TV watching with separate inverter?

[RickLight]

I run my TV from a 350W inverter powered by a 12A cigarette lighter port that further limits its output. I think the TV is rated at under 50W

[Extreme]

I run my TV from a 350W inverter powered by a 12A cigarette lighter port that further limits its output. I think the TV is rated at under 50W

What is the size of the TV
How many hours could you play on 350 watts?

[Najataagihe]

Hi, Extreme!

Welcome to the nuthouse.


Some things to consider:

A lot of the people here live in their RV's full-time.

The requirements of a full-timer are NOT those of an occasional camper.

What folks have recommended, for the most part, are solutions that are a bit much for what you need, right now.


Options:


1.

Get a DC-powered TV and run it off a 12V outlet.

Outlets are easier to install than inverters.

You can take 12v power off a nearby 12V circuit.

Usually, the closest one is right under the TV for the sound system.


2.

Install a 2nd battery - if and when you find you need it. (I don't.)

Use 12V batteries.

Get a battery of the exact same size and capacity and wire them in parallel.

If you don't know how, auto parts stores usually have people who can do this, as you wait.

When you have to replace them in three to five years, get the largest (matching) batteries that will fit in the rack.


Why 12V in parallel, instead of the superior 6V in series?

They are easier to find, when you need replacement on the road.


3.

Use a stand-alone "Power Pack".

This has the advantage of moving the TV anywhere you want it - outside, for instance.

It also allows you to use it for other devices.

Some have a feature that allows you to jump-start your vehicle, if you inadvertently left it plugged into the RV and depleted ITS battery, as well as the ones on the RV.


As far as charging the batteries goes, there are two choices - Solar or Generator.

Both have advantage and disadvantages.


Solar:

Advantage: keeps the batteries in tip-top condition during long periods of storage

Disadvantage: does not supply as much electricity as a generator and only supplies 12VDC


A "suitcase" solar charger with controller runs about $240 on Amazon.

Mine is a Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Off Grid Portable Foldable 2Pcs 50W Solar Panel Suitcase Built-in Kickstand with Waterproof 20A Charger Controller .

Yes, it is a mouthful, but I don't like putting hot links in my posts.

That will take you right to the unit on Amazon.


You can use it with the alligator clips that come with it or do as I did and buy the plug that fits the Grand Design solar port on your unit.

The advantage to this unit is that you can plug it in to the trailer during storage and not ruin your batteries by excessive depletion (there is ALWAYS a parasitic drain in every RV) or excessive charging (due to the built-in solar controller).


Just remember to chain it to the RV to prevent casual theft.

Storage facilities are not always populated with RV folks.



Generator:

Advantage: can power the entire RV and provide emergency power at the house during an outage, as it provides 120VAC (some will also provide a 12VDC outlet for use at the generator)

Disadvantage: only does so while running and you need to fire them up every month, whether you need them or not


You want a generator with an built-in inverter and a housing for sound control.

These are suitable for use with electronic devices.

Open-frame construction-type generators tend to blow up circuit boards, as their output is not as well-regulated, and the noise they make is REALLY annoying to your fellow campers and is considered quite rude.

You also want to make sure it is rated for use in forests, so you don't catch the forest on fire from the exhaust.


If you go the generator route, you have two sets of choices.

First set: Honda or Something Else

I chose Champion.

They are not top-of-the-line like Honda, but they cost half as much and we are only using them part time.


Second set: One 3600W, one 2000W or two 2000W

I chose two 2000W that couple together to provide one 30A connection to the RV.

They give me 3600W of power in a 50-amp RV.


If you are any good at math, you are having three kinds of fit, because 3600W equals a 30-amp power supply, not a 50-amp one.

50 amps are only required if you run two air conditioners at the same time.

Keep one turned off and 30 amps is plenty.


One 3600W or better generator requires you to be able to comfortably wrestle 100 pounds or more without ruining your back.


When I was 40, it was not a big deal.

At 64, it is a very big deal.


Maneuvering two 2000W generators at 40 pounds apiece is a lot easier.

Most of the time, I only need to fire up one of them, unless Dearly Beloved wants to dry her hair or brew a cup of coffee.

