Club 80-90 Forums

I've been looking at this in Maplin's

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=383741" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and thought it looked an easy option for the occasional times when it would be good to have electrics and I'm not near EHU. Mainly thinking of laptop use. I'd be no good at wiring in a proper invertor and I'm guessing it would be quite expensive to have one professionally fitted. I've got a leisure battery in the van so was thinking about clipping this on to it when needed. The other option I'd been looking into was a cigarette charger for the laptop but thats nearly 3x the price of the invertor. Plus I could always use the invertor for other things such as hair dryers and other girly type essentials.

So does anyone have similar to this and is it any good?

Thanks.

mine plugs into the cigarette lighter socket (that is run from my leisure battery) and its ideal for running a laptop - we watched dvd's on our laptop every evening for a week on our jollies....'tis also good for charging phones and hand held gamers.

I'm not sure how much I paid though cos I stole it from Nigel

I think you have to make sure its got enough watts otherwise it'll be pants

binka wrote:I've been looking at this in Maplin's

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=383741" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and thought it looked an easy option for the occasional times when it would be good to have electrics and I'm not near EHU. Mainly thinking of laptop use. I'd be no good at wiring in a proper invertor and I'm guessing it would be quite expensive to have one professionally fitted. I've got a leisure battery in the van so was thinking about clipping this on to it when needed. The other option I'd been looking into was a cigarette charger for the laptop but thats nearly 3x the price of the invertor. Plus I could always use the invertor for other things such as hair dryers and other girly type essentials.

So does anyone have similar to this and is it any good?

Thanks.

They are mainly all like that really. You just take the clips off and connect the wires to the battery terminals. It would take 5 minutes to fit, here is a picture of one like that in my camper, look at the side of the kitchen unit behind the front seat,



I fitted a smaller one in my doublecab glovebox too as i wanted that one hidden,

jed

Before you decide just check the power rating of the 'girly type' appliances. 200W may not be enough but I'm no girly and haven't a clue what their power consumption is. The ones that are wired to the battery could be fitted with clips but IMO, any power invertor is best clamped to the battery terminals if you intend to use anything that requires more than 100W. Seems ok and solves your problem but a standard fitting invertor only needs a few screws to secure it to a panel and the wires attached to the battery clamps. Someone should be able to do that for you and you can select from a wider range of invertors as well. Mine is 300W and about the same price as the one you have listed. See what others say...........

Yeh the one in my picture is a 400w one i think and that was on sale from Mapins for not much more. Good thing about them for me is you dont have to spend a fortune on a 12v charger for everything.

jed

OK, have checked. My hairdryer is 1200 watts. So that might be a no go.

A cheaper inverter there is 120w and that says it powers "most" laptops. The model I linked to is 200w, not enough for the hairdryer but should be fine for a laptop. I'll have a look at standard fit ones as well as that doesn't sound too complicated to fit.

Thanks.

Anything with a heating element is a no go i am afraid. If you want to style your hair while away You could always find a hedge and drag yourself backwards through it

jed

12v hair dryer at 168W, so now you (like the Mrs) can have a girly gadget in the camper

http://www.leisureshopdirect.com/campin ... px?aff=122

Cig lighter hair dryer.
http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/12v_hair_dryer_18081/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Might be poo though!

give up on the hairdryer......you may as well get a bee to fart on your hair as get a 12v hairdryer!

Get a Hat!

Inverters are pants, inefficient, and more trouble than they're worth. Get the DC-DC laptop supply instead.

you may as well get a bee to fart on your hair as get a 12v hairdryer!

Great just saved me £12 My camper will remain girly gadget free

Team28crew wrote: Great just saved me £12 My camper will remain girly gadget free

Manly hairdryer then :
http://www.safield.co.uk/portable-campi ... =froogleUK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I seem to have perfected the "dragged thorugh a hedge backwards" style without even needing a hedge. I will have to buy more hats.

Manly hairdryer then :
http://www.safield.co.uk/portable-campi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... =froogleUK

Ooooh, maybe I could utilise my Propex heater!