a day mainly just to reheat coffee. Traveling we keep excess morning coffee in a thermos or we make fresh coffee with our melitta filter using hot water from heated on the propane stove.

I don't want to tell anyone how to live when traveling, but I cannot help but wonder what is so important about the need for a microwave when it will chew up lots of battery power and require a large invertor.

I did make some compromises. I pulled out the old microwave that required more power, had a digital control pad and a clock that was never set right and bought the lowest power model I could find with analog controls (twisty knobs). Cooking isn’t a central part of traveling for us. We both want it as quick and easy as possible. Microwave fills that need perfectly for us. We use it a lot, and it’s never for reheating coffee. Using the stovetop and oven is the last choice for us, especially in the summer months. If I was going to pull anything out for the storage space it would be that, but I don’t need more storage.

:):)

[srschang]

Late last year I added new batteries, an inverter, and solar to my TC. Basically I wanted to make coffee with our Keurig each morning and enable my wife to dry her hair after her daily shower. I have two Lifeline 125 AH batteries, a 2000 watt Xantrex inverter, and 4 Renogy 100w solar panels. It works great for what I wanted. We can make coffee and dry hair from the inverter, and the solar charges things back up during the day. Making a couple cups of coffee and drying hair only takes the batteries from 100% down to 93 or 94%. We can also run the microwave off the inverter outlet, but don't use it too much.

I also took out the 3 way fridge and installed a 12v compressor fridge. I could never keep the 3 way fridge running on propane while going down the road, and usually had a 55 degree fridge by the end of the day. We rarely camp in a spot more than one day, prefer to be moving on, and the compressor fridge meets our needs much better than the 3 way did.

[computermonkey]

It's my preference.

[dirtyhandz]

Ditto what JimK-NY just said!
We actually just pulled the microwave out of our TC this year and havnt wished it was there not even once. The extra storage space sure is nice!

[JimK-NY]

It seems to me that some compromises are in order when traveling. With years of RV living, we have only tried to use the microwave a handful of times. For a while my wife made batches of semi-instant polenta that required the microwave so I had to run the generator once a week for 10 minutes. We both decided that store bought polenta was way more convenient and just as good. We also gave up the polenta fad and only get it once in a long time.

At home it seems we use the microwave numerous times a day mainly just to reheat coffee. Traveling we keep excess morning coffee in a thermos or we make fresh coffee with our melitta filter using hot water from heated on the propane stove.

I don't want to tell anyone how to live when traveling, but I cannot help but wonder what is so important about the need for a microwave when it will chew up lots of battery power and require a large invertor.

[NRALIFR]

The brand name on the inverter is Novopal. The exact inverter I bought on Amazon is no longer available, but it’s physically and spec’s are identical to this one. I suspect it’s made in the same Chinese plant.

Edecoa 1500 PSW Inverter

The only difference on mine is the remote switch is a simple mechanical on/off switch, where this one has an LCD panel which looks nice but does draw a little power. I haven’t looked at the output waveform with a scope, but everything with digital controls I’ve plugged into it has run fine, and I’ve verified that the idle current draw is .5 amp. It’s very quiet, the fans are on/off and speed controlled depending on the cooling needs. With light use, the fans hardly run at all. When running at highest speed they aren’t annoying screamers like some inverters I’ve had.

I’ve been using it for about a year.

:):)