Inverters

[roy cummings]

Hi All,

I seek opinions, and possibly hope to prompt a discussion, regarding the
use of large inverters. The genesis of my curiosity was a desire to
install a propane refrigerator. In rough figures, that's about $1000.
A STATPOWER PROSine 2.5 inverter is about $2000. I already own a large
dorm type refrigerator, that draws 1 amp AC, that I could use with an
inverter. Considering this, the inverter ends up costing $1000 over the
price of the propane refrigerator. Now, I've read posts here concerning
the price of AC/DC TV/VCR units. These are generally small sets that go
for premium prices. While at Best Buy the other day, I saw 19" TV/VCRs
for $250. Bigger picture; smaller price. But it needs AC power. There
are other examples like this which, I believe, serve to illustrate that
in the long run a large inverter may not really be any more expensive.
That doesn't even factor in the pleasure and convenience of having AC
power without the noise of the generator. So, am I missing something?
Why aren't these devices more widely used? BTW, I forget to mention
that the PROSine 2.5 also has a 100 amp battery charger.

Best wishes,

Roy Cummings
'75 Eleganza
Arlington, VA

 

[richard waters]

Roy
I'm still new to this, but I had the same thoughts last Summer that you
have. This is what I did:
1) Installed a StatPower TC40
2) " a PortaWatz 1000 watt inverter
3) " a Generator Transfer Switch
4) " 2 6 volt golf cart batteries to replace 2 12 volts.
5) added 120 VAC outlets at the front under the dash,
and in the dinette and bedroom lockers. These supply power
to the new electronics.

I have the inverter wired to a relay so that it energizes all the
outlets in the coach when there is no shore power or Onan
power present. I bought a 26" TV, DVD Player and VCR
from Best Buy. I got them cheap and they all run on AC only.
I installed the inverter in the back in an unused space next to
the battery compartment. I have a remote switch to turn the
inverter on and off.

I can run all the TVs and other stuff without the generator or
shore power and for me it is a good setup. While under way
(with the engine running) I can run a coffee maker too. I also
power my cell phone from a AC adapter that runs from the AC
power created by the inverter. That way I didn't have to buy a
DC adapter for that phone.

Most of the camping I have done so far are at sites that do not have
hookups. So in order to watch TV or whatever we would have to
run the Onan or buy a relatively expensive AC/DC TV. We didn't
want to do that, so that's why I did what I did. So far it has worked
fine.

One thing I don't do is run the fridge from the inverter. I suppose I
could, but I'd rather run it on DC. I have an OEM fridge, which I
will be replacing soon. When I do that I don't know if I would
try to run the fridge from the inverter.

Richard Waters '76 PB, Troy, MI
- -----

I think this beats running the generator just to watch TV. Also, as
you have found, AC TVs etc. are cheaper and bigger then their AC/DC
counterparts. The only problem could be that some cheap TVs etc.
have a noticeable hum when running on the cheap inverters. None of
mine do that.

Richard Waters '76 PB, Troy, MI
- ---

This means

> Hi All,
>
> I seek opinions, and possibly hope to prompt a discussion, regarding the
> use of large inverters. The genesis of my curiosity was a desire to
> install a propane refrigerator. In rough figures, that's about $1000.
> A STATPOWER PROSine 2.5 inverter is about $2000. I already own a large
> dorm type refrigerator, that draws 1 amp AC, that I could use with an
> inverter. Considering this, the inverter ends up costing $1000 over the
> price of the propane refrigerator. Now, I've read posts here concerning
> the price of AC/DC TV/VCR units. These are generally small sets that go
> for premium prices. While at Best Buy the other day, I saw 19" TV/VCRs
> for $250. Bigger picture; smaller price. But it needs AC power. There
> are other examples like this which, I believe, serve to illustrate that
> in the long run a large inverter may not really be any more expensive.
> That doesn't even factor in the pleasure and convenience of having AC
> power without the noise of the generator. So, am I missing something?
> Why aren't these devices more widely used? BTW, I forget to mention
> that the PROSine 2.5 also has a 100 amp battery charger.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Roy Cummings
> '75 Eleganza
> Arlington, VA

 

[gene]

