Add after market inverter under console? help pls

I want to add an after market non toyota inverter under my console....I read a post about the wiring being installed under the console from the factory. how do i identify these leads/wires. i have a non 4wd prerunner. I just want to add a small 400/800 watt unit to run some computer equipt. and possible some small ac tools/tv. i like the idea of having the unit installed out of sight...but have reservations on cooling? my unit has one small fan does anyone have any issues/problems after doing an install of this type? plan to use 6 ga wire off the battery direct to inverter unless the truck has a tie on point for inverter power....add a couple plugs inside the cab and one in the bed. need any help/thought you have thanks!!

 

great idea! i cant help you, but... subscribed!

 

Search the forums. I recall seeing a thread from someone that installed an 800 Watt one under the passenger seat. They wrote it up in a DIY if I recall...

As for attempting to use the factory wiring harness for an aftermarket inverter... that sounds more complex then perhaps its worth.

 

Gotta agree with this. You're talking about pulling 800W from the electrical system. Would you run an 800W amp off of a factory 14-16 guage power wire? I would hope not.

If I were doing this, I would run a separate power wire from the battery, 4-8 guage, with a remote turn on lead. Then I would mount it to the back wall somewhere, preferably, or under a seat, for best cooling. Remember 800W is going to generate a fair amount of heat.

 

this might help

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87182

 

i plan to run heavy wire to the inverter due to the draw.....smaller wires will cover the ac. would like to see a picture of the factory unit and it mountings as a starting point....wonder how it is vented? safety is a major issue....i sure dont like sparks.....

 

The factory inverter has two connectors. One is for logic 0n/off, and reports the condition of the transmission shifter position. The other connector has two wires and supplies the necessary current to power the unit. The harness that supplies the current is not hot all the time, only when the unit is activated via the switch.

That is why I suggest you do not use those harnesses at all.

Here is what the factory inverter looks like:


Inverter is on the left side of this photo. Auto shifter assembly on the right.

The factory inverter has a fan in the front. The blue wire is +12V, the black/white is ground. Again, the blue wire only has current when the unit has been activated via switch. I verified this with a multimeter.


The factory inverter is vented in the back. (This image is upside down, the auto shifter is at the bottom of the picture.)



The back of the console has horizontal slits which form a vent. This is where the heated air from the inverter can escape into the cabin.



All these pictures were from when I performed the mod to add AC outlets and bring DC to the rear of my double cab.

 

Here is picture from Oswego's album which shows the inverter:

 

Thanks Crom....great info !! i looked at harbor freight today they have a set of 4 ga inverter leads ....only 6 ft so i'll make my own. ....i have a idea (unless someone has issues or ??) i want to mount inverter under the hood so leads are short....add some type filter pads over the fan intake to keep dust etc out and run ac wiring inside cab and to bed of truck. only thing that come up is the heat problem?? ideas or thoughts?? at this point thinking of adding some watts might move up to a 1000-2000 watt unit

 

Putting an inverter under the hood might be a bit dicey, but it could be done. A good spot for it would be on the passenger side above the wheel well area there is lots of room.

If I were going to do that I would seal every body seam of the inverter with silicon to make it air tight and install quality filters front and rear so when it does move air, dust and debris does not kill it.

Heat will be a major concern if you're using the unit on hot days. My advice on that is to read the operating specifications for the aftermarket inverter. Let's say that it has a maximum operating temperature of 140°F. Well you could determine how hot it will be under your hood given the hottest day of the year.

If you're within tolerance it will live. If you're borderline or over, don't expect your inverter to live long.

EDIT: I forgot about water. Haha. Don't put it under the hood. Water from rain will kill it first.

I see you have a double cab. Why not just put it behind one of the seats back there? It would live the longest inside the cab.

 

Necropost...

Crom.. I am thinking of running my factory harness from the bed back to the location you have in the pictures. I have not taken it apart yet just wondering how bad it would be, I would use the factory plug with cover from the bed in the cab..

 

Hey Crom, I would like to add a few 110V in cab outlets, like you did, but I am not sure about how to wire them into the existing inverter. Can you tell me which wires you used and how you connected them into the existing 110V out? I would appreciate any help.

 

I put a cobra 800W under my passenger seat. Under the carpet and cut the carpet for venting.

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/25900-cab-110-ac-outlets-option-2-a.html

 

Thanks, i went a different direction.

• I used the factory receptacle from the bed (I have tuffy boxes in there so the factory outlet and box were in the attic.
• I cut the factory cable from under the bed & reused it in the center console.
• Spliced the factory harness from under the bed into the connector on the inverter.
• Made a template and dremeled the rear of the center console to fit the factory outlet

It worked out great and took about 1 hour to do. Works fine and now I have an outlet in my cab, never saw the use (I know why they did it) of one in the bed..

One of the benefits of reusing the factory outlet is that it has a cover over it so no spills from the cup holders above can get in..

 

THANKS SoCalR!!!!