Replacing stock inverter

Has anyone replaced their stock inverter with something more powerful?

I've been looking at adding an in-cab inverter with enough juice to run a small shop vacuum. I'll wire it directly to the battery for constant power which got me to thinking, I would love for the bed plug to be constantly hot too and with more power. If I pulled the stock unit out, I would have plenty of space for a more powerful unit.

So, here's what I need to check into:

Is the wiring from the stock inverter to the bed plug beefy enough to handle a 1500w inverter?

Can I still utilize the switch on the dash to turn everything on and off, and can I wire it in such a way that it can be turned on when the truck is off?

Will there be enough ventilation inside the console for a 1500w unit if it has a fan? I know the back of the console has vent holes, perhaps I will have to add some more.

Anyone else done this or has thought about this?

 

i did an inverter setup with a 1000W in my truck cab. it provides 8.3 amps

i used a rockford fosgate 8 gauge amp hookup kit and a vector 1000w inverter no problems yet.

from what i've read you gonna need 8 gauge and up for 1000w plus and for some applications all the way up to 1/0. i doubt the factory wiring is 8ga or better

good luck

 

my inverter is located under the passenger seat and no problems with ventilation

 

I'll be pulling apart the inverter so that I can cut the plugs into the dash and I want to hide the inverter if possible. I am fearful of having dirt and moisture enter the inverter if I mount it under the seat.

 

most of the higher end inverters have a remote switch input so you may mount the switch somewhere else.

dirt and grime huh? air duster (with the inverter disconnected from the battery of course)

 

I did the same ran a 1000 watt as well good investment, i bought a shopvac that plugs into the cig outlet small and powerful bought it at big5

 

The factory is NOT heavy enough for a 1500 watt inverter. 1500 watts would be a 125 amp load and if the inverter has a surge rating you might need to wire for a 200 amp load. We're well out of the realm of wire and into custom assembled cables to avoid melt down.

You can not run something that big with the truck off for more than a few minutes without dangerously draining your (stock) battery and unless you have the tow package high output alternator you'll still draw down the battery even with it running.

By the time you get fuses, cables, inverter and maybe have to upgrade batteries and alternator you'll probably both save money and be better off in the long to get a small generator.

 

OK, Roland, Mr. Negativity. I'm not doing anything extreme, just trying to sort this out.

So I've decided to run 4 gauge from the battery with a 80amp fuse to power a 800 watt continuous, 1600 watt peak inverter.Once the power is converted from DC into AC, why would I need anything more than a heavy duty extension cord to run power to the bed plug? I'll never run more than one major device at a time, but usually it will just be a couple of small chargers in the cab. So again, I wonder if the stock Tacoma wiring can handle this? I might just buy a heavy extension cord and replace the wiring from the stock inverter position back to the plug, but I'm going ahead with my plans on this. Pictures when I'm done in two weeks.

 

I would tend to agree with roland, you can get a "smaller" generator pretty cheap these days from kragen or pep boys.

 

Sorry Nermal I didn't intend to come off as not trying to be helpful. I had something a bit more eloquent typed out but something happened and it disappeared. Being short on time I just retyped the critical points.

You might not think so but what you want to do is pretty extreme. Lets not forget that you originally mentioned a 1500 watt inverter. An 800 watt inverter is much more reasonable but it's still a potential 67 amp load. While you don't plan on actually using that much power, for safety (and durability) any wiring you do has to be capable of handling the continuous maximum load someone might try to demand from the equipment. The stock truck battery in new condition would be drained to 50% in 20 to 30 minutes by that. Is there a low voltage shut off on the inverter? You also need to know what would happen under the surge condition. Would the inverter pass the sudden 130+ amp demand to the battery and the 80 amp fuse?

On the high voltage side 800 watts is only 7 amps so you are correct that a normal extension cord will handle the load. I'd suggest spending an extra couple bucks and get something rated for outdoor wet condition use and be sure to secure it everywhere practical and gasket it anywhere it passes thru metal.

If you're not 100% sure of how to make this project come together the experts at an RV or marine outfitter are usually more than happy to give advice. They are also a great place to get the specialty items like custom length cables with swaged terminal ends that you'll want to accomplish a safe professional installation.

Good luck with your project!

 

Did this ever get done?

 

bump

 

While do-able, I ran out of patience and mounted the inverter under the driver's seat. I remotely located two outlets and the power switch to the back of the center counsel. I carry a 20' extension cord in the storage bins under the jump seats. It's not perfect, but as it turns out, I don't use the inverter all that often. By wiring a new inverter the way that I did, I didn't have to mess with the various stages of power and can have it powered at all times.