Jump to content

110V Electrical Outlet Specs

TxTruckMan
 Share

Recommended Posts

ember1205 Senior Enthusiast

ember1205

Posted
Posted

The AC outlet is a joke. I plugged my Makita charger into it, and it tripped immediately. Why even put on in there in the first place?

 

You can plug the pump in and see if it trips.

 

 

What are you expecting here? Backup power for your house in a blackout? It's intended to run things like a portable DVD player, allow you to use your house charger for your phone, and other -simple- things like that. Anything that has an electric motor draws a LOT of current compared to other items (like plain lights) and will surge up to DOUBLE the steady-state draw when initially powered on. Ever see your house lights dim or flicker when the furnace blower kicks on or the well pump starts up? HUGE initial power draw because of the large motors.

  • Replies 55
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

Newell33
Newell33
roadblock
roadblock

You will be fine, I have done this many times with no issue.  

sahls01gmc
sahls01gmc

^^^^^^^^^ 150 watts = 120volts x 1.25amps.   The inverter only puts out 150 watts.

TenofMe Enthusiast

TenofMe

Posted
Posted

 

 

What are you expecting here?

 

Well let's see. How about charging the batteries of my electric tools? Seems like a reasonable request, in that trucks are -sometimes- used for work.

 

The Makita battery charger requires 110v and 240 watts. That's not a whole lot. You can buy a better inverter on Amazon for $20 that will power it. It seems to charge my Ultrabook OK, but my son's Alienware laptop will not charge if the computer is on and plugged in. It's either / or.

 

It's just another marketing gimmick so people can say "oh, and it has an AC outlet!" Why bother.

  • Like 2
Newell33 Enthusiast

Newell33

Posted
Posted

 

 

What are you expecting here? Backup power for your house in a blackout? It's intended to run things like a portable DVD player, allow you to use your house charger for your phone, and other -simple- things like that. Anything that has an electric motor draws a LOT of current compared to other items (like plain lights) and will surge up to DOUBLE the steady-state draw when initially powered on. Ever see your house lights dim or flicker when the furnace blower kicks on or the well pump starts up? HUGE initial power draw because of the large motors.

Hmmm... Maybe this guy was in the room when GM decided on the 150 watt version. I guess I'd expect to be able to power the typical 18v Dewalt or similar brand chargers. What are those, 7 or 8 amps of current draw? Heck, I don't even think the auto parts stores sell anything smaller than a 400 watt inverter, do they? Essentially, all that can be powered is a very low draw phone charger, or similar device. I'm going to go with "fail" on this one.

ember1205 Senior Enthusiast

ember1205

Posted
Posted

110V @ 10A = 12V @ 90A

 

Ever seen a 90A fuse in a vehicle or the wiring required to support it?

 

Your expectations of what that 110V outlet should provide are completely unreasonable. Want to run a circular saw at the job site? Charge up the 24v batteries in your power tools? Bring a generator with you.

 

Even if the auto stores SELL a 400W inverter, they tell you right on the package that you can expect to have to direct-wire it to the battery to get full capacity.

Newell33 Enthusiast

Newell33

Posted
Posted (edited)

110V @ 10A = 12V @ 90A

 

Ever seen a 90A fuse in a vehicle or the wiring required to support it?

 

Your expectations of what that 110V outlet should provide are completely unreasonable. Want to run a circular saw at the job site? Charge up the 24v batteries in your power tools? Bring a generator with you.

 

Even if the auto stores SELL a 400W inverter, they tell you right on the package that you can expect to have to direct-wire it to the battery to get full capacity.

Hardwire to the battery? Yeah, I'm pretty sure GM has that part covered. And I'm pretty sure the other poster mentioned charging his cordless tool batteries, not running a 120v circular saw. There's a slight difference in amperage draw there. I just looked, my Bosch 18v charger draws 2.4 amps.... Fail. Edited by Newell33
  • Like 1
Lawnmower2020 Enthusiast

Lawnmower2020

Posted
Posted

12.5 amps should be plenty for most household appliances, even a microwave or a small refrigerator. I'd imagine, though, that you want to pull this much amperage only with the alternator turning/engine running.

 

Well, "Nerd", you are SO far off base here that you ought to do everyone a favor and just edit the post to say "oops" because, so far, you've posted NOTHING that's right.

