Running power on my Trailer Pit?

[ecto1]

OK so here is my question I am wanting to run my BBQ trailer with out a generator. We have a set of shop lights an electric knife and a few other things. Our music is provides by a battery operated BOSE and we currently have no need for heavy power that a generator would supply that I can think of. I am thinking of purchasing a deep cycle battery and a power inverter and carrying a battery charger with me. It would mostly be to power my lights as said and a few electric appliances (can opener, Electric Knife). OK know does anyone here see the flaw in my plan? I have run lights on a boat all night for two or three trips on a deep cycle so I think this would work.

 

[pops6927]

The problem would be the motorized appliances; they draw a lot of wattage in some cases.  Check the wattage of each, add them together along with the light wattages and that will determine the total output of the inverter you'll need.  Anything over 600 watts will tax it big time, and the electric knife could well be more than that.

 

[daveomak]

ECTO, morning....  The inverter will work.... 

I have a 12V electric knife I use for filleting fish in the boat...  There are also 12V lights you could get....  Using all 12V stuff might be more efficient than using an inverter ??? I am no electrician so I'm just guessing on the efficiency thing....

Dave

 

[pops6927]

RE: Watts Required to Power Electric Knife

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/ icon and title message

(DC) WATTS= VOLTS x AMPS
(AC) WATTS= VOLTS x AMPS x PF (POWERFACTOR)
POWERFACTOR= INPUT WATTS÷(V x A)

In your case, you can do this calculation:
110 Volts x 1.2 Amps = 132 Watts @ 91.6 Ohms
 

In this case for an electric knife you would need a 150 watt inverter just for that.

Can opener will take about 100-140 watts, depending on features.

How many shop lights at what wattage each?  2 @ 100 = 200 watts.

132w for electric knife

140w for can opener

200w for lights

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472w total

5-600w inverter should work. 

Look at Home Depot, Harbor Freight, Northern Tool or online search.  Radioshack only carries a 300w max.

 

[ecto1]

The problem would be the motorized appliances; they draw a lot of wattage in some cases.  Check the wattage of each, add them together along with the light wattages and that will determine the total output of the inverter you'll need.  Anything over 600 watts will tax it big time, and the electric knife could well be more than that.

Everything I look up says the electric knife is around 100 watts.  I use a Mr. Twister Piranha with the 9 inch blade perfect brisket slicer.  I ran it off my Truck battery for a couple of hours at my last comp no problem wich gave me this idea.   

ECTO, morning....  The inverter will work.... 

I have a 12V electric knife I use for filleting fish in the boat...  There are also 12V lights you could get....  Using all 12V stuff might be more efficient than using an inverter ??? I am no electrician so I'm just guessing on the efficiency thing....

Dave

The shop lights are incadecent i can't imagine them taking up too much draw.  I figured run the lights at night hook up to a battery charger when we sleep then early morning when we wake up to get the brisket cooked the lights would run again.  I could then charge the batteries during the day and use them to only slice ribs and brisket.  May get a small two stroke generator just to keep them charged quiet clean power much cheaper than a Honda Generator.  

 

[ecto1]

RE: Watts Required to Power Electric Knife

---

/ icon and title message

(DC) WATTS= VOLTS x AMPS
(AC) WATTS= VOLTS x AMPS x PF (POWERFACTOR)
POWERFACTOR= INPUT WATTS÷(V x A)

In your case, you can do this calculation:
110 Volts x 1.2 Amps = 132 Watts @ 91.6 Ohms
 

In this case for an electric knife you would need a 150 watt inverter just for that.

Can opener will take about 100-140 watts, depending on features.

How many shop lights at what wattage each?  2 @ 100 = 200 watts.

132w for electric knife

140w for can opener

200w for lights

-------

472w total

5-600w inverter should work. 

Look at Home Depot, Harbor Freight, Northern Tool or online search.  Radioshack only carries a 300w max.

Harbor Freight has 750 Watt Inverter for about 50 bucks

 

[solaryellow]

You could have more than one battery for extra capacity. Also, HF has cheap solar chargers that may work for you.

 

[sparky30_06]

good quality inverter is well worth the money.  Don't go cheap.  You also need to figure start up load on the inverter along with the running load.  Two deep cycle batteries in parallel and I would add some solar chargers to keep the batteries topped off during the day.  I'd switch over to flourcent or led lights.  Do it right it will rock just as good as your food!!!

 

[michael ark]

The solar kit at harbor freight come with 2 lights.

 

[LanceR]

The biggest issue will be the lights.  Consider LED strip lights.  They will use a small fraction of the power of other lamps and some can be bent into whatever shape you need to illuminate what you want to see.

There are 12 volt electric knives marketed to the fishing community.  I've never used one so I can't tell you whether they are any good.

Lance

 

[miald]

OK so here is my question I am wanting to run my BBQ trailer with out a generator. We have a set of shop lights an electric knife and a few other things. Our music is provides by a battery operated BOSE and we currently have no need for heavy power that a generator would supply that I can think of. I am thinking of purchasing a deep cycle battery and a power inverter and carrying a battery charger with me. It would mostly be to power my lights as said and a few electric appliances (can opener, Electric Knife). OK know does anyone here see the flaw in my plan? I have run lights on a boat all night for two or three trips on a deep cycle so I think this would work.

Thanks for sharing this information. have you ever used LED lights?