I have some notes on my web page

gene

>Hi All,
>
>I seek opinions, and possibly hope to prompt a discussion, regarding the
>use of large inverters. The genesis of my curiosity was a desire to
>install a propane refrigerator. In rough figures, that's about $1000.
>A STATPOWER PROSine 2.5 inverter is about $2000. I already own a large
>dorm type refrigerator, that draws 1 amp AC, that I could use with an
>inverter. Considering this, the inverter ends up costing $1000 over the
>price of the propane refrigerator. Now, I've read posts here concerning
>the price of AC/DC TV/VCR units. These are generally small sets that go
>for premium prices. While at Best Buy the other day, I saw 19" TV/VCRs
>for $250. Bigger picture; smaller price. But it needs AC power. There
>are other examples like this which, I believe, serve to illustrate that
>in the long run a large inverter may not really be any more expensive.
>That doesn't even factor in the pleasure and convenience of having AC
>power without the noise of the generator. So, am I missing something?
>Why aren't these devices more widely used? BTW, I forget to mention
>that the PROSine 2.5 also has a 100 amp battery charger.
>
>Best wishes,
>
>Roy Cummings
>'75 Eleganza
>Arlington, VA
>
Genef -- 77PB/ore/ca
GMC MOTORHOME INFORMATION
mr.erf
http://www.california.com/~eagle/

 

[henry davis]

>Hi All,
>
>I seek opinions, and possibly hope to prompt a discussion, regarding the
>use of large inverters. The genesis of my curiosity was a desire to
>install a propane refrigerator. In rough figures, that's about $1000.
>A STATPOWER PROSine 2.5 inverter is about $2000. I already own a large
>dorm type refrigerator, that draws 1 amp AC, that I could use with an
>inverter. Considering this, the inverter ends up costing $1000 over the
>price of the propane refrigerator. Now, I've read posts here concerning
>the price of AC/DC TV/VCR units. These are generally small sets that go
>for premium prices. While at Best Buy the other day, I saw 19" TV/VCRs
>for $250. Bigger picture; smaller price. But it needs AC power. There
>are other examples like this which, I believe, serve to illustrate that
>in the long run a large inverter may not really be any more expensive.
>That doesn't even factor in the pleasure and convenience of having AC
>power without the noise of the generator. So, am I missing something?
>Why aren't these devices more widely used? BTW, I forget to mention
>that the PROSine 2.5 also has a 100 amp battery charger.

Roy,

You're not necessarily missing anything much that's obvious.

But there's more to it than just the large inverter. As you size up the
inverter you need progressively larger battery banks to power the thing.
Not because of the amp-hour capacity, but because of the instantaneous
drain on the batteries when running at 2.5kW or higher. The large current
requirements for DC makes the voltage sag. This in turn makes the inverter
less efficient which increases sag. One way to solve this problem is to use
batteries that can sustain the high loads with little voltage drop.
Unfortunately most batteries that will fit in the battery storage
compartment and supply the high current needs are either expensive or short
lived. So, another answer is to add additional batteries and parallel them
to reduce the voltage sag. But this has its own problem - the need for
large gauge cables between battery banks.

The next issue is one of alternator size. With a ProSine 2.5 running at
full rated output, you will be pulling a bit more than 200 amps of 12V. If
you plan on using the inverter for any significant period of time, you'll
need a bigger alternator so help supply part of the load. And you'll need
larger gauge wiring between the alternator and the isolator, and the
isolator and the battery bank.

Large inverters also have a large idle current. This is the current drain
on the batteries when the inverter is not providing significant 120V for
the branch circuit, but is turned on. As the size of the inverter gets
larger, the idle current increases.

Assuming that you use a ProSine 2.5, you need to have a battery bank of at
least 400AH capacity to make effective use of the charger without unduly
shortening the life of your batteries. A good rule of thumb for smart
chargers is to limit them to no more than 25% of battery capacity. The net
result is that you'll need 4 6V golf cart batteries to match the system's
capabilities.

Now, if you reduce the size of your inverter, life gets much better. You
have a 1 amp load for the fridge (120 W) and a similar amount for a 19"
color TV. For most inverters, you want to run them below 80% of their peak
capacity in order to get the most efficient energy conversion (but above 20%).

So, looking at your figures, you have 120W for the fridge, be generous on
the TV at 250W, and allow for a computer or other piece of equipment at
200W. That's 570W - a number that can be handled by a 1000W inverter.

