Wall socket install in car
Discussion
Hello all.
I'm going to have a shot at fitting a 3 pin wall socket to the boot of my car (1995 toyota Hilux Surf) and had a few issues with the process. I have had one of these car cigarette lighter ones before and was a big bulky thing I would rather have not had to use. Also I have found that pretty much anything you plug into your lighter slot will eventually wear out the socket so I would be stuck with a problem with the car I would either need to fix or live with which I would rather avoid as I am still a scumbag who likes to smoke in his car.
The first main problem I have is the power source I use to power this thing. I already have a cb radio piggybacking off the cigarette lighter so if I was to add another output from the same source I am assuming I would need to incorporate a on/off to the cb radio for when the socket is in use if I was to go down that route. If thats not to be then is there a better source to use to power the socket? Would making a stand alone circuit from the fuse box be the best way to get a decent wattage and are they difficult to make?
The second issue was that I would need a power inverter to get the thing up to 230v and was worried that it would not get sufficient cooling if I fitted it behind interior panels to keep it out of sight, which would ultimately be what I a trying to achieve to keep the set up as tidy as possible. Has anyone on this done anything like this before? Any advice is appreciated.
I'm going to have a shot at fitting a 3 pin wall socket to the boot of my car (1995 toyota Hilux Surf) and had a few issues with the process. I have had one of these car cigarette lighter ones before and was a big bulky thing I would rather have not had to use. Also I have found that pretty much anything you plug into your lighter slot will eventually wear out the socket so I would be stuck with a problem with the car I would either need to fix or live with which I would rather avoid as I am still a scumbag who likes to smoke in his car.
The first main problem I have is the power source I use to power this thing. I already have a cb radio piggybacking off the cigarette lighter so if I was to add another output from the same source I am assuming I would need to incorporate a on/off to the cb radio for when the socket is in use if I was to go down that route. If thats not to be then is there a better source to use to power the socket? Would making a stand alone circuit from the fuse box be the best way to get a decent wattage and are they difficult to make?
The second issue was that I would need a power inverter to get the thing up to 230v and was worried that it would not get sufficient cooling if I fitted it behind interior panels to keep it out of sight, which would ultimately be what I a trying to achieve to keep the set up as tidy as possible. Has anyone on this done anything like this before? Any advice is appreciated.
cozmcrae said:
cold thursday said:
wtf are you smoking ?
cigs. I don't want the lighter socket to break as I actually use it."The first main problem I have is the power source I use to power this thing"
What "thing" are you talking about ?
Edited by cold thursday on Sunday 15th February 01:10
it appears the OP is sufficiently lacking in nouse to be trusted to install an inverter and wire it to the vehicle battery , he also seems to have neglected that a proper inverter install includes a split charge realy on the 12 / 24 v side and a battery bank to power the inverter and protect the ability ofthe vehicle to be started after inverter use.
charging laptops and other small battery operated appliances. Also I would like to be able to use a kettle and a single ring electric hob but I don't know if the alternator would be able to provide enough juice for the hot plate. Still trying to figure that out. Your luxury items for camping basically.
I use one of these. Only 300W, though, so no kettle or hotplate! But then I don't reckon that is a practical proposition from a car battery anyway?
It also does oodles of other useful stuff, though!
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=7...
It also does oodles of other useful stuff, though!
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=7...
cozmcrae said:
charging laptops and other small battery operated appliances. Also I would like to be able to use a kettle and a single ring electric hob but I don't know if the alternator would be able to provide enough juice for the hot plate. Still trying to figure that out. Your luxury items for camping basically.
Consider getting 12v chargers for the first two. No way to the kettle or hob. 1000 watts at 12v is 83 amps - that will kill a battery rather quickly and need some serious wiring. Go with gas.This isn't as crazy as it sounds...
Ok sorry about this next bit...
When I was last on Safari in Kenya, the land crusier I was in had a series of sockets: US, UK & Euro nearly concealed behind a canvas flap... this was for charging phones, camera batteries etc. I asked about this... as they had a 'bush' garage. They were connected to an inverter connected to a separate heavy duty 'leisure battery'.
When one thinks Leisure batteries... its boats or campers.. why don't you pop along to some kind of camper van place... I'm sure they'll know how to fix you up.
Ok sorry about this next bit...
When I was last on Safari in Kenya, the land crusier I was in had a series of sockets: US, UK & Euro nearly concealed behind a canvas flap... this was for charging phones, camera batteries etc. I asked about this... as they had a 'bush' garage. They were connected to an inverter connected to a separate heavy duty 'leisure battery'.
When one thinks Leisure batteries... its boats or campers.. why don't you pop along to some kind of camper van place... I'm sure they'll know how to fix you up.
pompey boy said:
Consider getting 12v chargers for the first two. No way to the kettle or hob. 1000 watts at 12v is 83 amps - that will kill a battery rather quickly and need some serious wiring. Go with gas.
The car is fitted with two batteries currently so it wouldn't be as bad an idea as it initially sounds. For the price of a generator, it looks like you could just get a high output alternator.You need to use an inverter wired to a leisure battery seperated from the main battery through a split charge system, the inverter incorporates a normal 230v 3 pin socket. You certainly wont be able to run a kettle or hob off it though. You can get small 12v kettles but dont think there very good.
Tonsko said:
Do you know how much juice a kettle actually uses? We run a campsite with electric hookups. Mains electricity, allbeit not a house supply, but the number one reason for caravans tripping out due to the load protector doing it's thing is kettles. They draw huge amounts.
An inverter connected to 12v battery would draw over 160a when a 2kw kettle is connected to it , 1 cupper and a flat battery AndrewCrown said:
When I was last on Safari in Kenya, the land crusier I was in had a series of sockets: US, UK & Euro nearly concealed behind a canvas flap... this was for charging phones, camera batteries etc. I asked about this... as they had a 'bush' garage. They were connected to an inverter connected to a separate heavy duty 'leisure battery'.
That's all fine - probably 1-200 watts all-in which is no stress for an inverter or a separate battery with a charge monitor. The OP is talking about appliances that use 1500-2000 watts - pretty expensive inverter, heavy duty wiring and a big drain on a battery. The typical car battery is about 100 amp hours. 100 amps at 12 volts = 1200 watts. Using a 1500 watt hot plate for 30 minutes will pretty much discharge the battery to the point where it's useless for anything else. That's why I said to use gas for heat - so much more energy in a small camping gaz bottle and cheaper/simpler as well. Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff