Plug sockets (1 Viewer)

paulweller84

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Oct 24, 2013
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Pretty simple question for those in the know I'm sure, do the 3 pin household sockets in motorhomes work off the leisure battery or only on hook up? If not, do I need a 12v tv to use it away from sites?

Thanks
 

estcres

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As far as I am aware the 230v sockets only work on Hook Up.

You could you an Inverter to change from 12v - 230v but it will drain your battery.
 

TheBig1

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the leisure battery supplies 12volts DC for the lights etc

the 3 pin sockets are 220volt AC to power anything up to a low wattage kettle

if you want 220volts from a battery you need an inverter, but they use up the power in a battery very quickly

normally you will only get mains voltage when plugged into the mains electric hookup :thumb:

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buffallobill

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if we dont have mains hook up, sometimes we start the portable generator to charge batteries and watch mains telly at the same time.:thumb:
 

tonka

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Ref your question on TV...

You dont NEED a 12v one, If it was then that would be a bonus.. But modern LED TV's are very low power and you use a small plug in inverter from a cigarette lighter socket..

ex... LED mains only TV from supermarket / online . Sub £100
http://direct.asda.com/Polaroid-15.6ins-HD-Ready-LED-TV/000534037,default,pd.html

150w Inverter off ebay/ online / maplins from £15 ish..
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cmcardle75

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Pretty simple question for those in the know I'm sure, do the 3 pin household sockets in motorhomes work off the leisure battery or only on hook up? If not, do I need a 12v tv to use it away from sites?

Thanks

Whilst you can use a mains TV with an inverter, it is much preferable to buy a 12V TV as inverters usually waste energy and have noisy fans.

You don't need to buy an overpriced TV sold specifically for motorhomes. Just buy a normal LED TV. Many standard small TVs will be sold with a 12V adapter which can just be kept in the man drawer and you can buy a replacement 12V lead off eBay. You just need to keep an eye on the individual model to make sure it runs off 12V. Some larger ones will be 19V, and some will be mains, so do check.

If you do want a large TV and have space for it, you'll struggle to find a 12V model. However, you may find a 19V model, which can run off a laptop power adapter, which is preferable to a mains inverter as you can easily find quiet fan-less models.
 
Jan 19, 2012
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Check out teh cheap tellies in the supermarkets. Just take a look at the back to see if they use 240v direct or if they use a transformer to feed it 12v. Our 19" inc DVD pl;ayer was £80 - just need a 12v adapter/regulator from Maplins and you can watch on or off EHU. If you want to. As obviouysly real Funsters never watch TV http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/images/smilies/eek2.gif
 

vwalan

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Ref your question on TV...

You dont NEED a 12v one, If it was then that would be a bonus.. But modern LED TV's are very low power and you use a small plug in inverter from a cigarette lighter socket..

ex... LED mains only TV from supermarket / online . Sub £100
http://direct.asda.com/Polaroid-15.6ins-HD-Ready-LED-TV/000534037,default,pd.html

150w Inverter off ebay/ online / maplins from £15 ish..
Link Removed

actualy that polaroid tv will work off 12v . i have one of them and it works off 240mains but that changes the powe to 12 v. i found a lead with the same jack plug in my collection of might come in handy one day items .and now run it straight off 12v .

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paulweller84

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Oct 24, 2013
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I'm a newbie
actualy that polaroid tv will work off 12v . i have one of them and it works off 240mains but that changes the powe to 12 v. i found a lead with the same jack plug in my collection of might come in handy one day items .and now run it straight off 12v .

What sort of lead do you mean? Is it a lead with a cigarette lighter plug that goes straight into the tv without a DC converter?

You haven't got a photo of it or a link to one somewhere by any chance?
 

callumwa

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What sort of lead do you mean? Is it a lead with a cigarette lighter plug that goes straight into the tv without a DC converter?

You haven't got a photo of it or a link to one somewhere by any chance?

Something like this...

!Bsg(e9QCWk~$(KGrHqEOKjMEvNj,JMY1BL4Hevf8yQ~~_12.JPG


http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.X12v+tv+lead+cigarette+lighter&_nkw=12v+tv+lead+cigarette+lighter&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Just make sure you get the right size plug to fit into your TV's 12V supply socket.

