Question re 12v sockets (1 Viewer)

Anna

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Hi
Looking to buy a 12 volt hairdryer and see they all seem to come with cigarette type plugs. Our camper has a couple of 12 volt sockets which have 2 slits. Can someone please explain to me what these are for and if I can purchase a hairdryer with a plug to use in one of these? I know a 12 volt hairdryer probably won't be up to much but figure it might be useful in attempting to put my short hairstyle in the right direction lol!
Anna
 

Jaws

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Anna, to start with can you point us in the direction of the hair drier you are thinking of buying ?
I would like to see the spec of it before making any suggestion ( to be safe )

There may be better options
 
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Anna

Anna

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Anna, to start with can you point us in the direction of the hair drier you are thinking of buying ?
I would like to see the spec of it before making any suggestion ( to be safe )

There may be better options

Oh, thanks for your reply, haven't got as far as choosing one yet and that was going to be my next question ha ha! So, if you can shed any light on these 12 volt fitted sockets and can recommend a 12 volt hairdryer, I would be very grateful.

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FULL TIMER

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The sockets you describe are designed to take a plug commonly available at caravan stores etc normally a beige coloured plastic, I think you can also get an adaptor from this type to the cigar lighter type socket, Jaws is correct though more info on the hairdryer is needed, as it might require more power than the socket is safely capable of providing.
 

Vlad The Impaler

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Hi Anna don't know much about hair dryers ,but if you want to plug it into socket in Motorhome buy a 12v plug from eBay or a caravan shop.Then you simply cut the cigarette plug off the end of hair dryer peel back the wire and fit the 2pin plug.Then plug in and use,there's nothing to it I've done it with my TV and wii.
Vlad .
 

pappajohn

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how long do you have to dry your hair ?????

chances are it will self dry faster than these so called 12v driers will do it.

if a mains drier takes 10 mins to do its job a 12v one may take an hour.

far better to buy an inverter (turns 12v battery power into 230v mains power) and use a proper mains drier.

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pappajohn

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just looked at a selection of 12v driers and all seem to be around 15amps which is borderline for 12v sockets and you may find you blow fuses regularly.
 
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Anna

Anna

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how long do you have to dry your hair ?????

chances are it will self dry faster than these so called 12v driers will do it.

if a mains drier takes 10 mins to do its job a 12v one may take an hour.

far better to buy an inverter (turns 12v battery power into 230v mains power) and use a proper mains drier.

Hi Thanks for that info. I keep my hair short and it does self dry fairly quickly but I need a hairdryer to finish it off and basically take the kinks out of it as I like it to be straight. Sort of like using a hot brush or straighteners on my hair, which would be dry or almost dry. So thought a fairly cheap 12 volt hairdryer would, hopefully, do the job.
 

pappajohn

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if its this type socket....then they are usually rated at 15amps so you may get away with it for short periods but find the location of the fuse and have a few to hand.

gr038615_lge.jpg



round type cig lighter sockets can be either 10amp (120watts) or 15amp (180watts) depending where they are.

factory fitted dashboard ones are usually for cig lighter plugs and are 10amp (some are converted to 15amp for general use.)

ones in the hab area, fitted by the motorhome converter, are generally 15amp.

it sounds like it wouldnt take long to finish your hair so you may be ok.
 
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Anna

Anna

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if its this type socket....then they are usually rated at 15amps so you may get away with it for short periods but find the location of the fuse and have a few to hand.

gr038615_lge.jpg



round type cig lighter sockets can be either 10amp (120watts) or 15amp (180watts) depending where they are.

factory fitted dashboard ones are usually for cig lighter plugs and are 10amp (some are converted to 15amp for general use.)
ones in the hab area, fitted by the motorhome converter, are generally 15amp.

it sounds like it wouldnt take long to finish your hair so you may be ok.

Yes, that looks like the 12 volt sockets. We have 2 of them and one is close to a fitted mirror, so would be ideal.....not that I'm vain just like to look my best lol!
 
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Anna

Anna

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Yes, that looks like the 12 volt sockets. We have 2 of them and one is close to a fitted mirror, so would be ideal.....not that I'm vain just like to look my best lol!

that one is 14amps (168watts) and wont be as 'warm' as some of the others but probably wont blow fuses either.

Great, thanks for all the help! Will send for that hairdryer then and also a 12 volt plug. Hubby says there are plenty spare fuses in the cupboard too! Going to head off south to Portugal after Christmas so need a 12 volt hairdryer for enroute!
 

Jaws

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Hmmm.. seems I am late coming back on this one and all the right answers have been given already :thumb:

Mind you, there is one option not mentioned..

