Lazy Daze Owners' Group

My wife and I have Lectric ebikes, and we want to charge the bikes while boondocking.  With out batteries being 48V & 9.6A, we think we need an inverter that is at least 500W.  Can we safely plug a 500W inverter into a 12V outlet without causing a fuse to blow or starting a fire?

Thank you,
Eric

With out batteries being 48V & 9.6A, we think we need an inverter that is at least 500W

Yes, our generator works, but we only need it for about 15 minutes per day while boondocking.  To charge the ebike batteries, it takes about 5 hours (for each ebike).

Thanks Everyone.  FYI:  My coach batteries are two LifeLine 6V batteries with 220 AH each, and I have 200W of solar panels installed by Lazy Daze during manufacture.
With all of the information generously provided, here's what I'm looking to do:  Hardwire a 600W inverter (so I can use two AC outlets on the inverter to charge both ebike batteries simultaneously.  I would like to install the inverter behind the driver seat in my 2007 MB; however, it appears that the provided wires that run from the batteries to the inverter are only 2 feet.  I'm guessing that I'll need to replace these wires with longer ones that are lower guage (thicker) wires, but how thick???  This is the inverter I'm considering (unless someone provides another recommendation):  Amazon.com: VOLTWORKS 600 Watts Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter 600w DC 12V to...

Hi Eric.  I used a Novopal TSW inverter 2 kw(4kw surge). I liked it a lot, so I'll recommend a 1kw (2kw surge) one. A bit more expensive. The one you picked looks OK but I have no experience with Voltworks.
   Welding cable is more flexible and easier to work with. The EPDM insulation is tougher than vinyl.  You want to make sure it is real solid copper strands, not CCA!  Copper clad aluminum wiring.  Windy Nation says it is made in the USA.  4 Gauge 4 AWG 5 Feet Red + 5 Feet Black (10 Feet Total) Welding Battery Pure.... If you are near the battery box I'd recommend #4 gauge.  I used #2 gauge for everything. #4 should be OK for your needs.
   These terminals are tinned, and have a slight funnel at the end so all of the fine strands go in easily. I found that my #2 welding cable fit in #4 terminals fine. You might test some #6 terminals to see if they fit that #4 flexible cable.  TKDMR 10pcs 4 AWG - 5/16" Tinned Copper Wire Lugs Ring Terminals, Marine...   The stud number 5/16" is to fit the posts on the inverter, your over current protection and battery terminals.
    Use a good crimper. I used this one.   HKS Battery Cable Crimping Tool for AWG 10-1 Copper Ring Terminals, Heavy...   Borrow one if you can, for as few crimps as you need. Avoid the hammer one. Harder than it looks. Not very good crimps.
    Over current protection:  Amazon.com: 60 Amp 12V-48V DC Inline Waterproof Circuit Breaker Manual Reset...  No exposed metal conducting parts.  Set/reset, so you can hit a button to turn it off or back on. No ring terminals. Up to #4, spacer rings for smaller wire.   RonB

"I like the portable solar charger idea.  It always for flexibility to find the sun for charging..."

Yes, depending upon the wattage of portable solar panels you have attached to the charger/powerpack. But a less expensive way to accomplish the same thing is to simply add portable solar panels to your rig's built-in 12V system.

A 1,000 watt-hour powerpack with 200 watts of portable solar panels will run you around $1,500 to $2,000. On the other hand, you could buy a 200 watt "solar suitcase" for $300 to $400, or build your own for less than $200 by hinging two 100 watt panels together, as I did. I use a 25 foot 6 gauge cable to connect it to my rig, which gives me plenty of flexibility in placing the panels where they'll get sunshine.

I'm using that suitcase right now, as a matter of fact. I'm in a campground where my rig is shaded by large trees (for which I'm grateful), so the 400 watts of solar panels on my roof are only providing about 300 watt-hours a day--a small fraction of their capacity in full sun. But my 200 watt solar suitcase, even though it's a little bit shaded, is putting out 350 watt-hours a day, so adding it all up, I'm doing fine.

"Option B is twice as heavy as option A at over 70 lbs (trying moving that several times an day)and still needs the inverter installed to battery."

If by "option B" you mean a solar suitcase, I'm not sure where you got that weight. My homemade solar suitcase used two of these $75 100 watt panels (plus two small hinges and two drawer handles). The panels weigh 14.67 pounds apiece and the hardware weighs only a few ounces, so that's 30 pounds total. They're not hard to move around. A typical 200 watt commercial solar suitcase that includes its own solar controller weighs 36 pounds, but if you go for lightweight plastic panels (not as durable), a pair of 100 watt Jackery SolarSaga panels would weigh 11 pounds.

"... and still needs the inverter installed to battery."

Yes, this discussion started with a question about using an inverter to power e-bike chargers. That's going to be the case regardless of how Eric replenishes the power taken from his house batteries.

Let's say your batteries need to be bulk charged at 14.3 V, and that's what your solar charge controller is putting out. But if you have a 3% voltage drop between the controller and your batteries, they will only see 13.9 V. At that rate, they may never be fully charged!

We have Juiced eBikes which have a 52V 19.2 AH Battery.  The battery charger that came with it is 52V - 2 amps.  We bought a 300W  12V to 110V pure sine wave inverter which works in our car or in our 98~MB.  We have a direct wired connection to our house batteries maybe 12-GA wire and we have not had any problems.  Typically we use the batteries to halfway and then they take overnight to charge.  There are higher amperage charging fast chargers for these bikes but then you need more inverter for them?


         Karen~Liam
           98 ~ MB
             NinA

Amazon.com: BESTEK 300Watt Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter Car Adapter DC 12V...