1. Welcome to Tundras.com!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tundra discussion topics
    • Transfer over your build thread from a different forum to this one
    • Communicate privately with other Tundra owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

Power inverters?

Discussion in 'General Tundra Discussion' started by ToyotaTundraMike, Mar 2, 2017.

  1. Mar 2, 2017 at 8:35 AM
    #1
    ToyotaTundraMike

    ToyotaTundraMike [OP] Not A New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 14, 2015
    Member:
    #2256
    Messages:
    2,153
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Vehicle:
    2015 Tundra
    Want to be able to plug my laptop in to charge in my truck while its on.

    Anything to lookout for when looking at power inverters?


    Is there any that you guys prefer?
     
  2. Mar 2, 2017 at 11:10 AM
    #2
    bobeast

    bobeast really old member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2015
    Member:
    #960
    Messages:
    1,525
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Bob
    Hollister, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 DC
    - Bull Bar - LED Bunny Burners - AMP retractable running boards - Headlight leveling retrofit - P3 Brake Controller - 60% rear seat delete - relocation of Sub to rear wall - Bilstein 5100 x4, top setting with 2 shims per side - Coach builder +2 rear shackles w/carrier bearing drop - Firestone Air bags - on-board compressor with auto-leveling - Dual Undercover Swing Boxes. - P285/65/R20 (34.6") BFG TA KO2's - TRD Front skid plate - Pop & Lock Tailgate lock - Remote Tailgate mod - LED Headlights - Nav Bypass - iPhone integration - Serius/XM retrofit - 25% front tint - Bizon electric tonneau cover - Power folding tow mirror upgrade - 2010+ leveling Headlight mod - Auto-fold mirror mod. - one-touch lane changer mod - Flash to open garage opener mod - Rigid H/L fog light upgrade - Pushbutton / Remote start mod.
    You can do it that way, However for most laptops you can purchase a 12V adapter to plug into your 12V port. That would be WAY more efficient.

    That said, pay attention to the fine print. There is no end of "2000W" inverters out there that can provide 2000W until the inverter blows up or your battery fries (whichever occurs first). In short don't assume the more watts the better. You can realistically only pull about 150W continuous off a (assuming 20Amp) lighter port before fuses start blowing. Anything bigger, and you are talking thick dedicated wiring from the battery and potentially a more powerful alternator. When looking at inverter specs, ignore the huge text that touts wattage, and look in the fine-print for continuous wattage.
     
  3. Mar 2, 2017 at 12:04 PM
    #3
    BlueFalconActual

    BlueFalconActual Field Day Inspector Extraordinaire

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2016
    Member:
    #3495
    Messages:
    1,627
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Kevin
    29 Palms, CA
    Vehicle:
    Tundra-less
    I agree with Bob. No need to convert DC to AC and then back to DC if a simple 12V adapter will do. Many of those inverters produce really dirty AC as well.
     
  4. Mar 2, 2017 at 7:07 PM
    #4
    BOBONTUESDAY

    BOBONTUESDAY Grocery Getter

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2016
    Member:
    #3127
    Messages:
    582
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2016 Limited Trd
    I have a power drive 150 watt inverter. Plugs in the 12v in the center console. It has been in the truck since day one. It's always on and my Samsung charger is plugged in at all times. I also plug in my laptop charger at times or a dewalt 20v battery charger. I picked it up at a truck stop for 20 dollars. It's always in center console and I've never had any heat issues with it. It's handy to have on the road and it's worked for me. I'm sure there are better options but this is what I've got for now.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2017
  5. Mar 2, 2017 at 7:13 PM
    #5
    650h1

    650h1 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2014
    Member:
    #51
    Messages:
    562
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2013 Rock Warrior C/M
    Some guy did a good OE-looking install of an inverter a while ago on one of the forums, but the info was vague. I know toyota actually put OE inverters in the Sienna, and they actually make a plug that you can buy. It looks like it would mount in one of our switch spots with a little modification, hooking it up is just the biggest question. I wouldnt want it to be on all the time, only when truck is running. I wanted it because the wife was pumping for our daughter in the truck all the time, and I hate the shitty converter we got at walmart. My gmc had one in the dash and it was slick, but that was the only thing good about that truck...
     
    zcarpenter92 likes this.
  6. Mar 2, 2017 at 7:58 PM
    #6
    Ryan Mc.

    Ryan Mc. New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2016
    Member:
    #2747
    Messages:
    168
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ryan
    Mission Viejo
    Vehicle:
    2015 Toyota Tundra SR5 Double Cab 5.7L
    Hand made bed divider, bed d-rings
    Schumacher all the way.
     
  7. Mar 2, 2017 at 9:03 PM
    #7
    Black Wolf

    Black Wolf Bigfoot Hunter, Sasquatch too, but not Yeti

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2014
    Member:
    #378
    Messages:
    40,011
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Matt
    Aurora CO
    Vehicle:
    2022 Nissan Frontier SV 4X4
    TuwaPro rack, Z1 Offroad stuff, NISMO suspension stuff, FlowmasterFX Extreme exhaust, AIS, OVS, J&L can, other goodies on the way
    Fine print is important. "How clean" is the inverters' output????? Makes all the difference. (distortion, ripple, duty cycle, made in USA to start with). I was out at a customers' site yesterday and today (and tomorrow) E***n. Huge contract, nation wide. Littleton facility engineers install massive circuit breakers on very large buildings (and other things), quite frankly anything that requires up to 20,000 amps or more. Tomorrow we are calibrating their circuit breaker testers. A 10,000 amp and a 16,000 amp circuit breaker tester. Obviously the potential "load" is way beyond the inverter you are talking about here, but... same principles apply. "How do you measure up to 16,000 amps without getting killed??" Simple...Short the output. Use a Rogowski Coil across the short on the breaker tester and use a Keysight 3458A 8.5 digit lab reference digital multimeter and measure the DC voltage drop in mV DC. Example....100 mV DC may equal 1000 amps. Piece of cake. (Ohms Law) It's all about the load on the circuit. 200 watt constant load?? Buy a 500 watt inverter. 1000 watt constant load... 3000 watt inverter and so on.... (laptops draw pretty much nothing. Just have a good battery.)
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2017

Products Discussed in

To Top