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INTRODUCTION:

Project Rockbuggy gets some inverter capabilities. Although power inverters aren't as popular in the off-roading industries yet, I think we will see them becoming more and more popular in the future. Inverters are a very convenient and effective source of power enabling you to use standard 110V AC power anytime or place, just like you were at home. That means being able to use power tools like drills, saws, coffee makers, etc. while being miles from an electrical outlet. For my application I thought it would make a great valuable, and convenient piece of equipment that I'd use primarily for camping trips and emergency rescue expeditions.

PORT A WATTZ INFO:

The Portawattz 1000 is a powerful yet reasonably compact unit which produces 1000 watts of AC power from your 12-volt DC battery source. I compare the overall appearance and size of the Portawattz 1000 to an average sized stereo amplifier - approx. 12" long by 9" wide (est.). Portawattz makes several different sized watt inverters to fulfill all your power needs.

Whether you're looking for a 100 watt unit or a 3000 watt unit, Store4power has what your looking for. The 1000 watt inverter that I'm installing in my Jeep will allow me to run nearly all power tools, a refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, etc. These are powerful appliances that of course I never plan to use but perhaps a coffee maker would be nice on a long camping trip. My primary interest in this inverter is for the use of power tools.

               INSTALLATION PART 1:

First of all, the inverter recommends using 2-pieces of 4 awg copper insulated wire for powering the inverter. I had two 10-foot pieces made custom with shrink wrapped ends and copper fittings at a local auto parts store. I made sure to get a more heavy duty insulated wire rather than a thin material wire. I like to take all precautions when dealing with hi-power items. After obtaining the proper wiring I next decided on a location to mount the inverter. It is very important that the location of the inverter is in a dry area that won't be subject to moisture. I decided on making a custom box for the rear half of my Jeep. This box is going to be similar to a speaker box but is going to be in a low shallow design with black carpet inside and out. (Custom Storage Box Article) The top is going to hinge with a lid that can provide easy access to the inverter & other items.

STORAGE BOX ARTICLE:

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