Inverter location DILEMA!!

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

I bought a Rally 1200w inverter from inverters R us for my M1009 (well, actually bought TWO, but since the first one was stolen off my front porch, end result is I have ONE in hand, but that's neither here nor there)

My initial plan was to put it in the hole on the passenger side of the dash where the A/C dump normally goes. It will fit in there with some slight horizontal cutting of the hole, which I have no problem with, but I'm having second thoughts.

My spring project will be to install an A/C system in the truck. I've narrowed it down to either the Vintage Air Mark IV, or the OD Iron CUCV kit. I'm leaning toward the OD Iron kit due to it being a bit more customized to my application. That means that I would have to either relocate the inverter, or customize where the A/C dumps out of. I'm thinking I'd rather do the former than the later.

So my alternate location for the inverter is on the floor in front of the shifter for the transfer case. It slightly blocks the outlets for the heater, but only by 1/4 inch or so. Another advantage of that position is that it is accessible to the driver, which is important if I'm going to plug in my iphone charger (which I intend to do). The problem with this location is my normal means of cleaning the interior (using a garden hose and high pressure nozzle) will have to be modified.

So what say ye? Should I go with the in-dash location, or put it on the floor? I'm really torn on this! This is the coolest thing I've done to my CUCV since the stereo install, so I want to do it in a way that will make me happy over the long term.

 

[Ken_86gt]

Have you thought about mounting in the back where the radios would have been mounted? You would just have to move the wires over to a 12V source. I probably would avoid mounting it on the floor for the reasons you mentioned

 

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

Are you referring to behind the drivers seat, or further back? Not sure where the radios were mounted. There was a bracket in the bed opposite the spare tire. I'm not sure if it was for radios or a gas/water can, but either way I cut it out to increase my floor space in the back. I'd like to keep it accessible to front seat occupants though, so either way a rear mount is kind of out of the running.

 

[T_F_E]

You bought a 1200 watt inverter to charge your iphone?

 

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

You bought a 1200 watt inverter to charge your iphone?

it should get it done, amirite? but no, i bought it to run anything I could conceivably want to ever run from the blazer. The 1200w was based on the highest draw appliance I was ever considering running from it, which was a portable air conditioner, which drew something like 950w. 10% more capacity and there I am at the 1200w threshold. The price was pretty **** good (well, initially, not counting paying DOUBLE due to some thieving cocksuckers) and it fit in the location I was originally considering.

 

[Ken_86gt]

I was thinking right behind the passenger seat. At one point there would have been some power wires running there....so if they are still there you could mount it on the side of the truck.

 

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

I was thinking right behind the passenger seat. At one point there would have been some power wires running there....so if they are still there you could mount it on the side of the truck.

I just had the floor mat up for some paint work (see my thread about the bedlining the interior). There are no wires or mounts anywhere around there, at least none that I can recognize. Bottom line for the interior of this thing-- any location will have to be a custom mount with its own wiring, as there is nothing existing within the vehicle that I can identify that would readily lend itself to an easy install.

I might do UNDER the passenger seat though. It would be out of the way, but still subject to the water issues like on the center floor position mentioned in my OP.

 

[Keith_J]

An inverter that size should not be enclosed, they generate waste heat and need ventilation. Installing it in the duct/register would potentially obstruct air flow.

Get a radio mount that fits above the transfer case lever. When you want to hose out the interior, cover it in plastic. A little fresh water won't hurt the electronics as long as they are not powered.

You did get the 24-28 VDC inverter, right? Because 1200 Watts is one **** of a load off of a 12 V side, leading to battery imbalance. Not to mention 100 amperes of load.

 

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

An inverter that size should not be enclosed, they generate waste heat and need ventilation. Installing it in the duct/register would potentially obstruct air flow.

Get a radio mount that fits above the transfer case lever. When you want to hose out the interior, cover it in plastic. A little fresh water won't hurt the electronics as long as they are not powered.

You did get the 24-28 VDC inverter, right? Because 1200 Watts is one **** of a load off of a 12 V side, leading to battery imbalance. Not to mention 100 amperes of load.

it's a 12v DC inverter. I don't intend on using it when the engine is off, at least not for any period of time, aside for perhaps the aforementioned iphone charging. I realize that 1200w is a pretty significant load, thus the keep-it-running plan, but realistically, I don't see myself approaching even half that load on a regular basis.

As for installing it, I intend to use a dedicated wire to the + side of the battery. Should I run a dedicated - wire as well, or will grounding it to the body be sufficient?

 

[wldrbob]

we put our inverter under the hood and ran a plugin into the cab

 

[Dodgeman1941]

We mounted ours on the side just behind the passengers door under the rear side window. I ran the wire under the truck and up thru the top of the little ledge just above the floor. I mounted ours on a slight angle in the event water drips get to it, and positioned it so terminals on the back of the inverter is protected by the channel shape of the door pillar.

 

[Keith_J]

it's a 12v DC inverter. I don't intend on using it when the engine is off, at least not for any period of time, aside for perhaps the aforementioned iphone charging. I realize that 1200w is a pretty significant load, thus the keep-it-running plan, but realistically, I don't see myself approaching even half that load on a regular basis.

As for installing it, I intend to use a dedicated wire to the + side of the battery. Should I run a dedicated - wire as well, or will grounding it to the body be sufficient?

Definitely dedicated negative lead of same gauge and length. Loom and grommet through the firewall. HEAVY loom, not the cheap corrugated polyethylene. Abrasion resistant woven, available from McMaster-Carr.

I know, you already purchased. Would have been easier to use the existing wiring for the rear mounted radio power with a 24 volt inverter. But they are more expensive.

 

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

I know, you already purchased. Would have been easier to use the existing wiring for the rear mounted radio power with a 24 volt inverter. But they are more expensive.

Wouldn't have made any difference, as far as I can tell at least. I've stripped the interior down to bare metal. There are NO wires rear of the dash, unless they're hidden inside the body somewhere with no outlet into the cabin. There are no capped harnesses, cannon plugs, or even "I wonder where that goes" open holes in the cab. I'm not sure what my M1009 was used for in the past, but it's possible extensive radio work wasn't it.

As for mounting it under the hood and running extensions, I don't want to do that because it has a USB slot on the face, and that's PERFECT for plugging in an iphone charger without having to screw with that dumb little plug-in cube thingie.

 

[OPCOM]

Best success has been had by mounting the converter in a place that is good for it. cool, plenty of air space, away from the heater!

The control and the 120V power can be run to wherever you want. 1200W is only 10 amps. a #14 or #12 wiring from the inverter to the receptacle is no problem. To hide the wires, use large wire loom. Or conduit if you are hard core.

 

[ScootiePuffJr]

we put our inverter under the hood and ran a plugin into the cab

+1

Haven't I seen you around AR15.com, the name sounds soooo familiar

 

[T_F_E]

They do make usb extensions as well but I would mount it under the window behind the passenger seat on the wall there.

 

[wldrbob]

hummm ours is a 3000 and usualy used for power tools if we need more than one pluged in we have to open the hood bit of a pain sometimes but better than hauling a gen set around all the time

 

[Napoleon_Tanerite]

Haven't I seen you around AR15.com, the name sounds soooo familiar

who? me? I've been banned from arfcom for almost a year.

 

[ragedracer]

Personally, I wouldn't put it near the heater vents. In the winter, you probably don't want that hot air cooking it.

What about mounting it in the glovebox?

 

[4bogginchevys]

you could make a super custom slide out table/drawer and put it under the passenger seat....