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Old 01-15-2015, 05:53 PM   #1
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USB Outlets

We have purchased 3 of these:

Quote:
from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00K...ilpage_o00_s00

and plan on installing them before our first spring trip.

It seems that everything electronic we use (2 E-Readers, 2 cell phones, radio, bluetooth speakers, etc.) needs a USB charger. Rather than pack around all those car chargers, we plan to install one next to each 12 volt outlet, and one by the table.

It looks easy enough, but drilling a hole in the panelling is a little daunting!

Looking at the snow outside, we have plenty of time to work up the nerve!

Sharon
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Old 01-15-2015, 06:45 PM   #2
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Well, great minds and all that....

I'm in the process of installing two of them for a small panel that will be at the window end of the dinette. It attaches to a table support that I made and remains in the same position while the table can still move side-to-side.

Like you, we have multiple uses for USB charging. I did put in a cigarette lighter outlet even though I don't have a lot of use for one. My thinking was that if I need it, I have it, and I can put a plug-in USB outlet in it giving us 6 at the table. The phones and cameras etc. can sit on the little shelf while being charged.

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Old 01-15-2015, 06:49 PM   #3
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Some of the 12V plug to USB outlets cause a bit of radio interference on AM stations if placed too close to the radio. Not all, but I had one I changed out for a different brand.
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Old 01-15-2015, 06:51 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shrncnddck View Post
It looks easy enough, but drilling a hole in the panelling is a little daunting!
All you need is a sharp wood bit, and it is easy peasy.
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Old 01-15-2015, 07:03 PM   #5
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And the plus is that the mounting plate is much larger than than the hole. So if the hole ends up with a little bit of a rough edge it'll be covered by the mounting plate, unlike the cigarette lighter bezel which has a very narrow rim and wouldn't cover up any damage.

The drillings easy, the hardest part is starting to drill into your pride and joy

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Old 01-16-2015, 04:21 AM   #6
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Why drill a hole, you already have the 12v outlet, just plug one of these in, gives you a readout also Amazon.com: RioRand Cigarette Lighter Plug Digital Green LED Voltage Meter 12 V 24V+USB Car Charger 5V/2A For IPhone/IPad/IPod: Cell Phones & Accessories
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Old 01-16-2015, 07:34 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shrncnddck View Post
We have purchased 3 of these:



from Amazon:

Car Motorcycle Truck Cigarette Lighter Power Plug Socket 12V: Amazon.ca: Tools & Home Improvement

and plan on installing them before our first spring trip.

It seems that everything electronic we use (2 E-Readers, 2 cell phones, radio, bluetooth speakers, etc.) needs a USB charger. Rather than pack around all those car chargers, we plan to install one next to each 12 volt outlet, and one by the table.

It looks easy enough, but drilling a hole in the panelling is a little daunting!

Looking at the snow outside, we have plenty of time to work up the nerve!

Sharon
Sharon,

A couple of tips while you build up your nerve:}
1) Check your wire runs IE how will you be powering it to ensure you can get power to it . I found there is a blocker board in the wall on the right side of the kitchen sink that prevents feeding a wire from under the sink up and over to the cabinets over the bed so I had to go a different way.
2) Check and double check where you want to mount them some areas in the trailer are Double Walled. Once through the face sheet you would have to drill through the back sheet. If it is doubled walled you might want to make a slightly larger hole in the hidden area and slip a backer piece of wood drilled to fit over the socket so when you screw it in you have something solid behind it not just the thin panel.
3) When you go to drill use some painters tape over the area to help prevent splintering and go slow..the material is thin let the bit do the work or you risk pushing through the last bit and splintering the back of the panel.
4) Use the correct gauge of wire for those outlets I used 16 Ga If you check my album you will see a lot of the electrical upgrades I have done.
5) You can also have a regular 120 volt power outlet put in with usb outlets built into it if you need them in a different area that has a 120 volt plug.

Cypher
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Old 01-16-2015, 07:57 AM   #8
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You might be interested in installing one of these

No drilling required, just put it in place of your existing 120v outlets
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Old 01-16-2015, 08:07 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sunrisetrucker View Post
You might be interested in installing one of these

No drilling required, just put it in place of your existing 120v outlets
Hey Sunrise , I have installed them no problem but you will have to change the outlet box to get the depth you need unless Escape has changed to deeper boxes since 2012.

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Old 01-16-2015, 08:12 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Why drill a hole, you already have the 12v outlet, just plug one of these in, gives you a readout also Amazon.com: RioRand Cigarette Lighter Plug Digital Green LED Voltage Meter 12 V 24V+USB Car Charger 5V/2A For IPhone/IPad/IPod: Cell Phones & Accessories

I agree with Jim. Why drill a hole. Next year when your device is upgraded to USB 12.0 and your built-in plug no longer works with your current device, you will be left with a hole filled with an obsolete plug. Who knows whether the new USB 12.0 plug will fit in your existing hole. As an alternative to drilling a hole for a plug, if you get a USB charging device that plugs into your Escape supplied 12V accessory plugs, it is a simple matter to change them out on a later date for whatever is current.
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Old 01-16-2015, 08:18 AM   #11
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You should be aware about some things in purchasing automobile chargers. I doubt that you will purchase an charger that damages your device but chances are you may end up with a charger that is undersized for your hardware.

