Inverter.
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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=11069
Printed Date: 28 Apr 2024 at 11:15pm
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Topic: Inverter.
Posted By: rawest50
Subject: Inverter.
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2018 at 9:56pm
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Do any of you use a power inverter off your tow vehicle? Looking for more power without a generator. All advice about using an inverter. I know the pod has one. Can it be increased to higher voltage? ------------- 2017.5 RPod 179 2017 Jeep Unlimited Wrangler 2017 Chevy Colorado Z71 Off Road Crew Cab 2 Weiner dogs Great wife puts up with my BS ❤️ Thoroughbred Racing. 
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Replies:
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2018 at 11:50pm
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400 watts is probably about the most you can sustainably get out of an inverter on your TV, and that only while it's running. People hook up bigger inverters, and they may work for a while, but they'll suck a battery down quickly, especially if the engine/alternator isn't running. I have a 12,000 lb winch on my truck and it sucks the juice. It can use up to about 4000 watts. To do that for more than about 10 or 20 seconds the engine has to be on. To do it for 30 to 60 seconds you have to have your foot on the gas. (My old Bronco had a manual throttle you could pull out and set!) With all that, after a couple of minutes of winching something substantial you can watch the battery level going down. Like most stock vehicles, I only have a 100 amp alternator. You can buy 130 amp or even 200 amp alternators, but at that point, for camping purposes, you're probably better off with a generator. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: voisj
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2018 at 12:44am
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The pods does not have an inverter, unless the new ones come with one?, it has a converter that converts 110v to 12v. What are you trying to power?
I had a 1500/2000w hooked directly to the battery in my diesel truck (with two optima batteries) for running a saw and small tools in the field. Worked pretty well for half hour or so and then had to run the truck to keep it going. as long as the motor was running it was good. I installed the 1500w inverter in the pod for a hair dryer, Watched the volt meter drop from 12.4 to 12.0 v in 4 minutes. running my truck helped some, but then I took the big inverter out, (we're camping, wear a hat!) I now run the 1500w in my new truck (F150 1 battery) that I use for laptop charging but only when it's running. I now use a generator when I need real power for charging the pod or A/C, (or the hair dryer). like Tars says it's not real good for batteries, unless the inverter is small and you use it sparingly or have 2-6v golf cart batteries, they can take the punishment. But you still have to keep them charged. ------------- http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9426&title=slopod-180-mods-johnsue - SLOPODMODS John&Sue,SLO,CA 2016 180 HRE, 2013 F150 Eco Boost 
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Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2018 at 8:34am
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It might help if you'd tell us what you're really trying to do. There may be alternative solutions. Most phones and laptops can charge from 12v DC, or a little 200w inverter is plenty for them. It will also power the television. Coffee makers and hair dryers are generally beyond the limits of battery powered inverters. VOISJ is right -- the pod doesn't have an inverter. It's converter takes 120v AC shore power and converts it to 12v DC to run 12v things in the pod and to charge the battery. And of course, if you have shore power you have all the AC and DC power you should need. I suspect you meant watts when you asked about increasing the volts. More watts would be nice, but, no they can't be increased. As for volts, the only things you want are nominal 120v AC or nominal 12v DC. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: rawest50
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2018 at 8:51am
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I stand corrected on the inverter. It is a converter. Thanks. ------------- 2017.5 RPod 179 2017 Jeep Unlimited Wrangler 2017 Chevy Colorado Z71 Off Road Crew Cab 2 Weiner dogs Great wife puts up with my BS ❤️ Thoroughbred Racing.
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Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 17 Jan 2018 at 9:41am
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Little confused too. I know Rawest50 has a Colorado, so do I and I use the TV 12V charge circuit thru the TT plug to charge the TT battery. It works well. It can't take the place of a generator or shore power. Not possible. I also have a 400W onboard inverter in TT, I can use for small accessories. Tars is spot on the functions of TT converter. Not a lot one can do to take place of shore power. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: rawest50
Date Posted: 28 Jan 2018 at 10:54pm
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I keep a 400 W in my Jeep. Used it on trips when the kids were small for games and TV. I was looking at getting another for the Colorado if I happen to need it. No real reason.
