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First I want to thank everyone that answered my questions when I started this project and put me on the right track. Here are pictures and notes on my 1200/3200 watt inverter install. I also installed a second battery but more on that at another time. I do not recommend or suggest that anyone else try this and if you do it is at your own risk.
Main parts:
1200 watt Inverter
50 feet of 4 gauge welding cable
Weatherproof outlet boxes
12 Volt on/off switch
Indicator light
Lots of wire loom (red and black)
3 prong extension cord
I wanted it in the cab and not the bed but it had to be out of the way so under the seat it went. But as we all know, it is not good to have electronic gear on a vehicle floor because everything we drop heads straight for your gear including fries, raisins, peanuts, dirt, etc. So I used L-brackets to suspend the inverter above the floor but low enough not to heat the seat. This is inverter has a thermal cutoff that kicks in at 155 degrees. Plus there is an A/C duct just below it; a little piece of hose and it is permanently cooled.
I started by disconnecting the wire from the front panel switch and extending them with so I could the switch I installed under the center console. If I did not have a Quad Cad I would have just faced the inverter forward so I could use the original switch. Then I removed the bottom of the inverter, drilled four holes and attached the L-bracket mounts. While it was open I tapped into the plus (+) wire of the fan so I could power the indicator light. The negative wire from the indicator light runs back to the negative (-) cable on the inverter. This way I always know when the inverter has power not just when the switch is on. Then I ran 4 gauge welding cable from the battery to the under the seat KEEPING IN MIND THAT LONG ENOUGH IS TOO SHORT! I always like extra wire and hose on my installs. I was given the 4 gauge welding cable free at a fishing get together last year. He had 4 or 5 rolls and would give you whatever you needed for your project. I should have taken 100 feet. My first step was deciding on cable routing so I found a hole by the door which was the perfect location but too small for a pair of 4 gauge welding cable so I drilled a second hole. The plus (+) wire comes through the factory hole and the negative (-) is routed through my 5/8” hole. I used a Dremel style tool to clean the burrs from around the new hole. I drilled from the inside with a block of wood on the outside just in case the drill decided to pull. I did not want to damage the door. One cable was wrapped with red electrical tape so that I always knew my positive from my negative cable because if the cables are ever reversed it will permanently cook the inverter. Every cable and every wire is loomed and taped. The inverter is powered exclusively by the second battery saving my main battery for starting. The 3 prong extension cord plugs into the inverter and that wire was cut (before power was connected) and attached to the outlet under the center console. The console outlet feeds the outlet in the bed. I ran the AC power wires under the carper and out the matching hole by the kick plate. I then it runs inside the fender and inside frame to the bed where I drilled another hole using a wood block to keep from drill trough my rear quarter panel.
Closing Notes:
The outlet and the switch are totally optional. Without getting too deep into the second battery install you should know that the second battery is grounded through the first battery. This way I only have one negative battery cable to pull when working on my truck and I don’t run the risk of forgetting to pull the second cable. The inverter is internally fused but I still think I should have installed a GFI outlet. Think the indicator light should have been on the dashboard instead. Thanks for reading this.
Main parts:
1200 watt Inverter
50 feet of 4 gauge welding cable
Weatherproof outlet boxes
12 Volt on/off switch
Indicator light
Lots of wire loom (red and black)
3 prong extension cord
I wanted it in the cab and not the bed but it had to be out of the way so under the seat it went. But as we all know, it is not good to have electronic gear on a vehicle floor because everything we drop heads straight for your gear including fries, raisins, peanuts, dirt, etc. So I used L-brackets to suspend the inverter above the floor but low enough not to heat the seat. This is inverter has a thermal cutoff that kicks in at 155 degrees. Plus there is an A/C duct just below it; a little piece of hose and it is permanently cooled.
I started by disconnecting the wire from the front panel switch and extending them with so I could the switch I installed under the center console. If I did not have a Quad Cad I would have just faced the inverter forward so I could use the original switch. Then I removed the bottom of the inverter, drilled four holes and attached the L-bracket mounts. While it was open I tapped into the plus (+) wire of the fan so I could power the indicator light. The negative wire from the indicator light runs back to the negative (-) cable on the inverter. This way I always know when the inverter has power not just when the switch is on. Then I ran 4 gauge welding cable from the battery to the under the seat KEEPING IN MIND THAT LONG ENOUGH IS TOO SHORT! I always like extra wire and hose on my installs. I was given the 4 gauge welding cable free at a fishing get together last year. He had 4 or 5 rolls and would give you whatever you needed for your project. I should have taken 100 feet. My first step was deciding on cable routing so I found a hole by the door which was the perfect location but too small for a pair of 4 gauge welding cable so I drilled a second hole. The plus (+) wire comes through the factory hole and the negative (-) is routed through my 5/8” hole. I used a Dremel style tool to clean the burrs from around the new hole. I drilled from the inside with a block of wood on the outside just in case the drill decided to pull. I did not want to damage the door. One cable was wrapped with red electrical tape so that I always knew my positive from my negative cable because if the cables are ever reversed it will permanently cook the inverter. Every cable and every wire is loomed and taped. The inverter is powered exclusively by the second battery saving my main battery for starting. The 3 prong extension cord plugs into the inverter and that wire was cut (before power was connected) and attached to the outlet under the center console. The console outlet feeds the outlet in the bed. I ran the AC power wires under the carper and out the matching hole by the kick plate. I then it runs inside the fender and inside frame to the bed where I drilled another hole using a wood block to keep from drill trough my rear quarter panel.
Closing Notes:
The outlet and the switch are totally optional. Without getting too deep into the second battery install you should know that the second battery is grounded through the first battery. This way I only have one negative battery cable to pull when working on my truck and I don’t run the risk of forgetting to pull the second cable. The inverter is internally fused but I still think I should have installed a GFI outlet. Think the indicator light should have been on the dashboard instead. Thanks for reading this.
