Installing cigarette lighter for 12V power

[qswv]

Hi, I'm sure this has been covered many times on this forum before, but I could not find anything during a quick search. I would like to install a cigarette lighter to charge a phone / ipad/ etc and wire it to my pop up's battery. I did this on the pop up I had previously (2001 Coleman Taos), but now I forget how I did it! I have a Jayco Qwest Baja 10z.

If a moderator knows of a thread that helps with this, I'd appreciate a link to it.

Thanks everyone in advance for your help. This is a great site and has been very helpful to me throughout the years. WK

 

[roybraddy]

I have two of these USB Charge Panels on both ends of my POPUP trailer.. They are available from AMAZON. If you get one that has a 12VDC Meter Display be sure to get a panel with and ON-OFF Switch as the these are very bright at night...

These has round units in the panels that can be rotated so you can mount this panel vertical or horizontal...

This is the one I Use... Has the 12VDC socket and USB ports and a 12VDC VoltMeter...

Google image

Comes with mounting instructions... Very inexpensive from AMAZON

I wired mine up to a Blue Sea 12VDC Distribution Fuse Blocks Busbar lugs that come directly off of my batteries... These are fused positions...

These are available from AMAZON as well... Being a Ham Radio guy I am always needing 12VDC for something...

Roy Ken

 

[WrkrBee]

Buy the one you want and it should come with instructions. Center pin will be connected to the positive and the outer contact goes to ground.

 

[Raycfe]

Nothing fancy needed ........ center pin of socket goes to a black 12 volt wire and the case wire (ground - ) will go to a white 12 volt wire. As stated follow the instructions as the wire colors may differ. But on the camper white is the negative. and black is the positive. Adjust accordingly.

 

[Katskamper]

what Roy said. based on his advice, i diy that set into my camper. straight wire to battery

 

[qswv]

thanks for the help everyone. Can I crimp into the positive and negative wires coming from the battery itself or do I really need to run a line from the cigarette lighter socket directly to the deep cell battery? I thought I remembered being able to crimp into the lines, but again, that was quite awhile ago. thanks again for additional thoughts. WK

 

[tfischer]

what Roy said. based on his advice, i diy that set into my camper. straight wire to battery

Please don't wire anything straight to the battery unless there's an inline fuse that you've added. Could be a matter of burning down your camper or not.

We installed a combo accessory jack ("cigarette lighter") with 2 usb ports on either side of the camper next to the bunks. I just tapped into existing pup circuits for both.

 

[jeepster04]

I have two of these BLUE SEA USB Charge Panels on both ends of my POPUP trailer.. They are available from AMAZON. If you get one that has a 12VDC Meter Display be sure to get a panel with and ON-OFF Switch as the these are very bright at night...

These has round units iin the panels that can be rotated so you can mount this panel vertical or horizontal...

This is the one I Use... Has the 12VDC socket and USB ports and a 12VDC VoltMeter...

Google image

Comes with mounting instructions... Very inexpensive from AMAZON

I wired mine up to a Blue Sea 12VDC Distribution Fuse Blocks Busbar lugs that come directly off of my batteries... These are fused positions...
These are available from AMAZON as well... Being a Ham Radio guy I am always needing 12VDC for something...

Roy Ken

Is that the exact panel that you got? What is pictured is NOT a Blue Sea panel, the Blue Sea panel is much more expensive. The one you have pictured is $25 but it does get good reviews.

I've been wanting to add a panel in our pup to watch the battery voltage and also charge stuff.

How do you all add them? Run a wire right from battery (fused of course) or tap into the wiring going to the converter? Not sure how I would mount it, I dont want to drill holes in anything thats factory. May just build a small box for it and mount it inside of a cabinet or something.

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

Your ipad wants more than 2.1 amps if you plan to charge it while streaming youtube
and those 12v usb outlets do not all deliver the same output, even identical devices ( based on my recent testing)

 

[jeepster04]

I cant do anything without spending a small fortune... I've not used the popup since 2017 or so and now that Im wanting to use it for a week Ive bought the gizmo covers, LED's for all interior and exterior lights from M4, and the bluesea 4366 panel... Just couldnt buy the cheap one on amazon, found the bluesea unit for $68 with no taxes and free shipping, couldnt pass it up!

I'm not sure how Im going to install the panel just yet but Ill make sure to post some photos. Ive always had a hard time cutting into anything if it cant be returned to original.... I cant imagine ever getting rid of the popup but you know how that goes. Someday I may want to take the panel out and not have a hole there. So for that reason I may mount it in a cabinet somewhere.

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

Watch out for this: Don't use masking tape to lay out your cut - when you remove the masking tape you may peel off your "wood grain"

 

[roybraddy]

Is that the exact panel that you got? What is pictured is NOT a Blue Sea panel, the Blue Sea panel is much more expensive. The one you have pictured is $25 but it does get good reviews.

I've been wanting to add a panel in our pup to watch the battery voltage and also charge stuff.

How do you all add them? Run a wire right from battery (fused of course) or tap into the wiring going to the converter? Not sure how I would mount it, I dont want to drill holes in anything thats factory. May just build a small box for it and mount it inside of a cabinet or something.

