How can i hook up my power inverter and neon lights without comming straight from the battery and not using the cig lighter or 12v plug in?

 

Solar panels???

You've excluded every common connection to the vehicle's power system - what's left?

And how big is this inverter? What does its data plate say it CONSUMES (input)? It should be listed in DCAmps.

 

no actually i know more fourms....its just a little 400 watt one..i had it hooked up n my jeep to power my ps2.....not sure what that has to do with my question but....

 

I saw this thread and I have a question.

I want to buy a 2500 watt power inverter and hook it to my battery to run some outdoor stuff. I am planning to run my engine when I have a load connected to it.

Or should I just get a 5000 watt generator? I just don't like the noise of a generator.

Will this hurt anything?

 

it might hurt the alternator/and or battery

2500w / 12volts = 208amps.

i dont think the (stock) alternator puts out that much.

i would suggest a marine/deep cycle battery so u could power a inverter for long times and not hurt anything

you also have to factor in that alot of other things use the trucks electrical, ie: lights, radio, water pump.

you could also look at a smaller generator, my friend has a honda3000 and its not very loud at all.

just my .02

 

2500 watts is gas gen territory.
Your truck can't support that kind of power very long.
You can get them as low as 1000 watts for about $180.
Very quiet ones at about 1800 watts.
Place the gen with the truck as a sound buffer and at as much distance as possible with the exhaust pointed away.
We all have gensets going at the race track and it's not a problem.

 

For every watt that comes OUT of an inverter, you have to put roughly 2 into it. That means that, at PEAK output (which will be rare), a 400W inverter will consume ~800W, & a 2500 ~5KW. W = V x A, so at 14V (engine running), that's roughly 60A into the 400; roughly 360A into the 2500. While your battery CAN safely produce surges that high, it can't maintain it indefinitely. The higher the draw, the less time it's safe. And ultimately, ALL the electrical power used on the truck comes from the alternator. Modern trucks generally get a 130A alternator, which converts to roughly 1500W peak, for EVERYTHING: the fuel pump, headlights, computer, A/C system, radio, inverter...

So look at what you'll be doing, and then think about those numbers. Even a 400W inverter can theoretically kill the battery WITH the engine running, if you have it loaded up & a few things in the truck using electricity, too. A 2500 at even 1/2 capacity will overload the alternator & kill the battery in a few minutes, even with the engine at high rev. For that kind of capacity, you need either a LARGE BANK of good deep-cycle batteries (NOT Optimas), or a dedicated 500A alternator & a throttle control to keep the engine revved.

raptor
You need to run a heavy wire directly to the battery thru a ~60A fuse & run an equally-heavy ground wire from the inverter to the chassis, or directly to the battery.

Manual
You need a smooth-running generator with a good muffler.