Exterior 12v access!

[Traveling Angels]

Any ideas for easy install of a 12V access to exterior of Elite 2? We want to run an external freezer without running inverter! I have a few ideas, but has anyone already installed this?

[Steve Morris]

Not yet, but I plan to add an external Anderson plug on the lower portion of the propane housing. I’ll wire it into the front jack power connection. I’ve already purchased this plug. 
 

https://a.co/d/dZGlkHd

My refrigerator in the tow vehicle has an Anderson plug, so this will be a more secure setup than a typical cigarette lighter outlet. And the 640 A/hr batteries in the trailer won’t even notice the extra 2-3A load of the fridge.

[Galway Girl]

I use the solar accessory plug which is near my 2019 battery compartment for several 12v accessories.  It has a SAE connection that is wired through a fuse to the trailer batteries.  While its SAE connector it set for zamp panels it works for anything you wish.  Just pay attention to polarity as the zamp connecters are reversed from normal SAE. Adapters can be made from that SAE plug to your fridge. 
 

 

 

 

Zamp Solar Port On Oliver EII - Note : Top Pin is ( + ) Terminal Bottom is ( - )

Edited April 26 by Galway Girl
Add pix

[Traveling Angels]

Great! I’ll check this plug out! I was thinking of that exact location for a plug but hadn’t heard of the Anderson plug! Both are good ideas, I’ll decide today, which will work best for me!
I appreciate it!

Edited April 26 by Traveling Angels

[topgun2]

If you don't have that "Solar Plug" and still want exterior 12 volt, there are several owners that have installed a plug port similar to the ones on the interior of the Oliver. Usually the location is near the external 120 volt outlet on the curb side rear.  Just on the interior from this location there are several 12 volt lines that can be tapped into fairly easily.  Or, of course, a new line could be run around the basement back to the fuse box if a dedicated circuit was required.

Bill

[Ronbrink]

2 hours ago, Traveling Angels said:

Great! I’ll check this plug out! I was thinking of that exact location for a plug but hadn’t heard of the Anderson plug!

I purchased the Powerwerx plug @Steve Morris highlighted, but returned it because there is no weatherproof way to seal it when in use. Even if mounted inside the propane tank housing there is a chance of moisture intrusion. I keep my Dometic dual-zone in the TV under cap and primarily operate it on a solar portable power station. I’ve never considered taking it out of the TV when at camp; it’s very heavy when loaded, and like keeping it out of the elements and secure from theft. 

However, as backup I can run it from a bumper-mounted Anderson. Although this particular plug can be fitted with an environmental boot as shown, it is not flush-mount and better suited for a forward rather than a side Oliver mount.

 

I also use this Anderson to run the Viair.

Edited April 26 by Ronbrink

[Ronbrink]

32 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

If you don't have that "Solar Plug" and still want exterior 12 volt, there are several owners that have installed a plug port similar to the ones on the interior of the Oliver. Usually the location is near the external 120 volt outlet on the curb side rear.  Just on the interior from this location there are several 12 volt lines that can be tapped into fairly easily.  Or, of course, a new line could be run around the basement back to the fuse box if a dedicated circuit was required.

Bill

This reminded me of a Furrion Solar Port inlet I believe installed by @John E Davies if memory serves me. I copied this pic for future reference; multi-use for solar and fridge.

[MAX Burner]

4 hours ago, Ronbrink said:

I also use this Anderson to run the Viair.

Same here.  We use the same Anderson to connect the 12v-12v Charger between the TV and OTT.  The fitment is such that they clean off oxidization enough for a good contact every time they're plugged/unplugged.  Not cheap, but bomb proof...

[Geronimo John]

15 hours ago, Traveling Angels said:

Any ideas for easy install of a 12V access to exterior of Elite 2?

Our solar power port is similar to the Z-Amp one.  I chose to mount it on the battery compartment door itself.  Ran wires to the litho's and shunt with a fuse in line.  

Rationale is keeping the run as short as possible and not drilling another hole in the fiberglass wall of Ollie.  

GJ

[Ronbrink]

1 hour ago, MAX Burner said:

Same here.  We use the same Anderson to connect the 12v-12v Charger between the TV and OTT.  The fitment is such that they clean off oxidization enough for a good contact every time they're plugged/unplugged.  Not cheap, but bomb proof...

The DC/DC connection is the primary purpose of my bumper-mount install, but great for a convenient 12v power source.

💥KAPOW!!💥

Edited April 26 by Ronbrink

[rich.dev]

I don’t want to hijack the OPs thread, but to all of you that’s also using the external Solar suitcase port as a power source, I assume that’s only possible if the charge controller is part of the solar suitcase and not inside the the trailer? 

[mossemi]

2 hours ago, rich.dev said:

I don’t want to hijack the OPs thread, but to all of you that’s also using the external Solar suitcase port as a power source, I assume that’s only possible if the charge controller is part of the solar suitcase and not inside the the trailer? 

