Coleman Inverters?

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Coleman Inverters? (Went with a VECTOR)

Hey Guys

I am outfitting my truck with a dual battery setup and a large inverter. When researching the inverters i keep noticing that the Colemans are usually a good chunk cheaper then the other brands.

I was thinking of buying this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-POWER...425777818QQcategoryZ11704QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

But the price seems way too low. Is anyone out there using a high watt Coleman brand inverter? If so, what are you pros and cons of it?

I have narrowed my search down to the one listed about and this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/XANT...ewItemQQcategoryZ38655QQitemZ8021006906QQrdZ1

What are you guys thoughts? One thing i like is that the Xantrex is also available @ Costco and they have a nice return policy if it doesnt work out as i wish!

Thanks

 

[Scott Brady]

Looks like a great deal. Hope Depot sells a 1400 watt peak unit for $79. I have used it without fail for over three years.

 

[gjackson]

I've used Coleman inverters for a while. First 2 died pretty quickly. One got shorted out (ask Nathan) and the other just stopped working. I installed a 3rd in my D110 for our Africa trip and it lasted the whole trip with no problem. I did install it in a separate box with 2 dedicated fans to help cool it. All 3 inverters were 800W.

I think if treated right they are fine, but not the toughest on the market.

cheers

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Thanks Guys

After a bunch of "Net Research" i decided on this one:

http://www.vectormfg.com/catalog/vec050-maxx®-1500-watt-power-inverter-p-60.html

(I bought it @ Home Depot.com for about 1/2 the price on the site above).

I just finished my dual battery setup and the wiring for this will start this week.

This will be installed into a custom fridge stand / power station thing that i am building. The wooden case will have twin 5" fans to cool the inverter and a overheat sensor built in. Here is a sneak peak of the test mock up:

 

[Scott Brady]

Looking very good! So the inverter was at Home Depot for about $130? That is a good deal. I have two of their inverters.

I like the box idea you have, as you will not be taking up any additional space to fit the inverter, etc. I would recommend puting shrink tubing around the ends of your turnbuckles. It will hold the fridge more secure and will not mar the paint.

http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/trooper/fridge_mo/images/fridge 017_jpg.jpg

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Looking very good! So the inverter was at Home Depot for about $130? That is a good deal. I have two of their inverters.

I like the box idea you have, as you will not be taking up any additional space to fit the inverter, etc. I would recommend puting shrink tubing around the ends of your turnbuckles. It will hold the fridge more secure and will not mar the paint.

http://www.expeditionswest.com/equipment/trooper/fridge_mo/images/fridge 017_jpg.jpg

Thanks Scott! Yes, the shrink wrap around the turnbuckle hook is an awesome idea, i will do that soon! I think i am actually going to use the "Tool Dip" stuff, only because my buddy has a tub of it in his garage!

Inverter was $169 @ homedepot.com with free shipping. Details soon!

 

[pete.wilson]

inverter

hey

I have a Cobra (marine electronics) Inverter of 2200 watts that I purchased through Cabela's for about $240.oo. It has a seperate inverter on/off switch panel. I have had no problems with it and used it for a microwave, refridgerator, toaster oven. Works good.

 

[Bella PSD]

How about this one 2000/4000 peak....http://www.harborfreight.com

2000 WATT CONTINUOUS/4000 WATT SURGE POWER INVERTER

LED Bar Graph of Battery voltage and Output wattage display
2000 watts continuous power
4000 watts surge capability
Input voltage: 11-15VDC
Waveform: Modified sine wave
Low voltage alarm protects your battery
Auto shutdown
Overvoltage shutoff at 15VDC
Triple fans for maximum cooling
Two three-prong outlets
Connector for PCB components

This inverter looks to be made from the same factory as the Coleman one.


On sale for $159. Friend of mine just bought one and and its to big for him, said he would sell it to me for $110 with a 3 year replacement. Anyone used this one???

Louie

 

[oldcj5guy]

It all comes down to what you are planning on runing off of it. I was planning on getting something that my computer could run off of. For that you should consider something with at least a modified sine wave unless it is a laptop that you would only be charging. I ended up going with a higher end unit (i.e. pricey) to leave my options open for the future. Of sourse the day after that I ran across a 12v charger for my laptop and for my cordless stuff.

I do have a black and decker that has lasted quite a while under some of the worst conditions. I am actually propping my feet on a 3kw unit at the moment that is for the solar/wind system we are setting up for our future home.

 

[rctr03]

coleman 1200

i have used mine for three years, two years ago we traveled from virginia to moab to reno and back. 6007 miles in 16 days, the inverter ran most of the trip charging something. (emax, video camera, camera, fan for the tent etc..)
i will be adding another on to my cdn 101 trailer build. my 2cents
jimmy

 

[BruceTS]

Recently I decided it was time to add a power inverter. So I picked up a 1200 watt unit, which should run most equipment I have in mind. The problem is finding a place to hide the unit. I recall a write-up where one was installed behind the rear panel.

Panel removed and prepped for install, note the water line..... Next step is to remove outer vents and seal them up.....

i removed the outlet plugs, switch and indicator light. Made a panel to mount them in, then extended the wiring, so it can be relocated. Routed a fused cable from the battery and attached a ground cable to the frame.

Cut a hole in the panel and mounted the outlets for easy access...

As for the power inverter it was a Harbor Freight special, which just happen to fit perfectly in the space. The unit works great, now we'll see how long it last. I do have a 1750 watt name brand unit, but it's a bit too big to locate behind the panel.

 

[cawddsasf]

I've got an 800w Coleman mounted in my truck. It's been there a couple years now. Never one issue with it. I've used it to power my Makita drill a bunch of times and it keeps up with it just fine.

If it's a good price, with a return policy just in case, I wouldn't hesitate getting another.

 

[hurley842002]

Kind of an old thread, but as opposed to starting a new one I figure i'll just add to this one. I'm getting ready to buy an inverter for my rig and want to be able to run things like drills, saws, etc. Obviously the more power the better, but being on a budget what would you say is the minimum power rating I should get for power tools. Thanks

 

[rambrush]

I would suggest 800w minimum and also make it a true sine wave unit. Some of the new battery chargers and computer gear will only run on these style of units.

 

[BigJim]

IMO Coleman Inverters

Mislead you regarding their rated capacity. I have tested my 800 Watt Coleman extensivley running 13.8 VDC into it with 200 Amps available to it and find it generally will not operate an inductive load that draws even 400 Watts on start up.

It will run a resitive load that draws up to 650 Watts OK.

Plus mine trips out often requiring a hard reset.

Inverters like this are nearly a square wave and very hard on motors and electronics.

I purchased it because it was cheap and one of my hobbies is to play with high current DC, to include inverters.

All my other inverters are pure sine wave and they meet or exceed the nameplate ratings.