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Ok--I know these topics have been covered elsewhere and I have done a bit of reading, but I still have questions...

Here is the inverter I purchased:

http://www.boatandrvaccessories.com/GP-SW1500-24

Here is the converter I purchased--part # PST-D24/12-800 which is the one all the way to the right:

http://www.powerstream.com/dc1.htm

I haven't purchased an "isolator" but have read that this may be the way to go. I also need to have the ability to plug in various 12-volt accessories into a cigarette adapter. I was thinking about buying this one:

http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/3oupoadwions.html

So I'm guessing all I have to do is cut the one end of the cigarette lighter adapter off so that I can hard wire it to the output of the converter. Is this correct? Also, I purchased from Swiss Army Vehicles the 2-receptacle plug that screws into the connector behind the passenger seat of my 712M that was used in the Army to hook up radio equipment (?). Should I somehow adapt this to power the inlet side of the converter or inverter? The guy that sold me the inverter said to connect it directly to the battery, but I believe there was some discussion on here about NOT doing that, and using an isolator instead. Is that the way to go? The guy that sold the converter to me said to be careful w/ the inverter b/c they are not very forgiving--what exactly does this mean? I can't afford to blow this thing up, and want to be sure to do it right the first time. As said previously, I am electrically challenged, so while this is very basic stuff for some of you, it is rocket science to me, so please be VERY clear and assume I know NOTHING about electrical wiring. Oh yeah, and I have never read an electrical wiring diagram before... Thanks. -Jon

Let’s start with the following questions. What are you planning on powering and what devices do you foresee running at the same time? Do you really need 110v? Have you considered a gas generator for your 110v needs? Do you expect to add additional batteries? Will these be installed in a weather protected location?
The items you have listed WILL need a direct connection to the batteries.

Ed

Power that can also be drawn from the famos plug behind the passenger seat.

edzz wrote:Let’s start with the following questions. What are you planning on powering and what devices do you foresee running at the same time?

For the converter, I want to add a radio and a CB radio. I also want to plug my GPS and cell phone charger into a cigarette-style receptacle. For now, that's all I see using w/ the converter, but you never know what I might think of in the future! I would love to be able to run all 4 of these at the same time, but it wouldn't be a big deal if I ran only 2 at a time if I had to.

edzz wrote:Do you really need 110v?

Well, as wierd as this sounds, I thought it would be cool to decorate my Pinz for Halloween, so my kids will have a cool vehicle to travel around in as we go trick-or-treating this year. The houses around me are too far apart to just walk through the neighborhood, as we have done in years past. I have a software program that runs on my laptop that sends signals through a controller to synchronize up to 16 different lights to music. I need to plug the laptop in, the controller in, and then plug the lights into the 16 plugs on the controller. I'll also need to plug powered speakers in that will be connected to my laptop. This is the main reason for wanting the inverter now. Once this crazy idea passes, I figure I could use the inverter for all sorts of other fun stuff, like a refrigerator, power tools, etc.

edzz wrote:Have you considered a gas generator for your 110v needs? Do you expect to add additional batteries? Will these be installed in a weather protected location?

A gas generator seems like it would be great for other stuff, but will probably not work for the light show. I'm thinking it would be too noisy & smelly, but maybe things are different now than they were on my old RV. I would LOVE to add a separate bank of 2 batteries or so and have a solar charger to keep them charged, but sadly--I don't think I have the skill to get such a setup going properly. I also need to keep the costs at a REASONABLE level. I've already spent clost to $800 on the converter and inverter. I figure the solar panel setup would be WAY more costly, but I could be wrong... Regarding the weather-protected location--I was hoping to setup the converter and inverter up in such a fashion that I could quickly and easily remove them from the vehicle to protect them from weather and theft, by way of some sort of electrical quick disconnect. Is this possible? Thanks for your help! -Jon