# Inverter advice



## kontikiJo (Dec 31, 2007)

I would like to install an inverter in my motor caravan I would therefore appreciate if anyone could advice me on the appropiate one. I have a 75 watts solar panel and I would like to use a laptop, radio and at times a hair dryer. Any idea on price ?

Thank you


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Oh no . . hair driers 8O 
I [like others] have gone through the pain of hair driers when not on hook-up 
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopict-18434-hair.html+drier 
[amongst other posts] . . if you do a search 'hair driers' I'm sure there are other threads, to cut a long story short although I have fitted a 1500w inverter it didn't take very long [around 4 or so minutes] before the low battery alarm flashed, In the end Sylv got an 800w hair drier but I found that the [easiest way] was for me to just run our little generator & run the extension cable from it straight to her hair drier.
I tried to convince her to have her hair cut short but the smack in the mouth I received somehow told me that was a no no :wink:


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## hilldweller (Mar 8, 2008)

kontikiJo said:


> a hair dryer. Any idea on price ?
> Thank you


For a towel - fiver maybe a tenner for a super one.


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Hi,

forget about the hair dryer, these things just draw way too much power. 

For radio and laptop a 150 watts inverter should do the trick. Because of the radio you might want to look at true-sine models. They are more expensive, but then you can be sure that there is no noise.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## welshtust (Jun 9, 2008)

I agree, don't even try and run a hairdryer, same goes for Microwave, kettle


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Alison and I have been very happy with a 600W/1200W travel hairdryer, run on the lower 600W setting, and with prudent use, such as towel hair, comb/brush, leave for a while then blast with 600W for a suitably short time. Not yet run down batteries or needed to run the engine. Then again, I always know the state of them from my Victron battery monitor.

Dave


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

I keep mine short and just towel dry, so much easier, no worries, no problems.... but then not everyone likes short hair.....Duncan's is very short, like a number 2...so no problems any more there either. Although if you look at pictures from the 70's it was a different pictures, long wavy hair and curls....now those that know him can have a good laugh....

We have only a 150w inverter, plugged into a separate 12v socket taken from the battery by VanBitz, and that powers all our elec bits, like phone chargers, toothbrush, camera batteries etc.

Our tv, digibox and tv all run direct from 12v, no inverters. In fact when away in France in October, our Sterling 150w inverter packed up and we just purchased another one a Waeco this time.

Carol


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

Apologies all fo going off topic, but Carol, I was amased at your MPG's, I have a 2.8 Power 147 and for the past 45k kms have average mid 20's, most recent over 5k Kms to portugal and back got me 25.5mpg. I noticed that you got over 70mpg on one of yout fills, HOW did you manage that, my wifes Ford Ka 'only' does about 42mpg.


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

It is incorrect, as we are in kms....I stopped inputting info and did ask Dave if there was a way around it....so it should not be read as seen. We are getting around 23/24mpg with the autobox and 4.25...so we are pleased, and it is still very new.

Carol

Apologies to all for response, but thought it best, if someone wishes to move these I do not mind.


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## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

Before speaking about inverters it would be useful to know what size leisure batteries you have. If you are making do with a single factory fit 85 AH battery then some of the earlier comments may be valid. My wife has a 1000w hair drier and has it switched on for maybe 5 mins or so at a time and that takes around 5 or 6 amps out of the batteries. 

My advice would be to beef up your capacity if you haven't already done so. If you have 2 or 3 linked leisure batteries then I'd recommend you go for a 1000w or even 1500w inverter and use it with care, otherwise listen to the others and keep the hair drier in a box at home. At least if you have the capacity you can use more items like a low wattage kettle etc. without having to upgrade inverters

We make no bones about it we like our creature comforts so we use kettles, toasters, microwaves and hair driers and let the sun recharge our batteries for free. But then we have the capacity and 2 x 130w panels so each to their own


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Yes, a good point. In recent times I have made a mental note to research idc terminal voltage as a function of load and temperature, because often our off-hookup electrical demands are short-term power rather than energy consumption per se. When it's cold, you don't need that much current draw from a good leisure battery to pull the voltage down to below 12V. Yes, it recovers, but it's still a pain if it goes below the appliance (inverter) threshold voltage because what you want switches off :-(

Provided you KNOW you have short, thick cables from batteries to appliance, the pragmatic answer is, as Vennwood observes, more plate surface area; in other words, more Ah capacity.

I'd better PM Elizabeth about this, because unless Timberland pull their finger out, this might be the solution to her diesel heating problems, despite her having two batteries. 

Dave


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## leedsalix (Sep 15, 2008)

Hi all

Thanks for all the advice on inverters. We're wiring a 12V socket directly from the leisure battery for convenience (it will bypass the electrics control panel), and have just bought one of these (link below). Very handy as it fits in the van's cup holder, and has a USB socket so we can charge our Ipod!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ring-E-CAN-Ca...14&_trkparms=72:1301|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318

How do you add links to these posts?!!


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## kontikiJo (Dec 31, 2007)

Thank you all. My wife wil take Carol's advice-short hair and towel dry and therefor keep hair dyer at home.
Regards Joe


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

We had a Zodiac 300 watt inverter. Bought it about 3 years ago. The modified sinusoidal type. It was wired directly to the batery with a pretty short lead. We started noticing a burning smell coming from and shortly after it died. The guy at the electronics store told me they are very sensitive to inputs from devices plugged into them. We mainly used our to run a laptop while driving. I don't plan on buying another one, but wonder if others have had better results or the same problem.


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