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Old 01-18-2011, 12:56 PM   #1
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Name: Kevin (Ken)
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12V DC outlets?

How many do people have? There was only one in my Bigfoot 17. Since I am redoing almost all the electrical, along with the furniture, I can put in more than one easily. I'm thinking that car-charge adapters for many gadgets might be available, reducing or eliminating the need for inverter/generator/plug-in much of the time.
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Old 01-18-2011, 01:08 PM   #2
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I would think at least five 110 and a minimum of two 12 volt. An outside one of each maybe helpful as well. So many devices are 12 volt (with an adapter) and if boondocking it would be nice to run your notebook, TV, charge cell phone and use CPAP.
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Old 01-18-2011, 01:24 PM   #3
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If you ever go into a Flyin J or Pilot truck stop they will have one whole section with 12 volt stuff to plug into 12 volt power outlets, almost anything that you can think of. I would think one in the kitchen, one in any sleeping area, anywhere and everywhere. If you go to the J or Pilot you will see what I mean.
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Old 01-18-2011, 05:02 PM   #4
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Good idea. I often go to Flying J on road trips, but never had cause to check out the adapters. Ultimately, I'm not sure I'll need to plug that much stuff into AC if I can get the right cords/plugs. Most of the electronics I will use are battery powered DC, so it seems silly to convert the power twice to charge them.
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Old 01-18-2011, 05:16 PM   #5
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I mounted one on the front, 1 on the rear and one on each side close to the wheel. To use one of those 12V powered jacks and/or air compressor. B sure to do a water tight one for outside locations.
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Old 01-21-2011, 05:16 AM   #6
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Cigarette Lighter Type Receptacles

Here are some parts I used to add DC outlets to my '78 Trill.
Parts Express is easy to work with. Larry H



Cigarette Lighter Triple Socket Adapter | Parts-Express.com
Marine Grade Cigarette Lighter Socket 12 VDC | Parts-Express.com
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Old 01-21-2011, 08:16 AM   #7
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I added an extra 12 VDC outlet under the table inside and on the curbside outside. I used Marine Grade Cigarette Lighter Socket for both. I also have another one with battery clips to use on the travelside. Another 120 VAC was added up front inside.
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Old 01-21-2011, 08:38 PM   #8
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12 volt DC outlets

Quote:
Originally Posted by pindraak View Post
How many do people have? There was only one in my Bigfoot 17.
I have one inside and one outside. I have only used the inside one to charge my cell phone.
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Old 01-22-2011, 01:03 PM   #9
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I have three. Two I added, both marine grade. There's one at the back for the television, one in the footwell of the side dinette for recharging stuff and one outside.
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Old 01-24-2011, 04:48 AM   #10
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I have 3 d/c outlets.

One on the left side kitchen cabinet that I had installed by the factory when the trailer was made.

Then the second one is on the other end of the cabinet that I added shortly after getting my trailer.

The third I added recently to the outside, curbside next to the factory installed a/c outlet. I use this one for my water pump to pump water from a water container into the holding tank. I've also used it for charging my phone.
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Old 01-24-2011, 07:45 PM   #11
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What kind of water pump are you using, Joy?

I had the joy (?) of pouring about 20 gallons of water from 5Gal blue jugs into the tank this weekend, and it's no fun!

Regards,

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Old 01-24-2011, 08:19 PM   #12
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I had no 12V outlets, but added 2 this fall. One is a single outlet by the side dinette, and the other is a triple DC outlet near a shelf I installed for a CPAP so I can also plug in a phone charger if needed.
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Old 01-26-2011, 12:42 AM   #13
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We have three: one in our 5er loft, and one on either side of the dinette, mounted on the lower kitchen cabinets and facing toward the dinette bench. The dinette pair come in handy for plugging in phone chargers and the like. Only rarely ever use the one up in the loft.
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Old 01-26-2011, 05:38 AM   #14
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Peter,
I always steal as many ideas from your work as I can. So, before I steal another one, are these on a separate, fused circuit? If so, what size wire did you run?
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Old 01-26-2011, 01:53 PM   #15
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Yes, I did run a separate circuit for the 12v outlets. They are on a 12g stranded wire run and fused at 10 Amps. I did them this way so I could plug an inverter in and charge a laptop or two without worrying that I'd blow the fuse that runs the lights and water pump.

Since installing the 12v outlets I setup a dedicated inverter that powers the 120v AC outlets in the dinette and loft, so I all my 12v outlets get used for these days is charging a cell phone or camera battery. If I were to do the same install today, I'd put them on the same circuit with the lights.
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Old 01-28-2011, 10:43 PM   #16
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I have just one. I installed it next to the pump switch, since that's on the edge of the kitchen counter, which is smack-dab in the middle of the trailer. I can reach it from the bed and it's convenient for the kitchen, too.

The little one I found at Camping World has a mounting plate the same size as the pump switch, so it looks pretty good. I put it on the same DC circuit as the stovetop.

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Old 01-29-2011, 12:20 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pindraak View Post
How many do people have? There was only one in my Bigfoot 17. Since I am redoing almost all the electrical, along with the furniture, I can put in more than one easily. I'm thinking that car-charge adapters for many gadgets might be available, reducing or eliminating the need for inverter/generator/plug-in much of the time.
We have a 2009 Casita 17' Liberty Deluxe and had 3 - 12 Volt outlets and 2 - 110 volt outlets installed. Had the work done @ Camping World. They did an excellent job.

12 volts:
Orig 12v - near the TV cables
2nd 12v - opposite site from TV cables
3rd 12v - next to the outlet near the sink
4th 12v - on the Microwave cabinet

110 Volt:
Orig 110v - near TV cable, under the closet door, next to the sink
4th 110v - on the Microwave cabinet
5th 110v - opposite site from TV cables

The locations of the outlets work very well for us.
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Old 01-29-2011, 03:49 PM   #18
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Interesting. I don't think I'll need as many outlets as some people. I am using the transition to trailer living as an excuse to simplify things a little. No microwave, no variable temp electric tea kettle, no tv and no stereo.

In a space that small, I think I can satisfy all my audiovisual needs with my Macbook Pro and a couple of outboard micro drives. Since I plan to do a lot of boondocking, using the gas-powered stove/oven makes more sense to me than intense electric appliances, also conserving weight and space. The only thing I really needed to buy was a thermometer for making green tea.
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Old 02-01-2011, 11:17 PM   #19
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I put in two - West Marine stainless steel. Figured if I needed more I could use a splitter (pictured above) available at any auto parts store. I added both (not standard on Fiber Stream), one in the Kitchen counter and one on the other side of the trailer for convenience. Most used for charging cell phones or small inverter to run fan.
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Old 02-17-2011, 05:53 AM   #20
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I have none, so far.... since my Scamp doesn't really have a 12v system. But I plan on adding two of them. Most likely in the kitchen.

As an aside, is anyone else tired of the "cigarette lighter" socket? I wish car companies and cell phone companies would get together and come up with a new standard. The sockets take up too much space for what they do, and this also makes the plugs bulkier than they need to be. The format is just plain clunky. Most cell phone/iPod/etc chargers these days are actually 5 volts, as they are designed to be charged from a USB port. Imagine how much easier it would be to incorporate a few USB ports to the dash/console of your car than a few cigarette lighter outlets. I carry four or five chargers in my glove box, and I know that it would take up a lot less room if they were USB... especially if one cable would work for all of them.

In Europe, they have already mandated that all cell phones must be compatible with USB chargers.
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