The microwave runs fine on just one.


You could start with just one generator and power the TV while recharging your batteries for use during the night.

Later, you could add a second (and the coupling kit), if you find you need it.

Just make sure the first one you buy is able to add a second one with a coupling kit.


Last, don't be discouraged by the learning curve required of any new RV owner!

Fortunately, you have a magnificent resource in this forum.

These folks can save you a lot of angst and worry, not to mention provide solutions for just about any problem you will encounter.


Welcome to RVing and holler, if you need help!

[Extreme]

Just found out my new truck will have a built in 2000 Watt Generator!
It will be exciting to see how I can use this for my 2500RL.
Thanks for all the information....do you think there is ANY Lithium battery out there that wouldn't cause you to teardown the Inverter that come with my rig?
It seems like no matter how cheap a Lithium battery is, you still have to REPLACE all the other equipment regardless.
Anyway thanks for taking the time to outline what can be done..
GREAT JOB AND THANKS AGAIN.

[RickLight]

What is the size of the TV
How many hours could you play on 350 watts?

It's a 40" LED so very low power, the label says 75 watts. Your TV and whatever should have a label listing its electrical needs. My unit isn't a power pack, it's just a converter of battery power to household power. And it cost well under $50!

Your hours question sounds like you're not fluent in power terms. So some basics, just in case:
Watts measures power as a rate, it doesn't have any time information. A 100W bulb will use 100 "watt hours" in one hour. We often talk about batteries in amp hours, but you van convert by multiplying the voltage. For RV batteries the standard is 12.8 volts as an average between full and dead. So 100 amp hours (AH) is 1280 watt hours. That would run my TV 1280/75 = 17.06 hours.

Now the inverter uses about 10 percent and there's lots of reasons for other losses, so 15 hours is likely.

[RickLight]

Truck based generators will be huge in the small RV world.

If you convert to a main stream lithium battery only thing that might/should be changed is the converter/charger. An inverter is an opposite device that doesn't care what battery is powering it. Some new converters can be set to a lithium mode, the cheapest ones can't. What model do you have?

[Extreme]

In the process of buying it now but we may not get it till March (Bummer) due to my 2021 F-150 Platinum may not be delivered till the end of February.
So at this point I have No truck and No trailer (another Bummer). But I have great expectations and I want to get all my "snakes in a row" prior.
This is the reason I ask all these questions. Will the new Converter/Charger for a lithium battery just need to have the connections replaced without having to rewire everything? Would it be like disconnecting some screws and replacing the unit with the Current wiring? Curious minds want to know.

[bertschb]

Will the new Converter/Charger for a lithium battery just need to have the connections replaced without having to rewire everything? Would it be like disconnecting some screws and replacing the unit with the Current wiring?

That is correct. The only difficult part is getting access to the converter/charger. Otherwise you just swap wires from old to new. If it was all sitting at waist height on a work bench, it would take about 1 minute to swap out.

[pengle]

In the process of buying it now but we may not get it till March (Bummer) due to my 2021 F-150 Platinum may not be delivered till the end of February.
So at this point I have No truck and No trailer (another Bummer). But I have great expectations and I want to get all my "snakes in a row" prior.
This is the reason I ask all these questions. Will the new Converter/Charger for a lithium battery just need to have the connections replaced without having to rewire everything? Would it be like disconnecting some screws and replacing the unit with the Current wiring? Curious minds want to know.

My old converter on the left. New Lithium charger on the right. Both have a 110V plug that just plugs into an outlet. My outlet is on the back of my circuit breaker panel (The one with all the circuit breakers and 12V fuses).

A Red and a Black wire connects to the black terminal block that you see on the new converter. The wire is tightened down with an allen wrench. That's all there is to swapping them.

[openrangeowners]

Have you considered getting a TV that operates natively on 12VDC?

Plenty of 32” models and here is a 40” model
Free Signal TV Transit 40" 12 Volt DC Powered 1080p LED Flat Screen HDTV for RV Camper and Mobile Use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HWTHFRF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_nUIcGbAR29KHX