HF Inverter? Good? Bad?

[sjordanjeff]

I read everything I could find here and didn't see this. Any help appreciated.
Harbor Freight has an Inverter they sell for approx $129. I have a 5x8 Cargo Trailer that has a 4.4 cu ft Refer/freezer on board. Max watts used is 190. When on the road I would like to run the Refer with the HF (?) inverter powered by the TV's 12v system. My question is: given the load, 190 watts max, 110v AC. would the inverter place too big of a load on the T.V.'s 12 V system? Would this be a reasonable application or a pipe dream?
When parked I'll use shore power or a 1500 watt generator. I'm not planning on having a 12V battery in the CT I'm planning on using a WFCO 8725 to distribute the 110 & 12Vwhen parked. 12V will just be used for lights.
My inexperienced hunch says this should work. Please help me figure out the downside. Thanks.... Jeff

[Yota Bill]

190/14=13.6 amps

Not knowing the loss with that invertor, it would be safe to say you would be pulling about 15-16 amps or so....size the wire accordingly, and make sure it is protected, and you should be fine

[eatatjoz]

Couldn't tell ya'
But, I'll say that for 129.00 you can get a 1500-1800 watt inverter from a truck stop that is probably better quality than a HF box.
I've seen 1200 watt Cobra's on sale for 99 bucks. Loves truck stop has a inverter on sale right now at 125 for 1500 watts.
Don't forget that the start-up on that refer is going to be double or more than the running watts pulled.

I ran my charge wire to a battery in the tear, and ran a inverter from there. Of course it's fed by a charger and solar too (I prefer boondocking).
When I get to camp, I unplug the TV and I don't have to worry about the truck starting when I'm ready to leave for the next spot.

[sjordanjeff]

Thanks for the input guy's. Got me to thinking, to use the full potential of the 2000w inverter, I'd have to run some pretty heavy cable from the TV's battery back to the inverter. A battery in the trailer is most likely the best direction to go. I'll do a 10ga from the TV to the WFCO to help maintain the battery while on the road and the refer is running. The refer will already be down to temp on departure so it would only have to maintain temp. not run for a long time to bring temp down. I'm wondering if I'll have any issues with the inverter powering the WFCO 8725. Anyone tried that? Thanks again for that 190/14 = amps, that helps a lot. I was unsure what to use for batt. voltage. Rgds, Jeff

[Shadow Catcher]

There is one glaring problem, unless you are using a deep cycle battery in your TV you will very shortly end up with a battery that can not start it if the alternator is not running at speed and exceeding the demand of the refer.
Why the reluctance to have a battery in the CT?
I would question how the load center will react with no battery attached, may well not be a problem but...?

[Yota Bill]

With an automotive battery, each cell provides 2.1 volts for a total of 12.6 volt at full charge. The charging system provides 13.8-14.2 volts, depending on the load, according to most all manufacturers. I have seen perfectly healthy charging systems, with low load, showing as low as about 13.2 volts. Using 14 volts to estimate amperage draw is common practice, but keep in mind, it is just an estimate, actual draw may vary some. The best bet is to measure the actual draw.

[sjordanjeff]

Just thought I would mention that I did get the HF 2000/4000 inverter and have the installation complete. It works! And pretty well I might add. I did go with a on board battery and a WFCO 8725 and all works fine. The HF inverter runs my 4.4 cu ft Frigidaire and thats what I needed. Thanks to all for the idea's and comments. I have a digital volt meter coming that will make it easy to keep an eye on the battery.

Jeff