Inverters 12V

12V Solar Inverter Guide: Pure Sine Wave Power for RVs, Vans and Boats

A 12V solar inverter turns the house battery in an RV, camper van, boat or truck into 120V AC for a microwave, coffee maker, laptop chargers and power tools. It sits between the battery you charge from panels or the alternator and the outlets you plug into. Because most vehicles already run a 12V bank, this is the inverter class that drops into an existing rig without rewiring anything.

The collection holds 6 units from Rich Solar and Sungold Power, from a 1,000W inverter at from $219 to a 3,000W inverter charger with a built-in transfer switch at from $799. All of the in-stock models are pure sine wave, so sensitive electronics and motors run the way they do on shore power.

How to choose a 12V inverter

• Continuous watts. Add up what you switch on at once. A laptop, TV and a few chargers stay under 500W, which the Rich Solar NOVA PURE 1K handles with room to spare. A microwave or coffee maker pushes past 1,000W and calls for the NOVA PURE 2K. Running two of those together, or a small AC unit, is NOVA PURE 3K territory at 3,000W.
• Surge. Every NOVA PURE model surges to twice its rating (2,000W, 4,000W and 6,000W). Compressor fridges and pumps need that margin for the first second.
• Inverter only, or inverter charger. If you plug into shore power or run a generator, the NOVA SUPERCHARGER 3K adds a 150A battery charger and switches between shore, generator and battery in as little as 20 milliseconds. The Sungold Power 4,000W 12V Inverter with Charger is the low-frequency alternative with 300% surge for 20 seconds, currently sold out.
• Certification. The three NOVA PURE units are UL 458 listed for RVs, trailers, campers, vans and boats, which matters for insurance and inspections on a registered vehicle.
• Waveform quality. All in-stock units are under 3% total harmonic distortion at 88% peak efficiency, so CPAP machines, induction cooktops and variable-speed tools behave normally.

Popular picks in this collection

Setup and usage tips

• Check the whole inverter solar system with the Solar Kit Calculator. It estimates the battery and panel size that will actually feed the inverter you pick, based on your appliances and ZIP code.
• Keep cable runs short. At 12V a 3,000W load draws roughly 250A, so mount the inverter within a few feet of the battery and use the heavy gauge cable and fuse the manual calls for.
• Size the battery for the load, not just the inverter. A 3,000W inverter on a single 100Ah battery will hit low-voltage cutoff in minutes under a heavy draw.
• Use the inverter charger's transfer switch only if you have shore or generator input. Otherwise the plain NOVA PURE units save money and space.
• Mount in a ventilated, dry compartment away from battery gases. Under-seat and pass-through bays work; sealed cabinets do not.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 12V hybrid inverter the same as an inverter charger? Close enough for a vehicle. The NOVA SUPERCHARGER 3K inverts, charges the battery from shore or generator power and switches sources automatically, which is what most people mean by hybrid at 12V. True solar hybrids with a built-in MPPT controller are 24V and 48V units.

Will a 2,000W inverter run a microwave? Most RV microwaves draw 1,000 to 1,500W, so the NOVA PURE 2K runs one on its own. Add a coffee maker at the same time and you want the 3K.

Do I need pure sine wave? Yes, for anything with a motor, a charger or a display. Every in-stock unit here is pure sine at under 3% THD, so there is no cheaper modified-wave option to be tempted by.

All inverters ship free to the mainland US from our brand partner warehouses, usually within a few business days, with 30-day returns. Call us with your battery size and appliance list and we will confirm which model fits your rig.