I have a folding 100 watt solar panel with an on board CC.  I have always thought that a CC mounted in the Ollie would be a better solution if I needed to place the solar panels further away from the batteries due to line loss.  This would provide a higher voltage at the CC in the RV.  Which led me to think a 3 position battery switch would be needed if I did mount the CC in the Ollie and wanted to supply 12V's to power an electric cooler.  I can plug into my solar port now because it is wired straight to the batteries. 
Mossey

[rich.dev]

2 hours ago, mossemi said:

Which led me to think a 3 position battery switch would be needed if I did mount the CC in the Ollie and wanted to supply 12V's to power an electric cooler.

Good idea!😉

[MAX Burner]

9 hours ago, Ronbrink said:

💥KAPOW!!💥

Exactly, right on!  HA!

[Geronimo John]

6 hours ago, mossemi said:

This would provide a higher voltage at the CC in the RV.  Which led me to think a 3 position battery switch would be needed if I did mount the CC in the Ollie and wanted to supply 12V's to power an electric cooler.  I can plug into my solar port now because it is wired straight to the batteries. 

From a risk management perspective, the three way eventually will cause issues with an OOPS plug in.

Why not just use one Zamp port labeled solar input, and a second one next to it labeled Power Port?  No confusion that the switch may cause AND you could for the same cost have a solar input and load attached at the same time.

Also  "Wired straight to the batteries" is something to ponder upon.  Suggest having an inline  fuse on all inputs/outputs.  Just for safety grins.

GJ

[MAX Burner]

6 hours ago, mossemi said:

I can plug into my solar port now because it is wired straight to the batteries. 

That's exactly our thought process too, Mike.  

We, like many owners have done, mounted our external 12vDC receptacle on the battery compartment hatch and wired it to the Victron SmartShunt (NEG) and batteries (POS) directly with an inline fuse.  Serves both as a solar input from the Renogy 200W module "suitcase" kit and an accessory 12vDC output plug.  On cloudy days when the BBs need a bit of a bump in solar, it's a snap to connect the suitcase array to the questionably "weatherproof" receptacle on the battery hatch.

[Geronimo John]

15 hours ago, Ronbrink said:

bumper-mounted Anderson

I sure like your weather proof Anderson port way better than my plastic one. 

Can you share a cut sheet or purchase info for it?

Is it weather proof on the back side as well?

Thanks

GJ

 

[Ronbrink]

8 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

I sure like your weather proof Anderson port way better than my plastic one. 

Can you share a cut sheet or purchase info for it?

Is it weather proof on the back side as well?

For product details, go to powerwerx.com and search ‘environmental boot’.

These boots are completely sealed when installed, front and back. Here is a pic of the ‘source side’ and ‘load side’ boots joined to power the DC-DC in the Oliver, the caps also mate up.

Here is a pic of a plug extension wire (‘load side’ boot) I assembled to enable use of the bumper-mounted Anderson to operate my Dometic dual-zone staged under cap in the TV bed, as necessary.

 

Edited April 27 by Ronbrink

[mossemi]

8 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

Also  "Wired straight to the batteries" is something to ponder upon.  Suggest having an inline  fuse on all inputs/outputs.  Just for safety grins.

That goes without saying! 

Mossey

[ScubaRx]

20 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

Also  "Wired straight to the batteries" is something to ponder upon. 

The negative side should run through the shunt rather than to the batteries.

 

[ScubaRx]

On 4/25/2024 at 9:38 PM, Traveling Angels said:

Any ideas for easy install of a 12V access to exterior of Elite 2? We want to run an external freezer without running inverter! I have a few ideas, but has anyone already installed this?

I would pick a location where you want the freezer to sit and install one of these near it. You would probably want to run a new power line from the distribution center under the dinette to power only this receptacle. You can pick up the negative side from the buss bar under the aft dinette seat. You'll need a 1-1/8" hole saw to cut the mounting hole.

Edited April 28 by ScubaRx

[MAX Burner]

4 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

I would pick a location where you want the freezer to sit and install one of these near it.

We use Blue Sea Systems components whenever possible - we've had good experience with every BSS product installed on Casablanca, FYI.

High quality components, IMO.

[Wandering Sagebrush]

7 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

We use Blue Sea Systems components whenever possible - we've had good experience with every BSS product installed on Casablanca, FYI.

High quality components, IMO.

I agree ! You can’t go wrong with Blue Sea!

[John Dorrer]

Is it possible to convert one of the two 110 exterior plugs to 12v? 

[ScubaRx]

36 minutes ago, John Dorrer said:

Is it possible to convert one of the two 110 exterior plugs to 12v? 

It could be done. You would want make sure to use a polarized plug so that the positive and negative can’t be reversed. It might not even matter, depending on what you plan to use it for.