Prius 110V AC Outlets -- Xantrex 1200 watt Inverter Installed

consider getting a deep cycle marine battery just to power the inverter so you won't ruin the 12v prius battery

 

Very clean install.

Q: Do you have enough slack to move the hatch box enough to get to the spare tire if needed?

 

Clean install but why the yellow crimp on the red wire ?

 

This Xantrex produces modified sine wave, so some of the larger motors (circ saw?) may not run quite as well as you're used to. I see you have an 80 amp fuse inline which is probably a good idea. The flickr photo shows 12.5 volts. I assume this was take with the Prius off. If it was in 'ready' then we need to talk about it. Should be close to 13.8 then.

I did a lot with a 1000 watt modified sine wave inverter in a 2001 Prius. Real handy accessory.

 

Clean job and nice post!

 

it should be okay as long as the car is in ready

but i would probably want to get a separate marine battery and isolator if you want to
have the car off

 

I am in the process of building mine with a Xantrex 1000W, just waiting for parts to arrive.

I will build mine with a on/off switch, fuse and quick release cable connectors, all on a board for portability.

Will send pic when done. It's a design I saw here on this forum.

 

Are you sugesting wiring up the inverter,marine battery and the Prius 12VDC Aux all in parallel and car in ready mode. If so, I should think that the prius charging system might sense a very high load and could hurt the car. Or are you suggesting to run the inverter on a separate and/or isolated marine Battery? As I recall a good size deep cycle marine or RV Battery is rated at 150 Amperes. The little Prius battery is rated at something like 32Amps, that is quite a disparity. For a short period of time this "might" work, but to keep the car in ready and go off a few yards to build a house all day and things could get warm.

 

I saw a network newscast of a guy here in New England during the Ice Storm using a 1000 Watt inverter connected to his Prius battery. He left the car in ready mode. He ran this for three days and only used about 5 gallons of gas.

I dont see how this would damage the car or battery. When the battery gets of a certain voltage level the engine would turn on and recharge the battery.

 

The blog link is no longer valid.

Anyone has a current re-direct link for it please? Thanks.

 

What's the point? To carry a blender or air compressor with you?

 

bengarland's blog server is gone, but entry can be found here:
>Prius + Inverter = AC Power at Our Farm Adventure

I'm undecided about the best way to mount. bengarland takes advantage of the stow area, which seems obvious; open the cover for ventilation. Bob Wilson does it a little more elegantly with a wiring harness in a GIII (though he later removes it because of resistance losses):
>110 VAC inverter installation | PriusChat

I'm working with a leased car, so I don't want to cut any holes. In the G III, there are two spots on the right side of the underfloor storage compartment where a cable can be routed from the battery compartment without cutting any grooves. This allows the inverter to be easily moved when removing the underfloor storage compartment to access the spare tire, without resorting to a wiring harness. In the G II in contrast, you have to go all the way around to the left side.

Cleaner still would be to mount it behind the wall, though you run into ventilation issues. Bob Wilson did this on a G I with a fold down door - a lot of work:
>Prius - UPS Project

sciguy125 takes the opposite route on a G III, bringing a wiring harness into the cargo area. Very easy and clean - so long as the inverter's not plugged in:
>Inverter ( 12 VDC / 120 VAC) install on the Gen III | PriusChat

Buck Denton does the same thing in a G II:
>http://conservationreport.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/prius_as_back_up_power.pdf

Corwyn mounts it above the battery:
>http://priuschat.com/photos/8006/standalone

hawkmoon77 has a slick installation in a GIII, upfront behind the console, running the positive cable back to the battery:
>120 Volt Outlet | PriusChat

 

Went ahead and mounted it in the underfloor area of GIII - very easy and clean. Here's my guide:

PARTS

1500W Xantrex XPower for $70 on eBay
Higher wattage than Prius battery can supply, but inverter will automatically shut down if capacity is exceeded (-> voltage drop; will also shut down if engine not running)

150A 12-48V DC circuit breaker - $15 on eBay
Inverter has built-in fuse, but instructions also specify a separate breaker

Cables made to order from Genuinedealz.com - $26.55:
4 AWG (DC cable sizing tool: DC Cable Sizing Tool - Wire Size Calculator - MM2 & AWG - solar-wind.co.uk )
3' black; 5/16"-diameter ring connector for inverter negative post, 1/4"-diameter ring connector for vehicle ground screw
0.5' red; 5/16"-diameter ring connector for inverter positive post, 1/4"-diameter ring connector for circuit breaker
2.5' red; 5/16"-diameter ring connector for positive battery post, 1/4"-diameter ring connector for circuit breaker
shrink tubing

4" 12 AWG wire to connect inverter chassis ground screw directly to inverter negative DC input terminal


ASSEMBLY

-Tape circuit breaker to top of inverter

-Connect all cables to inverter and circuit breaker per above; can also tape over terminals, but not really necessary

-Remove under-floor compartment and battery cover

-Trip circuit breaker

-Attach cables to positive battery post and to vehicle ground screw (where negative battery cable terminates)

-Make sure all cables are tight

-Start engine and test inverter on full load (a blow dryer works well)

-Replace battery cover, rest inverter on top

-Replace under-floor compartment / route both cables through storage slot for cargo security shade; black cable will need to be finagled into place

-Tape inverter to floor of compartment


OPERATION

Engine on, car not in garage, under-floor compartment open for ventilation

No need to connect output ground to earth (as some have recommended)

No problem starting full-size refrigerator or 1/3 HP sump pump; MSW for motors is a little lower power, but works fine

Leave circuit breaker open when not in use