Convert standard outlet to 12v

Mrs. O'Mordha wrote:
Tenbear, I didn't know you could do that, I thought those 120 receptacles with built in USBs still would need 120v for that to work.

You are right. Sorry about that.

smkettner, the inverter is something I thought about, but I honestly don't think I'd use it very often. We rarely watch TV in our trailer and that's about the only other thing I'd need it for. We do have solar and an onboard generator so battery consumption really isn't an issue for us. If I get a dish down the road, I'll probably get the inverter.

Tenbear, I didn't know you could do that, I thought those 120 receptacles with built in USBs still would need 120v for that to work.

I think tapping into the light sounds like the best option. There's one light right above our heads in the bed that we could easily tap into with the cabinetry.

Thanks for all the ideas, you guys are great!

If you need a USB port to plug your iPhone into you could replace the 120v outlet with a 120v USB outlet. The receptacles are available at Lowes and Home Depot. The problem with this approach is that the outlets should be mounted in boxes which are probably to deep to mount in an outside wall.

There was a recent thread about this but I can't find it now.

If it's just charging a cell phone, tap into the wiring for the lights and mount a plug nearby.

Adding an inverter and transfer switch can work but it comes with drawbacks for such light duty use.
- It wastes a good bit of battery power converting to AC when you really need DC.
- If you forget to turn off every AC appliance, it can kill a small battery bank in no time. Also if you leave high draw items on
- Even at a few hundred dollars, it will still be a lot more expensive than a bit of wire and a 12V outlet.

The iPhone uses a USB connector which is rated for a max 2.0 amp at 5volts, only an iPad requires the 2.0 amp most other adapters supply .75-1.1 amps again at 5 volts, voltage dropped inside the 12 volt to usb adapter. So you could easily pickup power from a nearby light and feed to a 12 volt receptacle.

Go power 150 watt sine wave inverter $150, transfer switch $50, minor provisions and you are all set for about $225 self install and no pulling wire. Mount inverter behind electric panel. Use main 12v battery feed for power. Transfer switch sends power down circuit of choice. Plenty of power for both phones, laptop, even an LCD tv & DVD player.

Cell phones draw low current. I don't know what the iPhone draws but the charger for the Droid puts out 5v at 1.1A. You could tap into the 12v light wiring for that power. You would need a 12v charger.

All I want to power is one cell phone on each side of the bed. They are iPhones, which I understand draw more power to charge than other phone. (Read that in a search on this forum).

What are you trying to run of 12V?

If it's just an extra led light or something low draw, you might be able to tap into one of the lines feeding the lights so save some effort fishing new lines.

What do you want to power with your 12v sockets?

120v systems in RVs are typically wired with #14 wire, good for 15A but may have to much voltage drop to use with 12v systems. A 3v drop is not much when you have 120v but too much when you only have 12v.