Tailgate Power Supply

[REWahoo]

Is there any downside to getting say a 400 watt inverter if I will only be powering the tv or will that use too much juice?

Other than the higher price for a larger capacity inverter, no downside. The watt rating defines the maximum sustained load the inverter can supply - a 400 watt inverter won't use any more energy (battery drawdown) than a smaller inverter when powering your TV.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Are you talking about the popular 2kW Honda EU2000i? For around $1K, it's hard to beat. It's too small to run an AC, but using 2 of them along with a parallel cable kit (yes, I had never heard of paralleling generators before, but these Honda generators have sophisticated electronics inside), people have run RV AC with them. Maybe you can splurge to get an Onan marine generator with a starter. A diesel one?

Seriously, despite the 4kW generator in my RV, I thought of getting a small 1kW Honda generator. The Onan is still too loud, and I am thinking of boondocking where it is cool and I do not need AC. The small Honda would recharge the batteries with much less noise.

I willl find out what I want or need after this coming trip.

That's the Honda I'm talking about. Heard great things about them.
We have an old Onan in our RV that is LOUD but does the job when needed. The boat didn't have one and an installed one is a big hairy job and pricey. Diesel would be convenient, no doubt. But we carry gasoline for the outboard anyway.

I'd love to be able to power the AC in both the RV and the boat as you've described, because the Onan won't handle it on the RV and one Honda2000 wouldn't cut it running the boat AC (17k btu). Parallel is a great idea, but dang that's a lot of money in generators. Would be nice, though, and transferable between the boat and RV.

 

[NW-Bound]

Strictly speaking, a larger inverter, when idling, tends to draw a bit more current compared to a smaller one. But it is still just a fraction of the current when it is loaded. For example, I measured 0.8A when my 2kW inverter was idling. That's 0.8A x 12V = 9.6Watts. That's just a fraction of the power it draws when loaded. When I turn on the microwave, the current jumps to a scary 160A, and I could almost hear the batteries groaning.

For comparison, a car running-light bulb draws 0.5A, and a car brake-light bulb draws 2.5A.

That's the Honda I'm talking about. Heard great things about them.
We have an old Onan in our RV that is LOUD but does the job when needed. The boat didn't have one and an installed one is a big hairy job and pricey. Diesel would be convenient, no doubt. But we carry gasoline for the outboard anyway.

I'd love to be able to power the AC in both the RV and the boat as you've described, because the Onan won't handle it on the RV and one Honda2000 wouldn't cut it running the boat AC (17k btu). Parallel is a great idea, but dang that's a lot of money in generators. Would be nice, though, and transferable between the boat and RV.

I don't have one, but it would be what I buy if I need one. So many users out there can't be wrong.

And the price of 2 grands for 2 of them, plus a bit for the parallel kit, is not really bad, considering that you can use them for so many things. They are certainly less expensive than a new 4kW Onan that costs more than $3K. There are inconveniences compared to a permanent installation, but the portability makes up for it.

And how 'bout a wind generator for your boat? I saw some for around $400 or $500.

 

[REWahoo]

Strictly speaking, a larger inverter, when idling, tends to draw a bit more current compared to a smaller one. But it is still just a fraction of the current when it is loaded. For example, I measured 0.8A when my 2kW inverter was idling.

You're the expert here, but is there really any meaningful difference in the idling load drawn by a 400w inverter vs. a 200w? Enough to forgo the advantage of a little added capacity for the OP's planned application?

And how 'bout a wind generator for your boat? I saw some for around $400 or $500.

Beans are much cheaper...

 

[NW-Bound]

You're the expert here, but is there really any meaningful difference in the idling load drawn by a 400w inverter vs. a 200w? Enough to forgo the advantage of a little added capacity for the OP's planned application?

No, I was not contradicting at all what you and others said: Better have some extra capacity, since a slightly larger inverter does not cost that much more, and the power consumption overhead is higher, but not that big a deal.

In fact, I was pointing out that even my fairly large inverter does not have that much of a punitive overhead: 0.8A idling vs. 0.5A for a little running-light bulb.

Now, I have seen boondockers counting every amp that they use. That's like extreme LBYM'ers who count to the pennies, but I'd rather not.

 

[ls99]

This subject was pretty well exhausted with lots of good stuff. Earlier there was a question of marine v car and deepcycle batteries.

A discussion by a wordsmith better than me is referenced for those who want to know about the marine v car battery:
The difference between car and boat batteries - The Globe and Mail

 

[haha]

This thread is priceless.

 

[REWahoo]

This thread is priceless.

Nice to see you got a charge out of it...

 

[NW-Bound]

A discussion by a wordsmith better than me is referenced for those who want to know about the marine v car battery:
The difference between car and boat batteries - The Globe and Mail

The following link will provide further satisfaction to those with the inquiring mind about different types of lead acid batteries: Deep Cycle Battery FAQ