You can get more information about inverters etc at my web site:
http://www.henry-davis.com/GMC/

select the Elec FAQ link.

What I did:

I use a TrueCharge 40+ charger to condition a bank of Trojan 105 golf cart
batteries. There's a total AH capacity of a bit over 200 AH, so the 40+
fits the 25% rule of thumb. In addition I use a ProSine 1000W inverter.
It's enough to power everything that I use but small enough to not require
extensive rewiring. The big advantage to using the ProSine over say a
modified sine wave inverter is that the sine wave inverter results in less
lost power. Many 120V products turn the difference between a sine wave
and square wave or modified sine wave power into additional heat. That's
wasted energy. The ProSine inverters extend battery life by providing the
type of power that the equipment was designed to use. (I know that some
tools etc work fine on square waves, but as a general rule they generate
more heat when using square waves).

My 1000W inverter is not big enough to power a convection oven, or even
most smaller microwaves. An 1800 would do the trick though.

Just some thoughts.

Henry

 

[al chernoff]

Be careful... to run a 2.5K inverter needs lots of batteries.... And if you
are running lots of power, the batteries will drain righ away. I have a
1500 watt inverter, and if I run all 1500 watts, my two 6 volt batteries
will be out of juice in about 30+ minutes. Just consider the loads ant
your battery capacity.
al

> Hi All,
>
> I seek opinions, and possibly hope to prompt a discussion, regarding the
> use of large inverters. The genesis of my curiosity was a desire to
> install a propane refrigerator. In rough figures, that's about $1000.
> A STATPOWER PROSine 2.5 inverter is about $2000. I already own a large
> dorm type refrigerator, that draws 1 amp AC, that I could use with an
> inverter. Considering this, the inverter ends up costing $1000 over the
> price of the propane refrigerator. Now, I've read posts here concerning
> the price of AC/DC TV/VCR units. These are generally small sets that go
> for premium prices. While at Best Buy the other day, I saw 19" TV/VCRs
> for $250. Bigger picture; smaller price. But it needs AC power. There
> are other examples like this which, I believe, serve to illustrate that
> in the long run a large inverter may not really be any more expensive.
> That doesn't even factor in the pleasure and convenience of having AC
> power without the noise of the generator. So, am I missing something?
> Why aren't these devices more widely used? BTW, I forget to mention
> that the PROSine 2.5 also has a 100 amp battery charger.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Roy Cummings
> '75 Eleganza
> Arlington, VA

 

[blank]

Roy,

You've already gotten lots of good advice. Only thing I would add is check
out Phred's Poop Sheets at:

http://www.phrannie.org/phredex.html

Good information on inverters and lots of other RV subjects. Check out the
Trace and Hart inverters too(links are at Phred's site).

Patrick

 

[roy cummings]

> Just some thoughts.

Henry,

Your reply to my post was more than "Just some thoughts."! It was
EXACTLY the information I was looking for! If I go with the PROSine
1000, the money I save by using the dorm fridge instead of the propane
unit pays for the inverter (can you tell I'm trying to justify the
expenditure?). Last year I installed a TrueCharge 40 (not the "+"). Do
you think that I would benefit greatly from the use of four Trojan 105
golf cart batteries, instead of two? The main loads on the inverter
would be the fridge, a TV, and a satellite. I was planning on running
the Onan when using the microwave, anyhow. Just to be sure I understand
what you wrote, with the PROSine 1000W inverter, I won't have to change
my alternator or any of the associated wiring?

Henry, many thanks again! If I go with an inverter, I hope you won't
mind me sending additional questions your way.

Best wishes,
Roy

 

[blank]

Roy,

My opinion, FWIW. If you don't want to go with a propane fridge(don't blame
you - I don't either), then consider the Norcold DE461. It has a 12volt
compressor using R134a and draws only 5.3 amps on 12 volts and 1.3 amps on
120 volts when the compressor is running. We just replaced the original
fridge in my dad's coach last year with a DE461 and he's been very pleased
with it. The original unit would run the big 12 volt battery dead in a day.
The DE461 runs all day on a WalMart deep cycle(bass boat) battery with
plenty to spare. Obviously, dad's not into dry camping. His idea of
boondocking is a day at the mall.

