While waiting for a new alternator (and charging the van with an EU2000i strapped to a trailer hitch carrier and several car battery chargers), I estimated that I was probably asking at least 140A from the battery and alternator. I can't say it was the use of the microwave that caused it, because the idiot light came on not after using the microwave but after a start on a cold morning. Later in the trip, the remanufactured alternator died. I had purchased the van the previous month and it arrived with a dead alternator which I replaced with a remanufactured 120A alternator. This required running really heavy wire to the battery and fusing it properly, and it pulled 100A during use. and exchanged it for a 1500W modified square wave inverter and got a 700W microwave from Target. If you have the cargo area 12v outlet on very short wires to a battery under the seat, then i wouldn't worry as much. So boiling a 12oz cup of water will take about 6 minutes.Īnd *that's* when the Sprinter's behind-the-panel wires are going to be getting very hot. When operating at 240 watts from the cigar lighter, it will take three times as long to "cook" anything compared to plug-in-the-wall.
![wavebox portable 12 volt microwave wavebox portable 12 volt microwave](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Do9hhXBFEa0/hqdefault.jpg)
The Wavebox microwave is going to be pulling power for many minutes. The Sprinter's Cigar Lighter expects to use 20 amps. So i'd be cautious about the wiring behind the Sprinter's dash, too. You'll see that one complaint is that the unit's own cigar lighter cord is not adequate to the task. if you read the one useful review (the other shows he didn't read the manual) on Amazon: (i'd be far happier if they were 14 gauge or 12 gauge)īUT. But it is only "live" when the key is turned to "on" or "accy".īoth sockets are wired with 16 gauge wires, so i'd be highly tempted to put a 20amp fuse on the "live" power outlet. the Cigar Lighter inside the ashtray *is* fused for 20 amps.
![wavebox portable 12 volt microwave wavebox portable 12 volt microwave](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71ybNG%2BLtIL._SL1500_.jpg)
I don't know about the 2007 and newer models, but for the T1N (2006 and earlier), the always-live "power outlet" on the dash is fused for 15 amps.īUT. That wavebox requires a 20 amp "cigar lighter socket. How i wish you'd asked that two weeks ago (so there'd be shipping time before Xmas