My new keystone Outback 210trs is great but it doesn't have any 12v outlets next to the "entertainment" area to plug an inverter in to run my tv and dvd player. I'm looking for a simple (i hope) fix to get a 12v outlet or inverter installed here.There is a power switch for the antenna with a coaxial cable connection there. I had a similar switch on my last trailer but it had a 12v outlet too and I plugged my inverter into that to run the tv.Any help or direction would be very much appreciated.Thanks!

You can't use the 12v plug for your inverter to power the TV and DVD. The reason is if you read the fine print (I read mine last night) it says using the 12v plug will only produce 100 watts of power. You will need to run 6 gauge wire directly from the battery to the inverter. Then you should be good to go.

First your needs are simple and a small inverter will work fine. But for an inverter, any size, you need adequate wiring from the battery to the inverter. I don't think the antenna wiring is going to be adequate. I'd suggest running 12 ga. wire directly from your battery (fused) and grab the negative at the closest point to the inverter or directly to the battery also. OR: if the TV and components are on a dedicated circuit, you could mount the inverter close to the battery and run a smaller wire to the wires that now feed the AC to the TV. Just make sure you interrupt the circuit so you don't have the possibility of two 110v circuits trying to power the same item.

Calicajun wrote:You can't use the 12v plug for your inverter to power the TV and DVD. The reason is if you read the fine print (I read mine last night) it says using the 12v plug will only produce 100 watts of power. You will need to run 6 gauge wire directly from the battery to the inverter. Then you should be good to go.I was using my inverter plugged into my 12v outlet in my pervious TT with no problems running the LED tv and DVD player.

I have to disagree. I run my 22" Vizio LCD/LED TV and the separate DVD player from my 21 year old, 250 watt Statpower inverter. I plug the inverter's cigarette lighter plug into a dash outlet and run a 6' household extension cord up to the back of the TV - DVD player and "Voila" movies, as many as you like. While this means I am running off of the engine battery on a 6.8L V-10 there is more than enough capacity to handle such a small load.LCD TV's, especially LCD - LED TV's don't draw squat and most simple DVD players are the same. While I prefer to draw from my house bank (2 group 27's), for DC loads (like my C-Pap), the house bank fed outlet I installed is located on the backside of the dinette and running the extension cord from the dash of our C is just a shorter/simpler connection.Some of the more sensitive electronics (TV's, computers and C-Pap's to name a few), will caution against using anything less than pure sine wave. Be sure to read owners manual before hooking up to a non sine wave inverter. A Pure sine wave 300 watt, dual outlet inverter should set you back about $60. As far as wire size just look at the voltage drop charts and size your wire/in line fuses accordingly. For small loads and relatively short runs you will rarely, if ever, need more than 12 gauge.IMHO: Lots of folks end up buying way more inverter than they actually need which is usually supported by way less battery power than the inverter needs. A simple stove top coffee pot will make your morning coffee and a small inverter will charge all of your phones, camera's, hearing aid's etc., as well as running the TV/DVD player and other misc electronic toys.Works for me.:B

Installing an inverter to run my TV and DVD player

hershey
Explorer
Jul 18, 2015
First your needs are simple and a small inverter will work fine. But for an inverter, any size, you need adequate wiring from the battery to the inverter. I don't think the antenna wiring is going to be adequate.
I'd suggest running 12 ga. wire directly from your battery (fused) and grab the negative at the closest point to the inverter or directly to the battery also. OR: if the TV and components are on a dedicated circuit, you could mount the inverter close to the battery and run a smaller wire to the wires that now feed the AC to the TV. Just make sure you interrupt the circuit so you don't have the possibility of two 110v circuits trying to power the same item.
Calicajun
Explorer
Jul 18, 2015
You can't use the 12v plug for your inverter to power the TV and DVD. The reason is if you read the fine print (I read mine last night) it says using the 12v plug will only produce 100 watts of power. You will need to run 6 gauge wire directly from the battery to the inverter. Then you should be good to go.

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Installing an inverter to run my TV and DVD player

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