Is it ok to run both electric blanket & lap top off cigarette lighter via inverter

Even if you don't blow a fuse, your battery won't last the night. Get a dog or two, unless it's a three dog night.

 

A sleeping bag and/or a blanket. I personally wouldn't want the car running with me in it asleep - you might never wake up!

Is there no way you can get a cheap room or share one with a friend? Four days in a car would be hard (and smelly!).

 

Why not get a portable electric battery jumpers. I think the outdoor camping companies sell them; i.e. Dicks Sporting Goods, Gander Moutain, etc.

 

Neither an electric blanket nor a laptop really requires high voltage AC current. Look for an electric blanket that runs on 12v DC (try places that sell to truckers), and a laptop adapter that plugs into a 12v car socket.

That said, they make sleeping bags warm enough for people climbing mountains, you should be able to find one that keeps you warm. Humans radiate about 60 watts of heat, which is about what you will get from an electric blanket.

 

i have a 1kw inverter. it works ok for certain things. if you are going to power a laptop, you need a pure sign-wave inverter.. if you don't, you may end up with problems. (i've fried a few electronics that way)

also... just for future note, the cigarette plugs only handle 10 amps... or 120 watts... with several test and now a burnt out cigarette plug (wires).. it handles less than that.

running the lightish load you mentioned.. with the car fully on (that's what i recommend) you'll only burn a gallon every 8 hours or so... but that's kinda unlikely seeing i've powered my sound system on high with a sub and a few cfl lights and the car only burnt through a gallon every 10 to 12 hours...

while using my car as a backup for my quadriplegic uncle's ventilator and his 600watt heater... it was a gallon every 4 to 6 hours.. but that's a constant 900 watt load (roughly)...

 

btw... even leaving the auto climate control on at a set temp and fans on low doesn't burn too much gas either... nothing you do will make this coast as much as a single night in a hotel... (i've done this too while traveling across the u.s.)

 

Your Prius charging system can supply a kwatt safely if you have the car in "Ready" mode, but not via an auxiliary power outlet (AKA the cigarette lighter) which is stressed to supply 5 amps (60 watts). The 12v battery itself will quickly be depleted if asked to supply a kwatt. The HV battery might last 10-20 minutes if asked to supply this load.

As others have said, use a good sleeping blanket to stay warm.

JeffD

 

If you are worried about carbon monoxide poisoning, you should keep a carbon monoxide detector in your car.

Just a different idea: How about parking your car near an electrical outlet and use a long extension chord?

Mike

 

A quick question that pertains to this thread pretty well... (coming from someone that is admittedly very stupid about electrical stuff)

I have a very basic 120v/90 watt/10amp "CyberPower" inverter. When I plug this into the cigarette lighter is it drawing power from the 12v battery or the traction battery?

Stupid question I know, but please humor me.

 

12v, no one has figured out how to tap into hybrid battery power. consider yourself humored.

 

Even if you could run an electric blanket and charge a netbook at the same time, I would worry about electrical noise. The blankets' thermo switch cycling on/off could affect the netbooks' operation while in use.

DBCassidy