Installing the new class of USB power ports
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Printed Date: 19 May 2024 at 4:25am
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Topic: Installing the new class of USB power ports
Posted By: poohbill
Subject: Installing the new class of USB power ports
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 12:28pm
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With the advent of pads and phones, there was a period of time when the user community installed their own ports, before Forest River added them at the factory. The advice and assistance on this board is from that period, but the knowledge of the electrical systems in that generation of pods is still valid. I want to add a port (finally) to my 2016 179 that is able to power USB A & C, to drive a laptop and several pads at the same time. The load is significantly higher than that first class of ports delivered. Do you fine folks have any advice as to the best line to tap into, and where to avoid? I do appreciate any suggestions. Thank you. Bill ------------- 2016 179 Gastropod 2017 Ridgeline |
Replies:
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 2:57pm
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I also have a 179. I used a spare fuse slot in the converter and started a dedicated 12v circuit for "12v Acc"(essories). I ran a larger(12 ga???) pair of wires from the converter to a central located junction box under the bed. From there, I ran separate wires for usb's in whatever location I needed . I have one on the wall under the tv, one on the lower bed support wall next to the right ottoman and one under the couch. some are usb's and some are power plugs depending on what we use and where. I also ran a unit to the exterior over the cargo door. It has both a usb and a power port. Laura uses it with our table to work on editing her pictures or lighting under the tarp/RDome.. It is my understanding that the fuse size can be changed to reflect the load. With the larger gauge wiring, it should hold the load without over heating or voltage loss. I used a 15 amp fuse. We have used it for camera and phone batteries as well as laptops and some 12v lights, radios, speakers,and more. Hope this helps Travel safe and often Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9"> 
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Posted By: poohbill
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 3:20pm
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Thanks Pod People! That confirms my thoughts to use the spare in the converter and dedicate it at 15amps capacity. Running wire in that trailer isn't something I've done, only patching in place. Is there any particular routing from the convertor you found best, back to the bed? ------------- 2016 179 Gastropod 2017 Ridgeline |
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 6:40pm
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You have to remove the converter from the pantry cabinet. There is enough wire to gently pull it out. After you get it out, you will see a large void behind the converter and the area under the shower pan. I used a fish line and got the wire from the converter to go under the shower pan and into the bottom of the wardrobe. Pull out the wardrobe drawers and you will find a large void at the bottom with lots of wires running in the same chase. You can pretty easily get your wiring to this location. Raise the bed platform and prop it up securely in the raised position. I installed a junction box in a central location under the bed. I drilled through the bed support/wardrobe wall and then ran the larger gauge wire to the junction box. All of the individual power port/usb locations are fed from this central junction box. I used the bed framing as support for the wires-drilling where necessary and stapling the wires securely to the underside of the framing. It was helpful to label the wire locations in the junction box for future reference. one usb/power port is installed in the short wall under the head of the bed facing the right ottoman. I just drilled through the paneling and screwed the box to the framing. The usb/power port under the couch also comes through that wall and then goes across the floor, through the ottoman and mounted below the couch. It is in a piece of 1/2"pvc conduit that is drilled through the ottoman I put a usb/power port high above the tv so we could run a 12v fan. From the bottom of the wardrobe I went up the wall to get wires to the power port .The wardrobe wall is hollow and can be accessed from the wardrobe drawers at the bottom and behind the sound system from above. Pull out the sound system to get to a large void behind the sound system. It will take 2 people here because the sound system wiring is short-somebody holds the system while you fish a pull wire down the hollow wall. Then connect the power wires to the pull wire and pull it up to the upper void. then you can cut/drill the necessary size hole for the new usb/power port in the wardrobe wall. I also installed a power port inside the top of the pantry for a 12v fan. the pantry wall is hollow and again, I used a fish wire from the converter space to the top of the pantry. I had to remove the shelves and the inside panel of the pantry. that is fairly specific. Let me know if you have questions or more info travel safe and often Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9">
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Posted By: poohbill
Date Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 6:45pm
Thanks muchly.  ------------- 2016 179 Gastropod 2017 Ridgeline |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 02 Aug 2022 at 3:55am
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There might be some confusion here on how to properly size and fuse wires and loads.
The fundamental principle to remember is that a fuse or circuit breaker in your trailer or house is there to protect the wires not the load. Of course, the wires have to also be heavy enough to pass sufficient current to operate the load. If a specific load device requires additÃonal fusing that should be provided for internally in the device itself. In some cases the installation instructions might require you to add additÃonal fusing. If so do that but that doesn't change the need to protect the permanent wiring in the trailer. So the proper design procedure is: Determine the total maximum current that will be needed at the point of use. Add 25% to avoid nuisance fuse blows. Select the next higher standard fuse size. Select a wire gauge with ampacity of that fuse size or higher. For normally used copper wiring that is gauge amps 14 15 12 20 10 30 8 40 6 55 4 70 Don't run anything smaller than 14 gauge in your walls. To do it's job the fuse or circuit breaker has to be upstream from the wire it is protecting (at the end closest to the source of current, in this case the battery). So it does no good for the wire to put a fuse at the far end of the wire next to the load. If that wire shorts it will burn up and the fuse won't protect it because the short circuit is upstream from it. And, if you tap current from a wire using a smaller gauge wire then that smaller wire will need to be separately protected at the point where you tap the larger wire. Fuses and cbs need to be placed in the ungrounded conductor, in our 12V systems that is the positive. The negative wires don't need and in general should not be fused, but they do need to be the same gauge as the positive they are paired with. One other consideration that cam be important for 12V systems (although usually not for small loads like USB devices) is voltage drops caused by wire resistance. It is generally not good to let the voltage drop be higher that 5%, or about 0.6V in a 12V system. That can require selection of a wire larger that you would need otherwise. There are numerous calculatiors online that you can use to determine voltage drop if you know how long the wire run is and your current demand. The important thing to remember is that you have to select a wire that meets both the ampacity and voltage drop requirements. If you wind up needing a heavier wire to reduce voltage drop you don't need to also increase the fuse size. Hope that helps ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |