Prius Camping/Living: Climate/Temperature control & Power Management with Renogy 2000w inverter
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ธ.ค. 2024
- Video showing my inverter set-up and how I manage temperature/climate control. I use power via my Renogy inverter when camping without hook-ups (sometimes leaving my car in ready mode, other times turning the car off and running off the 12v), and a power cord when I'm camping at a campground or other place with an outlet available.
Definitely don't recommend the 2000w inverter I have, unless you add a second 12v battery and understand the risks of drawing that much power. I keep my usage under 1200w at a time. I encourage you do to your own research before installing anything like this. And definitely recommend professional installation and consultation.
I sleep comfortably as long as the temp inside of the car is between around 45 to 65 degrees. Forgot to mention in the video that I do use a thermometer because I like knowing what the temperature is in the car (link below). I put the second sensor in my fridge so I can also monitor the temp in my fridge.
Better explanations of how the inverter system works in a Prius:
• How "climate control" ...
• Prius Pure Sine Wave I...
• Installed Pure Sine Wa...
Better explanation of how to start the car with a dead battery:
• Toyota Prius -Tip on h...
Renogy Inverter amzn.to/3IjeIyw
Power Strip amzn.to/3lpDvrH
Mini Cooker amzn.to/3jLBMg1
Coffee Maker amzn.to/3YOj0n3
Fridge amzn.to/3YOj0n3
Mini Space Heater amzn.to/3lyIxSD
Battery rechargeable fan amzn.to/3jOWknG
Self Jump Starter amzn.to/41xOL6l
Window Visors amzn.to/3E1q5sn
WeatherTech Shades amzn.to/3IfWb6e
Window Mesh Socks/Sleeves amzn.to/3YHZEzY
Thermometer amzn.to/3YMJCF4
The links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Very clever camping mods to a Prius. I have only slept in my Prius a couple of times. Normally, I travel in a Sprinter camper van. Recently, my son suggested getting a 2000w inverter so that I could use the car to power some items in my home during a power outage. The difference is that I bought a full sine wave inverter from Ali Express that starts with 230 volts dc at the main battery, not at the 12 volt battery. I cut out part of the plastic liner in the read storage area so the inverter is nestled in the space. Since I am not camping, I just lift the inverter out where it can get cooling air, then start the car and let it run as my backup generator. The connection points are easy to find just at the rear of the traction battery.
Two new things I learned in this video was using the parking brake to minimize the shake when the car starts and how to start the Prius when the 12v battery is dead. I used one of those car starter power banks (which I had just gotten for Christmas) to start, when accidently I left my Inverter on a few weeks ago, but next time it happens, I will try holding down the brake until that sound stops and then holding the Start button to override the dead battery. I have that same wall outlet heater in my Prius RV running off the inverter, and I like that it is digital so I don't have to manually regulate it. I also have a 2000W Inverter, which runs a microwave fine. I put black felt on my WeatherTech window shades so that they are less noticeable (looks like a heavily tinted window car). Thanks for putting out another Prius video.
Thank you for your kind comments! I’m actually in the process of refurbishing my window shades, may post a video of that as well.
Camp Prius club member since 2016. ❤
Great video as usual. I have a 3000 watt inverter and draw 12-1500 watts. I have found that the 12v battery won’t maintain that voltage for more than a few minutes. Even with the car in the ready mode. The hybrid battery can not replace the wattage being drawn at that rate. Lowering the inverter draw to around 1000 watts is maintainable for extended periods of time in my case. (Gen 2.) I have also heard that you should not draw more than half the rated maximum of your inverter for extended periods of time. Not sure about that info though. You also need to be sure the battery to inverter cables are large enough to allow maximum current to flow through the system. There are charts for wattage, cable size, and length requirements. In the end electrical systems can be dangerous so if you’re not familiar with them its best to get professional help.
Absolutely agree! Actually forgot the mention in the video that I upgraded wires, when I switched everything over to the new Prius. After more research, realized the ones that came with the inverter weren’t ideal. I’m definitely still learning, especially when it comes to the electrical stuff
Better late then sorry
I started a thread a few years ago at Priuschat about power issues and got a lot of help from people who seem to know a lot about electrical engineering. I was warned against pulling more than 1000 watts from an inverter in a Prius for some reason. I even got scolded by FChapman a little for buying a 1200w unit, but that's fine because he's very smart and also helpful. I suggest checking out that forum before messing with the electrical system. ✌️
Very good point! I meant to mention something about that amount of draw in the video, but I forgot (though I did add something to the video description). From my research, 1300-1400 should be the max though there are definitely people out there using larger inverters, especially when used with second 12v batteries installed (which was my original plan). Still, people definitely need to do their research before doing any of this. And I am definitely no expert on the subject!
400 of those watts runs all of the electronics that runs the hybrid system, extracting 1400 watts is risky and could damage the system, hence why 1000watts is safe.
What size inverter is the best?
@@me_josh 300 watt
BTW... love all your videos. You are very plain-spoken. Easy to understand!
Thanks so much! Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see a video about. Feel like I'm out of ideas lol
set your e-brake before you put you hit the park button and it will minimize the cars rocking.
Do you have another video that shows more in depth installation of the outlets?
I don’t but this is all it is. I just secured it to my bed platform. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions
amzn.to/3tAEfP1
Are you currently living full-time in your car? If so, are you saying that you currently keep the 2000-watt inverter at a lower draw, and do not have a backup battery? That this set up meets all of your wattage needs? I am only planning on camping for a month or so at a time. I am trying to figure out my electricity needs. I have low watt (700) microwave. I was hoping to find a low-wattage hot water pot. And I was thinking about using a rice cooker.
