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Inverters/Chargers

What are solar inverters and chargers? If you build a campervan to include a battery supply, solar panels, and various powered devices, one of the machines you’ll need is an inverter. An inverter is a device that makes the power held in the battery usable by your powered devices (laptops, phones, toasters, anything you might plug into the wall in a house)

In some cases, you’ll go a step further and get an inverter charger, which connects a power source to your batteries, so charging may commence whenever AC power is available. The device has a computer in it that monitors all the connections, such as the amount of energy flowing in from the solar panels and the appliances or devices using the power.

Do I need a converter if I have an inverter charger?

One of the benefits of an inverter charger is that it combines two devices: the inverter and the converter. The inverter is the device that makes the power in the batteries usable by your devices. The converter translates the power that comes from your solar panels into a charge for your batteries. 

Using an inverter charger also eliminates the need to shut off the device whenever the batteries are full. An inverter charger has a computer that will cease charging the batteries according to your preferred level.

How do I choose an inverter charger?

Inverters are sized by watts, and you’ll commonly find them in sizes that start around 1000 watts. It’s usually best to avoid the smaller inverters because they limit how many devices you can use simultaneously. To figure out the size inverter you need, add the watts used by each device you might plug into the inverter. 

If you regularly use your computer while you watch television, that’s anywhere from 400 to 500 watts. If you use those two items and add a microwave, you’re looking at anywhere from 800 to 1500 additional watts of usage. Try to get an inverter that will give you a little room to breathe without going completely overboard.

Remember, too, that some devices do use more energy than what you might see on the label. Something like a computer or a mobile phone will use a consistent amount of energy. However, a device like an air conditioner will occasionally spike in its power usage, which means you need to size the inverter appropriately.

Can I use an inverter to charge my car battery?

You can use an inverter to charge your car battery. You can permanently connect your vehicle’s 12V battery to your inverter, so the battery will always remain charged or “topped off,” even when the vehicle isn’t running. With some rudimentary wiring, you can install a switch inside your vehicle that will turn the battery charging on and off.

Keeping a vehicle’s 12V battery fully charged when you’re not otherwise using the vehicle and the alternator is charging the battery is the best way to extend its lifespan. Bear in mind that this is the battery under the hood of your car rather than the batteries you installed for powering devices inside your camper.