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Old 05-26-2018, 06:52 AM   #1
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TV 12 volt wiring

I have a new 2018 Viking 17 ft trailer. It did not come with a TV so I have mounted one and it works well when plugged into shore power. Now I would like to be able to run it off the battery when there is no power but I don't have any 12 volt receptacles. The TV has a cigarette lighter type plug so I would like to install a 12 volt receptacle for it. Any suggestions on where to find the best wire to tap into?

Thanks,
New to camping, as you can tell.
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Old 05-27-2018, 08:37 AM   #2
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Welcome to the forum its a great place to get your questions and answered. I would think you could run a wire direct from the battery or off any of your interior lights.
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Old 05-27-2018, 09:05 AM   #3
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Welcome to the forum its a great place to get your questions and answered. I would think you could run a wire direct from the battery or off any of your interior lights.
If you run off a light the light would most likely have to be on. That's too much to ask the installers feed at the light and run switch legs to the switches. That's not (a to b to c). that's (a to c to b). Don't confuse the help. Their already confused>

You can tap off any 12 volt that is not SW controlled. a TV is not much of a load. But I am confused. If your TV is 12 volt it should work whether it is on shore power or not unless you have your battery turned off.
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Old 05-27-2018, 09:28 AM   #4
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Is your tv close to the converter? If so tap into a circuit there, or install a new circuit If there is an open 12 volt space. Install a 20 amp fuse and mount a lighter socket nearby.
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Old 05-27-2018, 09:42 AM   #5
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If you run off a light the light would most likely have to be on. That's too much to ask the installers feed at the light and run switch legs to the switches. That's not (a to b to c). that's (a to c to b). Don't confuse the help. Their already confused>

You can tap off any 12 volt that is not SW controlled. a TV is not much of a load. But I am confused. If your TV is 12 volt it should work whether it is on shore power or not unless you have your battery turned off.
I don't understand your statement. Believe it or not one side of a switch has to be hot even in an RV. I should have included the word circuit. as in interior light circuit.
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Old 05-27-2018, 04:34 PM   #6
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Sorry that I seem to have posted this in tents and pop ups...I know as much about forum posting as I do camper wiring. The problem is the outlets in the camper only work when plugged into shore power and there is no 12 volt receptacle. So I need to install a 12 volt receptacle to plug in to. I am near the converter so I look for a wire to tap into there. Thanks.
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Old 05-27-2018, 04:38 PM   #7
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The first question is, where in the camper do you want to place the TV? Apparently, you have used an adapter to convert shore power to 12 volt?
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Old 05-27-2018, 04:48 PM   #8
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Check if there is an unused 12 volt slot at the bottom of the converter. You would then just need to add a fuse.
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Old 05-27-2018, 04:50 PM   #9
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I don't understand your statement. Believe it or not one side of a switch has to be hot even in an RV. I should have included the word circuit. as in interior light circuit.
Most of the time you bring the hot and neutral to the switch then wire up to the light. But you can also bring it to the light 1st than down to the switch on the white and back to the light using the black as a switch leg. leaving the neutral at the light. White becomes a hot wire for that short distance. That's how amatures get hurt because they don't know to look for that. They see a black and a white on a switch and don't know what to do. Thankfully I haven't seen or heard of it done in RV's yet. Don't get me started on 3/ways.
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Old 05-27-2018, 04:50 PM   #10
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Sorry that I seem to have posted this in tents and pop ups...
Is your trailer NOT a popup?

You didn't post the model number, you just posted the length. You also don't have the info posted in your profile.

If it's a TT, I can move it to the appropriate area.
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Old 05-27-2018, 04:53 PM   #11
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Old 05-27-2018, 04:55 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by stringer View Post
I have a new 2018 Viking 17 ft trailer. It did not come with a TV so I have mounted one and it works well when plugged into shore power. Now I would like to be able to run it off the battery when there is no power but I don't have any 12 volt receptacles. The TV has a cigarette lighter type plug so I would like to install a 12 volt receptacle for it. Any suggestions on where to find the best wire to tap into?

Thanks,
New to camping, as you can tell.
So your TV works off 120 and 12?
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Old 05-27-2018, 05:20 PM   #13
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Many TV's have a transformer which converts the 120 volts AC to 12 volts DC. These are the best to use in a camper because they are easy to wire directly to 12 volts DC and no need to use a converter.

OP (original poster), just find a place to tap into a 12 volt DC line. Its not rocket science. If your TV has a cigarette lighter then the easiest thing is to install a female Cig outlet power outlet to make it work.
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Old 05-28-2018, 07:25 AM   #14
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Yes it is a travel trailer, model 17FQ. That would be great if you could move the post.
Thanks.
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Old 05-28-2018, 07:28 AM   #15
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Yes, that is exactly what I need to do, install a female cig outlet.
Thanks.
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Old 05-28-2018, 08:11 AM   #16
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I have to clarify my #9 post. I was describing 120-volt wiring using romex. After 45 years it's just embedded but the concept applies to 12 volts. You just would bring 2 two black wires down to the switch. The 12-volt ground would not appear at the switch.
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Old 05-28-2018, 01:02 PM   #17
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Yes it is a travel trailer, model 17FQ. That would be great if you could move the post.
Thanks.
I need to know the brand. Many brands share the same model number.
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Old 05-28-2018, 06:29 PM   #18
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It is a 2018 Viking (by Forest River) 17FQ.
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Old 05-29-2018, 12:11 AM   #19
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Hey Stringer...welcome,
I’m not sure if I can help you with your layout or not. Our 2015 17fq is opposite to yours with the dinette on the door side. On our rig I mounted the TV to the end of the cabinet above the sink countertop, which was easy for power as the converter and 12 volt power center was in the end of the same cabinet the TV mounted to.
How far is your converter from where the TV is mounted? Unless you wanted to run a new line from your batteries, or can find another suitable hot wire I’d start there.
Pics may help...
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Old 05-30-2018, 07:04 AM   #20
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Yes I have it mounted in the same place as you, on the end of the cabinet over the sink. It is right next to the converter. I just need to figure out how to hook my cig receptacle into the converter.
Thanks.
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