What is a caravan inverter, how to choose one and what does an inverter cost?

Have you discovered that many of your beloved 240V appliances and electronics cannot run on your caravan, camper, motorhome, or RV’s basic 12V power supply?

Travelling off-grid, but don’t want to give up your home comforts?

To charge your laptop, use your coffee machine, blow dry your hair and use other 240V appliances in your caravan while off the grid you will need to install a caravan inverter.

What Is A Caravan Inverter?

In short, an inverter takes your caravan’s 12V (Battery) DC (direct current) power  and converts it into 240V AC (alternating current) power found in traditional power sockets, just like you have at home, so you can run all sorts of 240 volt electrical appliances when you’re on the road.

Installing an inverter in your caravan makes it possible to use almost any tool or appliance you might like to bring along on your lap of Australia, or weekend camping getaway.  Yes, it is possible to use your thermomix, air-conditioner and coffee machine in your caravan!!!  However, you will need to choose the right caravan inverter to suit your power needs.  And if you want to plug in your appliances at the power points in your caravan you will need the inverter professionally installed by a qualified electrician licensed to install 240 volt.

When Do You Need An Inverter In Your Camping Setup?

When you want to run 240V appliances where mains power is not available, such as when free camping off the grid.

There are different types of inverters, depending on what you need.

Some inverters convert 12V DC into 240V AC, some inverters will also allow the use of 240V AC when plugged into mains power at a caravan park, while there are also inverters that incorporate a battery charger. 

What Size Caravan Inverter Do You Need?

The size inverter you choose depends on the electrical appliances you wish to use in your caravan, RV, camper or 4WD and how much power draw they have.

Choosing a compatible inverter to meet the load is crucial. To do this, consider your average day in your caravan.  Which appliances do you wish to use, and what appliance do you need to run at the same time?  Add up the total wattages of these appliances and remember to consider peak watts drawn at start up.

Running a coffee machine in your caravan is a good example, when you first turn on your coffee machine it draws anywhere between 1300W and 1800 Watts depending on the machine. But drops to almost nothing between pours. 

Typically, electrical appliances with a pump, compressor or motor will have a higher peak power draw than that specified.  The inverter needs to handle the peak demand, even if only for a short time, otherwise it can cause damage and trip your power.

Also, your caravan battery is crucial when choosing the size and type of your caravan inverter.  Your caravan battery bank needs to be large enough to power the inverter. Check your battery specifications for the maximum discharge current rating (A).This rating multiplied by the voltage will give you the peak wattage that your battery can produce at 240V, which is equivalent to the size of inverter your battery can power. For example, an Enerdrive 200Ah B-TEC Lithium Battery has a maximum discharge current of 200A, with an average output voltage of 12.5 volts. 200 x 12.5 = 2,500 watts. So this battery is a good pair for a 2000 watt inverter.

Another piece of the puzzle with 240 volt caravan power off grid systems is working out how long you plan to run your appliances. You need to calculate how long your battery will run while powering an appliance through an inverter.

For example; if a laptop charger is plugged into the 240V caravan power point and draws 50W continuously. That’s about 4 Amps at 12 Volts, so total of 96 amp hours over a 24 hour period. 

You also need to consider the power draw of the inverter. The process of converting DC to AC costs energy.  A 1000W inverter will draw around 1 Amp per hour just on standby, without any load.

How Much To Spend On An Inverter?

Like all accessories and electrical power upgrades in your caravan, the price of caravan inverters is driven by size and quality, and in our experience, you get what you pay for.   The Enerdrive ePower 2000W Pure Sine Inverter at around $1,491 suits some caravan owners, while upsizing to the Enerdrive ePower 2600W Pure Sine Inverter is a far better option for families living in their caravan doing the lap of Australia or whose who want more power.  From experience we know that the Enerdrive inverters and also the Victron inverters are trustworthy bands and we can confirm that they are easy to use, reliable and efficient.

How To Choose The Right Inverter.

