*OT* 110V outlet? OEM part I can buy and install myself?

I origionally posted this here: 110V outlet? OEM part I can buy and install myself? - DodgeForum.com BUUUUUUT, I know you guys are VERY smart so I'm asking you all too:

Before I rip the dash apart and fab up my own 110 outlet, is there a factory part/kit I can order up and put it in?

These obviously do exist since they come from the factory from Dodge, but as you all know, I have the polish work truck version with very little options.

Ideally (if I do it myself of coarse), It would have a switch to turn it on/off and would be wired to the always on outlet. Ideally it would be about 300 watts (just enough to power a cell phone or a laptop...) nothing too big

What do you all think? Has anyone fabbed one up? Pictures?

Thanks guys!
__________________
Bought new 5/4/10 - Her name is Snowball
White Dodge RAM 1500 ST, 3.92 rear end
310HP, 330LB torque 4.7L V8, Class 5 hitch, 10,200LBS towing capacity
4x4, 8' bed that doesn't have to be made -3" front leveled 2/14/11

 

I have used an inverter or two. My recommendation is to go look at a 300 w TRUE SINE WAVE inverter. I don't know why you couldn't separate the plug part from the inverter part and dream up up some kind of clean set up. Remember you are working with AC voltage on the business end. It could kill or hurt you.
You may be able to put the inverter intact in an out of the way place and have a remote switch. I have one in the bathroom for my inverter for the house. That way I can look at it if I happen to be standing in there.
Are you putting this in the cab or the back. Or both? Once you are on the AC side line loss is negligible. On the DC side keep your leads large, short and fuse the positive side. Two wing nuts isolated from ground and a piece of #14 wire make a 250 amp +- fuse.
If you put a wire in the back/bed it needs a weatherproof box and lids on sockets.
Just a few thoughts. Film later.

Jeff

 

It would go in the cab, and I found one internet site (HERE: I-Hacked.com Taking Advantage Of Technology - 110v Power Jacks in your Car ) This crazy guy went with a 750W ones... GOOD LORD! I don't need to be able to make coffee!!!

Anyways, my concern would be heat. I'm not scared of 110 because I know what I'm doing and have learned what to touch and not touch with it hooked up lol, although I can definitely appreciate the concern. The heat produced from the inverter needs to be vented (IE, NOT behind the dash to just get super hot). You can see from that install that that guy installed the inverter under the hood... I don't know if I like that idea because of the moisture factor and that I like to go off roading and through puddles at 30+ mph... . I like how he separated/took apart the inverter to do this.

As far as the pure sine wave inverter, everyone keeps telling me this, but as you know, I'm cheap and don't need a pure sine wave inverter only because this is only there for convenience, not for necessity as it is at your boondock house

 

For computers you sure as h DO need pure sine wave. In those sizes the cost difference is negligible. You could put it under the hood but.......
Mine plugs in the ciggie lighter socket and lays on the tunnel behind the stick.
I bought a 3000w but decided it would get covered with coats and stuff so put it in an ice chest.
Then I got the baby to charge Toughbooks, cell phones and such. It does have a fan. It needs to be where air can flow around it. I was thinking mounted high up behind the seat.

 

Jeff is correct. Go for true sine wave. AC inverters are not something to be cheap on. Cheap ones will overheat and burn. Or produce inconsistent electricity which will fry whatever you have plugged into them, except for light bulbs, which are very forgiving. Personally, I would figure the maximum watts I would ever need and then double that figure. You will end up using it for more than you plan.
If you keep the inverter together as designed, you will have less concerns over isolating the ac from the rest of the truck. If you open it up to mount an outlet remotely, you need to be certain that it is isolated. Vehicles vibrate and any wire that rubs on something can wear the insulation off. 110v AC is a lot more deadly than 12 DC. If the AC shorts to the truck body, your whole metal truck is charged. AC has a hot and a neutral but if the outlet is being used both sides become hot and can electrocute you. If I was going with the remote outlet, I would use 12 gauge stranded wire in flexible waterproof conduit on the AC side of the inverter or generator. Terminate this in a standard waterproof AC outlet box. This eliminates any shock hazard. On the 12 VDC side, you need to know the amperage draw of the inverter to calculate the wire gauge. I would mount a fuse block with a MAXI fuse inline. Run separate isolated grounds for everything.
If I sound too careful, think about all the fires caused by extension cords and Christmas lights. I am trying to be scary.