 

The inverter puts out a "modified sine" -- basically a square wave with a variable pulse width for regulation -- that some loads will tolerate and others will not. Induction motors, which at this power level would be most likely shaded-pole types will NOT be happy at all with it and will probably trip it off. Universal motors, small ones, will tolerate it okay. Most electronics tolerate it well. Electronics with "power factor correction" may or may not tolerate it. Anything labelled over 150W will trip it off. Bottom line, it's okay for (most) laptop chargers, etc. Forget drills, saws, fans, immersion heaters.....

  • Like 1
red70judge Enthusiast

red70judge

Posted
Posted (edited)

The correct answer stated is 1.25 Amps at 110-120v. and only small drain electronics such as laptops, phone

chargers, GPS, and such. If in doubt read the power requirements in watts before plugging in the device.

If more than 1 device add the wattage requirements together. I have carried a 300 watt inverter (450 w. peak)

for sometime that can be used say for additional small demand devices. This circuit is fused separately.

And as mentioned if power tools, compressors, etc are to be used get a generator, they are relatively inexpensive

and quiet. They can fit your needs up to 10k watts and more. If wiring an inverter to the battery a circuit breaker

must be installed in series, I recommend 2, one on the plus wire and 1 on the ground wire.

 

After being a "roadie" pulling new RV's across country to the dealerships for 7 1/2 years at about 160-200k miles/year

you must be prepared for anything.

 

Edited by red70judge
red70judge Enthusiast

red70judge

Posted
Posted (edited)

OK, screwed up on double posts, sorry bout that folks. Somehow I could not eliminate the 2nd post just the text.

My bad...keep the good info flowing!

Edited by red70judge
ember1205 Senior Enthusiast

ember1205

Posted
Posted

Hardwire to the battery? Yeah, I'm pretty sure GM has that part covered. And I'm pretty sure the other poster mentioned charging his cordless tool batteries, not running a 120v circular saw. There's a slight difference in amperage draw there. I just looked, my Bosch 18v charger draws 2.4 amps.... Fail.

 

No, GM does NOT have the covered. The amount of 12V current required to produce 450W of power is... Drum roll, please... 37.5A

 

In order to carry that kind of current, you need wires that are A) much heavier gauge than almost ALL of the wiring inside the cabin of the truck and B) as short as reasonably possible because of the impedance and resulting heat over longer distances. And, with impedance, comes a requirement for even MORE current.

 

I was being a bit facetious about the circular saw because that was likely going to be the next griping point. As far as the specific comments that the poster listed, it ISN'T the big difference you seem to think it is. He was commenting about chargers being a 7 or 8 Amp draw. A circular saw will spike at about 13 or 14 and then run around 10. So, not such a big difference after all.

 

The general public does not understand that a 110 outlet in a vehicle simply can not supply the same amount of power that a household 110 outlet does. Period. The outlet is not there to run the DJ system at the party in the field - it's a convenience for those small-draw items that you either simply can't get a 12v plug for or that you don't -have- one for and only need to use occasionally. This relates back to my first sentence above.

 

450W of power requires only 4A of 110V power but 37.5A of 12V power. When one is lowered, the other is raised. It's the only way to sustain the balance.

Newell33 Enthusiast

Newell33

Posted
Posted

 

No, GM does NOT have the covered. The amount of 12V current required to produce 450W of power is... Drum roll, please... 37.5A

 

In order to carry that kind of current, you need wires that are A) much heavier gauge than almost ALL of the wiring inside the cabin of the truck and B) as short as reasonably possible because of the impedance and resulting heat over longer distances. And, with impedance, comes a requirement for even MORE current.

 

I was being a bit facetious about the circular saw because that was likely going to be the next griping point. As far as the specific comments that the poster listed, it ISN'T the big difference you seem to think it is. He was commenting about chargers being a 7 or 8 Amp draw. A circular saw will spike at about 13 or 14 and then run around 10. So, not such a big difference after all.

 

The general public does not understand that a 110 outlet in a vehicle simply can not supply the same amount of power that a household 110 outlet does. Period. The outlet is not there to run the DJ system at the party in the field - it's a convenience for those small-draw items that you either simply can't get a 12v plug for or that you don't -have- one for and only need to use occasionally. This relates back to my first sentence above.

 

450W of power requires only 4A of 110V power but 37.5A of 12V power. When one is lowered, the other is raised. It's the only way to sustain the balance.

Question of the day... Is an outlet that can only handle 1.25A adequate? How about a happy medium?

ember1205 Senior Enthusiast

ember1205

Posted
Posted

Question of the day... Is an outlet that can only handle 1.25A adequate? How about a happy medium?

