Posted 2006-02-09 3:35 PM (#36836) Subject: What do I need to add a 12V system?
Veteran
Posts: 198 Location: Iowa
I want to add a simple 12V system to my trailer to power a small fan, a couple small lights, and possibly a radio. Nothing fancy. What all do I need...other than the battery?!! Thanks for any help.
Posted 2006-02-09 6:10 PM (#36840 - in reply to #36836) Subject: RE: What do I need to add a 12V system?
Veteran
Posts: 171 Location: Henderson, TN 38340
I think that it could be done very simply, but I would suggest the following. An inline fuse. This is to keep a short from starting a fire. I would add a distribution block. Someplace to connect the wires securely. I used a fuse block with automotive fuses for mine. http://home.earthlink.net/~dheismann/
Posted 2006-02-10 8:01 AM (#36869 - in reply to #36840) Subject: RE: What do I need to add a 12V system?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 379 Location: Columbia, TN
If you want to do it simply just add a battery with inline fuse. If you want to do it right put in the battery and a 12v converter then you can have power (12v) or 110 when you are plugged in to 110. It will also charge your battery.
Posted 2006-02-10 8:21 AM (#36870 - in reply to #36836) Subject: RE: What do I need to add a 12V system?
Veteran
Posts: 198 Location: Iowa
Thanks for the advice. The distribution block makes sense. Forgive my ignorance about wiring a trailer...right now the trailer has no battery at all. I want to add one. Is the 12V converter that you mentioned the same thing as a power inverter that you hook to a deep cycle battery to run 110v things?
Posted 2006-02-10 1:27 PM (#36905 - in reply to #36836) Subject: RE: What do I need to add a 12V system?
Veteran
Posts: 171 Location: Henderson, TN 38340
Flooper
A converter makes 110Volts into 12V to run the light and other 12V systems.
An Inverter hooks to the 12Volt Battry and gives you 110 Volts for a small TV Etc.
A lot of the folks on this site build brackets to hold the battery outside the front of the trailer, I bought an aluminum tool box and mounted it to the front of my trailer.
Posted 2006-02-10 4:17 PM (#36910 - in reply to #36907) Subject: RE: What do I need to add a 12V system?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 524 Location: Lone Oak, Tx
Your deep cycle batteries have 2 posts per side (2 for the pos, 2 for the neg) one smaller than the other and the smaller one usually has a wingnut. The way I did mine was, I used 8awg wire from my battery to my battery switch and from there to my fuse block. From the fuse block I used 14awg to wire everything. The larger wire I bought from Lowes and it comes in red and black. I crimped connectors to it and used the wingnut to secure to the battery and a regular nut with a lock washer to the fuse block and battery switch. It sounds like a bit much but it's not a difficult thing to do. All I can say is FUSE EVERYTHING and test everything before you close it up with a meter.
Hope this helps.
Posted 2006-02-10 4:37 PM (#36912 - in reply to #36836) Subject: RE: What do I need to add a 12V system?
Veteran
Posts: 198 Location: Iowa
Okay...that makes a lot of sense. I'm starting to see how this all goes together. Hadn't thought about a battery switch. Thanks for all the input...this has been very helpful.
What do I need to add a 12V system?
