battery powered electrical outlets??

We just got our new to us 2008 2720sl last weekend and are trying to figure stuff out.
Will the battery power the electrical outlets?
We can't get it to and don't know if something is wrong or if that's just the way it is.

Thanks

[Kidkraz]

The wall outlets are for 110, not 12vdc. Not sure on your model if the 12 cigarette type plug is just forward of the back bunk or in the front. If yours is in the back, look towards the floor on the bathroom hall wall. That's where mine is.

[ShrimpBurrito]

It is possible to get the battery to power the outlets, but it requires the installation of an inverter with an automatic switchover. A pricey mod for a small camper like a TM, since there isn't alot of battery power to begin with. Alternatively, you can just buy a small inverter that simply plugs into a 12v receptacle, and it will have its own 120v outlet.

Dave

[Padgett]

The TM has a converter/charger but not an inverter. My RV had a 1000W inverter for 110 but did not have propane.

Do have a number of switching inverters when I do not want to fire up the Prowler but keep in mind that what sounds like a little 120v is 10x that for 12v plus the conversion loss.

e.g. a 70W TV needs 800W at 12v with 85% efficiency & will run down a pair of T-105s in about a day by itself.

[ShrimpBurrito]

Originally Posted by Padgett

e.g. a 70W TV needs 800W at 12v with 85% efficiency & will run down a pair of T-105s in about a day by itself.

This is incorrect. Watts are a measure of energy, and devices consume the same amount of energy regardless of the voltage source. So a 70W TV will consume 70W whether it's connected to a 12v source or 10,000v source.

What differs is current. Ohm's law is power = current X voltage, so:

current = 70W / 12 V
current = 5.8 amps

As you mentioned, an inverter is roughly 85% efficient, so 5.8/0.85 = 6.8 amps.

A pair of T-105s is 225 Ah, so assuming discharge down to 40% of capacity, that gives you 33 hours of TV. If you watch TV 8 hours a day while camping (!!!!), that's 4 days assuming that's the only thing running.

With regards to a TV, however, I would simply use a DC-powered TV (most flat panels are this way) to skip the need for an inverter, which would avoid the inverter inefficiency and thus give you some more time.

Dave

[RottieMom]

Hey Naturegal, I wondered the same thing when I got my TM, which is also my first travel trailer. I thought that the electrical receptacles would work off the battery when I wasn't plugged into shore power. It's been a learning experience for me, but a fun one to figure things out. And, there are a lot of helpful TM owners on this forum who have answered many questions I've had.

[Padgett]

You are correct, watts are watts, put it down to enroaching senility, it is the current that multiplies x10. That said you did not account for the efficiency of most inverters, 85% is pretty good so more like 28 hours.

Did not mean that people watch TV that much, just trying to quantify battery drain. Being a Floridian am more interested in the A/C. Leave a 75 watt light on and it has about the same effect. And a 800 watt space heater, oh my.

So sorry need to place brane in gear before typing.

ps my 26" Sanyo TV is 120vac only.

Thanks for the help everyone.
I found the cigarette thingys and am now enjoying a fan.
Yes, Cindy, there's a lot to learn and while my DH and I didn't get any sleep last night from sweating, all we can do is laugh about it now. We had the fans but couldn't figure out how to make them work.
Our first time out and are boondocking on a bluff with a view of the St Mary's River near Fernandina Beach, FL.

I was considering hitching up and dragging it the 35 miles back home at 3am last night as I lay there sweating.
The fan will be perfect with the cool breezes blowing off the water tonight.

[hillbillyhotel]

hi yas
' maybe try this thread, the portable power is great when genny is not in use, it will run fan, tv, cd player, charge phone , night light,

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=15299

[B_and_D]

When we first bought our TM I found this book that I found very educational for a first-time trailer owner:

http://www.amazon.com/Electrical-Sys...der_007042778X

We've had to do some spot repairs on the electrics while on the road and what I learned in this book has been extremely helpful.