2801 USB charging station

[AncientMariner]

Before I start tearing into wiring, is there something I am missing on the 4 USB outlet charging station under the TV as there is no voltage output.

I have tried seveeral of the USB ports and there is no 5v present on the output and hoping it is simple to fix by me.

Any help appreciated.

[Scubadude62]

On my 3051 I have to turn on the lights above the dinette to power the USB ports there.

[Tombsy]

I think only two of my four are working but I haven't investigated further. I'll have to check the light switch as well.


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[Creativepart]

On my 3051 all four of mine work great and no lights need to be turned on to make them work either.

[Sagecoachdriver]

A quick check of the wiring connectors and then with a mulitmeter will give you your answer. USB is wired in parallel along with the lights on mine before the light switch. Could be a faulty charger also.

[dmchapman]

Our Micro Lite has a 2 port USB charging station. It smoked the first time we used it. I bought a replacement from Amazon for about $5 and changed it myself. Definitely not worth a 200 mile round trip to the nearest dealer for warranty service

[Sagecoachdriver]

I'm ordering one of these which will give me a 12v receptacle, 2 USB charging ports and a voltmeter.
Can be purchased on Amazon under different brands for less than $20.
Going to mount it on the cupholder board at back of sofa.

[AncientMariner]

As it turns out, on our coach, there is room under the miserable Jensen TV for a 29" Visio sound bar. That sound bar is a 5v one that comes with a wall wart power supply. Also under the TV is our USB charging station (output 5v). I have planned to plug the sound bar into the charging station for power and eliminate ALL 110V AC use other than Aircon and Microwave (my sat receiver works off a 100W inverter at the receiver).

Yes, there are inexpensive adapters etc, but why should I even spend $20 more when the outlets are right there.

It also seems illogical to me (since when does logic play in RV manufacturing?) that the charging station should require a light switch be turned on. Why should I leave lights on to watch TV or even charge my phone/computer/whatever over night.

All will be solved soon one way or another.

Hopefully by bringing these issue to the public face of this forum, FR will make some minor changes to the benefit of many. Seems designers have one model in their head and we the end users/owners have many more ideas for their products .

[Sagecoachdriver]

Originally Posted by AncientMariner

As it turns out, on our coach, there is room under the miserable Jensen TV for a 29" Visio sound bar. That sound bar is a 5v one that comes with a wall wart power supply. Also under the TV is our USB charging station (output 5v). I have planned to plug the sound bar into the charging station for power and eliminate ALL 110V AC use other than Aircon and Microwave (my sat receiver works off a 100W inverter at the receiver).

Yes, there are inexpensive adapters etc, but why should I even spend $20 more when the outlets are right there.

It also seems illogical to me (since when does logic play in RV manufacturing?) that the charging station should require a light switch be turned on. Why should I leave lights on to watch TV or even charge my phone/computer/whatever over night.

All will be solved soon one way or another.

Hopefully by bringing these issue to the public face of this forum, FR will make some minor changes to the benefit of many. Seems designers have one model in their head and we the end users/owners have many more ideas for their products .

What a GREAT idea about the sound bar. Going to pick up one today!

[AncientMariner]

If you want one, they are $49 direct from Visio on their web site it is the SB2920x-C6. Was going to get it from Amazon for $89, but I can wait a week for delivery (free).

[MNtraveler]

Originally Posted by Sagecoachdriver

I'm ordering one of these which will give me a 12v receptacle, 2 USB charging ports and a voltmeter.
Can be purchased on Amazon under different brands for less than $20.
Going to mount it on the cupholder board at back of sofa.

If the voltmeter is always on, wouldn't that be a DC current draw? I suppose a small one (I saw suggestions of 1-10ma) but still it would be constant.

[Sagecoachdriver]

Originally Posted by MNtraveler

If the voltmeter is always on, wouldn't that be a DC current draw? I suppose a small one (I saw suggestions of 1-10ma) but still it would be constant.

Yes, it would be on. However, I like to add switches to all of these things to cut parasitic draw however small it might be. That silly blue annoying LED light for the USB ports above the dinette now has a switch next to it to turn on when in use. Will do the same for the one I showed earlier. I want to see what the total amp draw with be and get the appropriate switch. Mainly because of the 12v receptacle, not sure if 10 or 15 amp is needed. Plus I can wire it off the 8 or 10 awg wire I'm going to use to hardwire my inverter.

[MNtraveler]

Originally Posted by Sagecoachdriver

Yes, it would be on. However, I like to add switches to all of these things to cut parasitic draw however small it might be. That silly blue annoying LED light for the USB ports above the dinette now has a switch next to it to turn on when in use. Will do the same for the one I showed earlier. I want to see what the total amp draw with be and get the appropriate switch. Mainly because of the 12v receptacle, not sure if 10 or 15 amp is needed. Plus I can wire it off the 8 or 10 awg wire I'm going to use to hardwire my inverter.

Very well considered and explained. Thank you.


Land of 10,000 Lakes
2016 Forester MBS 2401R

[sgtlm17]

Ancientmariner
Doesn't the TV play through the coaches surround sound if you want? Just wondering why add the sound bar.

[AncientMariner]

sgtlm17, Without running a wire from the TV out to the dashboard radio it doesn't play through the Surround. Plus, the surround system is wired for you to be siitting facing fore and aft (front to back) rather than side to side (as our coaches are set up. Therefor you will have front and rear speakers acting like left and right speakers and not sound the same at all.

It will take me awhile, but I will eventually get rid of the Jensen dash crap radio/nav system and replace with something that works and is visible without having to turn my head completely to see the screen (try navigating in traffic with the existing lousy system). My Garmin is stuck to the windshield so I can keep my eyes on the road not the screen.

[Tombsy]

My unit has a red/white RCA plug going out from the TV to the head unit, I have to set the "variable audio" on the TV and set the balance on the head unit to rear. I thought it sounded pretty good with the subwoofer and the rear speakers are nice if you're working in the kitchen.

[Sagecoachdriver]

AncientMariner, is this true with the system?
1. Playing a DVD thru the Jensen dash radio will produce Suround sound thru the overhead speakers.
2. Watching OTA TV and Satellite will have sound coming from TV's speakers only. Or can those RCA plugs at the TV be changed to produce sound from overhead speakers??

[sgtlm17]

I thought it worked this way
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=3&theater
Although I don't know if this still applies for the new coach radio unit. This was when everything operated from the dash unit.
Even still a sound bar sounds like an easy and better solution.

[Creativepart]

Wow sgtim I had no idea. I'll have to give this a try on my 3051S. Thanks!

[Tombsy]

That's exactly how it works on my unit, and I get surround on DVD's and OTA TV. When you change to fixed and turn the speakers off anything playing on the TV comes through the RCA out to the surround. I play movies in surround directly from my laptop thru the HDMI plug.
Also not to clear at the end of the video but the front-rear fader is set to full rear.


Brian