Car charger for computer in trailer?

[Walt]

Seems like tech is changing so fast and I am a decade behind. Can I charge my laptop using a car charger (cigarette lighter type) plugged into the trailer 12v with a usb c cable which can supply 30 up to 65 watts for charging? I am thinking about a car charger something like this one but they come in sizes up to 100w.
The collective wisdom and generosity on this site is amazing and I give thanks in advance for any advice.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...X9EWVXLJ&psc=1

[cpaharley2008]

What amount does your computer need?

[AndNeitherDoI]

Originally Posted by Walt

Seems like tech is changing so fast and I am a decade behind. Can I charge my laptop using a car charger (cigarette lighter type) plugged into the trailer 12v with a usb c cable which can supply 30 up to 65 watts for charging? I am thinking about a car charger something like this one but they come in sizes up to 100w.
The collective wisdom and generosity on this site is amazing and I give thanks in advance for any advice.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...X9EWVXLJ&psc=1

Yes you can probably do it. It may not charge much while you’re using it. I use a usb-c cable to charge my MacBook Pro overnight plugged directly in to the USB slot. It will only charge that way if the computer is off.

For a similar price, there’s this inverter that we use too:
BESTEK 300W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Car Inverter with 4.2A Dual USB Car Adapter (Renewed) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RDYYLGT...8CG804Z9EP4V0F

It will charge while your using the computer. Note the wiring in the Escapes aren’t made to handle the full 300w of the inverter. We learned early on that we could only have one thing at a time plugged into the inverter.

[oldwave]

I’d use a decent inverter wired directly to the battery terminals and an ac subcommittee charger

[pstyer]

Originally Posted by Walt

Seems like tech is changing so fast and I am a decade behind. Can I charge my laptop using a car charger (cigarette lighter type) plugged into the trailer 12v with a usb c cable which can supply 30 up to 65 watts for charging? I am thinking about a car charger something like this one but they come in sizes up to 100w.
The collective wisdom and generosity on this site is amazing and I give thanks in advance for any advice.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...X9EWVXLJ&psc=1

I'm running an older Toshiba laptop through the cigarette lighter as my normal practice. I have one for business use and one for personal use. One of them is plugged in at all times. Powering your computer directly with DC power is recommended because you don't have the power loss associated with an inverter.

[fudge_brownie]

USB-C is a rather new product. It is definitely a very fast charging solution. It uses a new style connector where it plugs into the device. It will only charge fast when paired with a brick or plug capable of delivering the faster charge. The cord used must be a USB-C compatible one and have the proper connectors on both ends. When plugged into a 12 volt outlet it should be the only device being charged off that outlet. All these requirements are only necessary to obtain the charging performance that USC-C offers.

[UncleTim]

I charge a few different ways. I travel with one 17" MacBook Pro, an 11" MacBook Air, an iPad Pro, an acoustic guitar that must be charged and a bunch of battery operated stuff like guitar amps and mics. The amps do not need to be charged unless you are planning on being out for weeks.

1. I too use a Bestek 300 w inverter. Mine plugs into the 12v plug and does a good job. I usually wait till the solar system charges the batteries all the way up. I keep that one in the trailer.
https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-300Watt-Power-Inverter-Adapter/dp/B07KQ4Q2L5/ref=sr_1_5

2. I use the inverter in the trailer when I need. Again usually in the day when the charging system is making a strong contribution.

3. I have Prymax 500 watt power source with an inverter on it. I use this when I need power early in the morning when the solar charging system is asleep. If I am on a 5 day trip (or shorter) I do not recharge this device until I get home. I will not plug it in to the trailer to recharge unless the batteries are 100%. This thing will drain the trailer batteries to charge itself (even using a 12 v charge). It will also charge anything. Very nice to have this device. $500.

4. I almost never use the truck to charge anything besides my gps or my phone.

That is what I do when we do not have an electrical hookup, which is most of the time. I do not charge scooters, amps, guitars, skateboards or anything else with a 20 hour battery in it unless we have a full electrical hookup.

One last thing. Watch using the microwave at night without a hook up. That thing can drain your batteries quickly. Without battery support, your trailer heater does not turn on. Yeah, I know.

