Energy and PowerPlugs (1 Viewer)

[KlaussMarcellus]

How could I recharge my eletronics on a Motorhome?
Sorry if this might look like a dumb question but I'm totally new to this topic.

 

[peterc10]

How could I recharge my eletronics on a Motorhome?
Sorry if this might look like a dumb question but I'm totally new to this topic.

What do you mean by electronics? You can get adaptors for ciggy lighters that turns 12V into USB, so you can use them for any USB powered items such as phones and tablets. With laptops you can 12V adaptors for most common laptops on Amazon.

 

[DBK]

Welcome! If you are handy with DIY stuff you can fit USB sockets. Something like this:



For laptops you should be able to find a 12 volt charger with a cigar lighter type plug. You will also need a cigar lighter socket powered by the habitation batteries of course, sockets in the cab generally only work with the ignition turned on.

For ebike charger you will probably have to fit a pure sine wave inverter of a suitable size.

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[autorouter]

Welcome! If you are handy with DIY stuff you can fit USB sockets. Something like this:

I have in the past fitted the USB-type sockets powered from the leisure battery (via a fuse, of course). However I don't use them as much now, because I've found they are out of date and under-powered compared with 'adaptive chargers'. For a similar reason, I haven't fitted mains sockets with built-in USB sockets in the house.

Modern electronics like Android phones use adaptive charging, utilising the data wires in the USB cable to identify the phone model, and boost the voltage to 9 or even 12 volts if it recognises it. Typically this allows it to 'boost charge' up to 80% in 30 minutes, then drop back to 5 volts to finalise the top-up. This process goes by various names, including 'QuickCharge 2.0 or 3.0'.

If a standard 'dumb' device is connected, it will still be charged as usual at 5 volts, at 0.5, 1.0, 2.1 or 2.4 amps, whatever the device demands. Some devices, like the satnav or the aviation-grade bluetooth GPS receiver, only require standard USB, so it depends on what electronice you have or will get in the future.

I haven't seen any built-in USB sockets that will do adaptive charging, so I have fitted several extra cigarette lighter sockets, wired to the leisure battery. I bought USB adapters to fit,which have adaptive charging. This is like the one I use, but no doubt there are better cheaper ones available now.

Amazon product ASIN B01A4ZGLZ8
For the laptop, I have a standard laptop supply, 12 volt cigarette lighter plug, giving 19 volts to the laptop. It is permanently plugged in to one of the many cig lighter sockets.