 

Good write up deere.
Here's a few glimpses of how we do it in the west. Ice chest mounted modified sine wave inverter. 1/0 wire driven from pick-up battery.The blue things are electric branding irons. Wing-nuts are a +-250 Amp fuse.
Both ends of the small inverter. I run it in the "power center" what used to be called a cigar lighter. I was impressed that it came with the heavy gauge (for it) wires. It just lays on the tunnel behind the stick shift. Remember those?
Last but not least one half of plug w/ 1/0 wire for the large inverter.

Jeff

 

Ummm... actually, NO you DON'T need true sine wave for your computer, or your laptop, or 95 % of most consumer electronics. Why? Because if it uses a switch-mode power supply, (and most everything does nowadays) the first thing it does is rectify the current, turning it into DC voltage which it then regulates down to the DC Voltages needed to operate your device.

Now... some devices that use a linear power supply (these have a transformer first, then rectifier, then regulator circuit) are not very well filtered, and even though passing through a transformer tends to soften even a square or sawtooth wave into a more or less sinusoidal wave, the poor filtering (read small, often high ESR capacitors) will allow some of that noise to pass through and you'll be able to hear it in the speakers as a low, "sharp" or "jagged" hum, rather than the soft easily forgotten hum associated with true sinewave input. Most, however, simply chug along quite happily, ignorant of their "modified sine wave" input.

Rarely, you'll get a poorly designed SMPS in which the noisy input (or ripple) can cause the oscillator to destabilize and go into shutdown; these usually show themselves fairly quickly.

Where you tend to see issues with modified sine-wave inverters is with 70s-90s vintage TVs; they used the 60-cycle inpuit as a timebase for the screen refresh, and it played he11 with the vertical sync, and then of course there were the early SMPS power supplies in all the cheapo TVs of that age; they ran at far too low frequency, and the ripple would drive them NUTS.

How do I know this? I used to design switch-mode power supplies; I know how they work.

As long as you do yourself a favor and go LARGE, say 4x or more than what you intend, in your choice of inverters (If you expect to see a 150W load, use a 600W inverter) then you'll be OK with 99% of the things you want to plug into it. That's just due to the rampant BS factor in inverters nowadays; aside from the major name brands like Tripplite, they ALL tend to over-rate.

mnem
*Sick as a dog dwagon*

 

I thought this topic might wake the dwagon. I hope your sick is better soon. Hope it's not sinusoidal.
And of course I defer to your profundity. My anathema concerns using inverters with generators. With the batteries in the system fluctuations in power would not be the concern that it would be running straight off the 5 horse briggs.
Good write up. I often check my spelling via Google. You might (or might not) wish to know that there are 16,400 documents including the terms sinusoidal and profundity. (16,401 now).
Heartily concur with the 4x bit re: rated power. And Rob may want to plug in a coffee maker some day.

Jeff........rectified
Just don't charge Makita batteries with a MSW inverter. Maybe it was just me.

 

A quick trip to your local RV/Motor Home Dealer will give you a great variety of hardware for such a hook up -- including some nice custom looking mounting plates.

 

It seems like there is always an electrical engineer around to make me appear to know as little as I actually do.
Get well soon our resident professor of knowledge.

 

My 24 cents,Canadian

For powering a laptop + cell phone 150/180 watts is plenty , 300watts is overkill
Most current draw @110 volts ac might be 90 watts ,and on the 12v dc side 10 amps , but fuse @25 amps for surge with a 180w inverter

Make sure that you can shut the inverter off completely as there is some draw @ idle



For the pure sinewave vs modified sinewave , the laptop ac adapter in combination with the battery seems to filter the power well enough that a cheaper modified sinewave should work fine

For home type computers I alway use Puresine ,as I have seen some issues ,and it's not worth taking chances

 

12V to 110V Inverter Installation Idea - PT Cruiser Forum

208979-4 Product Details - Tyco Electronics

They have black ones, just need to scour their website.

 

WOW! That PT Looser forum might help! Thanks dood!