Forum Discussion

Raife's avatar
Raife
Explorer
Nov 06, 2020

Outlets work while towing?

Likely a basic/newbie question, but do the outlets in my trailer (Grand Design Imagine XLS 21BHE) work while I am towing? I am considering setting up a mobile internet solution in the trailer and will need to power an access point to reach to the TV...gigabit switch with PoE needs a normal outlet.

Thank you.

24 Replies

  • Let's try this again, but without all the snotty responses.

    He asked an interesting question and the answers should be pretty straightforward, without all the attitude.

    Raife - There are two types of power in your camper. 12 volt DC from your batteries powers things like your lights, fridge, brakes, etc. 110 AC power is what your wall outlets supply, but the source is from your shore power cord.

    So the initial answer is no, your device won't work when you're driving down the road, because your wall outlets need shore power to be hot.

    Luckily there's a solution. You can use a device called an inverter to change the DC power from your 12 volt batteries into 110 AC power for your device.

    It's a bit of a Pandora's Box thiugh, because there are so many kinds of inverters.

    Before you go to the trouble of researching and purchasing an inverter, experiment with your Wi-Fi switch and verify that the signal will extend reliably from your camper to your truck.

    It might be easier to plug a small inverter into the cig outlet in your truck and put your Wi-Fi box in the truck while you drive.
  • Curious why some people are members of forums to help people and answer questions when they get irritated about people asking questions.
  • They will work if you have an inverter and have it turned on. You also will need the battery disconnect switch turned to "ON" or "connect", to supply the inverter.

    To use this setup on the move you will need a good cell phone signal, and a hotspot of some type to produce a wifi signal. It's debatable if the wifi signal will make it through the layers of metal and to the truck. In your shoes I would do the setup and make sure all the components are returnable if they don't work.

    If you have a decent cell phone signal, you can just run a hotspot in the truck and not have to worry about the signal getting blocked. I use my cell phone, which has a built-in hot spot. Just turn the hot spot on, set up a password, and bam, instant secure wifi. The hotspot is a battery suck, so I keep the phone plugged into a USB adapter that's in a 12V outlet.

    If you don't have a decent cell phone signal, look into the Wilson line of boosters. They have them for cars, RVs etc. You can get an antenna for the truck and one for the RV, and move the receiver unit back and forth as needed, I think.

    You will get the best nationwide/rural area coverage with Verizon. On Verizon's unlimited plans, they don't care if the data is used directly on the phone or on the phone's built-in hot spot.
  • not unless you have an inverter connected to one or more of your outlets and the inverter is on. your 12-volt outlets should work. or...a small inverter plugged into a 12-volt outlet should be enough for your needs.

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