OK, so after some trial and error along with plenty of research I hardwired a Vector 750 Watt power inverter into my 2002 Sahara. I hardwired a contura switch purchased from www.otrattw.com to the inverter itself to operate it. The nice thing about this is that it can be wired to the dash illumination that comes on when your headlights are on (aside from the clean look). The inverter can handle just about anything I can hook up to it short of a mini-fridge. Since I'm fine with using a cooler, this works just fine for me.
Step 1) Mount a fuse holder somewhere in the engine compartment as close to the battery as possible.
Fuse Holder:
Step 2) Run two lengths of 4 AWG wire into the cab through the pre-existing grommet in the firewall, one from the fuse holder and one from the (-) terminal of the battery.
Wire Ran:
Driver's Side Grommet:
Step 3) Go back inside, get a beer, and take the inverter out of the packaging. To have it hardwired where you never need to touch/see/smell/worry about the inverter, you are going to need to wire it to a remotely located switch as well as a remotely located outlet. There are two ways to go here...
(A) Cut out the outlets in the inverter and run 14 AWG wire or romex to your conventional outlet mounted elsewhere.
(B) Buy extension cords from Home Depot than are pronged on one end and just have wires on the other to run to the remote mounted outlets
While (A) may seem like the more permanent and "durable" solution... it's not. I tried it and believe me, it's not worth it. Just buy the extension cords.
Step 4) Take the cover off the inverter and look at the wires leading to the small rocker switch that turns it On/Off. Mark the lead wire with a Sharpie and proceed to cut out the rocker switch. You will be extending these wires to your aftermarket switch. Go ahead and solder & heat shrink some 18 AWG wire to these two wires for now. It will be easier to run the wire later than mess with the connections when the inverter is in the Jeep.
***Note there are more wires leading to the switch on this picture, I took two inverters apart and in each there were only two... either way it's just more solder work, that's all.***
(Picture credit to Sebastian22)
Step 5) Go back to the Jeep figure out where you want the outlets located. I used the side of the stock shifter console as a mounting location and it works/looks great there. You will need a plastic shallow mount outlet box from home depot as well as a 15 or 20 Amp outlet. I chose 20A. Measure twice and cut once a rectangular hole in the plastic for the outlet. Drill 4 holes to mount the outlet box.
Step 6) While the box is still test-mounted to the console go out to the Jeep and run your extenstion cords from underneath the steering wheel (where the inverter will be mounted) to the outlet box in the console. Cut any excess and proceed to strip and attach the wires to your outlet before tightining everything down to your console.
Step 7) Reinstall the shifter console with the extension cords hanging off of it.
Step 8) Remove the access panel underneath the steering wheel. Mount the inverter to the A/C duct (or dash frame if the Jeep is not A/C equipped) using zip ties. Make sure to install it so the switch wires go towards the middle of the dash and the (-) and (+) terminals are facing the driver's side door.
Mounted Inverter:
Step 9) Remove the center dash bezel and install a contura switch into one of the locations in the stock switch bezel. I chose one with a little lightning bolt on it because it seemed to fit the application :2thumbsup:. Route your two wires coming from the inverter and connect them on the switch as "12v power in" and "power out to device". Make sure to ground the switch properly as well, the ground near the clutch pedal worked nicely for me.
Step 10) If you want the switch to illuminate with the dash when the headlights are turned on you can tap into the wire going into either the stereo head unit or the A/C control panel. Either way will work, just make sure you are splicing the ORANGE wire.
Switch w/ Dash Illumination light on (lower light):
Step 11) Reassemble the center dash with the switch panel. Plug your extension cords into the inverter. Connect the 4 AWG cables that have been hanging in your cab to the inverter.
Step 12) Only now should you install a fuse and then run the last short length of cable from the fuse holder to the (+) terminal of the battery.
Fire it up and enjoy a power inverter set up that looks like it was from the factory!
I want to offer a HUGE thanks to James from www.otrattw.com for the help over the phone as well as Slithering Joe from these forums for some advice as well.
Step 1) Mount a fuse holder somewhere in the engine compartment as close to the battery as possible.
Fuse Holder:
Step 2) Run two lengths of 4 AWG wire into the cab through the pre-existing grommet in the firewall, one from the fuse holder and one from the (-) terminal of the battery.
Wire Ran:
Driver's Side Grommet:
Step 3) Go back inside, get a beer, and take the inverter out of the packaging. To have it hardwired where you never need to touch/see/smell/worry about the inverter, you are going to need to wire it to a remotely located switch as well as a remotely located outlet. There are two ways to go here...
(A) Cut out the outlets in the inverter and run 14 AWG wire or romex to your conventional outlet mounted elsewhere.
(B) Buy extension cords from Home Depot than are pronged on one end and just have wires on the other to run to the remote mounted outlets
While (A) may seem like the more permanent and "durable" solution... it's not. I tried it and believe me, it's not worth it. Just buy the extension cords.
Step 4) Take the cover off the inverter and look at the wires leading to the small rocker switch that turns it On/Off. Mark the lead wire with a Sharpie and proceed to cut out the rocker switch. You will be extending these wires to your aftermarket switch. Go ahead and solder & heat shrink some 18 AWG wire to these two wires for now. It will be easier to run the wire later than mess with the connections when the inverter is in the Jeep.
***Note there are more wires leading to the switch on this picture, I took two inverters apart and in each there were only two... either way it's just more solder work, that's all.***
(Picture credit to Sebastian22)
Step 5) Go back to the Jeep figure out where you want the outlets located. I used the side of the stock shifter console as a mounting location and it works/looks great there. You will need a plastic shallow mount outlet box from home depot as well as a 15 or 20 Amp outlet. I chose 20A. Measure twice and cut once a rectangular hole in the plastic for the outlet. Drill 4 holes to mount the outlet box.
Step 6) While the box is still test-mounted to the console go out to the Jeep and run your extenstion cords from underneath the steering wheel (where the inverter will be mounted) to the outlet box in the console. Cut any excess and proceed to strip and attach the wires to your outlet before tightining everything down to your console.
Step 7) Reinstall the shifter console with the extension cords hanging off of it.
Step 8) Remove the access panel underneath the steering wheel. Mount the inverter to the A/C duct (or dash frame if the Jeep is not A/C equipped) using zip ties. Make sure to install it so the switch wires go towards the middle of the dash and the (-) and (+) terminals are facing the driver's side door.
Mounted Inverter:
Step 9) Remove the center dash bezel and install a contura switch into one of the locations in the stock switch bezel. I chose one with a little lightning bolt on it because it seemed to fit the application :2thumbsup:. Route your two wires coming from the inverter and connect them on the switch as "12v power in" and "power out to device". Make sure to ground the switch properly as well, the ground near the clutch pedal worked nicely for me.
Step 10) If you want the switch to illuminate with the dash when the headlights are turned on you can tap into the wire going into either the stereo head unit or the A/C control panel. Either way will work, just make sure you are splicing the ORANGE wire.
Switch w/ Dash Illumination light on (lower light):
Step 11) Reassemble the center dash with the switch panel. Plug your extension cords into the inverter. Connect the 4 AWG cables that have been hanging in your cab to the inverter.
Step 12) Only now should you install a fuse and then run the last short length of cable from the fuse holder to the (+) terminal of the battery.
Fire it up and enjoy a power inverter set up that looks like it was from the factory!
I want to offer a HUGE thanks to James from www.otrattw.com for the help over the phone as well as Slithering Joe from these forums for some advice as well.