I do have another question. I saw converters 2,000-3,000 Watts. What and where would you use that large of a converter. ------------- 2017.5 RPod 179 2017 Jeep Unlimited Wrangler 2017 Chevy Colorado Z71 Off Road Crew Cab 2 Weiner dogs Great wife puts up with my BS ❤️ Thoroughbred Racing.
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Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2018 at 12:39am
I assume you mean 2,000 to 3,000 watt inverters. Best I can tell the names are arbitrary, but they are well established. Converters covert AC to DC; usually 120v AC to 12v DC. Inverters take 12 volt DC and invert it to 120 v AC. If you are talking about inverters, a 2,000 watt inverter, if sourced with enough power, will run anything you can plug into a 15 amp circuit at home; almost a 20 amp circuit. A washing machine, a small air conditioner, or more likely an air compressor or a table saw. Hooked up directly to a running truck battery (going through the cigarette lighter thingy would blow that fuse in less than a second) it will run a big item briefly unless the truck has a beefed up electrical system. Run time without an engine running an alternator to keep the battery up would be just a few minutes and might destroy the battery. When people talk about getting generators for their Pods they say a 2000 watt generator might run your air conditioner. 2400 or 3000 watt generators are generally considered the base line for Pods. Those generator watts are the same as your inverter watts. So you can run your whole pod with a 3000 watt inverter, including the air con if you can power the inverter. The inverter doesn't make up 3000 watts out of nowhere. Your vehicle almost certainly cannot produce that much power for any length of time. If it could, it would be running so fast it would be obnoxiously loud in a campground, and use a lot more gasoline than a 3000 watt generator just because of the overhead of pushing 4 to 8 times the number of pistons as a generator. To get back more directly to your question, a contractor who knows what he's doing might use a 2000 watt inverter for a table saw or an air compressor, for example. Both of those are at least somewhat intermittent in their usage too, which would definitely help with regard to maintaining battery voltage. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2018 at 7:51am
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Besides being used for temporary small industrial/contractor needs, the larger inverters, (3000watt plus) are sometimes used in LARGE RVs. They have a proper battery bank, and alternators, to charge and maintain the battery bank. Some even carry enough solar panels to stay off grid indefinitely, as far as electricity is concerned, AND run their 120v only items as needed. There are a couple YouTube videos out there that cover the installation and usage of such systems.. Gone With the Wynns have one that's pretty good. Such systems are neither small nor cheap. Think bigger and more expensive then your Pod, just for the solar/batteries/inverter/transfer switch, and then there is installation.. The systems are usually 24v or 48v native, use several +$1200 batteries, etc. ------------- |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2018 at 10:33am
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The batteries and wire needed to support a 3000 watt inverter would be truly massive. Attempting to run something that drew 3000 watts on an inverter would require ~~ 250 amps of current at 12 volts. That is a really large amount of current. Doing a little googling, it would require 4/0 (four ought) wire, which is almost 1/2" in diameter (.460 inches actually if copper). The batteries required to support that would be pretty massive too, unless you're talking about running your 3000 watt load for seconds, and not minutes. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2018 at 12:36pm
They use 24 or 48v native systems to reduce the amp draw. And they now use LiFePO4 batteries that can not only discharge to very near zero SOC without damage, can safely discharge at rates that would destroy a FLA battery in seconds, and recharge way faster then FLA batteries. ------------- |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2018 at 2:29pm
However, converting an R-pod to 48V is not something that I would want to take on. Even with a DC-DC converter it would be too many moving parts for my comfort level. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2018 at 3:21pm
Nah.. thanks to off grid people and golfers, such transformers are easy to come by..  It's literally 4 wires you can't mess up unless you try.. LOLhttp://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Step-Down-Waterproof-Converter-Transformer/dp/B01M06Q94K?th=1 - 48v to 12v transformer. ------------- |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2018 at 4:25pm
------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 29 Jan 2018 at 6:13pm
