Inverter for truck

   / Inverter for truck #1  

Robert_in_NY

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I'm looking at installing an inverter to my truck to power a twin tank air compressor. Talked to the inverter dealer today and he recommended this unit to run the 14amp Dewalt compressor I have for the truck. 5000 Watt Power Inverter 12 volt DC by AIMS while reading up on it I started wondering if I could hook up a plug to it and run my 30amp camper off this. They say you can, even have a cord available to attach whatever end you need to that can take up your 48 amps. I'm basically thinking turn my truck into a generator for farm use as well as the occasional time I need to plug the camper in while not having electric connections at certain campsites. Does anyone see anything wrong with this idea or potential problems? The compressor and inverter would be mounted in the bed of the truck protected by a cap. I'm going to mount the inverter under the toolbox that is built into the cap so it is protected from being hit by anything slid into the bed. Truck is a 2006 F-350 diesel.
 
   / Inverter for truck #2  
Where I used to work we had 5000 watt motor generators. Before inverters were available. We ran 1/2 inch drills and skill saws and the like, they worked well. I now use a 750 watt inverter to plug in the charger for the battery drill batteries . I have used it for a few other items like the air mattress inflator for the cabin/shed when we visit the north Georgia property. I plug mine temporarily into the Anderson connector I wired at the rear bumper of the truck next to the trailer connector.
 
   / Inverter for truck #3  
What about just buying a generator? Sucking 5kW, your truck is going to have to be running, and I'm sure a generator is easier on fuel than your truck. Plus, it's a much less expensive piece of equipment than your truck. Not to mention, you may want to consider an AIC (auxiliary idle control) for your truck to keep it from wet stacking if you leave it running for any length of time. You will likely need to keep the RPM up to keep the alternator generating enough juice to run it anyway.

Personally, I think it would be a good idea if you needed it while your truck was running down the road, but while the truck is parked, a regular generator would be a better alternative.
 
   / Inverter for truck
  • Thread Starter
#4  
What about just buying a generator? Sucking 5kW, your truck is going to have to be running, and I'm sure a generator is easier on fuel than your truck. Plus, it's a much less expensive piece of equipment than your truck. Not to mention, you may want to consider an AIC (auxiliary idle control) for your truck to keep it from wet stacking if you leave it running for any length of time. You will likely need to keep the RPM up to keep the alternator generating enough juice to run it anyway.

Personally, I think it would be a good idea if you needed it while your truck was running down the road, but while the truck is parked, a regular generator would be a better alternative.

Generator this size takes up considerably more room, another engine to maintain and would have to either take it out or move things to make sure there is nothing to catch fire inside the bed from the exhaust. The 6.0 has a fast idle built in already, after so long it kicks up. Not sure if it would be enough but that's why I'm asking as I don't know.
 
   / Inverter for truck #5  
   / Inverter for truck
  • Thread Starter
#6  
I came across these made in China units, they have different sizes available and besides being true sine wave they are very affordable. They also have a battery charge function so if you have power available you can top off your batteries. Was thinking of adding one to my truck to run the freezer when we travel south.

Amazon.com : Meind 1000Watt DC 12Volt to AC 110Volt Pure Sine Wave Inverter with Battery Charge Function for Solar System or Home Use : Electronics

What is the main difference between the two types of inverters? Pure vs modified?
 
   / Inverter for truck #7  
What is the main difference between the two types of inverters? Pure vs modified?

Modified is the old technology and quite a bit cheaper. Initially they couldn't make the true sine waves of ac power with dc so they did it in incremental steps, like little stairs instead of waves, Works pretty well with most things but not compatible with everything(especially fan motors)

Now days they have true sine wave and pure sine wave inverters that are compatible with most everything.
 
   / Inverter for truck #8  
We have a 3500 W true sine wave in our service truck. You need to keep in mind that an hour of heavy use will require many hours of driving time to replenish the batteries. You will also need at least two deep cycle batteries on top of your starting batteries. Plus a 5k inverter will not support a compressor of any size, unless you're starting from zero tank pressure.
 
   / Inverter for truck #9  
Inverters are neat, not for heavy use unless you have a major battery storage bank and a supporting charging system. Look at Sterling 12/24/36 volt battery chargers for use with alternators (nautical users).

watts divided by volts = amperage used (theoretically)
5000 watts / 12 volts = 416.66 amps (huge alternator)
5000 watts / 120 volts = 41.66 amps

Higher the voltage the better it caries amperage. The average vehicle alternator is around 90 amps which will yield about 1080 watts of usable power (12v or 120v inverter), less actually.

Volts times Amperage = Watts available (theoretically)

Tried to express the basic idea, see why Solar has not taken off and used mostly for Off-Grid. Batteries add to the confusion of making it practical.
 
   / Inverter for truck #10  
What's your use for the air?

If it's just for tires there are nice 12v compressors that don't require modifying your vehicle.
Puma 12 Volt 1 5 Gallon Oil Less Air Compressor Free Shipping Oiless 12V | eBay
If you are trying to make a lot of air I"Ve run the Honda gas powered compressors many times and they will be a better choice before buying a huge inverter, battery bank, cables, etc... I once tried the inverter option on a work barge that had a couple of big deep cycle batteries. Even just running basic tools like drill, grinder, porta band, etc it would drain the batteries amazingly fast. We found that running the welder/generator was simply easier than trying to run off batteries.
 
 
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