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Thread: Inverter install help

  1. 04-16-2002, 06:06 PM #1
    JoeCool
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    Inverter install help

    I was hoping to use a DC-DC ATX p/s, but after looking at the prices, I simply couldn't afford it. I ended up going with a 700W Vector inverter from Walmart (at $60, it didn't make sense to spend $20 less for half the wattage).

    Now I'm trying to figure out how and where to install it. Eventually, my computer (small flexATX case) will go in the trunk, but I'm going to start out with it in the back seat for the time being. Because of that, I've been thinking about installing the inverter under the front passenger seat (plenty of room for it + an inch or more on every side for ventilation). I don't know how hot these things get so I don't know if the heat might somehow do damage to the carpet or the underside of the seat. I like the fact that the other outlets will also be easily accessible by simply plugging into the inverter under the seat.

    The other issue is that Vector only included 3 ft of cable to connect to the battery. How can I get a longer cable to install this? I probably would need around 7-9 feet in order to route it around.

    Thanks for any and all help.
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  2. 04-16-2002, 06:58 PM #2
    MP3DUB
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    You can make your own cable using sufficient gauge (for a 700w, 8ga or lower) wire and ring connectors. The only thing with putting it under the seat is that they can be noisy at times (when very hot or very cold). I could hear my inverter turn on on the cold days under the floor of my trunk (which is really the ideal spot for such a setup). Also, if you permanently install it under your seat, youll have the power cord running from the cabin to the trunk. Temporarily, I dont see why not (heh, i had wires coming from under the hood, out side of the car, in through the door and down the middle of the cabin to the back seat for a few weeks ). and unless you're trying to run an electric oven off the inverter for a few hours, I dont see the inverter getting even close to hot enough to melt plastic.
    -Nick

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  3. 04-16-2002, 07:12 PM #3
    petemal2000
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    I would Keep the AC cables as short as possible, and i would be very careful running them through the car, all it wuold take is the cable to be crushed going through a hole or something and the whole car would be live!
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  4. 04-17-2002, 06:53 AM #4
    driney
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    I installed an inverter under the seat of a van. I ran #8 cable from the battery through a fuse, then under the vehicle and up through a grommet in the floor. I found that rubber fuel line could be used over the wire to give extra protection to the areas I thought might be susceptable to damage. I also used some short (1") pieces of PVC as standoffs to raise the inverter out of the carpet.
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