I believe I have read the threads on the 120/110v power inverter being square wave & +\- 85v, not a pure sine wave so that is why some things don't work well.

What I didn't see, or missed, is the physical location of the inverter inside the truck (2015 F350). Is it in the engine bay or somewhere inside the cab behind/under the dash covers or under the front or back seats?

I'm not wanting to diagnose or figure out why it isn't doing what I want it to do. I want to replace it with an after market, pure sine wave unit that has the output capacity to power some light tools & charge all batteries or battery packs and I want to put it in the same area that the OEM unit is in so I don't have to cram it in somewhere. I will wire it with a quality, heavy gauge wire that won't heat up or catch fire under heavy use.

I've seen the OEM wire & it is scary small gauge to say the least. I've powered a 30Watt spotlight for 30minutes from the 12v power ports and held those thin ga wires to feel how hot they get. I think they might've been close to melt down.

I apologize if I didn't read the threads close enough & missed the location, just point me in the right direction.

Thank you all in advance,
J.

 

Not sure about your model year, but it is under the passenger rear seat in my 2017. Do you have an inverter picked out already that your are going to use? I need to atleast add a second one that actually works, someday. Probably easiest to put a replacement in the engine bay near the batteries and run a cable to the cab if you need it in the cab. Otherwise you’re probably looking at running some heavier gauge wire to the stock location to power it, then some wire to each outlet, and a signal wire, but you probably could figure out which wire is the signal for the original inverter and use it for the new one. Maybe, I’m definitely not an electrician.

 

The rear power inverter is in the console for the 2011-2016 trucks. The front power inverter is in the dash.

 

Thank you both for the help.

I do have a candidate. A Samlex power inverter, PST-3000-12. They are expensive (~$900) so I'll have to budget for it.
I believe this inverter has 2, three prong outlets & a place to hardwire a line.

I am so thrilled the front in dash inverter is near the air bag. That should make for an interesting install but I'm thinking I can go under the center console & run the 6 gauge wires below the console for the front & follow the existing harness for the back outlet.

I'm considering leaving the front outlet alone as that will power the laptop without issues & maybe installing an additional outlet. The dash has a lot of unused real estate that can be used & I can probably get the outlet from Ford so it looks stock.

Thanks again for the diagrams & feedback. You both have made figuring out this project so much easier.

Joe

 

The power inverter in my 2019 f-450 is under rear passenger seat .

 

It looks like there was another component move after 2016 as the 2017+ models are located under the rear passenger seat now. I would have preferred that Ford would have stepped up & put in a better inverter for the newer vehicles since the trucks cost so darn much. Buying a good inverter & using the correct size wire for it in bulk wouldn't be that expensive. Not like Ford wouldn't over charge for it anyway.

I'm hoping the space below the center console is still available for anyone to install an aftermarket unit. I wonder what is under the console now?

Thanks again for all of the answers on locations. When I start the project, I'll post the install with pictures & a description of how I did it.

J

 

you have some cooling ducts that run under the center console to the seats.

Not sure this parts breakdown will help or not...

https://www.tascaparts.com/auto-part...bc3z28045a36ac

 

I'm just going to have to open it up & see.

 

go for it.....if you have cooled seats...the ducts run from the dash under the console to feed cool air to the seats and the rear seat ac vents.

 

If you opt to install an inverter elsewhere, I've found my 1000w inverter's location on the front of the passenger side back seat to work well. Overload protection is installed on the firewall by the passenger side battery, and heavy wire is run down behind the wheel well and up through an existing plugged hole enroute the sill plate to the back seat. I plugged in a chest freezer to transport wild game and fish from Kodiak, AK through Canada and on to Idaho when I moved. The freezer was in the bed of my truck under my cap, and I ran the extension cord through the sliding rear window, which was then taped over with duct tape to keep the cabin sealed. The inverter has come in handy at other times too. As you can see in one of the pictures, the inverter doesn't stick out past the seat cushion, and in fact, passengers never even notice it.

 

That's one sweet set up there Kodiak. What gauge wire did you go with?

 

Thanks! I just knew somebody would ask that question, and right now I don’t remember. I’ll try looking tomorrow, but the entire wire run is inside a protective sleeve. Maybe I will have a piece leftover laying around. Bottom line is I figured what my max current would be for the 12v circuit, and I used this chart, https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/a...uge-d_730.html, to pick the right size wire. I don’t think I went with the inverter’s max power because that would be about 80 amps. Instead I installed a lower rated breaker on the firewall between the battery and the wire feeding the inverter. It will trip at 40 or 50 amps if my memory is correct.

 

Thanks for posting that link. That's a pretty cool website.

 

That is a good looking install, Kodiac. I might do that if I find I can't get it under the console.

 

60A thermal breaker installed on the firewall behind the P.S. battery. I ran 6awg wire, and it was less than a 10ft run. Depending on which reference you use, the size wire may vary. The previous site I linked would suggest a 4awg wire would be needed, but this site, 12 Volt Wiring: Wire Gauge to Amps | Offroaders.com, that I also used says an 8awg wire would be adequate for a short run like mine. I split the difference and went with 6awg. A 4awg run would have been more difficult due to the stiffness of that heavier wire, and I checked other references that also made me feel the 6awg would be big enough so I didn't experience heating or to much voltage drop over the wire's resistance.