Upgrading 400W inverter possible?

[TCK]

Yes!!!! Finally I can have a paper shredder in my truck! Really though- I have aging parents and a demanding job, and well- there is also baseball, the one thing I cannot leave behind. I camp where I don’t have signal…but when I get it driving I need my stuff charged to check on things. Extra chargers are always used when we hit the road.

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[TCK]

That and Hellooo… 10 Watts!!

Really I am sure the inverter can be changed. Anything can be done with cash.

 

[Wire4money]

Non-engineer guy. I ordered this thinking it was just a normal outlet for electric plugs... Am I wrong?

It is, with a 400w limit

 

[Wire4money]

You could probably go up to a 1200 watt when the truck is running, you would be using the alternator for power though. You're still just pulling from a 12V car battery, which is not deep cycle and not meant to be run for a long time, and lead acid batteries dont do well when cycled below 50%. So best bet would be power station or solar generator setup in the bed if you need more power.

An inverter that large will be required to be hardwired to the battery with massive wires as it will pull over 100 amps.

 

[mav_can]

An inverter that large will be required to be hardwired to the battery with massive wires as it will pull over 100 amps.

Man, 100A required for 1200W. I’m with Elon on this one, 12V absolutely needs to die off as a standard. Should be like power transmission lines where it’s as high as possible to reduce power loss. If it weren’t for the parts bin and inertia in the auto industry, I think we’d see a non 12V standard for accessories a lot sooner.

 

[hcforde]

You could probably go up to a 1200 watt when the truck is running, you would be using the alternator for power though. You're still just pulling from a 12V car battery, which is not deep cycle and not meant to be run for a long time, and lead acid batteries dont do well when cycled below 50%. So best bet would be power station or solar generator setup in the bed if you need more power.

I have a 2000 watt inverter on my Toyota Sequoia. It is not permanently hooked up but a lot of people I know with trucks have permanently wired them in. The Ford Lightening is built as an inverter that can run your house if need be.

 

[hcforde]

I dropped the inverter from my initial build because for as little as I would use it I can buy 700 watt for $70 or a 400 watt inverter for $50 from Harbor Freight. At $140 it is a high profit margin add on. There is a 12V socket in the front and rear of the XLT and Lariat standard. Pulling the inverter out and plugging it in will serve me well and I can use that $70-$90 elsewhere.

Even Duracell makes a 800Watt inverter with 12V socket plug for $100 an amazon.

 

[hcforde]

You're limited by the existing 12VDC wiring and fuses. The ones in the back are 20 amp. Draw any more than that and you'll pop the fuse. Change the fuses without changing the wire and you'll risk fire or the wires melting (bad news).

If you want to run larger gauge wire direct from battery to a converter than you can run bigger stuff.

The smallest standard or mini fuse I have seen in a car is 5 amps that would be able to handle 600 watts. Respectively if the inverter circuit is fused with a 10 amp fuse the wiring should be able to handle 1200 watts. Has anyone seen the fuse box schematic to know how it is fused?

Personally I would not want a 1200watt inverter hanging out in my back seat but inverters under 800watts or so are small enough to do so. I can put it under the rear seat when not in use.

 

[Darnon]

The smallest standard or mini fuse I have seen in a car is 5 amps that would be able to handle 600 watts. Respectively if the inverter circuit is fused with a 10 amp fuse the wiring should be able to handle 1200 watts. Has anyone seen the fuse box schematic to know how it is fused?

Your math is off by a factor of ten. 5A at 12V = 60W. 10A = 120W. The stock inverter is fused for 60A, likely to accommodate the 400W nominal having some margin for startup surge although the manual doesn't explicitly specify how much.

 

[Wire4money]

I dropped the inverter from my initial build because for as little as I would use it I can buy 700 watt for $70 or a 400 watt inverter for $50 from Harbor Freight. At $140 it is a high profit margin add on. There is a 12V socket in the front and rear of the XLT and Lariat standard. Pulling the inverter out and plugging it in will serve me well and I can use that $70-$90 elsewhere.

Even Duracell makes a 800Watt inverter with 12V socket plug for $100 an amazon.

You will not plug in a 400 or 700w inverter to a cigarette lighter. They pull too much power and will blow the fuse. A 400w will pull around 40a.

 

[CASD57]

400 watts does more than you think... I could run a 4-5 piece band into a mixer into two Powered Speakers....
And still be under 400 watts
One of my FRFR Speakers only uses 80watts

 

[Mav2Scamp]

I ordered the hybrid with a 400W inverter, and I just saw an article that listed what could be run with it. To be honest, it seems like very few things that will be useful to me. Especially when it comes to charging tools. Is there any way to upgrade the inverter? Can that be done? I’m not sure the limitations of car electronics.

 

[Mav2Scamp]

The 400W inverter is for running electronics so as laptops, printers, tv’s and batteries for hand tools etc. not plugin power tool. You can but larger inverters but they will be a greater drain your battery. I have not seen any automaker offer a power inverter greater than 400W so it might have to do with battery capacity.

 

[hcforde]

You will not plug in a 400 or 700w inverter to a cigarette lighter. They pull too much power and will blow the fuse. A 400w will pull around 40a.

I have done it numerous times with no issues. I also asked if anyone had seen a schematic to know how it is fused. It is not plugging it in that is the issue, it is the amp draw of the device you plug into it. My 400w inverter will only run a 3.3 amp 120V device. Go higher and the circuit breaker on the inverter will trip. I would limit my use to say a 5amp 120V device. The 700w Inverter will work well in a situation like this. If these were no capable to be used directly on 12V sockets They would not come equipped as such by big names. As you go higher the inverters become direct wire connections only.

The bottom line is this. How many amps is the 12V socket wired for?

 

[Darnon]

The bottom line is this. How many amps is the 12V socket wired for?

The 12V power points are rated for 15A / 180W

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