Power Struggles

Ah the wonders of needing to power the bigger Items you need to live.  As you continue on your journey over the road you will invariably collect stuff you find will make your life easier.  A fridge, microwave, laptop or TV to watch in your off time, coffee maker ect. This requires special equipment on your truck you might not know you need 

Let’s Power up this Article

To do this you will need a power inverter. Now normally I suggest bigger is better but you only have 4 batteries on the truck unless you want to pay for more and can get the approval of your company. Now you can get a cheap inverter from some of the lower end stores but they wont last,  I’m telling you that now. Getting something small because its cheap will carry you for a bit but you find yourself outgrowing it fast. The ones at the truck stops are not always the best either, so what are you to do? Well its always best to get something to carry you and then do the math on what you need… I have a 3500 watt simplify due to the fact that I have a 700 watt microwave and a 900 watt fridge, plus I want extra, not only to charge my laptop but also so that the draw on my batteries is less and I don’t need to run my truck while using the microwave, the 1900 watt buffer I have lowers the draw and isn’t as stressful on my batteries but it isn’t necessary. 

Let’s Turn the Lights down, shall we?

Generally speaking you will find that having a larger inverter works out better in the long run, its less load on your truck and less load on the inverter so they last longer, but you go to big and you have to add expensive extra batteries and mounts to cover the extra draw. In the end you will have to chose for yourself what is the best fit, what I will do is give you a link to the one I have as it’s a good starting point when looking.

Until next time Carry on and happy trucking

Mike

5 Comments

  1. Good advice not to buy a cheap inverter. I can tell you from personal experience that you will be wasting both your time and your money. Our inverter lasted about two months.

    What about solar panels? They are a more expensive option, but would these not work on trucks too? We have not looked back since putting some on our roof. It is amazing how much energy light can generate.

  2. Hello!

    I can imagine how having a good power inverter is a huge essential when you are on the road. Great advice and tips for choosing the best power inverter. I was surprised to read though that the ones at the truck shops were not the best. Why is that? That would be the first place I would go to. Cheapest products are never the best choice, it is true. 

  3. I had some indirect experiences with power struggles! I used to pass many time onboard a boat and there , you know, there are problem on how to be powered. My ex.husband by many inverters, and what I can say is that buy a cheap on i not a good idea. This is a thing that must work always, it must be trustable and with long time life, so invest in a hight quality one is a life changed music!

  4. Hi 

    Thanks for the great information.

    I totally agree with you never buy a cheap  power inverter.

    you need quality and your power to last as long as possible.

    could you let me know more on What are the benefits of using a power inverter?

     Are there any safety considerations when using a power inverter?

    keep up the good work

    Cheers Matt h

Leave a Reply