No I am not using a 24v or 48v system in the camper. I am saying it can be done, and on large rigs IS done. In the future, I probably will use a version of it, depending on what battery tech does in the next 5 years, and if we go full time, etc. In the systems we are talking about, a alternator or generator is used that provides the proper voltage, when solar isn't being used to charge the system. But in general, the 12v tow vehicle system does nothing for the TT, it's usually isolated from the camper. If it helps to assure you I may know what I am talking about.. Here are a couple pics of a system I am quite familiar with.. LOL Main Battery bank.. https://postimg.org/image/qd5bvb9a5/">  Transfer switch and breakers/isolation systems. This bank can be charged by solar, grid, and generator. It provides the home with 12v lighting and a small bit of 12v infrastructure, and 120v when the grid is down, which is often. https://postimg.org/image/417j1xhvx/">  ------------- |
Posted By: Our pod
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2018 at 1:25pm
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Figure out what is needed, including motor start-up and other surge needs, plus a safety margin, and size accordingly. On the road I can keep our single 12V deep cycle charged, and that meets our needs for road trips. We have done a week off-grid with our free Zamp solar panel (45W?). We don't use 110V unless at a full site. My Tacoma has 400W 110V available in the bed (factory installed) if I need that. So far that has worked for our needs. Only once have we felt the need to use the air conditioner, though.
I like the technical discussion, but why buy more than you need? ------------- Life is good. |
Posted By: ToolmanJohn
Date Posted: 31 Jan 2018 at 5:36am
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Most automotive batteries will be VERY limited in what they can provide for wattage. Simplified: Volts X Amps = Watts (power) Battery 12VDC @ 100 AMP discharge rate would provide 1200 watts. Inverter 120VAC @ 10 amps = 1200 watts. Ignoring inverter efficiency and some losses. If you have (2) 6 VDC golf cart batteries, you can get more current, and run a bigger inverter BUT, not for very long. You could perhaps run a microwave (1500 watts) for a while. Or hair dryer, or electric toaster, or etc.. I know a guy (A/C technician) who installed 8 (EIGHT!!!) Marine/Starter batteries on the rear bumper of his camper. Custom fabricated the holders and had the bumper welded and reinforced. He discovered it really made handling bad. He also discovered that he could only run his A/C for about an hour before the inverter shut down. Battery levels dropped too low to run the inverter at that output. But the good news is he can run the LCD TV practically forever if he doesn't use AC. I didn't even ask how he charges them all. Probably individually. ------------- 2017 ATC 7X20 Custom Toy Hauler 2013 R-Pod 177 (SOLD) 2013 VW Touareg TDI |
Posted By: XDigger15
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 10:14am
Hi all. I am a NEWBIE. I am also a 50 year old Grandma, who just bought her first camper - a 2010 R Pod 173  . It's beautiful, and I love it. However, It did not come with ANY TYPE OF INSTRUCTION MANUAL. I have been living on the internet, trying to learn about it... and learning a lot by "hard luck trial and error", too.I REALLY NEED YOUR HELP, IN GRANDMA TERMS: My current issue (pun intended) is that all my power (battery) died last week. I had just been camping, and plugged in at a campground March 5-7. I turned off the Fridge and Stereo... but after a few days, I heard some beeping. It was a detector (on the wall between the couch and fridge). I figured it was run on AA batteries, so I ignored it.  Question 1: Why did my battery die so fast? It appeared FULL while I was at the camp ground. Question 2: It is not responding to being plugged up to my house. (30v that came with R Pod, to heavy guage extension cord, to house) ****PROBABLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT I LIVE IN A HOUSE BUILT IN THE 1940'S, AND MY BREAKERS ARE MOSTLY 20V, WITH 2 30'S JOINED (I THINK) TO RUN A FEW THINGS, AND 2 50'S TO RUN MY WORKSHOP. Question 3: Should I go to a camp ground, and plug up today, just to see if my converter is still good?  Sad Grandma today. ------------- XDigger 2010 RPod 173 2000 Chevy 1500 V8 |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 10:31am
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Sounds like battery is NOT charging. As long as you have a 120 VAC source, with plug and extension cord, the Converter charge circuit should have a source. One thing, very simple, when the charge circuit is active and the battery is low, the Converter fan should be operating. Because the converter gets warm. When plugged in do you hear the fan? The beeping detector is most likely caused by low battery voltage. Do you have a way to check battery voltage? Like a voltmeter. Once you have determined the charge circuit is not working, I would next check all the fuses in the converter, make sure you haven't popped one. I would start with these steps. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 10:36am
