What do you use your inverter for?

CamperJack

CamperJack

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As some of you may know I may be moving into my van full / semi full time if I go back to university to do a masters. Probably four - five days a week minimum, assuming I come home every weekend. Which I may well not because of diesel costs.

I am thinking of installing an inverter. But I'm not sure how many things I would actually use with it. I can charge most things, including the laptop, with 12v cigarette lighter sockets or USB.

Perhaps the only thing I can think I would really miss that runs on 240v is a stick blender. And before anyone asks how often I use one it's probably once every two or three days because I eat a lot of home made soups. Perhaps I could also use a 240V TV rather than spending a fortune on a 12v TV too?

So what do you guys use your inverter for or what 240V things do you use in the van? Or can anyone point me towards a 12v stick blender? :roflmto:
 
Extra info: my current stick blender is 300 watts but I have seen them rated at only 200 watts.
 
Luxuries mostly, and not really for me but my new laptop needs more than 12v so required for that.
Wifes hardrier
coffee machine
microwave
Straighteners

None of which esential, but I know others use em for charging leccy bikes etc.
 
I'm fulltime

I have a 1500w continuous 3000w peak inverter.

I very rarely use it but i have used , blender, hairdryer, electric drill, electric Sander, toaster, and a few chargers for electric toothbrush , beard trimmer etc

But my advice is if you can run everything from 12v then do so
 
Tombola said:
Luxuries mostly, and not really for me but my new laptop needs more than 12v so required for that.
Wifes hardrier
coffee machine
microwave
Straighteners

None of which esential, but I know others use em for charging leccy bikes etc.
Click to expand...

Now I do have a coffee machine but was planning on roughing it with a cafetiere. ;)

No real interest in running something as power hungry as a microwave and have no need of straighteners or hairdryer. My curly hair doesn't do as it's told anyway. I blame my Grandad.

Thanks! :)

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Northernraider said:
I'm fulltime

I have a 1500w continuous 3000w peak inverter.

I very rarely use it but i have used , blender, hairdryer, electric drill, electric Sander, toaster, and a few chargers for electric toothbrush , beard trimmer etc

But my advice is if you can run everything from 12v then do so
Click to expand...

A toaster would be nice, especially if I end up without a grill. Also the drill might be handy.
 
We use ours for
Toaster, kettle, slow cooker pot, mixer, grill/oven, air fan, and will be getting a 1kw hot plate as well. We ditched the microwave for the oven grill. Microwave is useless. The oven can bake all sorts: pasta bake, bread, pizza, roast potato, chicken etc.
 
The problem isn't the inverter it's putting the power back into the batteries afterwards. :) Having said that I don't think you will regret fitting one but you might want to consider fitting a B2B as well. If you shop around and if Sterling are still selling their refurbished ones you could fit both for under £400 at a push. This is what I did - links in the signature block below.
 
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DBK said:
The problem isn't the inverter it's putting the power back into the batteries afterwards. :) Having said that I don't think you will regret fitting one but you might want to consider fitting a B2B as well. If you shop around and if Sterling are still selling their refurbished ones you could fit both for under £400 at a push. This is what I did - links in the signature block below.
Click to expand...

I got a Sterling B2B and I think it was you that suggested it. (y)
 
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Our inverter main use is charging the e-bikes anything else we use it for is not essential. Nice to be able to make a brew with the electric kettle when on the chunnel.
As John DBK say you need the power to supply it and way to recharge the batteries.

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200w solar & 200amp of batteries, mostly used in Europe in summer so I use my 1500W inverter for the kettle & toaster saves my gas
 
If you get a reasonable pure sine wave inverter you can choose what to run when the sun is shining--(assuming you have solar? ) and when its not--depending on your batteries you can run stuff
as long as you keep an eye on battery condition.
We connected the inverter to the Van's 240v circuit so all sockets were alive whenever inverter was on (3000w)----- with an eye on our system (just basic meter) we ran mobility scooter charger, ramoska, slow cooker, toaster, electric kettle( 900w) plus other stuff---- even electric hot water system when power was ok!!! Could run the fridge but didn't often bother!!
But it depends on what solar/ batteries etc you have/ want
 
Lenny HB said:
Our inverter main use is charging the e-bikes anything else we use it for is not essential. Nice to be able to make a brew with the electric kettle when on the chunnel.
As John DBK say you need the power to supply it and way to recharge the batteries.
Click to expand...

Got the sterling B2B, and 340 watts of solar and 200ah of battery (100ah usable).

Blender

200 watts blender / 12 v = 16.6 amps per hour.

17 amps / 60 = 0.28 amps per minute.

0.28 amps X 4 minutes running time = 1.2 amps.

1.2 amps X 1.25 (efficiency losses) = 1.44 amps draw for using a 200 watt blender for four minutes, which is probably much longer than needed.

