Headway camping power?

P

pwbset

100 kW
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Apr 23, 2008
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Montana
Sort of off topic sorry. In the process of getting and restoring an old VW Westy and am thinking about camping "entertainment". I'm going to mount a tiltable LCD panel in the back on the headliner, an Apple TV in the cabinet (which will sync wirelessly sitting in the driveway... cool), route the audio through the car stereo etc. Figure total power consumption ~100watts max. What's to keep me from getting a Headway setup like:

http://www.evcomponents.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=H1230

Running it through an inverter and just plugging in my components to that (and I'm assuming I can just hook it up to the alternator to charge). Figure 360wh for the Headway would get me through even Lord of the Rings type epics... not to mention provide a backup startup batt. And 9lbs... sheesh... maybe I'll just replace the giant SLA that's already in there and get 2 of them. Or add a couple more and through in an electric fridge etc.

Thoughts?
 
Just bought a camping lantern with an LED bulb. Also got the model with adjustable power setting so it can be bright when needed, then dim when you want the batteries to last longer. Funny, its shaped to look like the old classic liquid fuel lanterns.
 
I used an automatic bidder set to $110 on eBay to snag a 2500W 48V to 120V inverter for $59.
http://www.serious-sounds.com/Items/atsiu-2500p-48-120?&caSKU=atsiu-2500p-48-120&caTitle=STACKABLE%20POWER%20INVERTER%202500/5000%20W%2048V%20DC%20TO%20120V%20AC
http://cgi.ebay.com/STACKABLE-POWER-INVERTER-2500-5000-W-48V-DC-TO-120V-AC_W0QQitemZ290345595678QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4399f2331e&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_6505wt_1167

I used it for my electric lawnmower and plan to use it with a timer to heat the interior of my car in the winter.
 
You might try dc appliances from a trucker-supply store. (Unless you need to have 110V capability.) Run 12V and skip the invertor losses.
 
My advice is keep it simple and off-the-shelf. My wife and I lived and camped in a VW van for years at a stretch. On the advice of the experts at Backwoods Solar we ran everything on 110v using an inexpensive inverter with a plug into the van's cigarette lighter. We kept the van battery topped up with a 50 watt solar panel, though occasional runs to town for groceries was probably enough recharge for our power needs. We had a laptop, lights, printer and a blender -- all the "mod cons" we needed on a Mexican beach. Later we added a second SLA 12v to the system for backup as we were camping in very remote areas and didn't want to rely on burro power if we ran out of juice.

The problem with 12v appliances is cost, not to mention limited availability and selection and general low quality. You can buy all the top-of-the-line appliances and basic electronics you need at thrift shops for pennies on the dollar, then blow the money you save on those Apple goodies :)

We've been "off grid" for over 20 years and even though we have 5 computers, satellite internet, etc. etc., none of this system is really that high-tech. Again, if you're into VW's, follow their example and keep it simple.
 
Thanks for the thoughts hillbilly. I've got my eyes on a cheap, but reliable 400W (800W burst) inverter to power the goodies. Going to wire it so that if I have city hookup it'll charge the whole kit and kaboodle... otherwise maybe a little panel like you mention. In the interests of money I'm going to start with like a deep cycle 12v40ah batt... was thinking Headway just for weight savings.. every pound is going to count with the little single carb 1700 (which I'm immediately going to try and get back to the stock dual carb). Ugh. Anyway... the westy gets here tomorrow afternoon... feel like a kid in a candy store! :mrgreen:
 
I had my eyes on that Headway 12V car battery also, but in the end I bought a 100Ah lead acid Exide marine deep cycle
battery for $100. I have a Diesel and use it also for starting, so need the extra CCA. If you also have a VW T3 Diesel I can
give you some tips for how to squeeze the 100Ah group 24 in place of the 50Ah OEM (hint Hammer and saw is used).

On an ebike I would pay the extra for Lithium to save weight, but in the 3500lbs VW van an extra 20-30lbs isn't noticable.

I just watch movies/TV on a laptop. Have a 12V universal laptop powerbrick I bought at Radioschack for $40 or so.

My tip: get the van restored first, use it with original equipment, and add stuff very gradually. Over 15 years of VW van camping
I've found that less is better.

Martin
 
Just 2 suggestions with the inverter.

Try to get a pure sine wave inverter and it doesn't hurt to greatly oversize it. You may want to plug something in in the future with a high surge or add unexpected loads down the track. If you cut it too fine and blow the inverter all your AC loads will be sitting in the van as dead weight...and you'll have to go out and watch the stars and listen to wildlife instead :lol:
 
Yeah, get a good inverter, and then cheap out on the appliances.
 
A quality sine wave inverter is definitely desirable but you'll pay a lot more -- we upgraded a few years ago to a 4000 watt sine wave after many years using an 800 watt non-sine wave in our cabin. Although the larger inverter obviously handles larger loads we really don't notice a major difference in the performance or longevity of our computers and appliances. Many people say that a "square sine wave" will destroy electronics but I've used laptops, all kinds of rechargeable tools, television, etc. etc. with no noticeable problems. Yes, they might heat up a bit more but it didn't reduce performance or life. We do get less of a buzz on our telephone with the better inverter.

FWIW the inverters we used extensively in our van and continue to use occasionally on the road are quite small, cigarette-lighter-plug-in types -- they handle our Macbooks, small printer, compact flurescents just fine.

Sometimes "cheap" is good enough.
 
hillbilly said:
A quality sine wave inverter is definitely desirable but you'll pay a lot more -- we upgraded a few years ago to a 4000 watt sine wave after many years using an 800 watt non-sine wave in our cabin. Although the larger inverter obviously handles larger loads we really don't notice a major difference in the performance or longevity of our computers and appliances. Many people say that a "square sine wave" will destroy electronics but I've used laptops, all kinds of rechargeable tools, television, etc. etc. with no noticeable problems. Yes, they might heat up a bit more but it didn't reduce performance or life. We do get less of a buzz on our telephone with the better inverter.

FWIW the inverters we used extensively in our van and continue to use occasionally on the road are quite small, cigarette-lighter-plug-in types -- they handle our Macbooks, small printer, compact flurescents just fine.

Sometimes "cheap" is good enough.
Click to expand...

I have the same experience. Pseudo-sine is good enough for most applications.

A 150-300W inverter is good enough for most small electronics (laptop, charging cameras, cellphones etc.)
A 1000-1500W is usually enough for small appliances, but it makes sense to test with the specific appliances you intend to run. Particularly things with motors in have a very high starting current.
Much more than 1500W gets unpractical to run from a vehicle battery system. (Remember that 1500W will be 125Amps load already on the battery.)
 
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