No... This photo from the Internet... I have several items wired into 12VDC so to make thing simple for me I added a 12VDC SUBSTATION that has several circuits available and uses it's own plug in fuses...

Looks like these 12VDC sub panels...

I have several of these Terminal Blocks scattered around and can tap off using a 5/16-inch ring terminals battery cables. I like to use ANCOR #4 gauge Marine Wire battery cables for routing around where I need them...

Being a Ham Radio guy never know where another 12VDC circuit will be needed...

Most everything I order comes from AMAZON...

RoyKen

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

No... This photo from the Internet... I have several items wired into 12VDC so to make thing simple for me I added a 12VDC SUBSTATION that has several circuits available and uses it's own plug in fuses...

Looks like these 12VDC sub panels...

I have several of these Terminal Blocks scattered around and can tap off using a 5/16-inch ring terminals battery cables. I like to use ANCOR #4 gauge Marine Wire battery cables for routing around where I need them...

Being a Ham Radio guy never know where another 12VDC circuit will be needed...

Most everything I order comes from AMAZON...

RoyKen

OK - now I know that there is at least one other PUP owner who does things the way I do!

 

[roybraddy]

OK - now I know that there is at least one other PUP owner who does things the way I do!

Hung out with SPAWAR CHARLESTON Engineers too much in my working years haha

I even installed PVC PIPE under my trailer and tied in a bunch of electric junction boxes under my cabinets etc... Since the junction boxes have weather tight lids on the bottom I can snake wires and cables to all of these boxes. No visible cables under my trailer except for a few of the SAFETY LIGHTS wiring...

What prompted all of this was pulling a bunch of wiring out from under my trailer running through some heavy woods area one time... Don't have any problems like that now haha... The electrical PVC junction boxes have a large hole drilled in the center where I route the cables up into the bottoms of cabinets inside the trailer etc..

These are mounted upside down under my wood floor on bottom of trailer. They comes in different connection combinations.. I have a big hole cut out in the bottom of these boxes... Being upside down under the trailer I can remove the lid and gain entrance inside the boxes... Every thing is routed inside PVC conduit tubing under my trailer...

Roy Ken

 

[kgibson]

When you make a direct to battery run with an inline fuse do you run 2 wires? One to positive (with inline fuse) and one to negative?

Or do you just run a single to the positive post?

I'd like to run a hard wire direct for Powerlift.

 

[roybraddy]

When you make a direct to battery run with an inline fuse do you run 2 wires? One to positive (with inline fuse) and one to negative?

Or do you just run a single to the positive post?

I'd like to run a hard wire direct for Powerlift.

Not sure who this was directed to... My rule of thumb has always been no more than two connections being made at one connection post. What a lot of guys do is install a couple of terminal blocks near the battery with short cables.

Then you can make POSITIVE connections and FRAME GROUND CONNECTION on the second terminal block... I use something called BOAT CABLE that has two conductors inside and a good weather tight outer covering...

Something like this with 5/16-inch studs available from AMAZON. Look for one with a snap-on cover..

I also use BOAT CABLE if it needs to be run outside for anything... I like to use heat shrink around connections as well...

The trailer batteries are also frame ground on the trailers but that sometimes can be a weak connections over the years and be a problem area just running a NEGATIVE CABLE to frame ground somewhere... This is just me but I like to run all back to the battery area for most DC connections...

I've been known to pull my trailer down a muddy and very wet trail sometimes...

There is a built in other problem with RV Trailers in that the DC Wiring colors is BLACK or some solid Color for POSITIVE and WHITE for Negative Ground. The Automotive world uses RED COLOR for POSITIVE and BLACK for NEGATIVE Frame ground. Since we get to mix them you will eventually see a BLACK WIRE on TOP of a WHITE wire haha... Makes old dead people turn over in their graves haha... Just be careful when mixing wires... My Jensen AM/FM Radio went out on me and I replaced it with a newer one. It came out of the box with RED and BLACK cables haha

Roy Ken

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

Roybraddy - what software did you use to draw the floor plan wiring diagram (raceway)

 

[kgibson]

Thank you. Very helpful. Appreciate it.

 

[jeepster04]

Ive used the blue sea panels and liked them. Wish they would be a little more sealed but they worked good.

I noticed my brake controller used black for positive, very confusing and I did hook one up backwards once. Had to replace a diode in the controller after doing that. I've got labels on the controller now since I use it in different vehicles.

 

[Gancamper]

My rule of thumb has always been no more than two connections being made at one connection post.What a lot of guys do is install a couple of terminal blocks near the battery with short cables.

Then you can make POSITIVE connections and FRAME GROUND CONNECTION on the second terminal block...
The trailer batteries are also frame ground on the trailers but that sometimes can be a weak connections over the years and be a problem area just running a NEGATIVE CABLE to frame ground somewhere... This is just me but I like to run all back to the battery area for most DC connections...

Can you please explain that in English for us wiring newbies? And why the two types of connectors - the 2pin and 7pin? Is the 2pin just to charge from the TV while moving?