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+1 to what mcarter just said. Buy, beg, borrow, or steal a DVM so you can check voltages. Most likely your converter (AKA battery charger) is inop. It could be a fuse or something simple, or the converter may have died. As a workaround, you can charge the battery back up with an ordinary battery charger. In a pinch, you could also use jumper cables from your tow vehicle to boost the battery back up to operating voltage. If you have a friend that knows how to use a meter, buy him or her a cup of coffee for a little help. good luck ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 10:43am
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Xdigger15,
Friendly suggestion - you would get a lot more visibility to your issue, if when you do have an issue, you start a new topic. Hard to find your CONVERTER question in a post labeled INVERTER. Glueguy and I obviously read posts, so we saw your topic, but a lot of folks won't, because it is hidden by being off subject. Again just a friendly suggestion. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: XDigger15
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 10:45am
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Thank you, guys. I went out and checked fuses first. I found that the 7.5 Furnace Fuse and the 15v Fuse above it were Switched! Neither was blown. I also checked the two 40v fuses. HERE IS THE BIG PROBLEM from what I can see now. The converter SWITCH (like a light switch, in the fuse panel), is not a strong click, like the others. I think it is ruined. What is the fix for that??? ------------- XDigger 2010 RPod 173 2000 Chevy 1500 V8 |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 11:16am
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Let me see if I understand. The battery died sometime after you left the campground where it had been plugged into shore power. Did it die while sitting in your driveway (or some place similar), while NOT hooked up to shore power? If that's the case, the battery can go downhill quickly while the Pod isn't on shore power. There are phantom drains, notably the CO detector. If you had the fridge and stereo totally off I'm not sure what else. Anyway, when not in use there are two choices really. Disconnect the battery or keep the Pod plugged in to shore power all the time. I do the latter. A 20 amp household circuit will work fine for this purpose. (You'll need an adapter to go from a "regular" (heavy duty) extenstion cord to the 30 amp receptacle on the Pod -- about $10 a Walmart). What others have suggested may be correct but if my understanding of what happend is right you may just need to charge up the battery. It's also possible your battery is shot. There have been cases of people selling used Pods with old junk batteries. Do you know that current is getting to the Pod when you plug in at home? That's the other thing to check. Does the clock on the microwave come on when you're plugged in? Could be a circuit breaker or fuse at the house.... TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: mloerzel
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 9:39pm
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Inverters are a Tricky subject! I am an Electronic Technician, I did a bunch of experiments this winter: Hair Dryer, Microwave, TV, ect. My conclusion is that you have Two categories of things you might want to power: 1)Low Current/Wattage: TV, Phone chargers, small Lights(ideally LED's). 2)High Current/Wattage: Hair Dryer, Microwave, ect. ...Forget about anything like Air Conditioner, heaters, stove, crock pot, ect. Unless you have 8 car batteries! I have 2 Golf Cart batteries(225 Amp Hours) for basic needs: Lights, Pump, Fan, TV, Charging Phones, all Low Current. I run the TV off a small inverter, 300 watts, which is overkill. I might go to a 150 watt. My intent is for the Camper Batteries to last several days. For High Current stuff, I installed a Great Big AGM battery in my truck. I plug the Camper into a 2000 watt Inverter. I use this (Sparingly) for a Hair Dryer, or Microwave. The battery is 92 Amp Hours(which is Huge!). Either appliance will run a total of 15 minutes, then the inverter shuts down. After that, I still have plenty of power to start the truck... Do NOT run your vehicle while the inverter On!!!, most alternators are around 100 Amps, A hair dryer uses 165. You will likely Melt your car's charging system. ------------- Life is Too Serious to be taken Seriously |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 9:50pm
------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |