2015 176T Inverter?

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   Hello,
I was wondering if the 176T had an inverter hard wired?  I don't see one like some of the RVs have.   If not, what is the best way to charge external devices while out and about?

Thanks,

DessertPod

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DessertPod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Jun 2015 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 20	Post Options Post Reply Quote DessertPod Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: 2015 176T Inverter? Posted: 02 Aug 2015 at 8:03pm
	Hello, I was wondering if the 176T had an inverter hard wired? I don't see one like some of the RVs have. If not, what is the best way to charge external devices while out and about? Thanks, DessertPod

furpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 24 Jul 2011 Location: Kentucky Status: Offline Points: 966	Post Options Post Reply Quote furpod Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 02 Aug 2015 at 8:36pm
	No inverter. The easiest in my world is to add a couple 12v ports with usb built in.
	Mark, Susie, Micah, and The Maggie. '11 RP177(sold) '17 Lance 2295FurPodsMods '17 Ford F250 CCSB

DessertPod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Jun 2015 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 20	Post Options Post Reply Quote DessertPod Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Aug 2015 at 12:21pm
	so, say I buy a Nature Power 400w inverter? How do I wire and power the inverter?

HuronSailor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Location: Owosso MI Status: Offline Points: 860	Post Options Post Reply Quote HuronSailor Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Aug 2015 at 2:30pm
	To get 120V, wire the inverter input to one of the open fuse slots in the 12V side of your load center. Insert appropriate size fuse to energize the inverter. Do not simply find a random 12V wire somewhere and tee into it. If you want just USB power, do as furpod suggested above.
	.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: "arrrr"Pod 172 :: My Albums :: OurPod Blog ::

DessertPod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Jun 2015 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 20	Post Options Post Reply Quote DessertPod Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Aug 2015 at 8:11pm
	ok. so i attach the positive end of inverter to where the rest of the appliances are positively connected and the negative to to MAIN negative? Then I recon I put a fuse in. Is the fuse the "connector wire"? Also, what size fuse to use? I think I have a 30amp open and a 15? It is a NaturePower 400w inverter.

HuronSailor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Location: Owosso MI Status: Offline Points: 860	Post Options Post Reply Quote HuronSailor Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Aug 2015 at 9:01pm
	Not meaning to offend, but can you identify the 120V side and the 12V side of your rpod power supply? They are 2 isolated systems. The 120V side uses re-settable circuit breakers and the 12V side uses single use colored fuses. Your unused 12V fuse slots will have NO fuse in them. You would use a fuse the same rating or smaller than the fuse or breaker on your inverter. Again, no offense intended, but your questions suggest you may not be comfortable or familiar with the electrical workings of your pod. No judgement intended, but if you're uncertain about any of these things maybe you should get someone else involved with this project. You can cause a lot of damage or injure yourself if you do it wrong. No shame in that. Myself, I'd rather have a prostate exam than do plumbing.
	.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: "arrrr"Pod 172 :: My Albums :: OurPod Blog ::

DessertPod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Jun 2015 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 20	Post Options Post Reply Quote DessertPod Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Aug 2015 at 11:31pm
	Yea, I know the difference between 12v and 120 side. Inverter goes on 12v side, thus the reason it needs to be inverted.

furpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 24 Jul 2011 Location: Kentucky Status: Offline Points: 966	Post Options Post Reply Quote furpod Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 Aug 2015 at 5:50pm
	400 watt is awfully big for most of our needs.. you should try to keep the inverter as small as possible, they are pretty wasteful, and the bigger they are the worse it gets. But I will help you out on the other part of the question.. a 400w inverter is 400/120 is 3.3A , but because of "overhead" it's about 20% more needed to run it, so lets go with 4A. Just to be able to work with round numbers.. So if we are going to produce 4A at 120v, we need to DRAW 40A from our 12v supply. 120v/12v = 10. So your answer, if you need to use a 400w inverter, is to hard wire to the battery(ies) and use a 40A inline fuse. For 40A, you need 8g wire. When using an inverter, you are trading amps for volts. OHM's law and all that. If the devices you want to charge have "car chargers" available, it's ALWAYS better to add 12v outlets. Many owners have found a combo unit on Amazon that has an outlet, and USB ports, and a voltmeter built in, for under $20. these were not available years ago when I did my 12v upgrades, or it's what I would have. Charging Station
	Mark, Susie, Micah, and The Maggie. '11 RP177(sold) '17 Lance 2295FurPodsMods '17 Ford F250 CCSB

DessertPod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 25 Jun 2015 Location: Colorado Status: Offline Points: 20	Post Options Post Reply Quote DessertPod Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 Aug 2015 at 7:09pm
	thank you all for your help. I put it in the open 30 amp fuse and it is working like a champ. The install was very easy. Again, thanks, I love having access to the power. I also have a 40 watt zamp solar charger so with the help of a sunny day, we can just charge away. thanks again.