# Vehicle inverter setup options?



## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

I thought I'd drop this here rather than in the vehicles forum.

I'm picking up a utility van and was curious about the options for power setup. I usually have access to power at the job but sometimes it's a pain because of crappy wiring or no external outlets, etc.. My heaviest potential usage would be some cuts with a circ. saw, miter saw or a portable tablesaw. We're talking minutes of usage, not hours. Otherwise I'd just like to have a charging station for batteries and be able to run a laptop. Not concurrently.

I'm figuring that a 2k/4k pure sine inverter and 108 amp hour battery with the wiring would run around $800ish new. Does that sound about right?

For the cheapo option I'm seeing 150/300 pure sine inverters that just plug into the lighter slot. Is that a valid/safe way of doing it for battery charges and laptop?

Thanks.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> For the cheapo option I'm seeing 150/300 pure sine inverters that just plug into the lighter slot. Is that a valid/safe way of doing it for battery charges and laptop?


That's all I use, just a little 150 watt jobbie. Charges my laptop and batteries. If I don't have power I use the cordless roto hammer and circular saw...charge in the truck.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

I use my 2000w to run a Hilti TE905.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

480sparky said:


> I use my 2000w to run a Hilti TE905.


Do you run that off a separate battery or have it tied into your vehicle and use it while idling?


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

EthanB said:


> Do you run that off a separate battery or have it tied into your vehicle and use it while idling?


Second battery run through an isolator.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

I had a 3000w modified sq wave and I ran nearly all my tools off of it including my 1HP compressor. I had a 105AH battery to drive it. Mainly used it for my chopsaw.


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

I would just get a portable inverter generator for the power tools. Way more handy to have in the long run.


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

I use a 3000 watt inverter in my van with a 2nd alternator installed where my A/C compressor used to be. 

This keeps excess stress off of the main alternator for those times when I have to use the inverter while the van is running,


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

Morning Wood said:


> I would just get a portable inverter generator for the power tools. Way more handy to have in the long run.



Yeah... all that gas and oil and noise and changing spark plugs and pull starting and lugging around....... sounds like a great plan. :laughing:

I prefer to just have nice, quiet power without any more work than pushing a switch. :whistling


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## CarpenterSFO (Dec 12, 2012)

480sparky said:


> Yeah... all that gas and oil and noise and changing spark plugs and pull starting and lugging around....... sounds like a great plan. :laughing:
> 
> I prefer to just have nice, quiet power without any more work than pushing a switch. :whistling


Portable gens have come a long way.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

I'm not interested in carrying a full size generator in the van considering I almost never NEED a power source. I can see giving up half a box from the side for a good solution but not a 2x2 section of the bed. Some of the portable Honda gens look really nice and small but for the peak wattage I think I'd need to spend close to $2k for a generator that can handle the peak from a chop saw/table saw unless I'm figuring this wrong.

To the guys that have permanent inverter setups, do you have a way to charge from a plug so you can top it up at night? That should be enough for my needs unless the second alternator is easy(which I doubt, I couldn't put a piece of gum in the extra space left under the hood.)


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## Timo (Nov 22, 2006)

EthanB said:


> . . . . To the guys that have permanent inverter setups, do you have a way to charge from a plug so you can top it up at night? . . . . .


http://shop.pkys.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-7610-SI-Series-Solenoid-120-Amp-1224V-ACR_p_22.html

. . automatic battery combiner is suitable for small and medium sized boats and has a rating of 120 Amps. It can operate at 12 or 24 Volts DC. It automatically combines two battery banks when either of the batteries is being charged, and once the charge source goes away it separates the two banks again. The operation is completely automatic.

What could be simpler?

I have one, just not installed yet. When the vehicle is running, both batteries are connected together, being charged. When the battery isolater detects that current is being withdrawn, it separates the truck battery from the spare battery so you always have a fully charged on-board battery for starting purposes.

You were planning on hooking the inverter to a spare battery weren't you? This way, your standby battery is always full, whether you remember to charge it or not.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

CarpenterSFO said:


> Portable gens have come a long way.


They don't use gas & oil? Never need maintaining? :blink:


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

CarpenterSFO said:


> Portable gens have come a long way.


Yes they have, but even the best are still huge, noisy and clunky compared to a solid state inverter and battery. For all day punishment, the former is best; for light occasional use it's hard to beat the latter.

If I was forced to choose between the two, I'd have to go with a generator to cover the most scenarios. But my druthers prefer both.


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## tedanderson (May 19, 2010)

EthanB said:


> To the guys that have permanent inverter setups, do you have a way to charge from a plug so you can top it up at night?


I don't. But I suppose that if I needed this kind of setup, I would wire in one of those big quick-disconnect plugs that they use on battery powered forklifts and tow trucks that are equipped to do jumpstarts without opening the hood. 

As far as the power source, you could either go with a standard floor-mounted forklift battery charger or you could use one of those rolling cart type battery chargers that they use in repair shops.


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## CarpenterSFO (Dec 12, 2012)

480sparky said:


> They don't use gas & oil? Never need maintaining? :blink:


A Honda 2K, suitable to run a Kapex, or a Ryobi table saw, or a small compressor, weighs under 50 lbs. 53-59dB, absurdly quiet. They start every time on the first pull. If Ethan's tired he can find an 8-year old to carry it around and pull the starter. If he uses it an hour a day, he'll put gas in it every week or so, top the oil every 6 months, and otherwise never do a single thing to maintain it. It's a Honda.

An inverter would be nice and convenient, no doubt.

Ethan:

Have you rented a small generator recently? Easy way for you to test drive and make the right decision.:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

CarpenterSFO said:


> Ethan:
> 
> Have you rented a small generator recently? Easy way for you to test drive and make the right decision.:laughing::laughing::laughing:


I haven't but I'm pretty friendly with the owner of the local rental shop so that's an easy fix. I bet he'll let me test out a few right there.

Are you using the Honda 2k? I figured that wouldn't have a high enough peak for the chop saw, table saw and compressor. The price would be the same as the inverter setup and the size is good. One other plus is that we get fairly frequent power outages here so I could play the hero for select customers.


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

EthanB said:


> I haven't but I'm pretty friendly with the owner of the local rental shop so that's an easy fix. I bet he'll let me test out a few right there.
> 
> Are you using the Honda 2k? I figured that wouldn't have a high enough peak for the chop saw, table saw and compressor. The price would be the same as the inverter setup and the size is good. One other plus is that we get fairly frequent power outages here so I could play the hero for select customers.


We use the Honda 2k all the time. I have no doubt it will run a chopsaw fine. As stated, they use very little fuel and start every time.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

donerightwyo said:


> We use the Honda 2k all the time. I have no doubt it will run a chopsaw fine. As stated, they use very little fuel and start every time.


Excellent! Can you do me a favor and test it out on a 15amp circ saw and a Dewalt DW745 and let me know if they'll run. Then I'm all set.:laughing:


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## donerightwyo (Oct 10, 2011)

EthanB said:


> Excellent! Can you do me a favor and test it out on a 15amp circ saw and a Dewalt DW745 and let me know if they'll run. Then I'm all set.:laughing:


Hell I'd tell you that it could run that plus a demo hammer and charge three batteries too but then the sparkies would jump in with math and stuff and that wouldn't be any fun.

I think for what your doing an inverter might be the way to go.


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