The ProSine 1000 is a nice unit and I'd like to have one too, but it's
advertised efficiency is 89%. If your dorm fridge only draws 1 amp(I'd be
surprised if it's that efficient), then the ProSine will be pulling 11 amps
from your battery. If it draws 2 amps, then you're over four times the load
that the DE461 would require. The dorm fridge is also probably not
insulated as well as the Norcold, so it will run more often too. Add this
to the TV and satellite loads and you'll either be staying close to an AC
outlet or running the Onan every day(which kinda' defeats the purpose of
having an inverter).

I'm not saying you can't make this idea work, but generally appliances
designed for 12 volts are much more efficient than their 120 volt cousins.

My $.02,
Patrick

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roy Cummings [mailto:royeric]
> Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2000 8:45 PM
> To: gmcmotorhome
> Subject: Re: GMC: Inverters
>
>

>
> > Just some thoughts.
>
> Henry,
>
> Your reply to my post was more than "Just some thoughts."! It was
> EXACTLY the information I was looking for! If I go with the PROSine
> 1000, the money I save by using the dorm fridge instead of the propane
> unit pays for the inverter (can you tell I'm trying to justify the
> expenditure?). Last year I installed a TrueCharge 40 (not
> the "+"). Do
> you think that I would benefit greatly from the use of four Trojan 105
> golf cart batteries, instead of two? The main loads on the inverter
> would be the fridge, a TV, and a satellite. I was planning on running
> the Onan when using the microwave, anyhow. Just to be sure I
> understand
> what you wrote, with the PROSine 1000W inverter, I won't have
> to change
> my alternator or any of the associated wiring?
>
> Henry, many thanks again! If I go with an inverter, I hope you won't
> mind me sending additional questions your way.
>
> Best wishes,
> Roy
>

 

[dave1]

> > I seek opinions, and possibly hope to prompt a discussion, regarding the
> > use of large inverters. The genesis of my curiosity was a desire to
> > install a propane refrigerator. In rough figures, that's about $1000.
> > A STATPOWER PROSine 2.5 inverter is about $2000. I already own a large

Hi Roy,

If you are interested in running lots of different appliances, I would=20
suggest using a separate inverter for each appliance. The low power=20
inverters are very cheep (~$40 for 300w) and are more efficient at powering=
=20
small loads. I would use one for my fridge, one for the TV, another for the=
=20
computer etc. I even have one for an electric blanket With multiple=20
inverters, the inverter only runs when the load is active. Another=20
advantage to multiple inverters is redundancy. If one dies, just swap it=20
with another till it can be replaced. At $40 they are throw-away items. It=
=20
costs more than $40 just to ship a broken 2.5Kw unit.

Even if you plan on using something heavy duty, like a microwave, i would=20
still use the smaller inverters for the smaller loads (especially the=20
refrigerator since it will be running 24x7) and a large inverter for the=20
large load. A 1500w inverter will run a microwave just fine (I have a=20
Statpower) and only costs ~$500 these days. So for less than $1000 you=20
should be able power everything and still have money left for a good=20
battery charger. I think the reason the cost of these inverters is so low=20
is that they have become high-volume products and are avalable everywhere.=
=20
The larger inverters are still low volume specialty items and thus cost=
more.

When you wire things up, just be sure you have solid wiring and grounds for=
=20
each inverter. Use 8 or 10 gauge wire and fuse each circuit. Run the=20
grounds back to the battery along with the 12v line. You should never use=20
the chassis (especially the aluminum parts) as a ground return for anything=
=20
that draws a heavy load. Don't forget that a 200watt TV/VCR setup will be=20
drawing 20+ amps or so. If I had it to do over again, I would consider=20
putting the inverters in a central location, close to the batteries, and=20
running the 110v over to the appliances where it will be used. There is=20
less of a problem with voltage drops when running 110v over long distances.=
=20
Unfortunately I did my setup one piece at a time so its pretty spread out.

You will probably want to upgrade your battery bank and charger too. I use=
=20
two sets of golf-cart batteries and a Todd 75amp charger. The trick is to=20
keep the batteries operating in the top 50% or so of their capacity. They=20
will last a long time if you don't discharge them below 50%. I have four=20
Exide batteries, 9 years old this summer, that are still going strong.=20
Another tip is to keep them charged when not in use. I have a lamp timer=20
that runs the charger for a half hour, once a week during the off season.=20
It keeps them topped off without drying them out. I only have to add water=
=20
once a year.

