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Old 04-25-2017, 10:11 AM   #1
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CPAP use in 2005 FR Sandpiper

We bought a used 2005 Sandpiper trailer about 4 days before heading back to Michigan from Arizona. The trailer is down in the SW corner of AZ and we are heading out on Friday to spend 4 days down in AZ and also to pick up a sleep number bed in New Mexico and bring it back to Michigan on our return trip.

Can any of you with older trailer units tell me if there is a cigarette style plug handy where I can plug in my 300 watt Zamp inverter in the above trailer or an easy means of powering the inverter up for air flow? I plan on using two 6-volt golf cart size batteries in the interim to power up the trailer, but need a temporary fix for the bedroom to at least have power to run my machine for 4 days. The real issue here is that this was a bang-bang deal getting the trailer from Tucson to Why, AZ and I'm not real familiar with the trailer due to lack of time and use of the unit therein.

Thanks!
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Old 04-25-2017, 10:17 AM   #2
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Not likely. Your choices are not great. Cigarette lighter sockets if available are usually only near the TV.
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Old 04-25-2017, 10:30 AM   #3
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That's what I was afraid of.
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Old 04-25-2017, 10:33 AM   #4
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If you have a cigarette lighter plug anywhere, you can run a standard extension cord from the inverter to your CPAP. Not neat, not clean...but it will work well. Distance for the 120 Volt feed doesn't matter.
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Old 04-25-2017, 11:39 AM   #5
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If you have a cigarette lighter plug anywhere, you can run a standard extension cord from the inverter to your CPAP. Not neat, not clean...but it will work well. Distance for the 120 Volt feed doesn't matter.
Thanks!.... I think what I'll do in the interim is buy a 12V cigarette style extension cord for the bedroom TV cigarret style plug, plug the extension cord in, plug the inverter in to the extension cord, use a short extension cord to run up next to the bed, plug the CPAP unit into the short cord, and allow me to use the CPAP in closer to the bed until I have time to wire in a cigarette style plug by the bed.

Sheesh! Nothing ever comes easy when you cannot plug into shore power does it? LOL
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Old 04-25-2017, 12:12 PM   #6
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I put an inverter on the battery and bring an extension cord into the bedroom
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Old 04-25-2017, 12:29 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Michigan_Mike View Post
We bought a used 2005 Sandpiper trailer abo

Can any of you with older trailer units tell me if there is a cigarette style plug handy where I can plug in my 300 watt Zamp inverter in the above trailer or an easy means of po

Thanks!
Both of my CPAP and bipap machines were actually 12 vdc powered by a wall wart or laptop type power supply. Both machines offered me an optional 12 v cord, complete with fuse and Battery clips. Until I got an adequate install of a cig outlet, I ran off an Optima AGM 12 V

Cost was about $230 and it turns out to be about the best darn Battery I have ever owned. At only a 65 AH rating it ran my machine, heater and all two short nights on a charge.
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Old 04-25-2017, 12:38 PM   #8
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Have seen small 110 power supplies with a cig socket either built in or a short chord with female socket attached. Pretty sure Amazon has what you are looking for. Most towable I have seen have 110 near bed. Our has one either side of bed.
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Old 04-25-2017, 01:40 PM   #9
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Both of my CPAP and bipap machines were actually 12 vdc powered by a wall wart or laptop type power supply. Both machines offered me an optional 12 v cord, complete with fuse and Battery clips. Until I got an adequate install of a cig outlet, I ran off an Optima AGM 12 V

Cost was about $230 and it turns out to be about the best darn Battery I have ever owned. At only a 65 AH rating it ran my machine, heater and all two short nights on a charge.
Not exactly correct, not all machines are 12 volt + -. Some machines like the S8 are reversed and plugging a + - 12 volt to power it will also fry it.
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Old 04-25-2017, 02:01 PM   #10
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I have one of those electric ice chests from Wallyworld and it comes with a normal plug on one end and a cigarette lighter plug on the other so you can use the cooler in a hotel room. Sooooo, if you had that plug, you could just plug it into an outlet in the BR.
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Old 04-25-2017, 02:22 PM   #11
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Thanks!.... I think what I'll do in the interim is buy a 12V cigarette style extension cord for the bedroom TV cigarret style plug, plug the extension cord in, plug the inverter in to the extension cord, use a short extension cord to run up next to the bed, plug the CPAP unit into the short cord, and allow me to use the CPAP in closer to the bed until I have time to wire in a cigarette style plug by the bed.

