12v inverter charger?

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12v inverter charger?

Postby Aaron Coffee » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:35 pm

This question has been asked a hundred times, I'm sure. I would like to install a inverter?charger?, where if your hooked to 120 the 12 volt accessories are running off of the inverter and it is charging the 12 volt battery. What are they called? How hard are they to install? I have a mid priced charger from wally world, but if you draw power from the battery while charging it kicks the charger off.
Thanks
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Re: 12v inverter charger?

Postby Chuck Craven » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:40 pm

Aaron Coffee wrote:This question has been asked a hundred times, I'm sure. I would like to install a inverter?charger?, where if your hooked to 120 the 12 volt accessories are running off of the inverter and it is charging the 12 volt battery. What are they called? How hard are they to install? I have a mid priced charger from wally world, but if you draw power from the battery while charging it kicks the charger off.
Thanks


I think this is what you want!
http://www.campingworld.com/browse/prod ... 68:src=FPC

An inverter just converts your 12 or 24-volt battery to 120v ac to run household appliances. It will not go the other way, 120v ac in and charge your 12v or 24v battery.
Inverters are power hog’s, as small 600-watt unit will pull more than 50 amps off your 12-volt battery. :o

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Postby bdosborn » Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:58 pm

They make combination inverter/chargers but they are huge bucks:
Linky
It sounds like you just want to be able to run 12V stuff and still charge the battery? A better battery charger will handle that. I just got the Inteli-Power on ebay for about half that price for my next trailer build. It's a good charger but probably overkill for what you want to do. I've got a ProSport 6 charger from Cabelas in my current trailer and its a great charger.
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It will charge the battery while I'm using everything and not shut down. I went though a couple of (cheap) chargers before I settled on this one. Its a multistage charger so it will help give you maximum battery life.
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Re: 12v inverter charger?

Postby Dave Bob » Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:06 pm

Modern inverters are "pretty" efficent if you match the load to the inverter, sometimes as much as 95%. Inverters like to be ran at about 75 to 85% of capacity for best efficienty. A small 200 to 400 watt inverter will run most TVs and other electronic devices and are not energy hogs. The devices you run use 90 to 95% of the energy, depending on how they are are loaded the inverter uses the rest. Turn it off if not needed. If you have a 100 AH battery you could watch a TV that uses 55 watts for about 9 hours. The battery or battery bank decides how long you can go.

IOTA makes some pretty good converters that are fairly priced and can also be used as 3 stage chargers with the addition of a "smart controller" (you can get models with this built in).

An inverter along with a converter makes a good combinition in an RV IMO.

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Last edited by Dave Bob on Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby madjack » Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:08 pm

Aaron, this is the charger I like to recommend http://www.batterymart.com/battery.mv?p=DEL-022-0157-1 it can be left permanently hooked up and can be run while using power for 12v appliances...presently I am using a 6A 3stage charger from Wally World...made by Vector branded as a B&D, it costs under 30 bucks and can be run while using power as well...so far it has help up its end well.....the Deltrans should give longer life since it is sealed against vibration, etc....
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Re: 12v inverter charger?

Postby bledsoe3 » Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:42 pm

Aaron Coffee wrote:This question has been asked a hundred times, I'm sure. I would like to install a inverter?charger?, where if your hooked to 120 the 12 volt accessories are running off of the inverter and it is charging the 12 volt battery. What are they called? How hard are they to install? I have a mid priced charger from wally world, but if you draw power from the battery while charging it kicks the charger off.
Thanks

I think you would want a converter. I have a Centurion 3000. When I hook to 120 vac (shore power) the converter runs my 12 vdc, charges my battery, has a fuse block for all my 12 vdc circuits and provides a breaker panel for my 120 vac outlets. Is this what you're looking for?
http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=10987
http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=10989
http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=10988
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Postby asianflava » Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:30 am

Inverter
12VDC input = 120VAC output

Conveter
120VAC input = 12VDC output

Battery Charger
120VAC input = 12VDC output

The charger and converter are the same so you can run things off the battery while the charger will float the charge on the battery. No converter needed. You will need a charger that is capable of that, a "smart charger".
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Postby bledsoe3 » Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:37 am

asianflava wrote:Inverter
12VDC input = 120VAC output

Conveter
120VAC input = 12VDC output

Battery Charger
120VAC input = 12VDC output

The charger and converter are the same so you can run things off the battery while the charger will float the charge on the battery. No converter needed. You will need a charger that is capable of that, a "smart charger".


Rocky, He has a charger, but it kicks off under load. You don't have that problem with a converter. The converter also gives you breakers so you can run 120 v outlets and I got mine off e-bay for about $35. How much will a "smart charger" cost? Both ways will work, I'm just giving another option.
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Postby Sonetpro » Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:09 am

Here's what I use. It's called the Centurian replacment. It has the AC DC features like the centurian but the charger is a 3 stage charger.
http://www.bestconverter.com/Centurion- ... _c_63.html
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Postby bledsoe3 » Thu Sep 14, 2006 5:27 am

Steve, If my cheap converter ever pukes I'm getting one like yours. I like the 3 stage charger. And it's only about $60 more that the charger Jack suggests.


Plus it's not about the money. I just don't want to redo my electrical it took me 6 months to get around to.
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converter

Postby Aaron Coffee » Thu Sep 14, 2006 6:33 pm

I hear you there, I may just look for a different charger, because I have my 12 volt stuff(2 halogen lights, am/fm cd player, two 12 volt plug ins) wired through a Painless accessory fuse block, and I don't want to start all over. I can always give the charger I have now to my borther to use on his race car(no alternator)which doesn't matter because he uses it anyway.
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charger

Postby Aaron Coffee » Mon Dec 25, 2006 4:24 pm

I got a pro-sport 6, and now I'm wondering if I should mount it in the battery box(on the tongue)or buy the extension wires and mount it in the galley(where my 110 hookup is).
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Postby bdosborn » Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:21 pm

The galley is where I mounted mine and it works well. Keeps it away from battery gases...
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