Anyone have any good/bad advice on inverters for camper vans.

This being bike related I’m looking at running a pressure washer off one (which rates massively highly for wattage).

It also needs to power a guitar amp, if only to indulge my need for non-stop rocking.

I found this while shopping – a little rich for my blood, unless someone can convince me it’s the way to go…

http://www.fasteronline.co.uk/Ring-Automotive-ring-power-source-2000w-inverter-p-4682.html

If it makes a difference I’m driving a VW Transporter T5, sorry to any split-screen or retro camper fans out there…

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

How will you power it? From a leisure battery? If so it’ll need to be enormous to run a pressure washer for any time.

Check the peak output vs continuous for what you’re looking at, the latter is the number that matters.

Pressure washer wont work.

The Guitar amp will be ok. Until the campers next door ask you to keep it down.

Get a dirtworker instead

You’ll probably need a pure sine wave inverter if you want to run an amp without horrendous noise.

Starting a pressure washer will take a well oversized inverter, as inverters and inductive loads don’t mix too well.
Also, the current draw on a 12V battery powering a pressure washer will draw a substantial amount of current.

Personally, I’d say get pure sine wave inverter for the amp, and get a dirt worker or similar for the bike washing

Starting a pressure washer will take a well oversized inverter, as inverters and inductive loads don’t mix too well.

Shouldn’t there be a capacitor (or more sophisticated electric device using some sort of variable capacitor) to act as a correction factor in any highly inductive load? I though this was a design require to minimise any out of phase current demand?

Standard AC induction motors have a high start up current, as essentially until the motor gets spinning, you’re just shorting a big loop of wire across the power supply.
There are ways to minimise the load, but a power washer isn’t going to have any of them.

And yes, a standard single phase AC motor will have at least one capacitor, but it’s purpose in life is to start the motor by inducing a phase lag, so the motor starts spinning.

You’d wreck your battery I reckon.
You may as well get a generator if you’re spending that much: alternatively get the dirtworker.

I wasn’t refereeing to the starting capacitor but a CF device on any highly inductive load such as is found on HF lights. Electricity companies charging more for out of phase loads and all.

But I see your point that it’s only at start up on a simple single phase motor in normal conditions.

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/product-reviews/quick-test—dirtworker-washer/4192.html

This looks pretty good to me… We have a Mobi in stock at my shop too, looks like I’ll be posting a review of both if anyone’s interested to know which works out better!!

If nothing else I predict an epic pressure washer fight between me and my mechanic.

Get a dirtworker type thing as has been suggested, or if you fancy a project have a look at bilge/deck pumps (ebay). You could build one into your camper…

The first link I posted has a chart showing what you can run off that device. Looks as if pressure washers are right out. A generator is gonna take up too much space for what I need, but I can hide a dirt worker/mobi in a cabinet inside the van quite easily.

I don’t know much about electronics, not willing to tinker too much since I’m almost guarenteed to blow myself up. This pure sine wave inverter business isn’t something I’d thought of – hideous noise is a speciality of mine though in this case that’s a sensible concern.

I will find a way to make this work. It’s all about campsite gigs!! Even better if the bikes are clean for the morning after.