Hi all, thinking of getting a inverter but unsure on which one we’ll need, it will be to run a tv & digi box off, & is it possible to run it from the car into the caravan so we can use the van battery for lights, water pump & loo, Many Thanks
I imagine it's possible, but wouldn't it be better to run it from the caravan battery, which if need be, could be recharged from the car, rather than risk flattening the car battery?
A 200 Watt inverter at the most should cope with your requirement. We used to use our 120 & 150 Watt ones to drive our TV that had a 70 Watt rated AC/DC adaptor. Actual running power was only 35 Watts but I assume the higher rating was to start the TV.
I have read that some inverters cause screen patterns but ours don't. The smaller 120 Watt "Ring" made one has a fan and is irritatingly noisy if you have to have it within the van. The better quality, fan less 150 one is effectively silent.
Efficiency wise it is a mistake to over size the inverter. I have checked the better unit and its efficiency is about 90% but have not checked the Ring unit.
Running from the car battery makes sense if you limit the use to ensure enough remains in the battery for starting. We did this. This way you can replace what is used if you drive a reasonable distance regularly. We put the inverter in the car and ran 240 volt to the van which better deals with voltage drop losses and then the inverter noise is no issue.
But dont forget and leave the inverter running whilst not in use as they still consume power. Going out late at night to pull it out was a bind on a cold night.
I have a 1000w inverter which I use from time to time. It does the job, supplying 240v where none is otherwise available. However, it will only work when connected directly to the car battery by jump lead sized cables, and after 10 mins even though the car battery is ( or was ) fully charged, it will then only work if the engine is running. This isn't a problem for me, as I only need it occasionally and for half an hour or so. For TV use I would look for a caravan TV that ran direct from 12v in the first place. In the end that would be a far better option from my experience than using a domestic 240v tv from 12v. via an inverter for long periods.
Thank you all for your replies, was thinking of getting one so our 3 year old could watch a bit of tv if we go to any rallies, not sure how long the battery would last using a 200 or 300 watt inverter, may need to buy a heavy duty battery, many thanks
i had simular worries ie pulling up on a feild with no genny available and 2 kids moaning to watch t.v
this is what i done..
made a 12v lead for both tv and freesat box fitted another leisure battery and another 12v trickle charger perminantly wired to charge battery when 240 is available.I know have the ability to watch tv while i have charge in battery without the risk of flatening battery for lights etc. this also allows me to watch tv in bed once genny is turned off. or before it comes on in morning.
its ok using an inverter but i found he suitale ones were expensive and soon flattend batteries
i also purchased a recordable freesat box that i have set up in kids room at home recording as many episodes of horrid henry as possible so i dont even have to set sky dish up on arrival
Hi jaysere03, both tv & free view box 240v only, I’ll have to look into the inverters some more before i decide, we have a portable dvd player we could take & lots of dvds, do no harm to have a spare battery, we’ll leave the microwave & tv at home to compensate for the extra battery weight, many thanks,
dont forget if fitting a second battery to consider the saftey aspect of it.
i used an old belt that one of the kids didnt need and fitted in a space thats not really needed with an air vent,i also fited a breather from battery and pushed it out through the air vent
Hi jaysere03, thanks again, was thinking of just taking another battery with us as a spare to change over if needed, myself & my better half could cope without ehu & tv but a 3 year old will get bored very quickly, it will only be for a short time before she goes to sleep,
It may be worth visiting the Caravan show at the NEC over the next week & going to the Waeco stand, they do inverters as well as masses of other things & they'll be able to advise you which inverter is best for your requirements. http://www.waeco.co.uk/default.aspx
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Inverter
