Where should I tap into 12V power?

Like most others, I am not able to use the existing 12V receptacle in our 2008 2720 TM because none of my 12V plugs will fit into the sockets in the Winegard power plate. I purchased a Radio Shack 3 outlet adapter that can either be powered by plugging in to a existing outlet or it also comes with wiring to allow it to be hard wired into your car (or TM in my case). I would like to install it "permanently" as opposed to just plugging it into the existing receptacle as some have suggested. I was wondering if someone could point me to the best place to tap into existing 12v power lines in the vicinity of the fridge. The adapter is rated at 15 amps, and I know the supply to the existing receptacle is fused at 7.5 amps, so I would like to avoid that if possible, as I might occasionally exceed 7.5 amps if I have something plugged into all 3 receptacles (e.g. iPod. flashlight recharger, and laptop). Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

I have no problems using the "cigarette" lighter outlets. I have plugged several different cell phone chargers in and also my volt meter.

I have no other devices that would plug in.

[Bill]

I have plugged a 3-way expander into the Winegard receptacle, and use it to good advantage. But I admit it is kind of ugly, hanging there with its 3 outlets dangling out. And of course it is still limited by the 7.5-amp fuse, as you point out.

The easiest way to meet your goal is probably to tie into the radio power circuit. It is wired and fused for 15 amps, and at least in my TM, there is nothing else on that circuit. At reasonable volume, a radio doesn't draw much power, so you will have most of the 15 amps available for other uses. I would not advise tying into any other circuit.

The really elegant way to do it is to run a new pair of wires back to the power distribution point in the converter. Run both a red (+) and a black (-) wire, and put a new fuse in the red line. This will give you a brand-new circuit, completely separate from the Winegard and the radio. You can easily hide the new wires with the old ones, under the sink. I think that the converter has several empty fuse slots, so you could add the new fuse right beside the others.

Either way, you would probably want to run #12 wire. Nice flexible #12 wire, called "primary wire", is available from any auto supply place (or often WalMart) in 10-foot spools.

Bill

Bill, thanks for the advice. nless it is really hard, I always prefer the "elegant" solution - running a new circuit from the power converter in this case. My TM is all closed up in the garage, otherwise I'd go and look for myself, so I have a few follow-up questions:
1, Can you tell me, will it be obvious where to connect the new circuit wires when I open up the converter, and
2. will it be obvious where to run the new wires - I assume they go out through the floor and forward with other wires then back into the trailer near the rear of the fridge
3. Any other advice before I tackle this - I am relatively handy with most things, but far from an expert at any of them.
Thanks for the help - your advice is always appreciated.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by TraceyMac

Bill, thanks for the advice. Unless it is really hard, I always prefer the "elegant" solution - running a new circuit from the power converter in this case. I have a few follow-up questions:
1. Can you tell me, will it be obvious where to connect the new circuit wires when I open up the converter

The answer is almost certainly yes, it will be obvious. My TM has a Centurion 6000XL converter, which appears to be very similar or identical to the WFCO unit you probably have. The manuals for both of them have pictures/diagrams of the fuse panel as seen with the front panel removed. Connection points are obvious. If you don't have a copy of the manual, download one from the web.

2. Will it be obvious where to run the new wires - I assume they go out through the floor and forward with other wires then back into the trailer near the rear of the fridge

I did something like this in my 2002 TM. I have not done it in my 2006, and of course I have no knowledge of how the 2008 is arranged, but there doesn't seem to be any reason for it to have changed. When I did it, I needed to pull the converter out of the wall, to get access to the under-tub space. All of the wires comes out of the back of the converter, and then dive down under the upper skin of the bathroom floor. They run through a channel in the foam structure just below the bathroom floor skin, and then came back up above the floor under the kitchen sink. You'll need to poke a "fish tape" (or a straightened-out wire coathanger) through this channel, then use it to pull a string back through the channel, and then use the string to pull the wires through the channel. The channel is crowded, so take your time. The wires don't go outdoors, under the TM.

3. Any other advice before I tackle this - I am relatively handy with most things, but far from an expert at any of them.

Do you know how to solder wires? I simply don't trust homemade crimp connections - they tend to be easy to pull apart. When I need to make a connection, I crimp, then solder the crimps, then put shrink sleeve insulation over the whole thing. Other than that, it should be pretty straightforward. Be sure to maintain correct polarity, of course. Keep us posted.

Bill

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

I have no problems using the "cigarette" lighter outlets. I have plugged several different cell phone chargers in and also my volt meter.

I have no other devices that would plug in.

Having just picket up my 04 2720 and doing the walk through. Everything worked fine. But when I got home I tried to hook up a 140W inverter just to see if I could get a 40W drop lite to run. But not luck. I tried both front and rear Outlets. The inerter has a (glow light) witch showes if it has power or not. I tried it in my new car and no light unless I turned on the car.????? I asked the dealer to make sure the Outlets work and he showe me with a tool (looks like a screwdriver with a light in the handle) that it had power. Now they did have the TM hooked up to shore power at te time. But I was told that just using the battery it should work also.???????

Answers anyone. Thanks

[rtcassel]

Originally Posted by John Wahlsten

Having just picket up my 04 2720 and doing the walk through. Everything worked fine. But when I got home I tried to hook up a 140W inverter just to see if I could get a 40W drop lite to run. But not luck. I tried both front and rear Outlets. The inerter has a (glow light) witch showes if it has power or not. I tried it in my new car and no light unless I turned on the car.????? I asked the dealer to make sure the Outlets work and he showe me with a tool (looks like a screwdriver with a light in the handle) that it had power. Now they did have the TM hooked up to shore power at te time. But I was told that just using the battery it should work also.???????

Answers anyone. Thanks

I have the same year and model. My 12V outlet is so tight that some male plugs do not go in all the way. I use a Y device from Walmart that has a small enough male end to fit, and the female ends are larger than the TM's female outlet.

Perhaps your inverter's plug is not seating properly in the outlet because the fit is too tight, or the battery needs charging. I think that you would get power at the 12V outlet if the trailer was plugged into shore power even though the battery needed charging.

I had a similar problem with that 12v outlet. I had to really shove hard to get the plug all the way to the bottom to make contact. I was really afraid I was going to break the outlet before I finally got the plug all the way in. It's really tight.

I had the problem this weekend. The plug by the fridge gets used from time to time, so it seems to have been worn enough that my plug worked fine. I rarely use the one in the shower wall by the back bed. I had to push and twist gently but I finally got a good contact. Apparently it just does no want to push all the way in.

I will be looking for a Y adapter to see if that works better. I'm sure those things are chap enough.