Using a 2014 TRD sport to Weld????

A little back story for this idea. I currently live on FE Warren Air Force base in the enlisted dorms. Although the dorms are nice I am left without a proper garage/ shop that will allow me to continue my fabrication. I used to work in metal fabrication and I truly miss it....not to mention it is a use it or lose it skill. I also find myself helping people fix stuff and I thought this could be useful for a trail side fix using a welder.

I just recently bought a 2014 tacoma trd sport 4 door and to my surprise this truck has a power outlet in the bed!!!!!

Im guessing its a standard 115v plug????

If its not can it be upgraded to 115v or even 230v?

I think I might have to get my welder shipped out to me! If you can't tell, Im pretty excited!

 

That plug will not support the draw from your welder.

I would say you'd have to run a dual battery set up with an upgraded alternator to sustain the amp draw from the welder. And a dedicated power line to the plug.

I say get you a small enclosed trailer and build you a mobile shop out of it with a smaller generator with the appropriate amp draw.

 

Also, every base I was at had a auto body shop that you could use for anything from painting to wheel alignment.

I rotated and changed my own oil in those shops on an actual lift for a good five years.

They had welding machines and every type of tool you needed. Cost about $10 to use it.

I even washed and waxed my truck in an enclosed wash stall with hot water and over head lights. Cost me about $3 dollars to do that.

 

I have yet to check out the on base auto hobby shop but I have heard from my supervisor that the don't have a welder on sight. Im not sure if I could bring my own. Thank you for the reply though I didn't think about the draw. I only have a year left until they boot me out of the dorms so I might just have to wait.

 

I don't see any reason why you couldn't.

Then again they could have rules in there to keep from hacking their shop up and yourself.

 

Sounds like a good way to get a couple day of med leave haha. I would just have to make sure they don't catch me in the shop finishing the project

 

As mentioned above that outlet will not support a welder. At 400W max it won't even run a Keurig coffee maker (1500W) Also the inverter is a modified sine wave which most anything with a motor will not take kindly to.
Living on base you probably could save enough money to rent a small shop off base bring in your own tools and enjoy

 

you can upgrade your alternator and weld.

http://premierpowerwelder.com/shop/welding-systems/toyota/

 

"Modified sine wave"* is a BS term some inverter maker's marketing department came up with. The waveform most cheap inverters (like the one in our trucks) put out is really just a two or three level square wave that's not even a "close approximation" of a sine wave. This is why many devices crackle and flicker when powered by cheap inverters, it is up to the device's power supply to smooth the waveform and many devices don't do that well.

"Make believe sine wave" would be a more accurate term.


Real "el-cheapo" inverter (two voltage levels):


Better "el-cheapo" inverter (three levels):


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* - Wouldn't generating a "modified sine wave" require that one start with a sine wave? And as the goal is to power things that expect a sine wave why would you "modify" it into not-a-sine-wave?

 

Interesting, I wonder if they're any good? I would have to try before I buy.

Then, we are in agreement
Modified sine wave sucks
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They don't start with a sine wave. They start with DC voltage (12VDC) they flip it 60 times per second (60Hz) and use a step up transformer (1:10) to get a 120VAC square wave, better known as a modified sine wave. It is impossible for digital electronics to make a true sine wave. True sine wave inverters make many voltage steps to approximate a true sine wave, and our electricity eating things don't know the difference.

 

Oh I know that--that's why it is NOT a "modified sine wave" but rather a "not a sine wave at all wave".

While it is impossible for digital electronics to make a pure sine analog wave, using an 8-bit or better DAC you can get pretty close.

Here are spectrum analyses of 1kHz sine waves from three signal sources. At the top is a relatively inexpensive Leader analog signal generator (0.205% THD), the middle is a rather expensive KIkusui analog reference generator (< 0.002% THD), and at the bottom a early '90s Air Force surplus 8-bit digital generator made by Wavetek (0.234% THD). (I ran this 10+ years ago so cut a geezer a break if it's a bit dated)



Newer digital 12-bit, 16-bit and better DACs can achieve THDs of less than 0.01%--but you will not see these as drivers in any consumer level inverter...

 

Ok

Meanwhile back on topic...
OP I believe your best alternative is rent shop space and do what you love.
Welding is a do it or lose it skill!

 

I'm sorry, too many years teaching...