Concerning usb-C devices. Sure you can do it. As long as your usb-C charger works in 12 v plugs. I use those too. Just not very much. Plus the small charging requirements of a single laptop suggest this is no problem. Verify this at home, before you go out and try it. It will work, the next question is what is the recovery time needed for the solar charging system to top off your batteries. Probably not long.

[Walt]

Thanks for your quick response and I regret my slow uptake. In regards to my laptop charging question you asked what my computer charging requirements are. I have a new LG Gram laptop which charges on its AC charger at 19v 2.5a. According to the manual it charges DC at 10, 15 or 18v at 2a. I am completely new to this but it occurred to me, as a boondocker concerned with power conservation, that either a small inverter as suggested by another poster or one of the newer cigarette lighter chargers would be a practical solution. I have the stock ETI inverter but it seems like overkill (never even used it). I am not looking for an elegant or high tech solution. Just something practical and versatile. There are other suggestions in this thread but would appreciate any input.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by Walt

Seems like tech is changing so fast and I am a decade behind. Can I charge my laptop using a car charger (cigarette lighter type) plugged into the trailer 12v with a usb c cable which can supply 30 up to 65 watts for charging? I am thinking about a car charger something like this one but they come in sizes up to 100w.
The collective wisdom and generosity on this site is amazing and I give thanks in advance for any advice.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...X9EWVXLJ&psc=1

Yes, that will work and that is the way to do it.

That is why I don't recommend people getting additional USB ports in their trailer. Escape's additional USB ports are 2.1 amps at 5 volts (10.5 watts), where USB adapters that plug into cigarette lighter / power ports can supply up to 100 watts through a USB port. This is done by increasing the USB voltage to allow higher wattage while maintaining the lower amperage (amps times volts equals watts) capabilities of small USB cables.



Power Delivery (PD) is a specification for handling higher power and allows a range of devices to charge quickly over a USB connection. It operates by facilitating a conversation between two devices to negotiate a power contract so they can determine how much power can be pulled from the charger. Power Delivery starts at the 5V setting and is configurable up to 20V. Using a standard USB-C cable, it can handle up to 60W, and will go up to 100W using a designated EMCA cable.

WHAT THE TECH? USB-C AND POWER DELIVERY EXPLAINED

Originally Posted by Walt

Thanks for your quick response and I regret my slow uptake. In regards to my laptop charging question you asked what my computer charging requirements are. I have a new LG Gram laptop which charges on its AC charger at 19v 2.5a. According to the manual it charges DC at 10, 15 or 18v at 2a. I am completely new to this but it occurred to me, as a boondocker concerned with power conservation, that either a small inverter as suggested by another poster or one of the newer cigarette lighter chargers would be a practical solution. I have the stock ETI inverter but it seems like overkill (never even used it). I am not looking for an elegant or high tech solution. Just something practical and versatile. There are other suggestions in this thread but would appreciate any input.

Unfortunately, some of the responses you received were inaccurate because they didn't understand how USB quick charge technology works.

Yes you can use a USB adapter that plugs into a cigarette lighter / power port to charge a compatible laptop.

Yes, using a USB adapter that plugs into a cigarette lighter / power port is the preferred way to charge your laptop as it doesn't make sense (very inefficient) to run an inverter to convert DC to AC then plug in a 120 volt laptop charger that converts AC back to DC.

[Walt]

Thanks, TT. The plug in solution to the trailers cigarette lighter with usb C cable seems like a nice solution for computer charging as it can be used for a variety of devices, especially as USB C becomes more commonly adopted. And can be used for smaller devices that use conventional usb charging as well. Thanks for the good info embedded in your response.

[John in Santa Cruz]

for laptops that use the typically 19V dedicated coaxial (round) power connectors, you can get car chargers that plug into a cigar plug and have the correct specs for a wide range of different laptop models, I've used ones made by PWR+ before with good results. just make sure you get one that supports YOUR laptop family.

my wife had a $job laptop (high end Dell Precision Workstation) that could be charged off USB C, but it needed a 90 W USB C charger, thats not at all a common size USB C, and in fact, has the USB C cord 'captive' in the power supply, so you can't just use any USB C cable as most would catch on fire if you ran 90 watts through them. the majority of USB C 'car chargers' are maybe 18 watts a port as thats sufficient for most modern cell phones and tablets.