Hope that helps

Dave
Ann Arbor, MI.
73 Sequoia (26'/455/EFI/HEI/160=B0)

 

[patrick flowers]

Rick,

Aluminum is a good conductor, but the body is insulated from the chasis,
so somewhere it has to be connected back to the vehicle frame. This
means the "heavy load" that Dave refers to is traveling through the body
grounding straps and these have been known to be problematic. I think
Dave's admonition is the concern that a heavy load, such as an inverter
should not have to depend on multiple good connections for a ground
return.

Patrick

>

>
> > You should never use the chassis (especially the aluminum parts)
> > as a ground return for anything that draws a heavy load.
>
> I've heard this before, but why? Aluminum is a darn good electrical
> conductor, much better than steel or iron. Only weakness is getting a good,
> tight, corrosion-resistant connection to it. If you check, you'll probably
> see that the main entrance cable from the power pole to your house is
> aluminum.
> Aluminum wiring got a bad rep. some years ago when it was used with
> fixtures designed for copper, resulting in bad connections and a few fires.
> I can't see where that applies to using the all-welded body frame of our GMCs
> as a ground path. GM did it, including for the rear house batteries and
> their "boost" function. I did it with my 1,000W inverter, which so far has
> been flawless.
> Am I missing something here that I should be aware of? Any comments?
- --
Patrick Flowers
Mailtoatrick

The GMC Motorhome Page
http://www.gmcmotorhome.com

 

[dave1]

>
> > You should never use
> > the chassis (especially the aluminum parts) as a ground return for
>anything
> > that draws a heavy load.
>
> I've heard this before, but why? Aluminum is a darn good electrical
>conductor, much better than steel or iron. Only weakness is getting a=
good,
>tight, corrosion-resistant connection to it.

Corrosion is a major problem. When connecting aluminum to copper there is a=
=20
chemical reaction that takes place and causes the aluminum to corrode. It=20
is especially bad with moisture present. The corroded connection can heat=20
up and cause a fire hazard. There are special connectors avalable that will=
=20
solve the chemical incompatibility between copper and aluminum but then=20
there is a problem with completing the connection at the other end of the=20
circuit. Its hard to know what the current path will be between the=20
aluminum body, the steel frame, the copper wiring or between two aluminum=20
body or two steel frame members. There are smaller ground straps, copper=20
plumbing, LP gas lines, steel fuel lines and steel brake lines, any of=20
which can become a path for heavy current flow. Remember that current will=
=20
always flow through the path of least resistance.

I discovered this problem the hard way when I installed my Todd 75a battery=
=20
charger. I had the charger grounded to one of the cross-member frame rails.=
=20
The batteries where grounded in back to one of the two main frame rails.=20
While I was charging the batteries and working underneath (to pull new=20
wires for my Westach remote shunt ammeter) I grabbed the frame rail and=20
noticed that it was quite warm. The point where the cross-member was=20
riveted to the main rail was noticeably hot. Adding a hunk of heavy copper=
=20
ground wire from the charger to the battery solved the problem (and=20
increased the charge rate on the batteries by a few amps). I guess its just=
=20
a good thing that the return current path didn't go through the gas tank,=20
LP tank, gas line, brake line etc... Something bad may have happened!

When installing an inverter, keep in mind that an inverter powering a=20
toaster or microwave will be drawing current in the range of hundreds of=20
amps. Any poor or corroded connections will become vary hot in short order.=
=20
High power devices, especially inverters and high current chargers, should=
=20
always have a good copper path to the battery for both power and ground.=20
The lower voltage drop make the inverter and batteries more efficient too.

GM used the aluminum body frame as a ground return for the original "buzz=20
box" converter. That design was probably OK given that most of the output=20
of the buzz box was used to power various devices that are also grounded to=
=20
the welded aluminum body structure.

But the buzz box was never a very good battery charger. Its output voltage=
=20
is not high enough to supply a strong charge current to the house battery.=
=20
If you replace the buzz box with an intelligent charger the charge current=
=20
to the battery will be substantially increased. That is a good reason to=20
upgrade the ground circuit by adding a heavy copper ground return wire=20
directly to the battery. The ground return current for the lights, heater=20
etc will still go through the aluminum body but the battery charge current=
=20
will pass directly from the battery back to the charger.


