Let your soul shine dude. The 2300w inverter I got from the pawn shop was a lowes item..I dont think it's as safe as ones I've had in trucks for 2 reasons. The terminals are right next to each other and the all aluminium housing is grounded internally so the entire unit I consider a fire hazard if a bump loosens a connection.
. Radio hum. Not having a problem with it but have had with some modified since wave units and always found it easier to swap inverters than deal with it. Current one gives me a line on tv screen if I use cheap dvd player but not if I use laptop player with VLC.
. I wish i could say all problems are over but in reality i know I'm just waiting for the next incident. Not to mention i cause my own problems with my grand plans. Pop/tilt up roof with solar panels on it? Dont see anything going wrong with that. And my latest dance with insanity has me thinking about a gypsy wagonish styled shanty boat in case I ever get a chance to go fishin

 

You're killing me Ray...

Incident? With a setup like this? Doubtful...

 

Im actually very interested in your build. When all of this is gone, we are planning long trip travels and "road" camping. So I want to power up things during the night (movies, console games, cell recharging, maybe a fridge or cup heater)

 

Renovating the van and doing the 2nd battery/entertainment system upgrade has been a great project. I think the setup we did would be perfect for the camping scenario you laid out. If you have any questions I'm here to help.

 

Excellent! thanks man!
Mine is a 2001 conversion Van. And yes, the setup you are making available here is what Im going to do (only difference is that I will put the battery in the stock location, as the space you are using I have the rear AC blower)
Im also removing the carpet. Not as bad, but being a clear carpet always looks dirty. But I was thinking on laminate flooring. I already replaced the tv screen, but at the end I think I will use portable DVD players as each family member wants to watch/do/play different things during the trip, so I will install the same outlets you installed all around.

 

A nicely executed Smart Core waterproof laminate floor with some "throw rugs" would be pretty nifty. FWIW I really like the Intro-Tech one-piece front mat. It's a well-fitting quality piece of gear.


I think the HDMI cable in red below was/is a simple and easy way to swap out different gaming systems/DVD/BueRay/etc.

 

Right, the thing is that the want to do different things at the same time.... So an screen for each one, problem solved.

 

Got it. I misread your prior post. Sorry about that.

 

No worries man. I like the flooring you linked, and the mat. I will try to get it done for next trip.

 

The second battery is a deep cycle battery that exclusively runs the van's entertainment system. That system includes a 1000W inverter that runs a TV, BluRay, gaming system, etc. The inverter can also run other appliances that require "house power" (120VAC). Having a second battery on a battery isolator allows key-off use of the entertainment system without the risk of draining the van's starter battery. Hope this helps.