Do you use an inverter in your motorhome?

[dragonfl1e]

Got one, not sure what make or wattage, but never use it. Use USB charging for everything we need, on-board batteries charged from solar power. Over the last 4 years we have never plugged into the mains and have had no problems. We have learned to travel light and luckily neither of us are bothered about electric-guzzling gadgets / appliances.

 

[snapster]

We had a Bestek 2000w inverter in our old vans, Mrs S used it to dry her hair ( with a hairdryer!) and we have a rechargeable Dyson handheld vac and I occasionally charged my Macbook with it.
I’ve just fitted a 1200w Pure Sine Wave inverter in our new van. It will be used as the other one was but will also be powering and charging more sensitive items that the old modified sine wave inverter had broken before!

 

[Chris bumble]

I was just wondering how many members use an inverter in their motorhome.
What size and make of inverter do you have?

I have a Victron Multiplus inverter charger (12/3000/120). It is a 2400watt (3000VA) nominal, 6000watt Max inverter. It also has a built in 120 amp battery charger which is ideal for my battery bank.

I’ve a 300 watt for small technology and possible battery charging problems also a solar panel I only have a small van converted to stealth mode sleeps two

 

[Donrevy]

I used to have a 3000 watt but my son thought he was doing me a favour one day and plugged me into the mains while I was using it and that was the end of that. I now have an ex MOD 1600 watt which seems to be bullet proof but very heavy and a small light 300 Watt. I no longer wire the main one into the vans electric system as I earned my lesson from the incident with my son, instead it is a stand alone system with its own sockets. The 300 watt can be used from either the engine or the leisure battery. The 1600 watt's separate leisure battery is fed from a solar panel and gives me 4 to 5 hours a day (depending on the sun) which is used for either the TV or my computer.

 

[Yerbertie]

Pure sine wave 2000 watt

 

[Joy zigzag]

I was just wondering how many members use an inverter in their motorhome.
What size and make of inverter do you have?

I have a Victron Multiplus inverter charger (12/3000/120). It is a 2400watt (3000VA) nominal, 6000watt Max inverter. It also has a built in 120 amp battery charger which is ideal for my battery bank.

I want to buy a new inverter as I only have an old fashioned one that plugs into cigarette lighter. Would like to use my hairdryer at 1400w or at least hot brush at 700w also bike battery and vac charged. Any recommendations really appreciated.

 

[wildebus]

I want to buy a new inverter as I only have an old fashioned one that plugs into cigarette lighter. Would like to use my hairdryer at 1400w or at least hot brush at 700w also bike battery and vac charged. Any recommendations really appreciated.

I think the Edecoa inverters are good value for money - this is a 1500W one - https://amzn.to/2RWC145
I use a 2500W (5000W Peak) Edecoa PSW Inverter in my 'Kitchen' to run the Induction Hob and other high-power stuff and it just works and is nice and quiet. The little remote is quite neat as well.
You can save a bit of money by getting a modified sine wave Inverter, but - IMHO - it is worth paying the extra for the pure sine wave as it will always work with anything you buy (within the power capacity of course)

 

[nabsim]

I want to buy a new inverter as I only have an old fashioned one that plugs into cigarette lighter. Would like to use my hairdryer at 1400w or at least hot brush at 700w also bike battery and vac charged. Any recommendations really appreciated.

Just a question please, your bike charger, does it do a quick charge or is it a long low charge? My mobility scooter is supposed to be an overnight (12 hour?) charge. Reason I ask is if it is a long slow charge will batteries be capable of it without massive battery banks and source of charging them?
At Burtonwood I took my batteries a bit lower than I would have liked by having my battery on charge then forgetting it until almost 4 in the afternoon. Weather wasn’t like we had had during the summer so didn’t get enough charge rest of that day and no hookups in site.

 

[Admin]

I want to buy a new inverter as I only have an old fashioned one that plugs into cigarette lighter. Would like to use my hairdryer at 1400w or at least hot brush at 700w also bike battery and vac charged. Any recommendations really appreciated.

Hi Joy,
Before getting a larger inverter you need to make sure that your battery bank is large enough to handle it.