Dave
Ann Arbor, MI.
73 Sequoia (26'/455/EFI/HEI/160=B0)

 

[richard d smith]

While shopping at COSTCO yesterday, saw a STATPOWER PortaWatt, 300 watt
inverter for $35.00.

Is this powerful enough to run a small TV and a VCR??

Roger the best to your wife!!

Rich & Sharon '76 Glenbrook (Front end is even more apart now)
at the Castle in Colorado, will be 65 degrees today

 

[richard waters]

> While shopping at COSTCO yesterday, saw a STATPOWER PortaWatt, 300 watt
> inverter for $35.00.
>
> Is this powerful enough to run a small TV and a VCR??
>
> Roger the best to your wife!!
>
> Rich & Sharon '76 Glenbrook (Front end is even more apart now)
> at the Castle in Colorado, will be 65 degrees today

Roger! We're also thinking of you and your wife!

Richard,
It seems like 300 watts should work. However, I
have a 300 watt inverter and for some reason
unknown to me it won't run my motorhome TV.
Without the TV there's not much point of running
a VCR.

I bought a 1000 watt inverter (peaks to 2,000) connected
via 2 gage wire directly to the house batteries and that
runs everything that I want in the coach.

I use the 300 watt unit to run my laptop in my car.

Richard Waters '76 PB, Troy, MI

 

[gene]

I have listed some of the power requirements for various appliances on my
web site

gene

>While shopping at COSTCO yesterday, saw a STATPOWER PortaWatt, 300 watt
>inverter for $35.00.
>
>Is this powerful enough to run a small TV and a VCR??
>
>Roger the best to your wife!!
>
>Rich & Sharon '76 Glenbrook (Front end is even more apart now)
> at the Castle in Colorado, will be 65 degrees today
>
>
Genef -- 77PB/ore/ca
GMC MOTORHOME INFORMATION
mr.erf
http://www.california.com/~eagle/

 

[henry davis]

>
>
>inverter for $35.00.
>
>
>Is this powerful enough to run a small TV and a VCR??
>
> >>
>
>Just look on the back of the TV and the VCR and check the wattage that each
>pulls and add them together. For example I have a 12" TV with a built in VCR
>player. It draws 120 watts. So a 300 watt would be more than enough to run
>it. For better performance run a heavy gauge wire to the typical "cigarette
>lighter" receptacle and to the ground.
>
>Make sure that the 300 watts is "continuos." Some are rated for peak loads
>and a lower wattage for continuous use.


You beat me to the punch!

For most inverters that use square wave or modified sinewave, you can
figure on about 70-80% of the rated peak capacity to be available for
continuous use. Some may be much lower.

Another issue is surge current capability. Many appliances have a "surge"
current that is somewhat higher than the max rated current. You need to
make certain that the inverter will also handle these currents.

Many lower priced inverters have terrible current vs temperature capacity.
In general, current delivered is reduced as temperatures go up. High
quality inverters have a fairly flat nearly horizontal curve that falls off
very sharply at some temperature while lower quality inverters have a
steeper curve with a slower drop off. The problem is that many lower
quality inverters don't specify the temp v current curve.

You can improve low quality inverter performance in some cases by adding a
fan to move air through the electronics.

Henry

 

[henry davis]

I'm not certain that I responded, so here goes

>expenditure?). Last year I installed a TrueCharge 40 (not the "+"). Do
>you think that I would benefit greatly from the use of four Trojan 105
>golf cart batteries, instead of two?

The issue is the exact load that the dorm fridge will place on the system.
Generally, more is better when it comes to batteries - but then you do have
to find places for them;> How long do you want to run between charging the
batteries?

>The main loads on the inverter
>would be the fridge, a TV, and a satellite. I was planning on running
>the Onan when using the microwave, anyhow. Just to be sure I understand
>what you wrote, with the PROSine 1000W inverter, I won't have to change
>my alternator or any of the associated wiring?

No changes required. But be aware that unless you install an isolation
switch between your house batteries and the alternator the TrueCharge may
be fooled into thinking that there is another charger in the system when
the engine runs. (the alternator is the second charger) This means that you
may not be able to charge your batteries while driving down the road with
your genset running.

>Henry, many thanks again! If I go with an inverter, I hope you won't
>mind me sending additional questions your way.

Ask away.

Henry