 

Again... LIGHT DRAW devices are the intent. Phone chargers, portable DVD players, maybe a laptop charger. It's a 12V electrical system at its base. You're stepping the voltage up by a factor of 10 on the "appliance side". You have to understand that the amperage on the "supply" side is going up by a factor of ten as well. So, that 1.25A of 110V is 12.5A of 12V, or close to it.

 

If water were available on your street but was supplied in a pipe the size of a drinking straw, would you really be irritated like this when you found out you couldn't use it to wash your truck?

 

Said it before - Unreasonable Expectations of the system. And they're caused by a) a lack of common understanding of the two very different electrical systems in use and b) lack of "in-your-face" information from the manufacturer on the intended use.

Newell33 Enthusiast

Newell33

Posted
Posted

Again... LIGHT DRAW devices are the intent. Phone chargers, portable DVD players, maybe a laptop charger. It's a 12V electrical system at its base. You're stepping the voltage up by a factor of 10 on the "appliance side". You have to understand that the amperage on the "supply" side is going up by a factor of ten as well. So, that 1.25A of 110V is 12.5A of 12V, or close to it.

 

If water were available on your street but was supplied in a pipe the size of a drinking straw, would you really be irritated like this when you found out you couldn't use it to wash your truck?

 

Said it before - Unreasonable Expectations of the system. And they're caused by a) a lack of common understanding of the two very different electrical systems in use and b) lack of "in-your-face" information from the manufacturer on the intended use.

Yes, I understand the equation and the relationship. What I'd like to see is a 350w inverter. This would allow for about a 3 amp outlet, which would be adequate for that 18v charger that we talked about earlier. Yes, this would be about a 30 amp load at 12 volts. Assuming the inverter is behind the socket in the dash, and the wiring being no longer than 8-10 feet routed (probably less),10 gauge wire could be used. I know copper is expensive, but it would be nice to have something a bit more powerful.

TenofMe Enthusiast

TenofMe

Posted
Posted

 

Again... LIGHT DRAW devices are the intent. Phone chargers, portable DVD players, maybe a laptop charger.

A really small laptop. As I mentioned earlier, a high performance laptop like the Alienware can't even be on, and charge at the same time on this outlet.

 

We all understand that it's for light, intermittent use. But at what point is it useless? I think that is the point I'm trying to make. It's useless. Just a marketing gimmick.

 

Here's the real question of the day... Who the hell still uses a portable DVD player? Even 2 year-olds and grandparents use iPads now.

  • Like 1
jkyle Enthusiast

jkyle

Posted
Posted

110V @ 10A = 12V @ 90A

 

Ever seen a 90A fuse in a vehicle or the wiring required to support it?

 

Your expectations of what that 110V outlet should provide are completely unreasonable. Want to run a circular saw at the job site? Charge up the 24v batteries in your power tools? Bring a generator with you.

 

Even if the auto stores SELL a 400W inverter, they tell you right on the package that you can expect to have to direct-wire it to the battery to get full capacity.

 

The Ford F150 has a 400W inverter, is Chevy not capable of the same engineering? if not, I guess we should swap to Ford.

 

Ford Website: "110-volt/400-watt Power Inverter "http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/trim/lariat/viewall/

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Grumpy Bear
      Some Assembly is Required

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      He is not saying that an SAE *W20 will have more viscosity than a *W40 due to MORE VII polymers. He is saying that although multiple *W40 may post in the PDS the same or similar 100 C and 150 C viscosities that the blenders choice of modifier TYPE and AMOUNT to get his chosen base to grade will not give identical real world viscosities in shear and at temperature. All will pass the SII test but not all will pass the 100 C HTHS (unpublished value) testing the blender does and relies on to get the required by law "percentage improvement' referenced to his last great work.    Tis the problem with the lie. Once told others are required to support it. 
    • PunchT37
      Parking Brake - Automatic Engagement Questions

      By PunchT37 · Posted

      I have a `25, 1500 that auto sets on incline. Never knew that at first. I have the electronic shifter. Just think if it didn`t do that? Unlike a mechanical shift that you can muscle out of park, how would you get this thing out? That would be a problem.   What I found out later is, I don`t have to push the button to release. Just put it in gear.   Setting parameters? Don`t know if it`s possible.
    • SoCal Angler
      Parking Brake - Automatic Engagement Questions

