120V Switch Memory?

[TheMightyGoose]

I probably shouldn't be trying to convince people that they are closet electrical engineers. Stay safe people, modern vehicles are not a good place to start doing electronics experiments.

I don’t mess with electronics. If it can burn my house down or leave me stranded deep into the desert, then I leave it to the pros. I can swap out a light switch or outlet, but I definitely don’t mess with automotive electronics. And I’ve heard enough here to know that it’s just not worth it. I thought it would be easy to tell the computer to just remember the last setting of the switch. But clearly that’s not the case. And I’d rather have a dead fridge battery than a dead Land Cruiser. But I appreciate all the feedback and suggestions. Some of you clearly have a strong understanding of electronics.

 

[sweet5ltr]

I probably shouldn't be trying to convince people that they are closet electrical engineers. Stay safe people, modern vehicles are not a good place to start doing electronics experiments.

 

[b407driver]

Yes, I agree. Pushing the button is easy. Remembering to do it is hard. For me.

It's actually not that easy due to it being almost invisible without leaning over/down to find it (from my seating position, at least). At least the inverter light is visible, the 5th Gen's inverter switch light was so dim it was barely visible in daylight.

 

[kidcruiser]

In addition to forgetting to turn it on, I also can't see whether the inverter is actually on or not from my usually driving position. I have to duck my head down to see the off/on light on the switch.

I've also found that sometimes the inverter just switches off. Like it might charge for 10 minutes, then stop. Or maybe sometimes it will charge at 300 watts, and not 1000 watts, and so I think I'm getting fully charged, and I'm not. I don't think this is a problem with the inverter, just that it changes with driving conditions.

I think running the portable battery station off the inverter outlet is a great option for powering a fridge, if that's something you only do occasionally. Or maybe if you have a very large power bank (mine is 1000wh).

But after doing a month long trip recently, where I woke up a few times to a dead [Edit: Jackery] battery and fridge not running, I would suggest putting in a dc-dc charger. I also had a starlink running off my bank, but I think the underlying issue is that my Jackery wasn't always charging when I thought it was.

Also, FWIW, I've decided not to just do a DC-DC charger on my jackery, but hardwire a lithium battery (not a power station). UBS C cords would get loose and fall out of the USBC outlets when driving rough trails. My USBC outlets broke too, eventually, and I only had one cigarette style outlet on my power station, and I ended up having to run my fridge off the 120v outlet on the jackery, which was super inefficient. With a battery, I can hardwire my fridge, and add a couple car cigarette outlets.

EDIT: I should clarify that my Jackery USBC outlets didn't break after just a few weeks of use. I had used it a lot before then as well. I think Jackeries are pretty well made.

 

[EOD Guy]

As a possible solution to not being able to see the switch's "on" LED......... shouldn't be a big deal to sister an additional flat type LED to the switch LED and mount the new LED in a more "driving position" friendly viewing spot.

 

[TheMightyGoose]

In addition to forgetting to turn it on, I also can't see whether the inverter is actually on or not from my usually driving position. I have to duck my head down to see the off/on light on the switch.

I've also found that sometimes the inverter just switches off. Like it might charge for 10 minutes, then stop. Or maybe sometimes it will charge at 300 watts, and not 1000 watts, and so I think I'm getting fully charged, and I'm not. I don't think this is a problem with the inverter, just that it changes with driving conditions.

I think running the portable battery station off the inverter outlet is a great option for powering a fridge, if that's something you only do occasionally. Or maybe if you have a very large power bank (mine is 1000wh).

But after doing a month long trip recently, where I woke up a few times to a dead battery and fridge not running, I would suggest putting in a dc-dc charger. I also had a starlink running off my bank, but I think the underlying issue is that my Jackery wasn't always charging when I thought it was.

Also, FWIW, I've decided not to just do a DC-DC charger on my jackery, but hardwire a lithium battery (not a power station). UBS C cords would get loose and fall out of the USBC outlets when driving rough trails. My USBC outlets broke too, eventually, and I only had one cigarette style outlet on my power station, and I ended up having to run my fridge off the 120v outlet on the jackery, which was super inefficient. With a battery, I can hardwire my fridge, and add a couple car cigarette outlets.

EDIT: I should clarify that my Jackery USBC outlets didn't break after just a few weeks of use. I had used it a lot before then as well. I think Jackeries are pretty well made.

I don't leave anything running off the LC battery. The Goal Zero charges while I'm driving and then keeps the fridge running when the LC is turned off. Any electronics run off the GZ. When we're on a long road trip, we have an off-road camper with 2x100Ah lithium phosphate batteries. And I have a solar panel for the GZ battery that's in the LC. I throw the solar panel on the roof of the LC and it can go all day. It's a great setup.

 

[kidcruiser]

I run everything off my power station as well. I meant waking up to the Jackery dead, not the LC battery... too many battery references in my post.

But that's great if what you have is working for you. I don't have solar on my LC. That would for sure have helped my situation. I might put a panel on my rack at some point.

I like @EOD Guy's suggestion if one is going to run a power station. Too bad Toyota didn't just make that inverter light visible to the driver.

 

[GR8Santini]

In addition to forgetting to turn it on, I also can't see whether the inverter is actually on or not from my usually driving position. I have to duck my head down to see the off/on light on the switch.

One option is to rearrange your LC’s accy switches to either where you want them in your view', or to hide some behind the steering wheel.

Some of those accy switches are ‘keyed’ for certain locations, but you can easily mod to place where you like. The switches themselves can be moved around, but a few the specific switch housing holes may have a switch key (teeth) you can file down so a different switch will fit. The key is on the bottom of the switch, but the switch capture points attach on the left & right side allowing you to file down the bottom of the switch hole so it will slide in.

I wanted all of my light/illumination switches on the top row, so a few switches got moved around when I was adding a accy switch for M&R grill light bar.

 

[kidcruiser]

That's a great idea. For me, having the inverter button at the top would also be a nice reminder to turn it on.