If unsure which one size plug you need take the existing power lead from the 240V brick transformer, into somewhere like Maplins and match it up to find the correct size.
 

johnp10

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We have a 240v / 12v tv/dvd combo.
It will obviously work on hook up, but works just as well on 12v.
12v satellite tuner also.
Both remain plugged in to 12v, even on EHU.
On an extended weekend, 12v runs our tv / sat, lights, water pump, etc.
To boil a kettle, we use the gas cooker.
No extra power is needed.

I cant see the need to run gennies just to watch tv, nor can I see the need for an inverter unless hair dryers and the like are needed.
They can drain a battery pretty quickly.
I've seen folk running gennies on the evening of day one of a weekend trip, and in some cases on overnights when they have moved on in the morning.
Surely, if they need to do this, the batteries are knackered?

I bought a genny, broke it, fixed it, it now lives unused in the garage at home.

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vwalan

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Something like this...

!Bsg(e9QCWk~$(KGrHqEOKjMEvNj,JMY1BL4Hevf8yQ~~_12.JPG


http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.X12v+tv+lead+cigarette+lighter&_nkw=12v+tv+lead+cigarette+lighter&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Just make sure you get the right size plug to fit into your TV's 12V supply socket.

If unsure which one size plug you need take the existing power lead from the 240V brick transformer, into somewhere like Maplins and match it up to find the correct size.

thats the kiddy .i had a few old leads of alsorts of past gear . works a treat i use a similer one for the ariel . no sat just one of these.Link Removed
works a treat . use it here and abroad for local channels .
 

daisy mae

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If you want a decent TV with even more important, a good sound that isn`t tinny or low, also picture is clear and not distorted when viewed at an angle, go for an Avtex, run on 12 volt or mains,I keep it in the 12volt whether on battery or mains, I have the 16 "with cd/dvd hubby bought the 22"with cd/dvd for the caravan, we also use that one in the kitchen at home.Highly recommended
 

Volusia

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Check out teh cheap tellies in the supermarkets. Just take a look at the back to see if they use 240v direct or if they use a transformer to feed it 12v. Our 19" inc DVD pl;ayer was £80 - just need a 12v adapter/regulator from Maplins and you can watch on or off EHU. If you want to. As obviouysly real Funsters never watch TV http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/images/smilies/eek2.gif

Use of an inverter for tv an computer use is a bit risky unless the inverter is the pure sine wave type. These are much more expensive than the normal or quasi types but are perfectly safe with delicate equipment.
 
Jun 17, 2012
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Pretty simple question for those in the know I'm sure, do the 3 pin household sockets in motorhomes work off the leisure battery or only on hook up? If not, do I need a 12v tv to use it away from sites?

Thanks

I use a 350 watt inverter that is connected to a separate 240v 4 socket extension. So I use that to drive a 240v TV (80watts) and a Freesat box (20 watts). This means boss gets her "soaps" and I get fed. Also handy for laptop and mobile charging.
I spent 4 weeks in France without hook-up. The leisure battery gets charged from the alternator when on the move. I spent 2 weeks in 1 place and then the solar panel charged up the leisure battery. :thumb: (and set up so the vehicle battery gets a trickle of all the lovely free leccy as well)
Forget 3 pin sockets without hook-up if you are thinking of hairdriers, toasters and kettles etc. Use gas to cook and heat and tell the wife to use a thing called a towel to dry hair, or start up the huge hairdrier under the bonnet and use the heater vents.
 
Mar 29, 2011
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I had a 1500watt invertor fitted, they also fitted a 3 way switch, Mains / Battery / Inverter, so I switch this to the required position and can have all the 240v plugs live either from mains or invertor but I do have to in addition turn the invertor on, I have learnt a lesson and have to ensure the tech tower is turned from auto to gas to ensure the battery does not power the fridge freezer, I use this to power the microwave / laptop charger in small doses. Last year when I left the wife by herself in the van for a couple of days she left everything on and flattened everthing including the starter battery and I had to get the RAC out to start it !!
It works very well but it is complicated, the 2 x 225amp trashed batteries never really recovered properly and I have just replaced them.

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