Many vintage campers would like to have AC power available when camping in remote areas. There are different ways to do this, one is with the use of an INVERTER.  An inverter is an electrical or electro-mechanical device that converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC); the resulting AC can be at any required voltage and frequency with the use of appropriate transformers, switching, and control circuits.  Most modern inverts use transistors and various other types of semiconductor switches incorporated into inverter circuit designs.

What we will be discussing here is just a simple INVERTER capable of producing AC voltage from a 12 volt source, generally a battery.  These types of inverters are available in various power output and price, ie:  150 watts, 500 watts, etc. Also, they are available as a portable unit with the battery and self contained.  Normally, the higher the output the more the inverter will cost.  Also, related to the cost of the inverter is the ' quality ' of the output AC.  Most inverter are a modified sine wave AC output and generally are not recommended for high end electronic equipment, which is more sensitive to the output  AC.   They work well for most AC items and the cost is reasonable for the applications.  As well, most of these are going to be powered by a battery. There are other means like, solar power or fuel cells, but for our case likely a battery is the choice.  You can read the info on the BATTERY  page for more information on batteries.  My opinion, this way to get limited AC voltage in remote areas is a reasonable cost, quiet, no need to carry extra fuel and can be used anytime of the day.  Disadvantages; it is limited to the power in the battery, not good for heavy draw items, like a heater or air conditioning unit.  Although theoretically, it is possible to use a battery powered inverter to run an air conditioner and/or small electric heater for a limited amount of total time IF you are willing to incur the expense and added weight and size of the battery(s).  But, by using an inverter for limited use of AC items and also some  DC items, the battery can provide power for several days. A small DC fan if it is warm is better than using an AC fan. You could always invest in a small trickle type solar charger to help put some charge back into the battery.  These are not real expensive or big and during the sunny day time, they can help add some charge into the battery.  There are many web sites on the web for more information on inverters, there use , prices, etc.


Here is a low price DC to AC car adapter, it continuously supplies up to 150 watts of 120V alternating current power to a single outlet from any 12V battery or automotive direct current source. It uses a cigarette lighter direct current input jack with 3-ft. cable to provide a 1-step installation.  This is less than $50.



This 3000 watt xantrex inverter/converter will  provides AC Power with High Surge Capability, 3-Stage Charger. The 3000 watt xantrex inverter - converter uses filtered modified sine wave output to run virtually anything in a camper, from office equipment to household appliances and electronics. The temperature controlled multistage charging ensures your batteries are recharged safely and efficiently. Its integrated transfer switch allows for automatic change-over between times when you are hooked up or on the inverter. This is a more expensive unit, but can do it all, with or without A C volts plus charge the battery.



One thing you need to know to determine the battery type and size is the RESERVE CAPACITY:  Reserve capacity is the number of minutes a battery can maintain a useful voltage under a 25 ampere discharge. The higher the minute rating, the greater the battery's ability to run lights, pumps, inverters, and electronics for a longer period before recharging is necessary. The 25 Amp. Reserve Capacity Rating is more realistic than Amp-Hour or CCA as a measurement of capacity for deep cycle service. Batteries promoted on their high Cold Cranking Ratings are easy and inexpensive to build. The market is flooded with them, however their Reserve Capacity, Cycle Life (the number of discharges and charges the battery can deliver) and Service life are poor. Reserve Capacity is difficult and costly to engineer into a battery and requires higher quality cell materials.

For instance, Rolls, Surrette and Lifeline use thicker lead grids (the plate's skeletal structure) to support additional positive plate oxides which are compressed into a denser form in order to add battery reactive material for greater Reserve Capacity and Cycling Performance. In addition, these plates are separated by indestructible separators. These mats hold the active oxides tightly in place during the cubical plate expansion which occurs during deep discharging, instead of allowing the oxides to shed off and precipitate to the bottom of the battery. Construction materials such as those raise the Reserve Capacity of a battery and increase the battery's Cycle Life.

As always, you get what you pay for; invest in a good battery and charger and you will have good battery service and life.  Normally using a deep cycle or marine battery is best for this application.  Prices will vary and as you will notice as the Reserve Capacity goes up, so does the price. If you need a higher reserve capacity battery, you can always use 2 batteries connected in parallel for a higher capacity with the same voltage.  In the PARALLEL CONNECTION, batteries of like voltages and capacities are connected to increase the total capacity. The positive terminals of all batteries are connected together, or to a common conductor, and all negative terminals are connected in the same manner. The final voltage remains unchanged while the capacity is the sum of the capacities of the individual batteries of this connection. Amp-Hours, Cranking Performance and Reserve Capacity increases while Voltage does not.  This may be something to consider for space and size of larger batteries, easier to handle and could be mounted in different areas and connected together.


You could use any TYPE of battery, but as mentioned above marine, deep cycling are the best for this purpose. They will cost a little more, but in the long run they are well worth the extra cost. Also, using the newer electronic-computer controlled stage charges will help the battery perform better and last longer  with less problems.
In summary, if you have a lot of d c items you may  want to just use a battery. You can still use the formula to calculate a battery size for the d c items you are using for the amount of time you use them.

NOTE :  If you are just calculating the d c items wattage, then REMOVE the 10 in the formula, then plug in the run hours and the total d c watts and do the math to find the battery size.

On the other hand, if you have more a c items then you need to decide whether to use an inverter or maybe invest in d c items?  The best would be as most newer camper have and that is an inverter like the Xantrex shown above that can be used for everything. It is more investment but when you go to remote areas the battery and inverter are ready.  Plug into a c and the battery gets charged and you have ac and d c.  Whichever way you go, you should consider the type of inverter relative to what items you are using. By this, I mean if you intend to run a computer and other electronic items from the inverter then you need an inverter that is more regulated and has a good sine wave. If you want to run regular a c items then a regular modified sine wave type is good and less expensive.  Hopefully, this will get you started in the right direction.  You can EMAIL ME any relative questions or comments.  Good luck !