so i got myself a 500 watt 12v inverter to run my ps3 and tv, i tested it with my car battery and it powers the tv and ps3 fine. so i’m planning to run it straight to one of the lorry batterys and running cables from the battery into the cab.
so my questions are
1.does all this sound ok?
2.and how many metres and what cable should i use? and its a renault magnum is anyone would know the distance to the batteries??
3.are just using crocodile clips ok?
cheers for any help!
why not do it properly and get a 24v inverter?
to do it properly the way you have gone about it would be to buy a voltage dropper to reduce the standard truck voltage (24v) down to 12v to power the inverter
it is not normally a good idea to run it off just one battery, that will pull the battery down more
shuttlespanker:
why not do it properly and get a 24v inverter?to do it properly the way you have gone about it would be to buy a voltage dropper to reduce the standard truck voltage (24v) down to 12v to power the inverter
it is not normally a good idea to run it off just one battery, that will pull the battery down more
just went into halfords and got the one for 80 quid, ive got a month to return if it brakes. the pure sine 500 watt 24v inverters i was looking at either were 300 bloody quid or were gonna take a week to deliver! and i wanted one now if you know what i mean.
I’d return it and get a 24v one if I were you!
You’ll be bitterly disappointed at how quickly that load will pull one battery down to the low volt safety cut out point- less than a hour maybe. Constantly draining one battery with the other full is quite damaging to both batteries during the re-charge cycle. Also a 24v inverter will need cables half the size since the current is half for the same power- 16mm2 will be plenty on 24v but a bit wimpy for 12.
For wiring is this a temporary or semi permanent install? For a 'proper job you’d run the cables from the battery’s to the cab hinge point, through the cable access point and into the cab. That way you can still tilt the cab without unplugging anything. Otherwise grab a 4m set of leads on an Anderson plug and chuck it out the door and plug it into the booster plug.
I prefer to wire the shortest distance from battery to cab. Two options with anderson plugs, either mount one under the cab and use a tail-lift lead between the cab and batteries or wire direct to the batteries and mount the anderson plugs near the cab in a way so if it’s tilted they pull apart without damage. Either way make sure there’s a megafuse near the batteries.
Apart from shortest distance being the simplest I prefer this over the long route up into the cab because if something goes wrong and it overheats or melts there’s the risk of it doing much more expensive damage.
cheers for the advice
i dont think the truck has an anderson connection. thats why i was just thinking crocodile clips?
i’m not really after doing a full on job, just a semi permanent. i wont be on them for more than an hour at a time anyway and if i am i’ll just fire it up for 20 minutes.
how do the 12v lighter chargers work? wouldnt they just work off one battery? the inverter has an auto cut of once it gets below 10v aswell
vtrfire:
how do the 12v lighter chargers work? wouldnt they just work off one battery? the inverter has an auto cut of once it gets below 10v aswell
Usually there’s a 24 - 12v dropper built into the system.
It prevents this problem
Race Trucker:
Constantly draining one battery with the other full is quite damaging to both batteries during the re-charge cycle.
Simon:
vtrfire:
how do the 12v lighter chargers work? wouldnt they just work off one battery? the inverter has an auto cut of once it gets below 10v aswellUsually there’s a 24 - 12v dropper built into the system.
It prevents this problem
Race Trucker:
Constantly draining one battery with the other full is quite damaging to both batteries during the re-charge cycle.
yes, but, not all cig lighter sockets are 12v, a lot are 24v now
also, if you do happen to have a 12v cig socket, it will possibly not be high enough rated for the amps
shuttlespanker:
Simon:
vtrfire:
how do the 12v lighter chargers work? wouldnt they just work off one battery? the inverter has an auto cut of once it gets below 10v aswellUsually there’s a 24 - 12v dropper built into the system.
It prevents this problem
Race Trucker:
Constantly draining one battery with the other full is quite damaging to both batteries during the re-charge cycle.yes, but, not all cig lighter sockets are 12v, a lot are 24v now
also, if you do happen to have a 12v cig socket, it will possibly not be high enough rated for the amps
the renault has 2 12v sockets and 2 24v, one of the 12v is rated to 150 amp apparently, but its not my truck so dont want end up melting the socket or worse!
vtrfire:
shuttlespanker:
Simon:
vtrfire:
how do the 12v lighter chargers work? wouldnt they just work off one battery? the inverter has an auto cut of once it gets below 10v aswellUsually there’s a 24 - 12v dropper built into the system.
It prevents this problem
Race Trucker:
Constantly draining one battery with the other full is quite damaging to both batteries during the re-charge cycle.yes, but, not all cig lighter sockets are 12v, a lot are 24v now
also, if you do happen to have a 12v cig socket, it will possibly not be high enough rated for the amps
the renault has 2 12v sockets and 2 24v, one of the 12v is rated to 150 amp apparently, but its not my truck so dont want end up melting the socket or worse!
150 amp? 
are you sure about that?
that would have to have some serious cable behind it
15a I think if its a Hella or standard lighter socket.
There is only one way to do a proper job and that is to do it properly 
Bodging it on to one battery with crocodile clips is a recipe for disaster 
You have a 24v system, so get a 24v inverter. It needs to be hard wired into the batteries using wire with the correct capacity and have the correct fuse fitted inline. If you want it to be removable then use an Anderson Plug, this is probably the best method anyway as you can have shorter wires. 
newmercman:
There is only one way to do a proper job and that is to do it properlyBodging it on to one battery with crocodile clips is a recipe for disaster
You have a 24v system, so get a 24v inverter. It needs to be hard wired into the batteries using wire with the correct capacity and have the correct fuse fitted inline. If you want it to be removable then use an Anderson Plug, this is probably the best method anyway as you can have shorter wires.
Good advice, plus you definitely do not want the wiring shorting or overheating and burning your truck and possibly you load out.
Exactly, any problems and companies will be quick to ban drivers from installing anything in the lorries
Hiya i think you,ll find if you haven,t got a split charger when the most charged battery is fully charged the battery you,ve been using will still be only say 2/3rds charged,
this will kill the good battery in no time,
John
vtrfire:
shuttlespanker:
Simon:
vtrfire:
how do the 12v lighter chargers work? wouldnt they just work off one battery? the inverter has an auto cut of once it gets below 10v aswellUsually there’s a 24 - 12v dropper built into the system.
It prevents this problem
Race Trucker:
Constantly draining one battery with the other full is quite damaging to both batteries during the re-charge cycle.yes, but, not all cig lighter sockets are 12v, a lot are 24v now
also, if you do happen to have a 12v cig socket, it will possibly not be high enough rated for the amps
the renault has 2 12v sockets and 2 24v, one of the 12v is rated to 150 amp apparently, but its not my truck so dont want end up melting the socket or worse!
NOT A CHANCE.
Anyway, basic maths for you, 500 watts divided by 12v = 42 ish amps… that’s too much for a ciggy lighter socket of any design and no voltage dropper will be rated to that number of amps either - that I know of.
As you said, you can wire it to 1 battery, but as others have said, that’s not good for the batteries, better to take it back and invest in a 24v 1.
I have a 300w 24v inverter that runs on a hella socket, but even that is touch and go in my opinion and I rarely use it - in fact I’ve not used it since 2009