Can 12V Power for Pet Heaters Be Taken from Truck 7-Way Connector

Question:

Hi there. Im looking for a way to keep my dogs warm in the back of my truck with cap on it and want to be able to power two heated mats for their dog beds. Is there a way to get power from the trailer lights? Thanks

asked by: Dan M

Expert Reply:

The 12V auxiliary power feed in a truck 7-way can deliver a trickle or maintenance charge to maintain a battery on the trailer but it cannot deliver enough power to charge a depleted battery or to operate high-power-demand items like heaters. Usually the 12V charging circuit on a truck is protected with a 40-amp auto-reset breaker like # PK54540. The actual trailer lighting circuits on your truck cannot power heaters.

You will want to check the rated power draw from the heating pads to determine their combined current demands. You will need to run a separate 12V circuit to the truck bed to provide power for the heaters. You can use 10-gauge duplex jacketed wire # 10-2-1 and a circuit breaker rated appropriately for the total load. You can either install a power switch to control the heaters or instead use connectors to allow you to totally disconnect the heaters from the battery to avoid accidental discharge.

expert reply by: Adam R