We have numerous Apple devices and in researching chargers and devices found that many are designed to charge at a rate using the lowest ampere. For example the iPod is best charged at .5 ampere, the iPhone varies at .5 or 1.0 ampere and the iPad at 2 ampere. Using an underpowered charger will result in longer charge times.

Some chargers are intelligent, in that they sense what is plugged in at will switch to charge at the appropriate rate, some have different ports for different rates like the models shown above and below. Remember more ports are not better because the charger has to be designed to handle output to both ports. Some units, while having two ports, will not output equal to both. Most chargers have a limit of 3.2 amps, so two iPads, or similar devices will not charge at their maximum rate.

Here is a solution that does not require a wiring project, if you have one or more available 12 volt outlets these work according to the above specifications, dual ports with full power and intelligent monitoring of what is plugged in. The labeling on the device is Non Apple and Apple.

Amazon Link
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Old 01-16-2015, 08:24 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sunrisetrucker View Post
You might be interested in installing one of these

No drilling required, just put it in place of your existing 120v outlets
The issue with these, is they will not work where I usually camp. You have to have 120V to use them. I do have one by my bed to keep my phone charged. Works great.
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Old 01-16-2015, 10:46 AM   #13
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Thanks for all of the good suggestions!

We decided to add the dedicated USB outlets because they seem to be the new standard for small electronics. That may change, but who knows? We don't like the plugin chargers as much, because they (ours, at least) all stick out too far and get bumped into too often. Also, we have a couple of other 12 volt appliances that require the existing outlets and we're always plugging and unplugging stuff.

The AC outlets with USB are a great idea, but we almost never have access to power where we prefer to camp. We usually prefer Provincial and State campgrounds that don't have a power bush.

Sharon
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Old 01-16-2015, 11:19 AM   #14
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We just completed the build sheet last month for a 2015 trailer and was told the standard 12V outlet looks like this. Should be able to retrofit to existing 12V outlet?
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Old 01-16-2015, 11:26 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fudge_brownie View Post
You should be aware about some things in purchasing automobile chargers. I doubt that you will purchase an charger that damages your device but chances are you may end up with a charger that is undersized for your hardware.

We have numerous Apple devices and in researching chargers and devices found that many are designed to charge at a rate using the lowest ampere. For example the iPod is best charged at .5 ampere, the iPhone varies at .5 or 1.0 ampere and the iPad at 2 ampere. Using an underpowered charger will result in longer charge times.

Some chargers are intelligent, in that they sense what is plugged in at will switch to charge at the appropriate rate, some have different ports for different rates like the models shown above and below. Remember more ports are not better because the charger has to be designed to handle output to both ports. Some units, while having two ports, will not output equal to both. Most chargers have a limit of 3.2 amps, so two iPads, or similar devices will not charge at their maximum rate.

Here is a solution that does not require a wiring project, if you have one or more available 12 volt outlets these work according to the above specifications, dual ports with full power and intelligent monitoring of what is plugged in. The labeling on the device is Non Apple and Apple.

Amazon Link
Paul- I bought one of these from your last posting of this and it would not charge my S3. My wife's new HTC won't charge AC using some of the previous AC chargers we have around the house with mini USB- it has to have a block that specs enough power. The phone told her to get the unit that came with it.
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Old 01-16-2015, 12:07 PM   #16
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I thought about replacing some of the 12 volt outlets with the ones that are dedicated to USB. Then decided it was easier to just have some of the plugs that fit into a 12 volt outlet and have a usb out. Similar to the one that Paul posted above. That way I could still use the outlet for non-USB devices like my Bose Mini Soundlink, and the 12 volt charger for my MacBook.

Leon
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Old 01-16-2015, 12:18 PM   #17
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Akoaoka:

Those new 12 volt outlets look perfect to me! The existing ones in our trailer are the older model: much smaller, with only the big "cigarette lighter" outlet.

Sharon
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Old 01-16-2015, 01:03 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shrncnddck View Post
Akoaoka:

... the older model: much smaller, with only the big "cigarette lighter" outlet.

Sharon
That's what I thought we are getting, the cigarette lighter in the car. We tried to add a 12V outlet everywhere there is a wall space, telling Crystal "we have lots of USB devices that need charging". She stopped our madness by sending me this picture.

I am pretty oblivious about electrical wiring and am curious about how these are installed. Perhaps it's not hard to swap out the old cigarette lighter socket and put the combo plate in?
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Old 01-16-2015, 02:03 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shrncnddck View Post
Thanks for all of the good suggestions!

We decided to add the dedicated USB outlets because they seem to be the new standard for small electronics. That may change, but who knows? We don't like the plugin chargers as much, because they (ours, at least) all stick out too far and get bumped into too often. Also, we have a couple of other 12 volt appliances that require the existing outlets and we're always plugging and unplugging stuff.

The AC outlets with USB are a great idea, but we almost never have access to power where we prefer to camp. We usually prefer Provincial and State campgrounds that don't have a power bush.

Sharon
While I agree that it makes sense to add dedicated USB receptacles, if the only reason for not using an adapter is them sticking out too far, there are flush versions. For example.
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Old 01-17-2015, 04:45 AM   #20
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some other options




do keep in mind that these receptacles will require a retrofit of the gang box as the stock electrical box was not deep enough so i had to replace mine
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