Low power from 12 volt outlets
Hi everyone, I'm having an issue with the 12 volt outlets (cigarette lighters) in my RV. It's a new-to-us 2004 Colorado 5th wheel, but we haven't used the 12 volt outlets until today. In our last r...
Forum Discussion
jayspi wrote:
I checked the voltage from both 12 volt outlets and they are fluctuating between 107 and 115 volts.
Presumably what you really mean is you checked the output voltage of these inverters with a voltmeter ... problem is, these readings are erroneous because these Bestek inverters you have are MSW - modified sine wave - rather than PSW - pure sine wave. You can't compare these readings to those you may get when you measure a 120 vac receptacle that's powered by your generator or campsite power post. Your problem is you're trying to draw too much power from cigarette lighter outlets that are only rated to perhaps 5 to 7 amps at best. The solution is to locate the inverters closer to the batteries and use heavy gauge cable to wire to those batteries.