      By SoCal Angler · Posted

      2023 GMC 3500 HD, SLE, 6.6L Gas, 4x4, 6 Spd Options:  SLE Convenience Package; Driver Alert Package 1; Spray on Bedliner; X31 Off Road Package; TRAILERING MIRRORS, HEATED POWER -ADJUSTABLE, AUTO DIMMING, WITH TURN INDICATORS WHEELHOUSE LINERS, REAR INC. REAR AXLE - 3.73 RATIO INC. GVWR, 11,350 LBS. (5148 KG) INC. FRONT AND REAR PARK ASSIST, INC. ULTRASONIC     I have been launching my new boat and noticed some things related to the parking brake.. I usually set the parking brake (habit) when on flat ground for typical driving.    When backed down on the launch ramp to launch the boat and I place gear selector into Park, the parking brake activates automatically. My second nature is to set parking brake manually and noticed I was turing the parking brake off.  The parking brake appears to be setting itself automatically.   I looked all over my owner's manual and only found references to being on an incline and manually setting parking brake, or at times parking brake will be auto engaged, but nothing specific to my situation.    When is the parking brake automatically engaged?  Under what specific circumstances?  Can the auto set parameters be changed?     I like the auto set feature.  It would be nice if always engaged when shifted into Park and released when shifted out of Park (like my wifes 2025 RAV4).   Thanks!    
    • Grumpy Bear
      Some Assembly is Required

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      www.enginelabs.com/news/what-i-learned-today-bearing-clearances-vs-oil-viscosities/     www.enginelabs.com/news/oil-viscosity-can-the-numbers-be-misleading/ The Big Lie… Coming full circle to the reason Lake discusses the Porsche engines in particular. Based on the 2000 samples in the SPEEDiagnostix database, increasing the oil viscosity in these engines, even those run on the track, showed no significant difference in results.   The smoking gun was in the oil chemistry. That is where the data shows higher instances of more wear. Molybdenum was the key; the higher the amount, the less the wear. Speed postulates that higher viscosity oils have more thickeners to artificially inflate their viscosity numbers. These thickeners lose viscosity under shear, and the result is that not all oils of the same viscosity have the same shear stability.   Having enough viscosity is the most important characteristic, but according to Speed, once that required viscosity level is reached, additive chemistry matters more than additional viscosity. Speed also states, oil pressure problems on the racetrack aren’t a viscosity problem; it’s an oiling system problem. Running a thicker oil is just a band-aid for an underlying oiling system problem.
    • Grumpy Bear
      Some Assembly is Required

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      Can it still be Assembled II?   Viscosity on the decline by various means. Heat on the rise making that worse. Engine RPM in the tank. Smaller motors with more boost trying to emulate an electric motor. Full torque, zero rpm. Then we will triple the OCI. Argh.    But wait....there is more. LSPI has pushed a shift from Ca to Mg and as that cost more PLUS the run to lower sulfur compounds the TBN is moving in the wrong direction for the increased OCI's demanded.    That not being enough to placate a demand for a parameter they can't measure the other sulfur bearing compounds are also under attack. That would be zinc and phosphorus sulfonate compounds. To some degree those are being replaced with boron esters and others, i.e. titanium ect. All of which have shorter service lives. And there there is the "Secrete Sauce" marketing for AW adds that 'Can't be detected by UOA's" but trust me because I (the blenders) never ever lie.    Spoiler alert; ALL additives are sacrificial! Smaller amounts of the old blended with less robust versions of the new do not equal longer service lives. So what are the blenders recommending? Wait for it.......   MOVING THE GOAL POSTS! OMG      Let's declare the long standing TAN/TBN crossover irrelevant and tell people that soot is a great 'graphite' based lubricant which can aid tribo films. Wait, what? Let's declare that the standards used for oxidation and nitration were to conservative and can be expanded. Let's tell them that because GDI fuel dilution, although being a VISCOSITY KILLER and an acid generator is actually okay because we have better base oils that limit viscosity failure limits. (Said knowing this is measured in fractions of a centipoise and in bases not commonly used in shelf oils)   Lying from the heart is not just the new normal but we have a public, a very young public, that is so ignorant of the facts and so sure of their "RESEARCH" into AI driven models base in regurgitated  instead of scientific research based unvarnished, peer reviewed FACTS that the incoming guard is loosing their grip on reality and the OEM's are tickled pink while the blends bend the knee.    You have an ever limited set of tools to work with. And sooner or later those will be taken from you as the API and the EPA strangle the last remaining fluids from the system. What you have left is your wits. If you care to use them.    At some point in the very near future it will not longer be possible to do "What is best for the machine", and be replaced with "The best you have access too". You WILL be rewarded with half the life and twice the cost. That isn't that hard to predict.         

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...