Should always be fine.



Toaster

800 watts toaster / 12 v = 66.6 amps.

67 amps / 60 = 1.1 amps per minute.

1.1 amps per minute X 5 minutes = 5.5 amps

5.5 amps X 1.25 (efficiency losses) = 6.9 amps

Perhaps start the engine to engage the B2B while making toast if the batteries need a boost and / or its not sunny.




You guys have taught me well! Would never have been able to work this stuff out before joining. (y)
 
I fitted a PSW 1000w inverter for hair straighteners.
And a small efficient 200w PSW for everything else:
TV
Toothbrush chargers
Hair clippers
Vacuum cleaner charger.

The little one is so efficient it doesn't matter if it gets left on all night, the quiescent current is only 0.2 amps 👌

www.studer-innotec.com

AJ 275-12

The AJ range consists of sine wave inverter that convert battery voltage into utility quality 230Vac* which can be used with all usual electrical appliances.
www.studer-innotec.com www.studer-innotec.com

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I have never used the inverter in any of my Van's, they were fitted purely to power girly sfuff
 
Hairdryer kettle microwave and some chargers (window vac, vac cleaner,toothbrushes, beard trimmer). Used to have toaster before we stopped eating bread.

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CamperJack said:
As some of you may know I may be moving into my van full / semi full time if I go back to university to do a masters. Probably four - five days a week minimum, assuming I come home every weekend. Which I may well not because of diesel costs.

I am thinking of installing an inverter. But I'm not sure how many things I would actually use with it. I can charge most things, including the laptop, with 12v cigarette lighter sockets or USB.

Perhaps the only thing I can think I would really miss that runs on 240v is a stick blender. And before anyone asks how often I use one it's probably once every two or three days because I eat a lot of home made soups. Perhaps I could also use a 240V TV rather than spending a fortune on a 12v TV too?

So what do you guys use your inverter for or what 240V things do you use in the van? Or can anyone point me towards a 12v stick blender? :roflmto:
Click to expand...
This is an interesting question we had an inverter fitted on our VW Camper and hardly used it so from our perspective it’s not a priority and did not have one fitted to the MoHo. Most devices used in the MoHo are 12v and we mainly use campsites with hookups and occasionally stop without a hookup. Inverters can have quite a load on a battery.

This article talks about the power consumption of an inverter with no load, it is saying that a 500W inverter can draw 3amps

this was our experience with our Transporter and we switched it off when not in use which was most of the time
 
Last edited:
CamperJack said:
But they come with a 240v plug. Or can you buy a different lead?
Click to expand...
A surprising amount are actually 12 volt and the power supply is a transformer down to 12v. But why not look on ebay, gumtree etc for a secondhand one. One tip is to have a look at power consumption, ASFAIK LEd is the best.

Ours runs, remoska, microwave tarvel hairdrier and ocassional blender etc, my advice would be not to stint too much and get a decent sine wave one so it doesnt screw your chargers.
 
Coolcats said:
This is an interesting question we had an inverter fitted on our VW Camper and hardly used it so from our perspective it’s not a priority and did not have one fitted to the MoHo. Most devices used in the MoHo are 12v and we mainly use campsites with hookups and occasionally stop without a hookup. Inverters can have quite a load on a battery.

This article talks about the power consumption of an inverter with no load, it is saying that a 500W inverter can draw 3amps

this was our experience with our Transporter and we switched it off when not in use which was most of the time
Click to expand...
You are confusing W with A. The reason is quoted in W ( more appropriate than A) is because voltage fluctuation. One amp at 13,2v with Li this is most of the time, is 13,2W. With lead at 12,5v which is a full battery under low mild load would be 12,5W. So, for the same amp you see a difference of 0,7W at one amp only. Make that 20a and it’s a massive 14w of power unaccounted for. Run it for few hrs, and the discrepancy grows even more. That’s the reason power is quoted in W not A which is only current. Current without voltage has no meaning when you try to keep track of energy, power over time.
The professional inverters are quoting idle power in W. If that needs to be translated in A dc then the 3w at 12v would be 0,25a or 0,22a at 13,2v.
 
Looking at a small inverter for small draw items has some merit, but once you get to larger uses, coffee machines, hairdryers, lower wattage kettles etc you have to review how you replenish the consumption and the space requirement for the larger inverter. It is at that point where I would suggest that the consideration of an inverter/charger comes into its own. With a Victron unit for example the multiplus 2000 compact you get a fully featured unit, I wont drag the post out with them all but a key one in answer to the title of this thread is its UPS capability, you are on a 6 amp hookup and the hairdryer gets switched on at the same time as you have the kettle on and suddenly the demand is 10 amps. No panic, the breaker does not blow as the Multi inverts the missing amps to supplement the shore 6 amps in real time. For me that is a the best reason for an inverter/charger!
 
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