Dash real estate and power issues? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Grant · RV-Dreams Family Member

Dash real estate and power issues?

Workinrvers · RV-Dreams Family Member

In my patrol car we had lots of things that ran on 12v and needed several places to plug in. They make a 12v splitter harness so you can power 2 things at one time. There are also aux. 12v plug ins that you can mount under/to the dash and hard wire in. As far as how much you can run at any one time? I don't have the answer to that one maybe someone with more ohm/amp/voltage savvy will chime in.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

I was told a 12volt plug is rated to handle 150watts, or about 12.5 amps at 12volts and the one in my Honda CRV has a 15AMP fuse (I blew it once on a short circuit). You can put a splitter in, available at many car, RV and Radio Shacks, to have two 12volt plugs in one or wire in more 12volt plugs to the battery (or batteries), but please fuse any additonal hard wired plugs.

I know many people using a notebook computer on an inverter and a tire pressure monitor on one plug using a splitter. A GPS would use less power than a notebook so you should be safe.

Dash's vary a lot on space, you just have to find the room somehow. Many use velcro with the Pressure Pro and mount it on the front of the dash instead of on top.

jmayleben · RV-Dreams Community Member

We run the following items off the one lighter plug on the dash of the Winnebago (Ford V-10).

iPod charger
3 phone chargers (the problem with all of us having different phones)
Lap Top (for the GPS)

We have never had a problem. As I recall it is either a 10 amp or a 15 amp fuse.

We have what I would call a "power strip" for the lighter plug. I got it at Target or Walmart for a couple of bucks. Not only do we have the fuse that is under the dash but the power strip has one of those old style auto fuses.

John.

Old Snipe · RV-Dreams Family Member

I wish the manufacturers would put several 12V outlets in the dash area, seems everything requires one, the phone charger, the GPS, the XM radio, the toad break system monitor, etc. Way too much for a 15 amp circuit. I got tired of plugging and unplugging, having to choose which item I was going to use.

So I went to the auto parts store and bought two fuse holders, the kind that use the new automotive fuse, not the old glass type. I lifted up my dash, found the fuse block, determined which unused circuits had 12V power, plugged in the fuse holders, then wired them (also puchased at the auto parts store) to a new power outlet to an area on my dash. Now I can run most all of my stuff without having to have splitters or overloaded circuits.

Best Regards!

sfischer · RV-Dreams Community Member

Grant,

Why not just "hardwire" the tire pressure monitor into the vehicle's electrical system. Instructions came with the monitor and this would eliminate the need to find a 12-volt plug in for one of your accessories.