I do currently live in my car full time. I do try to keep it under 1000-1200 watts, and no back up 12v battery at this time. It's definitely more than what I need. I meant to include the wattage of each of my appliances in the video. The mini cooker I have will boil water, so I didn't replace my hot water pot once it died. I don't ever run two cooking appliances at once (actually now, my only appliances are the mini cooker and coffee maker). But the good thing I found, when I did draw too much when it was hooked up to the camper, is that the inverter just shut off when I attempted to draw too much. Hope this helps!
Great vid
btw small fridges like that one use very inefficient cooling tech, a compressor fridge is drastically more power efficient (but obv more space commitment)
nice video, mine jumps too a little everytime it starts up. i was wondering if it was normal for priuses.
Funny thing, my 2012 Prius didn't jump as much as my current one (which is a 2015 but wasn't maintained nearly as well).
My 07 scares the shit out of people, even me sometimes when I’m spaced out. Feels like it’s about to accelerate into a wall
Should not go beyond 1000watt inverter to stay within what the DC to DC can provide. Here is a how-to for those interested in generating power with their Prius th-cam.com/video/LKAuxiRSkNg/w-d-xo.html
You're correct there's people that don't know that
Thanks for sharing this info - have a 2nd Gen Prius and want to start car camping. When you are at a campsite with electric hookup can you run the Prius AC or Heat from the external electric hookup? Can you charge the hybrid battery from the external electric hookup instead of charging it from the gas combustion engine? Can you charge the 12 volt battery from the electric external hookup. Thanks
.😊
I can’t charge the 12v battery or hybrid battery from an outside source. I can use my fan and heater using an outside power source. For AC, I depend on the car’s AC so have to leave the car in ready mode for that.
What about a video on your budget? And another one about auto expences (thinking tires, breaks, tune ups).
Oh that’s good! The budget one especially would probably be helpful to folks thinking about this lifestyle.
Do you keep track of the usage of the 12V considering its damaging to the battery if its drained more then 50%
No it’s not something that I worry about. The hybrid battery recharges the 12v as needed. There are affordable monitors for the 12v on Amazon if that’s something you’re interested in keeping an eye on.
makes sense. the hybrid battery will passthrough charge the 12V(while the 12V is being used from the inverter) until the hybrid batter needs to be recharged by the gas engine ya? @@sweetoldbertha
Hows ur hybrid and 12v battery holding up after a year? Jus curious
The car had over 200k miles on it when I bought it, and I tested the hybrid battery when I bought it, and it didn't have much life left in it. So I did end up replacing the hybrid battery last summer. As for the 12V, it was an off brand replacement (no idea how long it'd been installed), but I replaced it a couple months ago.
@@sweetoldberthahow much mpg have you gained from the switch? Thinking of doing the same thing on my 07 with 175k
I’m curious about your remote in the back of the car to help start your car if you need that extra power. Because I know in my Prius I have to press the break in order to start the car. How do you handle that from the back?
It’s just a remote start system (meant to be used outside the car), but it can be used inside the car to start the car. So pressing the brake isn’t necessary.
The link to the fridge shows the coffee maker.
why a plug in heater when the car has its own heater? does it use a lot less electricity?
It’s more efficient so the engine isn’t turning on and off all night. Also makes a difference to have the heat source near the bed at night.
You should never daisy chain extension cords, very common cause of electrical fires. and get power strips or better surge protectors instead of those fire starter extension cords, those cheap extension cords can get hot
Instead of a heat pad why don’t you use the car to heat the car?
The car heat causes the engine to cycle on much more often and also doesn’t do much for heating the rear of the car (and uses more gas). So use the heating pad most cold nights. And the small space heater if needed.
The inverter may be emitting a lot of emf, which can cause forgetfulness and kill brain cells. Stainless steel cover or reflectix can prevent emf from traveling to your bed area. An Emf detector can help you check if there are any leakage. Usually when the inverter is on.
Very interesting! Thanks for the info. I will have to look into this. Definitely need all the brain cells I have left lol
Prius in general and all hybrids cause brown fog and killing of brain cells, a lot of people report headaches
it's crazy to think that people actually believe that it's true
@@ketas Keep sitting in hybrid cars and endure the brain fog
Lol@@sweetoldbertha
Why not just recharge a power station from a DC charge cord in the cigarette lighter plug in the Prius rather than bother with connecting an inverter? Wouldn’t a quality power station provide plenty of power for camp cooking and whatever, making an inverter unnecessary?
It would take awhile to charge from a cigarette lighter plug. Using the inverter provides on demand power and uses the car as a generator when left in ready mode. I'm sure there are instances where a power station might work better for some people (like if someone does a lot of tent camping away from the car), but for me, this was the best option.
@@sweetoldbertha ok, I can definitely see the convenience of that. I guess the combo of both creates more options.
Right now I’m preparing to lose my home and looking for the simplest setup. I’m somewhat handy, but very cautious with electrical work. I wouldn’t want to get any of the wiring wrong (from what I’ve seen on other channels) and paying for it to be done might be pricey.
Maybe I’ll ask around about wiring costs to find the best starting point.
@@ericbishton2779I'm going to use a power station when I camp because I already have one. It rarely hurts to start with what you already have.
@@ericbishton2779 I’m sorry to hear that. Please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions. For me, this was the best solution. However the 2000 watt inverter is more than I need and was also more expensive that the less powerful options.
@@ericbishton2779 This video series if pretty good. th-cam.com/video/LKAuxiRSkNg/w-d-xo.html
having those cables could cause fire hazard
"Oh that wallet looks cool", goes to the website and the first wallet shows "150".. lol nvm