Are there 12v outlets for charging things in new LL trailers?

[alazear]

So many excellent suggestions here.  Thank you for the expertise guys.  I guess I am not just overlooking something obvious.... Agree w/Merlin that in this day and age, what gives that this is not already done by the factory?  In 2018 it seems like a basic need for everyone boondocking at all.  DavidM's caution of leaving the 120v USB's in place is a very good one.  I'll plan to do that whatever route I take.

Then I'll need to grab a new 12v source and add my own USB's.  I'll need to poke around some more and see what's available and where.  Installing outlets away from the sink and over by the existing bedside outlets might be nice depending on wiring routing difficulty.  It seems the right area to charge things.

If I decide to go one step further and also add a small inverter for charging a laptop + camera DSLR batteries from the 12v system, [light amp draw but 120v], can I find an appropriate source to pull from in the back of the converter or is that not a good idea?  Or is this the crossover point where people are replacing the existing converter for a more capable inverter system altogether?

[DavidM]

A small 150 watt inverter would be plenty to charge your laptop and camera batteries. These typically plug into a 12V cigarette lighter. So adding a lighter outlet in addition to the USB would work best. But you need to find a good source of DC. Look for some circuit that you don't use often, or even the main battery input to the fuse panel and use that to pick up your DC. If you wire to the battery side, use 12 gauge wire to the cigarette outlet to minimize voltage drop and put a 15 amp breaker to protect it.

It is a much bigger and expensive project to replace the existing converter with an inverter/charger. You don't need to do that for the light AC loads you are talking about.

David

[Merlin]

Here's one small inverter that meets Davidm's suggested 150 Watts. I agree with him that it's nominal 1A output should supply enough AC for most small device chargers.

https://www.solar-electric.com/samlex-pst-15s-12a-inverter.html

[ammobob]

If you have outlets next to your bed you could just use these. Cheaper and no extra wiring. We have these by our nightstands.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_2?ie=UTF8&adId=A025256630CK0XTR4AIQF&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FDuplex-USB-Outlet-Wall-Plate%2Fdp%2FB071P5B5W3%2Fref%3Dsr_1_2_sspa%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1526991821%26sr%3D8-2-spons%26keywords%3Dusb%2Bwall%2Bplate%2Bcharger%2Band%2Bpower%2Boutlet%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1526991821&id=3485041957593897&widgetName=sp_atf

[alazear]

Thanks again. I'll look into a cigarette lighter type 12v outlet and find a clean source to tap into for it using thick enough wire and a fuse.  Thank you again for the suggestions.

[Gary M]

I had the same issue with my 2018 21BHS. I had to replace the antenna panel with a winegard panel with cigarette lighter plug to start.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UC8ROW/ref=twister_B003MFEQXW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Then today I just installed these ones that look almost OEM I just took them apart to remove the LED light before installing.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XDDGCOE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1