We’ve been discussing our favorite RV camping gear. Over the years, our DC to AC power inverters have proven to be incredibly useful. We typically use them in our truck, but they are also handy inside the RV.
For the uninitiated, a power inverter converts 12V DC current (from a “cigarette lighter” style outlet) into household 120V AC current. This allows us to power all sorts of electrical devices from our truck and RV batteries. We do so in our truck when we are traveling down the road, and sometimes inside our RV when we are stopped for the night.
We own two inverters – a modest 150W model and a more powerful 400W model. If I was shopping today for my first inverter, I’d go straight for at least a Bestek 300W or a Cobra 400W. Here’s why.
This Bestek 300W power inverter is a #1 bestseller. (Click the pic for more info.)
We use our 400W model the most. We originally bought it many years ago to power a portable air pump (inflating an air mattress when tent camping) and it worked like a champ. But there are other benefits to the higher power output of the 400W – for example, it charges our iPhones much, much faster than the 150W version. For this reason, our 150W unit is used sparingly. We typically keep the 400W in our truck and anytime we need to charge devices, we flip the “ON” switch and plug up.
We use our power inverter as we're driving down the highway - the 400W charges our tech devices quickly. The 150W does the trick too, just a little slower. (Click the pic for more info.)
The downside to the 400W is a bit of fan noise – it is not a silent unit. (Of course, our big honkin’ diesel truck isn’t exactly silent either.) And if you are plugged into your RV batteries with the 400W, you are pulling out more current than with 150W and will drain your batteries faster.
If you need even more power, you can get inverters that kick out crazy amounts of juice. There’s a Bestek 1000W model that is very well regarded. Bestek also makes a 10-pound model that kicks out 2000W. And then there’s the Cobra 2500W unit! In theory you could run an A/C unit off that thing – for a while anyway.
Wow! This 2500W inverter will power Times Square if necessary - for a while, anyway. (Click the pic to check out this bad boy!)
While it may sound enticing to have large amount of AC power on hand, bear in mind the battery requirements. The larger the inverter, the more battery power you need to support it. I suspect a 2500W unit would be overkill for most of us. (But oh, it would be great fun while it lasted.)
If we were shopping today, we’d also consider the new inverters that are designed to fit in cupholders, like the Rally 200W Cup Holder Inverter. Since most of us have a spare cupholder available, this is a nice idea. Most inverters these days also include technology-oriented features like USB ports.
This cupholder inverter has some nice features - like fitting inside a cupholder! It also has a USB port and claims "up to" 400W of total output. (Click the pic for more info.)
At the moment we are happy with our two inverter setup. But I’m thinking we will add an additional dedicated Bestek unit for use inside our Airstream (so we can leave the 400W inside our truck).
Power inverters are another “must have” device for dedicated RV travelers.