 

[pagey]

i use a 300 watt inverter to charge the bike batteries when i am driving

 

[marymary]

I really couldn’t tell ya!!!!!

 

[Joy zigzag]

Hi Joy,
Before getting a larger inverter you need to make sure that your battery bank is large enough to handle it.

Hi Phil. Do you mean the two leisure batteries ? Just had two new ones put in ....do I need to see what amp they are ? Thanks as a bit lost with it all, don't want to spend a fortune .....

 

[Joy zigzag]

Just a question please, your bike charger, does it do a quick charge or is it a long low charge? My mobility scooter is supposed to be an overnight (12 hour?) charge. Reason I ask is if it is a long slow charge will batteries be capable of it without massive battery banks and source of charging them?
At Burtonwood I took my batteries a bit lower than I would have liked by having my battery on charge then forgetting it until almost 4 in the afternoon. Weather wasn’t like we had had during the summer so didn’t get enough charge rest of that day and no hookups in site.

My bike usually only takes a couple of hours to charge, it's charge holds for weeks and does about 60 miles on each charge....not that I go that far ! Ha ha....

 

[Joy zigzag]

I think the Edecoa inverters are good value for money - this is a 1500W one - https://amzn.to/2RWC145
I use a 2500W (5000W Peak) Edecoa PSW Inverter in my 'Kitchen' to run the Induction Hob and other high-power stuff and it just works and is nice and quiet. The little remote is quite neat as well.
You can save a bit of money by getting a modified sine wave Inverter, but - IMHO - it is worth paying the extra for the pure sine wave as it will always work with anything you buy (within the power capacity of course)

Thank you , I will look it up on line....value for money sounds good to me...pure sine wave better if I need to charge any sensitive equipment ?

 

[wildebus]

Thank you , I will look it up on line....value for money sounds good to me...pure sine wave better if I need to charge any sensitive equipment ?

using a PSW Inverter is akin to using your home mains supply. Modified Sine Wave (also called Quasi Sine Wave) Inverters are not the best for some equipment (the classic 'breaks if plugged into one' is the electric toothbrush). Have you got anything that cares? apart from a forementioned toothbrush, maybe not, but for the price difference, I think it is worth paying a little extra to be worry free.

(I also feel, based on just gut instinct, that the Modified Sine Wave Inverters are more likely to be built down to a price and minimal acceptable quality, more so than the more demanding Pure Sine Wave products are. But that is purely my opinion and cannot point to any 'facts' or evidence to back that up)

 

[raynipper]

Seems like most only use their inverters for ladies hair dryers. Why not use a 12v hair dryer?
Saying that we used our 1800w inverter only for the odd use of the microwave.

Ray.

 

[nabsim]

F

Seems like most only use their inverters for ladies hair dryers. Why not use a 12v hair dryer?
Saying that we used our 1800w inverter only for the odd use of the microwave.

Ray.

rom lots of posts I have seen it looks like 12v hair dryers just don’t work, it also looks like we may have the only pair of 12v straighteners that do work as well. Well, when I say we I mean Caz

 

[wildebus]

Seems like most only use their inverters for ladies hair dryers. Why not use a 12v hair dryer?
Saying that we used our 1800w inverter only for the odd use of the microwave.

Ray.

Have a think how big the cables (+ve and -ve) would be for a 12V Hairdryer of a usable wattage the ladies would end up with a bodybuilders arm.


And why keep paying extra to duplicate products? 12V version of this, 12V version of that - and always more expensive as the market is so much more limited. Zero point IMO

 

[Markd]

I thought I might need one for CPAP machine but when i looked at it I found it is 12v so run it direct without the power unit.
So no power losses taking voltage up and then down again!
However I am thinking again about getting one so we can use microwave and induction hob 'roadside' or even for aircon on the move. Presumably we'llneed PSW for these?

 

[Littlemush]

Oh no - Now my wife knows she can use a hair dryer when we're away.

Thanks guys

I'll have to tell her our inverter isn't powerful enough. Which I think is true - it's a 800w one from Maplins. I can clip it to the battery when I need it. to be honest I can't remember when I've needed it because everything is 12v apart from the hairdryer.