I am starting up a mobile detailing business and I was wondering if you can use the power outlet in the boot to power a vacuum and a Porter Cable orbital buffer. If so, how do I go about it?

Thanks in advance.

 

The simple way is to go by RadioShack and buy an inverter that just plugs in. We use one in our minivan so the kids can use the X-Box on long trips. Make sure to read the AMP ratings on the tools you plan to use and get the right inverter--the nerds at RadioShack can help you with that.

However, we only use the inverter when the car is running.

Good luck. There is a guy with a van who does detailing in my office parking lot, and he is doing very well. He also has a pressurized water tank so he washes and details the car right where you park it.

 

Remember that the wiring from the battery to the rear outlet isn't designed for huge loads. It's fine for small appliances like Xboxs, radios, and the such, but not for any big things.

In order to get any sort of decent power (for a vacuum, etc) you will need to hook the inverter directly up to the battery.

Also, always make sure that the car is running so that you don't drain the battery all the time, thus reducing its logevity.

 

The items you want to run draw a lot of current! So it would not be a good idea to run them off a cig. outlet in the car. Like shankrabbit stated, running an inverter off the batter when the car is running might work, but your best bet is to either find a better source for power or try to find battery powered version of the tools you want.

Garrett