Using the 12v port for power

[swingdj]

Forgive me, I’m not an electrician but I’m curious about the best way to supply power to accessories like holiday lights (trunk or treat).
I assume the 12v port runs right to the 12v battery. Can I plug a power inverter into the 12v and leave the car on to run the lights for an hour without the 12v draining?
Are the USB ports also supplied by the 12v battery or would they be a better port for accessory power?
TIA

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[swingdj]

I found part of my answers. The 12v battery is regularly recharged even when the vehicle is off. So I could run an AC inverter into the 12v.
Now I’m just curious what the maximum wattage should be? I’ve read that the system can supply up to 2000w. So is a 2000w inverter safe to use?

 

[HuntingPudel]

From the manual: “When you switch the vehicle on, you can use the socket to power 12 V appliances with a maximum current rating of 20 A. Do not use the power point over the vehicle capacity of 12 V DC 240 W or a fuse could blow.”

 

[swingdj]

Thanks. But I’m also reading if you connect to the leads under the side panel next to the frunk you can get ~2000w.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Thanks. But I’m also reading if you connect to the leads under the side panel next to the frunk you can get ~2000w.

Limit it to 1500W continuous or less (2000W peak) including the car's own loads, you don't want to blow out your DC/DC converter. Car needs to be turned on accessory if you're drawing more than about 50W so you don't drain the 12V battery in between periodic charging. I would still keep a close eye on system voltage running external loads or you might be stranded. It wasn't designed to be a generator like the F150 so take it easy.

 

[phidauex]

Thanks. But I’m also reading if you connect to the leads under the side panel next to the frunk you can get ~2000w.

Remember that to safely draw 2000W off a 12V system you need 1/0 cables - not easy to work with or terminate. If you are hoping to run a few holiday lights don’t go crazy, a 300W inverter would run more LED lights than you could want and can be connected with much smaller cables. There are leads under the side panel on the right of the frunk, but even they aren’t large enough to draw 2000W from.

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