So what did you do to your Truck Camper today?
I saw these threads in some of the other Open Roads RV Forums, but didn't see one for TCs. I'll start... I installed Interior LED puck lights and a 12v power outlet.
Forum Discussion
billyray50 wrote:
Hey What brand heated bed pad did you purchase? Happy Holidays!
Soft Heat, I bought this one because it is more efficient and I do a lot of boonduck without shore power. This unit works with AC power and uses an AC/DC transformer. The transformer take 110 volt AC and put out 19 volt DC to the heating pad. This pad uses less energy than the normal AC heating pad, DC is safer than AC, and you do not have the negative effect of AC electricity, so is said on the advertizing.
I think most heating pad uses AC power, so when no shore power is available, you need an inverter. With the soft Heat, and no shore power, you still need an inverter to make it work because it must transform AC to DC. So this Soft heat pad is more efficient, but without shore power you will need tow devices, one inverter to make AC power, then the unit device that take AC to DC. You end up using two devices to make the DC power which I think uses more power than a straight AC power pad.
So.... to make this thing work with straight DC without the use of an inverter, I just cut the wires to the transformer and connected a DC/DC converter to uptake 12 volt to 19 volt and connected the system to a 12 volt outlet of the camper. A DC/DC converter is supposed to be more efficient than an inverter. This way I have the best of two world, I think anyway, I use an efficient pad with one efficient device.
http://www.amazon.com/Soft-Heat-Waterproof-Repellant-Low-Voltage/dp/B004FPXYOU/ref=pd_sim_hg_4
