How to Power a Fridge and Furnace in a 5th Wheel Camper

Question:

I have a seven way round plug in wired for a fifth wheel in my box. Can I use the 12volt from this for power to my pickup camper the small furnace would be the biggest draw than fridge and a couple lites.

asked by: Steve

Expert Reply:

I do have an option for you but the 12 volt power circuit on a vehicle's 7-way trailer connector is mainly used to charge a breakaway battery or provide a small trickle charge to an auxiliary battery. It will not be nearly sufficient enough to power a furnace or small fridge in your camper.

Instead, I recommend installing an auxiliary battery on your trailer and then using a battery charger to keep it charged like the Redarc In-Vehicle BCDC Battery Charger # 331-BCDC1225D which actually uses power provided by the vehicle's alternator to charge the auxiliary battery. Any unused charge will then be sent back to the starter battery on your vehicle.

If any of the appliances in your camper operate of off AC power then you will also need an inverter like part # WC3720 which can handle up to 1000 watts of continuous power draw. I have attached a review video on both the battery charger and inverter for you as well.

expert reply by: Conner L