Adding a small inverter

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16 awg is only good for 13 amps. So that's 150 watts dc, about 120 watts ac taking inverter efficiency into account. 18 is only good for 10A so 120w dc, around 100 w ac. That's a little borderline but should be enough for the TV.  I'd suggest running heavier gauge wire like maybe 12 gauge as long if you're pulling wire anyway, then you'd have better capacity if you ever needed it.  You could try using the existing 18 awg to pull the new wire back with.  

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offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Topic: Adding a small inverter Posted: 07 Nov 2020 at 5:58pm
	16 awg is only good for 13 amps. So that's 150 watts dc, about 120 watts ac taking inverter efficiency into account. 18 is only good for 10A so 120w dc, around 100 w ac. That's a little borderline but should be enough for the TV. I'd suggest running heavier gauge wire like maybe 12 gauge as long if you're pulling wire anyway, then you'd have better capacity if you ever needed it. You could try using the existing 18 awg to pull the new wire back with.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

pedwards2932 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 333	Posted: 07 Nov 2020 at 4:17pm
	I got my inverter and plug unit in. It looks like it has 16 gauge wiring. The factory wiring for the USB plugs looks more like 18 guage. I think I will try to run new wiring so it is 16 gauge the whole way. How hard is it to fish a line down to the converter?

Pod People Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 22 Sep 2011 Location: Chapel Hill,NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 1097	Posted: 06 Nov 2020 at 8:27am
	In our 179, I installed the inverter under the bed and next to the water heater. From there, I used 12/2 electrical wire to a newly installed outlet that is next to the tv. the other newly installed outlet is under the couch , readily available for recharging devices. The outlets are not located where the inverter is located. Here is a picture-note that the brown outlet is the inverter outlet here is the inverter located under the bed platform here is the switch for the inverter and the second inverter outlet-again, note that both are brown hope this helps Vann
	Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179

pedwards2932 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 333	Posted: 05 Nov 2020 at 9:43pm
	I want the inverter right where the TV is and I already have a USB charge port so it will be easy to change over to add the 12 volt recepticle. If I put it at the battery it is all the way at the front of rpod.

Pod People Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 22 Sep 2011 Location: Chapel Hill,NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 1097	Posted: 05 Nov 2020 at 9:14pm
	I connected our 750 watt inverter directly to the battery(with an appropriate fuse in between) with large diameter wiring. There is an inline switch that turns it off completely so there is no parasitic drain. the inverter has 2 standard 120v output outlets. I connected each one to double outlet capable of 120v. The inverter switch and inverter outlet plates are brown while all other standard plates are white. That way, there is no confusion as to which outlets are connected to the inverter. We use it primarily to recharge phones, computers, batteries,etc. Vann
	Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179

podwerkz Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966	Posted: 05 Nov 2020 at 6:57pm
	If you are digging around in the cabinet with the converter, you can tap into the 10ga line that feeds the 12vdc heating element of the fridge. On mine this wire bypasses the converter, is orange, and is fed thru a self-resetting circuit breaker mounted to the floor inside the cabinet. You will not likely be using the 12v power for the fridge at the same time you are powering your television and inverter...it will need to be one or the other.
	r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!

pedwards2932 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 333	Posted: 05 Nov 2020 at 5:50pm
	I have a battery switch for complete disconnect of the 12 volt. I installed it to avoid discharge.

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 05 Nov 2020 at 5:05pm
	I saw a comment that it is rated for 120W which would be 10A. That should be fine for the TV. If it is 120W rated then put it on a 10A fuse and call it good, don't try to feed it more current than its rated for. The only drawback I see is the LED parasitic loss. Unfortunately you seem to rarely find one of these without the LED anymore, mine has one too. Its a tiny load but you would still want to disconnect the battery or leave it on charge while in storage.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

pedwards2932 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 333	Posted: 05 Nov 2020 at 4:14pm
	I found this: https://www.amazon.com/Magnadyne-Black-Mount-Charging-Outlet/dp/B0814BT629/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=rv+wall+mount+12v+supply&sr=8-4 I have a usb outlet I could wire this in the same spot. Only issue I see is the rate the 12v at lower wattage....I suspect because of the wire size they send. It could handle 150 watts which is enough to power the TV. I could use larger wire and probably get more wattage.

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 05 Nov 2020 at 8:44am
	Not sure where everything is located in the 189. I tapped the supply for the stereo for my 12V port because its within a foot of the TV. That is already on a 10-15A fuse IIRC, so the port and wire is protected but would not support full output from a 300 watt inverter, more like 100 watts max. I have a 300 watt inverter I've used a couple of times in my port but just to charge a laptop, much less than 300 watts. The TV uses much less than 300 watts as well so its wouldn't be a problem, but if you want to use more power from the inverter then you'll either need to tap a circuit with a bigger fuse or add a new circuit and fuse. Just be sure wherever you tap that there is an appropriate fuse protecting the circuit and the fuse is upstream from where you tap. You don't have to add a fuse if there is already one in the panel and you use the appropriate wire gauge. 15A for 14 gauge, 20A for 12 gauge, 30A for 10 gauge.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold