Charging laptop from 12-volt battery
Does anyone have any inexpensive, uncomplicated ideas on how I could charge my MacBook Pro using a 12-volt, deep cycle battery on my travel trailer? Inverter? 12-volt power adapter? I could google it,...
Forum Discussion
No, you cannot just plug into the shoreline power, that will be pulling power off the battery to run the converter to charge the same battery that is running the inverter. As stated, you would need to disable the converter so you are not charging the battery off the inverter that is running off the battery.
If all you have to do is flip a circuit breaker (of the converter) then you can plug into the shoreline power. Double check that when plugged into shoreline power that the converter is not automatically used for the DC power supply to the camper though. Some systems switch automatically.
Easier way is to plug the inverter into an outlet. You will have to flip the Main circuit breakers so you are disconnected from the shoreline extension cord just in case someone plugs that into an outlet while the inverter is still plugged in. This is a safe way to power up your outlets, but requires a little knowledge.
You should be able to power the inverter with a DC outlet plug into any DC outlet in the camper, but keep in mind that these outlets do not have heavy gauge wire, so best to run heavy short wire to the inverter for maximum power output (and least likely to cause a fire from burning wire). If you do not have any DC outlets in the camper, then you have a ladies camper, so man up and put in some DC outlets.
You will need to make a special electrical cord that has a male 3-way plug on each end. Keep this short, no more than two feet so you always see both ends. Plug one end into the inverter 120 V output and the other end into any outlet in the camper, this will light up the rest of the outlets. Be sure to flip the main breaker in the panel as mentioned above.
In the special cord you connect green to green, white to white, and black to black on the ends.
This is very safe.
If you have inverter and shoreline plugged in without tripping the breaker then damage to the inverter is likely. Hopefully just the circuit would trip, but expect total loss of inverter.
Keep this special cord away from everyone. Only you know what it is for and plugging it into a live outlet means that the exposed plug prongs are able to give a shock to anyone grabbing it. This is the part that can be very dangerous.
Using the plug as intended is very safe, so know the boundaries.
If you feel uncomfortable or think this is dangerous, then you are not qualified to make the smile modification. Stop reading, and leave this page immediately, do not pass Go, do not comment, just close the page and forget what you have seen.
If all you have to do is flip a circuit breaker (of the converter) then you can plug into the shoreline power. Double check that when plugged into shoreline power that the converter is not automatically used for the DC power supply to the camper though. Some systems switch automatically.
Easier way is to plug the inverter into an outlet. You will have to flip the Main circuit breakers so you are disconnected from the shoreline extension cord just in case someone plugs that into an outlet while the inverter is still plugged in. This is a safe way to power up your outlets, but requires a little knowledge.
You should be able to power the inverter with a DC outlet plug into any DC outlet in the camper, but keep in mind that these outlets do not have heavy gauge wire, so best to run heavy short wire to the inverter for maximum power output (and least likely to cause a fire from burning wire). If you do not have any DC outlets in the camper, then you have a ladies camper, so man up and put in some DC outlets.
You will need to make a special electrical cord that has a male 3-way plug on each end. Keep this short, no more than two feet so you always see both ends. Plug one end into the inverter 120 V output and the other end into any outlet in the camper, this will light up the rest of the outlets. Be sure to flip the main breaker in the panel as mentioned above.
In the special cord you connect green to green, white to white, and black to black on the ends.
This is very safe.
If you have inverter and shoreline plugged in without tripping the breaker then damage to the inverter is likely. Hopefully just the circuit would trip, but expect total loss of inverter.
Keep this special cord away from everyone. Only you know what it is for and plugging it into a live outlet means that the exposed plug prongs are able to give a shock to anyone grabbing it. This is the part that can be very dangerous.
Using the plug as intended is very safe, so know the boundaries.
If you feel uncomfortable or think this is dangerous, then you are not qualified to make the smile modification. Stop reading, and leave this page immediately, do not pass Go, do not comment, just close the page and forget what you have seen.