A reliable electrical power system in your caravan can literally make or break your holiday experience.  There is a multitude of electrical components and caravan accessories on the market and many of the cheap brands are poor quality, low durability and come with no technical customer support. 

We regularly replace cheap ‘budget brand name’ inverters that have failed, and we refuse to install cheap inverters in caravans or 4WD’s. As a result of our industry experience and testing of various inverters on the market, we choose only to install top quality caravan inverters from reputable brans such as Enerdrive Dometic and Victron.  Both are of high quality and offer compatible components such as lithium batteries, DC to DC Chargers, AC chargers, monitors, solar regulators, and solar panels for caravans and camping that are necessary to build a reliable and complete off-grid power system.

Enerdrive and Victron are market leaders in off-grid camping setups, so you know you are getting quality electrical gear that will perform according to expectation. They both stand behind their electrical components, offering a 5 year warranty.   

At Outech OffGrid we choose Enerdrive and Victron in our caravan and 4WD power system because they offer an extensive range of inverters and compatible electrical components to choose from for caravans, RV’s camper trailers, motor homes and off grid cabins or homes. Engineering a 12v power set-up using all the same brand components results in a more reliable power system, and if faults arise can be more easily diagnosed by our caravan electrician and some auto electricians if the have an advance skill set.

It is important to note that if a power fault occurs and there are different brands of electrical components involved, it can lead to complications and delays in identifying the cause of the problem. This is because it becomes more challenging to pinpoint or isolate the exact location of the fault and determine which specific component is responsible, and which manufacture warranty is liable.

We recommend you speak to our qualified electricians before buying an inverter and other electrical components for your caravan or 4WD.  Getting the right technical advice before buying and planning your caravan power upgrade will save time and money in the long run.  There is a lot of electrical knowledge and technical specifications to understand when building a solution that works safely and efficiently. 

We will help you calculate your needs and choose products to get an all-in-one solutions, including a lithium battery, AC & DC charger, monitor and inverters in one simple package that will run together like clockwork.

How To Install An Inverter?

A caravan inverter should be hard wired into your caravan so that your 240 volt power outlets are ‘live’ when you are staying off grid and don’t have access to mains power such as when staying at a caravan park.  It is inconvenient and simply dangerous to run an extension lead from your inverter to your 240 volt appliances and we do not recommend this as a solution.

Can An Auto Electrician Install My Caravan Inverter?

No, an auto electrician cannot legally hard wire an inverter.

An Auto Sparky is not qualified to work with 240 volt electricity and are not license to install 240 volt wiring or appliances. 

Who Can Hard Wire A Caravan Inverter?

An Electrician is licensed to install and hard wire an inverter.

A qualified electrician is licensed to install 240 volt wiring and 240 volt appliances As such, a qualified electrician only, who is licensed, can install and hard wire caravan inverters to power 240 volt plugs and switches.

What To Consider When Installing An Inverter?

Location of control panels!  You want control panels and screens easily assessable and easily visible.  Often times we see inverter control panels and monitors installed hidden in under seat cabinets or positioned just off the floor making it hard to access and read.  This causes endless frustration for the user and should instead be installed in overhead cupboards, along side the existing switches from manufacture.

 Costs To Consider In Caravan Inverter Installation.

If you have a quote from an auto electrician to do your caravan power upgrade you will need to add the additional costs to engage a qualified electrician to install and make live all 240 volt wiring, including the hard wiring of the inverter.  Plus, maintenance and upgrades to the SWITCH BOARD will need to be considered. Remember, an auto sparky can not touch anything other than 12V, so 240 volt power is all separate and comes at an additional cost.   

To avoid piecemeal works and hidden costs, we recommend that you engage an installer that offers a one-stop-shop solution who is an electrician and specialises in complete caravan power upgrades.

Not sure where to start? CONTACT US and we can help you plan your caravan power needs and provide a quote.


🔏EC14408 | MRB9303
✅Licensed Electrician | Qualified 12 volt and 240 Volt Electrician