DC outlet

Does anyone know how to modify the dc  outlet and wiring if necessary, to run an appliance that pulls more than 8 amps?  I suppose that this outlet was made specifically to run a TV, but we would like to use it for other purposes.  I think you can buy outlets with a higher rating, but will the TM wiring support it?

When you say more than 8 amps, what does this mean?  If the trailer wiring is proper it should be able to handle up to its fused rating.  So overloading causes only a blown fuse.  If memory serves I believe most of the 12v circuits are 15amp fused.  If you're around 8amps you're OK.

If you want more current you could run separate wiring from your battery, using a fuse appropriate for the gauge used.  

I mean the wiring from the box to the outlet may not be the correct gauge to carry up to 15 amps, although I agree with you that the fuse is rated at 15.  I am concerned that the wiring may start a fire before the fuse blows.

[Bruce]

I don't know if this helps but I have installed 4 extra dc outlets in our TM. A couple are just hooked into the existing wiring but they run a small 12v fan and our huge boom box just fine.
I put one in the wall at the end of the counter top which is handy for plugging in my little reading light or anything else. I hooked it up directly to the 12v circut board where there was an unused terminal for the optional stereo system. I used 14 ga. hookup wire for this  and the existing fuse (I can't remember but probably 15 amp).
As long as the circut is fused correctly for the size wire used the fuse should blow before any damage to the wire occurs from overloading.

Bruce

The DC outlet in the trailer we have was, I guess, specifically designed for tv, and the brochure with it said it could carry a max of 8 amps.  I called the manufacturer and he said emphatically to load it with more was a fire hazard.  For the outlets you added, how many amps can they carry?  Where did you get them?

[Bruce]

I purchased the interior outlets at an electronics salvage store in our area. They also had a 12v 3 outlet  fused extension box and a 2 to 1 splitter that have been very handy. Interior outlets can be purchased at any auto parts store also.
The exterior outlet I purchased at Camping World. I mounted it underneath the body near the 110v outlet. I  fused it and tapped it into the 10 ga. line  running from my 2 tongue mounted batteries. Someone else got their ext. outlet at KMart.
I'm not sure about the amp handling capacity of these outlets. It has never been an issue with the 12 v appliances we use (small tv, boom box, portable fan, radio, reading light, hair dryer, tire pump) or with the  150 watt inverter we occasionally use.
Two of  the interior outlets are tapped into the existing wiring - one next to the clock so we can set a radio or lamp on the shelf above the sofa, and one next to the ceiling light in the hallway for running the clip on fan we have to blow on the bed.
When we use the inverter I plug it into the outlet I hooked into the circuitry for the TM stereo or the exterior outlet as these provide a solid dedicated circuit with 14 ga hookup wire. According to my RVers' Guide to Solar Battey Charging book 14 ga wire will handle a 10 amp load for up to a 20' run or 15 amps for up to a 15' run.
Camping World sells a book, "Managing 12 Volts", that might be helpful to you.
Bruce