From Black & Decker comes...
From Black & Decker comes this 750-watt power inverter with dual AC and USB outlets. Low-battery shutdown prevents total battery drain.
A power inverter is simple. It lets you plug in household appliances and run them off the battery system in your, RV, truck, or boat. Selecting the right one, however, is not always so simple. There are many brands and models made by dozens of companies and offered at wildly different prices. Many inverters look alike, sharing the same shapes and colors, even though they have very different ratings. To complicate matters, power inverters are sometimes called voltage adapters, power adapters, power converters, or power supplies.
To be specific, a power converter changes 120V AC to 12V DC, supplying power to 12V circuits and appliances and charging the batteries. Most RVs have power converters as standard equipment to run 12V appliances in the RV using electricity from a 120V campground connection.
A power inverter does the opposite, changing 12V DC from a battery source into 120V AC to run household electric items using battery power. Inverters make it possible to run household items like laptops, TVs, DVD players, game consoles, and blenders. Even high-wattage items like toasters, microwave ovens, and vacuum cleaners can be run from battery power using an inverter, given the right capacity. Some RVs come with inverters, but most of the time they are not standard.
Generally, the more self-sufficient you want to be, the more you need a power inverter. So if you camp in the boondocks without electrical hookups, if you don't like to run a generator a lot, or if you have equipment that is not converted to run on direct 12V current, you would make good use of a power inverter.
If all you need is a simple...
If all you need is a simple power inverter, you might buy an inexpensive 100-watt product that plugs into your standard 12V power outlet, like this one from Black & Decker.
Power inverters vary considerably in capacity, with different features and significantly different engineering accounting for a wide variation in price range. They are available with capacities ranging from 150 watts all the way up to 3,000 and more, with prices rising accordingly. Unfortunately, many look alike, even when they have very different ratings. Like any electronic product, you need to be aware of the wattage rating, input voltage requirements, features, and manufacturer's warranty.
Smaller power inverters can be simply plugged into a cigarette lighter or attached to the battery with small clips. This kind of inverter is certainly better than nothing, but for larger, more current-hungry appliances, the inverter will need to be installed in a permanent location and properly wired. Temporary installations for larger-wattage inverters-using jumper cables to connect to a deep-cycle battery-are simple and easy but vulnerable to wind, weather, and nearby foot traffic.
Ideally, a larger inverter should be permanently installed in a cool, dry place close to the battery or batteries it draws from. Inverters get hot when they operate, so many are fitted with cooling fans for safety, but even so they should not be placed in locations near sources of heat.
Underhood locations are generally not recommended because of heat and moisture, so the best location would be in the box containing the auxiliary battery or batteries, connected to a deep-cycle battery. Ideal wiring means using the thickest wire available in the shortest length possible. Inverters in the neighborhood of 3,000 watts are usually about the size of a shoebox or laptop computer and have multiple plug sockets available.