Ok, it is a bit off the wall so to speak but it def dries hair and uses NO battery power what so ever....



















































tornado2.jpg

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pappajohn

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Great, thanks for all the help! Will send for that hairdryer then and also a 12 volt plug. Hubby says there are plenty spare fuses in the cupboard too! Going to head off south to Portugal after Christmas so need a 12 volt hairdryer for enroute!
on that type of plug the larger of the two blades is the positive (+)....in a cig lighter plug the centre pin is the positive.

because it's just a heating coil and a simple motor is shouldn't make any difference which way you connect it, but if it should suck instead of blow simply swap the wires round in the plug.
 

chatter

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Why not use one of those gas cartridge hair straighteners instead

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12v hair dryers are a waste of time and money, the other way as alaready suggested is an inverter which would allow ordinary hairdryer to be used


maggie

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Anna

Anna

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Why not use one of those gas cartridge hair straighteners instead

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12v hair dryers are a waste of time and money, the other way as alaready suggested is an inverter which would allow ordinary hairdryer to be used


maggie

Hi Maggie
Thanks for your reply.
I don't like straighteners as they always seem to make my hair too flat, probably can't work them right! Also, wouldn't want to have to source replacement gas cells as I live in France and replacements seem very expensive on EBay.
Don't know anything about inverters. Perhaps someone would be kind enough to explain. My ordinary hairdryer is 1600 watts so what sort of inverter would I
need and would that be expensive?
 

rainbow chasers

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Hi Maggie
Thanks for your reply.
I don't like straighteners as they always seem to make my hair too flat, probably can't work them right! Also, wouldn't want to have to source replacement gas cells as I live in France and replacements seem very expensive on EBay.
Don't know anything about inverters. Perhaps someone would be kind enough to explain. My ordinary hairdryer is 1600 watts so what sort of inverter would I
need and would that be expensive?


Send me you address Anna, and I will send you one......you can have it as a christmas present - not used either!
 
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Anna

Anna

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Send me you address Anna, and I will send you one......you can have it as a christmas present - not used either!

Wow, thanks! I've sent you a pm with my address!

We're hoping to get away after Christmas to the Chickenrun Campsite, Portugal, which we saw recommended on this Forum so hoping to get my hairdryer "challenge" sorted for using enroute lol!

This'll be our first proper holiday in our camper, which we bought earlier this year. Went away for a spell a month ago and got down a bit into Spain before having to cut it short due to a break down! Were lucky to manage to limp home and hubby has now done the repairs ready for off again. It was broken torsion bars so if anyone needs advice re that, please get in touch!

Thanks for all the very helpful advice, so glad I found this Forum!

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To run your hairdryer you would need an inverter with at least 2000w output. If you want to go down this route then I would suggest you get a travel hairdryer as these are usually around 1200w and will run on a 1500w inverter which is cheaper and easier to obtain. An inverter of this capacity will draw around 100A from your battery so is really impractical if you only have a single leisure battery. The 12v wiring to the inverter will have conductors around the size of your little finger.
You can get a suitable inverter for around £150 (does not need to be pure sine wave for this use) but unless you are electrically competent you will need someone to fit it for you which may cost an awful lot more. Its probably better to use a 12v hairdryer, which although feeble, will dry it eventually, and do a proper job when you have ehu.:thumb:
 

Jaws

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Alternately ( following on from my previous suggestion which apparently may cause some minor knotting of the hair ) there is always the other ( last resort ) possibility ?

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Or do it doggy style ie drive round with your head stuck out of the window.:Smile:

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sedge

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Well I have Braun gas curling tongs and ditto heated brush. Yes the gas is expensive, but it lasts flipping ages and ages.

Let my hair nearly dry, I have been known to stick the gas fire on to do it quicker, then spritz it up with spray gel or mousse or whatever or not, and off I go with me brush.
 

aba

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have you not got gas blown air heating in the van ??
if so you can knock up a hair drier attachment off the heating ducting using something a bit like a vacuum cleaner hose.
 
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Anna

Anna

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have you not got gas blown air heating in the van ??
if so you can knock up a hair drier attachment off the heating ducting using something a bit like a vacuum cleaner hose.

Nice thought but wouldn't be putting the heating on just to finish off styling my hair! As I said before, my hair is very short and I don't have a problem drying it as such, just want a hairdryer to finish styling.

Not good with hot brushes or curling tongs as like my hair straight with just a bit of volume.

Anyway, thanks to Rainbow Chasers, looks like I'm sorted out with a 12 volt hairdryer for enroute and will take my normal hairdryer for when we have electric. I've sent for a 12 volt plug so, thanks to Pappajohn, hubby will be able to fit it.
Many thanks again for everybodys help.::bigsmile:

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robinwickens

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Dedicated high amperage cigar lighter type socket maybe?
Connected directly to leisure battery with suitable fuse in line?
Ensure that leisure battery can handle amperage beforehand!
 

magicsurfbus

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My missus has some bog standard 12v hair straighteners which she doesn't complain about and they don't blow fuses either.

On the odd occasions my fussy eldest daughter has been with us I've taken our old Halfords car starter power pack with its built-in inverter and she uses it with her 230v straighteners. We recharge the car starter pack from the dashboard socket when driving.
 

Heyupluv

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i still think you your best bet is the simple 12v hair dryer not brill but but would do what you want...the wife uses one similar when we are not on hook up just to finnish off...
I am not sure the inverter route is the best for you...

.or one of these below would throw more volume of air over a wider area and dry your hair quicker using less power:Doh:

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