Sheesh! Nothing ever comes easy when you cannot plug into shore power does it? LOL
I'd do what Mike said - Put the inverter next to the cigarette lighter and use a 120VAC extension cord to the CPAP. You will have a lot less power losses (and less wire heating) at 120 volts than at 12 volts. Power loss is proportional to current squared multiplied by resistance. The wire resistance will be about the same, but the current flow at 120VAC is only 0.1 times the current flow at 12VDC. So you'll only lose 1/10th at 120VAC as you would at 12VDC.
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Old 04-25-2017, 07:05 PM   #12
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I'd do what Mike said - Put the inverter next to the cigarette lighter and use a 120VAC extension cord to the CPAP. You will have a lot less power losses (and less wire heating) at 120 volts than at 12 volts. Power loss is proportional to current squared multiplied by resistance. The wire resistance will be about the same, but the current flow at 120VAC is only 0.1 times the current flow at 12VDC. So you'll only lose 1/10th at 120VAC as you would at 12VDC.
Great explanation. In layman's terms, use the shortest cord possible for the 12v line to the inverter. Use as long of an extension cord as you need for the 120v coming out of the inverter. CPAPs don't draw much power anyway.
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Old 04-25-2017, 07:46 PM   #13
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I have one of those electric ice chests from Wallyworld and it comes with a normal plug on one end and a cigarette lighter plug on the other so you can use the cooler in a hotel room. Sooooo, if you had that plug, you could just plug it into an outlet in the BR.
That's fine if you have shore power but we are running off battery power.
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Old 04-25-2017, 08:38 PM   #14
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My CPAP solution

We've done abut of dry camping off the grid so to speak, most recently at Chaco Canyon National Historical Park, NM. While out there for several days without shore power I slept like a baby with my solution.
My Resperonics CPAP, while at home, is powered by a converter which changes the power from 120vac to 12vdc. After a bit of research I found a 12vdc power cable with a cigarette lighter plug on one end. I installed a 12vdc cigarette lighter receptacle combined with a dual USB 1.5/2.1 amp outlet near my bed. Works like a champ but I have taken off the removable humidity tank as I'm sure it would draw considerable amperage.
I have 2-6vdc golf cart batteries replenished by a Harbor Freight 45 watt solar panel.
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Old 04-25-2017, 09:11 PM   #15
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I ran an extension cord from my 12v power across the trailer so I could run the TV. Eventually more outlets will be installed, but it worked for that night.

Along the same lines, what small inverters do NOT have cooling fans?
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Old 04-25-2017, 10:45 PM   #16
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No matter the brand, if at all possible, turn OFF the humidifier to the CPAP machine.

That function alone about doubles the machine's power requirements.

It will allow the battery to provide power much longer until it needs re-charging.

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Old 04-26-2017, 05:29 AM   #17
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No matter the brand, if at all possible, turn OFF the humidifier to the CPAP machine.

That function alone about doubles the machine's power requirements.

It will allow the battery to provide power much longer until it needs re-charging.

Pop
I agree, I never use the humidifier off grid and wherever I can install LED lights I do so. We have found some inflatable LED lights called Lucy lights and they work like a champ. You set them out in the sunlight, they recharge daily and we use them like lamps at night. A little spendy but they are like lamps and provide more than enough light.
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Old 04-26-2017, 07:30 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by Tom48 View Post
Both of my CPAP and bipap machines were actually 12 vdc powered by a wall wart or laptop type power supply. Both machines offered me an optional 12 v cord, complete with fuse and Battery clips. Until I got an adequate install of a cig outlet, I ran off an Optima AGM 12 V



Cost was about $230 and it turns out to be about the best darn Battery I have ever owned. At only a 65 AH rating it ran my machine, heater and all two short nights on a charge.


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Old 04-26-2017, 08:14 AM   #19
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I'd do what Mike said - Put the inverter next to the cigarette lighter and use a 120VAC extension cord to the CPAP. You will have a lot less power losses (and less wire heating) at 120 volts than at 12 volts. Power loss is proportional to current squared multiplied by resistance. The wire resistance will be about the same, but the current flow at 120VAC is only 0.1 times the current flow at 12VDC. So you'll only lose 1/10th at 120VAC as you would at 12VDC.
Your math is a little off. As you stated, power losses in wire are proportional to the current squared. If you have 0.1 of the current at 120V, you will have 0.1 * 0.1 or 0.01 as much losses in the wire. That's 1/100, not 1/10! This difference is why we have high voltage (300,000V and higher) long distance power transmission lines and local power distribution lines running 3300V with transformers feeding clusters of houses.

The downside to converting to 120VAC is that there will be losses in the converter. When the 120VAC is converted back to (usually) 12VDC for use in the CPAP, there's additional losses. It's always more efficient to use 12V directly form the battery instead of including two voltage conversions.

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Old 04-26-2017, 09:19 AM   #20
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cheap and fast battery pack comes with 110 plug or cig plug will lat 3 days with out charge
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