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12v For Bed

N

nyazeus

GUEST
hey guys, Im a 03 AV owner and a tailgater at the soon to be SuperBowl champion Houston Texans.

I seem to remember a thread relating to someone adding a 12v plug for accessories to their bed. Can someone direct me to it?

Also, I need a power converter to plug into this plug that will house a shop fan (Houston is Hot) 13in TV and my playstaation2. Can someone help me locate one that will work?

Anbody here tried a solar charger for their AV? With all of this plugged in for 4 hours or more Im afraid I would run the battery down.

And one more thing, I need for all Cowboy fans to say goodbye to their season after we beat them again this year. LOL
Im in the orange lot every game if anyone wants to join my AV tailgating team.

Later,
Go TEXANS!!!!!!!!1
 
I think you would need a 1000 watt inverter and I am afraid that would not last long with the stuff you said you wanna run.......

May I suggest a small generator ;D

 
I thought about a small generator but wanted to go this route first if possible. I have a solar charger that will be assisting my battery in staying charged, and it will be plugged while Im in the game and while tailgating. Thats almost 7 hours worth of charge time.

The fan is a small shop fan, not one of those big ones.
 
Add up the wattage of the 120VAC stuff........

then take that number and divide by 12...this will give you an approximate amp draw at 12volts.....

Now take this amp draw and compare to battery AMP/hr rating to see how long that puppy will last......you can subtract from the amp draw your solar charger output.....

EXAMPLE....

PS2 is about 100 watts.....and TV is about 150 watts and a small fan I have is about 500 watts.....

This is 750 watts divide by 12 = about 63 AMPS!!!!!

Big inverter and the 12VDC wires better be big and short......

SO find ya a solar charger rated at 65 amps and you be ok......

HTH
 
Here's the thread you were looking for: 12V power in cargo box.

Be sure to check out SoCalCindy's solution near the end of the thread. It looks well suited to solve your problem. As far as running the battery down... Just start the truck every so often and recharge it for 10-15 mins. Maybe also look into a dual battery setup in case you do run down your battery... then you can jump start yourself.
 
This is what you really need. I have one for camping and it rules. You can plug in 12 volt or 110 volt devices. I use it for coffee maker, tools, protable air conditioner, you name it. It will outlast the tailgate party and you can add a solar charger to it for even better time. I paid a little over $300 shipped. This box rules.

http://www.xantrex.com/products/product.asp?did=126

No noise, unlike a generator that is loud and smelly.
 
Add up the wattage of the 120VAC stuff........

then take that number and divide by 12...this will give you an approximate amp draw at 12volts.....

I just installed a 12V DC outlet in the bed. It's the Radio Shack cheapie one with 10A fuse and 18 gauge wire. I tapped the monster red wire in the trailer harness.

What type of stuff can I plug in without worrying about power draw? I plugged in a Q-beam and it didn't pop the fuse. I'm assuming battery chargers (for phone or whatever) are fine.

If I plug in my small inverter (800 Watt peak), I imagine I'd have to be careful. I would use it to maybe plug in a laptop, charge drill batteries, plug in a radio, or the like. Given the above formula, is it safe to say that I'll be limited to about 120 Watts (given the 10A fuse)?

Anyone know where I can get a heavier-duty outlet...maybe 20 or 30 amp? I'd think that the trailer wiring could handle up to 40 given that is the maxi-fuse size ???


 
RichUF

Check out Auto Zone. They have 12 volt outlet that appears tobe heavy duty constructed of black plastic with hinged cover. The wire looks to be #12.

Rogerh
 
rogerh said:
RichUF

Check out Auto Zone. They have 12 volt outlet that appears tobe heavy duty constructed of black plastic with hinged cover. The wire looks to be #12.

Rogerh

I figured there were heavier ones available...thanks. I'm debating whether or not to redo this mod. I'm leaning toward just using what I have until it becomes an issue (if ever) and re-modding then. I'm not planning on a blender or TV or anything heavy, so I'll likely be OK.

To be completely honest, I was really just craving some "alone time" with my AV, and this mod along with the light switch afforded me this and were CHEAP (y) ('cept for the hole saws :rolleyes:)

And my wife could tell that I needed some time alone, and didn't nag me all Sunday after church like she normally would, so special props to her :love: ;D
 
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