Are you dreaming about spending your days hiking, waking up to a sunrise in a new place everyday, and finding hidden gems around the country?
Then you may be thinking about converting your very own campervan!
You may be feeling excited yet nervous – especially when it comes to the entire electrical system.
How many wires do you need? What battery is best, what is this thing you’ve been hearing about called a pure sine wave inverter? How many fuses do you need?
It can be a lot! But in this short guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know about sine wave inverters for your conversion and if a pure sine or modified sine wave is better for your needs.
Contents
1. Pure Sine Wave Inverters Are More Sensitive to Equipment
Since the entire point of an inverter is to change AC powered electrical components over to DC power to run off of a DC battery, being able to use it for all equipment is the main concern.
With a pure sine wave inverter, you don’t have to worry about your equipment being negatively affected, like some refrigerators, newer TV models, or a microwave.
Additionally, medical equipment like CPAPs cannot even be used with a modified sine wave inverter. You need a pure sine wave inverter to run it.
2. Modified Sine Wave Inverters Are Cheaper
If you are on a budget and don’t have sensitive equipment or any medical devices to run, a modified sine wave inverter may be a good option to go with.
They typically run between $50 and $600, whereas the higher-priced pure sine wave inverter prices that can run up to about $900. If you’re on a budget, that could break the bank!
3. Size DOES Matter
We’ve all heard it before – size doesn’t matter.
But that does NOT ring true to sine wave inverters. Whether you choose to purchase a modified or pure sine wave inverter, your wattage size matters.
You want to be able to convert the wattage that your solar panels are designed to pull so that you can run the electronics and AC power that you want to have in your conversion.
There are calculators on various conversion sites, as well as kits you can choose from. You can check it out here.
4. Pure Sine Wave Inverters May Give You Peace of Mind
If you are about to hit the road and do not want to be worried about your power supply, what can be plugged in and what can’t, the noise, or how the inverter will affect your electrical equipment, a pure sine wave inverter may be the better option for you.
It is both efficient and safe.
Get Started With Your Electrical
Although the electrical system may be the most daunting part of a campervan conversion, chunking it down piece by piece can help make it easier.
After reading this article, you probably have a much better idea of which type of sine wave inverters is right for your conversion (and what the point of them is in the first place).
Did you learn a lot with this article? Check out others on our site!
