Adapting and improvising is the key to any survival situation.

Using your vehicle as a power generator is one way of adapting that most of us would not necessarily think about.

Generate power for corded tools anywhere you go without the cost and hassle of a gas-powered generator by wiring a power inverter to your truck battery.

Component shopping

Pop 1-in. chase nipples into the holes in the bed and the box and spin on locknuts. Then push the “smurf” tube and cable through the nipples and connect them to the inverter.

AC inverters come in two styles: modified and pure sine wave. A modified sine wave inverter (such as the AIMS No. PWRINV1800W; available from theinverterstore.com) is less expensive and works great with power tools. For “cleaner” power to run a computer, TV or portable tool battery charger, buy a pure sine wave inverter. Be sure it has built-in overload, over-temperature, over-and-under voltage and fault protection, as well as neutral isolation.

Secure the fuse block

Clamp the cable ring terminals under the serrated washers and install the fuse. Then tighten the nut and install the protective cover.

Converting your vehicle into a power generator is one way of delivering much needed power to your home or camp site relatively easily and cheaply.

In a natural or man made disaster, it could mean the difference between securing your location, preventing wastage of food and charging communications equipment.

To see the complete schematics, plus a detailed shopping list of this project, please visit The Family Handyman.