RV outlets with USB connections

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Yoshi

Yoshi

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 12, 2022
Posts
112
Location
Maryland
Hi,

I would like to replace a few of my outlets with those with USB plugs.

I notice the my current outlets have no boxes and seem to be designed with a unique or different way to connect the wires w/o the need of a box

Does anyone know of a source for these outlets that may have USB plugs

TY
 
Your best bet is to just wire in some USB outlets. Outlets with USB ports are a not so great idea. They get crowded fast and some plugs block the ports. Plenty of good USB outlets that can be mounted where you need them.
 
There are some options for 120 volt RV electrical outlets with USB. Here is an example.

www.camperid.com

RV Designer® S850 - Dual Outlet Plate & 2 USB Charging Ports

Dual Outlet Plate & 2 USB Charging Ports - Part Number S850 by RV Designer. 1 Piece. Available in Electrical & Lighting Department at www.camperid.com
www.camperid.com www.camperid.com

The above example requires 120 volt power either by inversion, plugged into shore power, or generator.

A better electrical design would be to wire USB ports to the 12 volt power supply in the RV. This will provide power to the USB without a 120 volt source as long as you have Battery power.

Its a good idea to mix it up. Have some of each however, the 12 volt powered USB will require some additional wiring. The 120 volt USB powered outlets are plug and play when installed into existing 120 volt outlet locations.
 
Tks @Henry J Fate but I thought RV outlets do not have screws that can be used w/o a box. But maybe I’m wrong . Not sure I can mount a box in some of my locations.
 
The 120v receptacles with USB combined into them must be installed in electrical boxes for code compliance and are thick enough to be a problem in a wall with little thickness for a box and receptacle. There is a reason the RV manufacturers use the self contained receptacles, they are thin enough to mount almost anywhere.

I used a 12v circuit that only supplied 4 lights, the porch light, one on the front over the cargo pod, one on the left side at the dump area and one in the storage area under the bed only accessible from the outside. This circuit, being rarely used was perfect to add USB chargers to. I used plastic housings the Chinese describe as "tents" made for mounting the common USB ports that fit 30mm holes. I put a switch for the ones in the front and another switch for the one at the rear corner bed. (even the USB chargers with built in capacitance or rubber dome type switches draw current when they are switched off.)

I used one up front that has a volt meter in it in addition to two USB A ports with Qualcomm QC 3.0 capability as my phone will quick charge from this, and I installed a power socket next to it. In another housing I installed one with a PD(power device) USB C port that many things will charge at high rates from, and it also has a USB A quick charge port. At the bed I installed another mixed PD and USB A charger. All are 12v powered so available any time and not blocking other receptacles.

Charles
 

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Yoshi said:
Tks @Henry J Fate but I thought RV outlets do not have screws that can be used w/o a box. But maybe I’m wrong . Not sure I can mount a box in some of my locations.
Click to expand...

Charles has good info for you. There are shallow electrical boxes that may work. I cannot say if a shallow box will work with the example USB outlet I posted.
 
RNS said:
Put this in my bathroom, quick n easy.

outlet
Click to expand...

Great option. Were you able to screw the adapter into the plate screw hole to hold it in place ?

I have used them with and without a mounting screw. The ones without, would consistently be an issue with unplugging. Especially 120v plugs.
 
Something like this may work.
www.homedepot.com

Carlon 1-Gang 14 cu. in. PVC Old Work Electrical Switch and Outlet Box B114RB - The Home Depot

The 14 cu. in. PVC Old Work Electrical Outlet Box is designed to work with non-metallic sheathed cable in accordance with Article 314 of the NEC. This item is great for light commercial and residential
www.homedepot.com
Or something like this.
www.homedepot.com

Carlon 1-Gang Non-Metallic Low-Voltage Old Work Bracket SC100RR - The Home Depot

The Carlon 1-Gang Low-Voltage Old-Work Bracket is specially designed for the installation of Low-Voltage devices in an existing wall. The backless box design accommodates the space and bend-radius requirements
www.homedepot.com

USB receptacles are large and take up a lot of space. The key is to confirm your depth of the hole in the wall.
The RV receptacles in my coach are all shielded on the sides to allow for mounting without a box. If you choose to use the low voltage ring I suggested above, make sure you shield the receptacle some how. I have seen simple black electrical tape used. Not the best but it works.

Or you can use a surface mount box like this.
www.homedepot.com

Legrand Wiremold 500 and 700 Series 4.8 in. Starter Box V5751 - The Home Depot

Small surface metal raceway systems are the ideal choice for a home owner that wants to extend circuits or communication cabling in their home. Surface metal raceway allows you to extend circuits, add
www.homedepot.com

Good luck and let us know how it works out.
 
The ones I used have some depth to them, plus the spade connectors on the back, so they won't fit in a wall, that is the reason for the housings. Also, I didn't want the wires sticking straight out at the dinette or bed and being in the way. These are available in many different combinations of ports, voltmeters, and switches, and they all seem to be well made.

61PsLwPJ5nL._AC_SL1500_.jpg


I bought a whole bunch of different chargers, sockets and "tents" and ended up with several left overs. For fun I made a phone charger for use during power outages or for pure boondocking. The battery connector is about $15 and found on Amazon as a "power wheels battery adapter" or something like that. It has a switch on the back of it, and a fuse. The battery adapters can be found for almost all of the different brand tool batteries you might have. The chargers are almost all 10-30vdc so they have no problem with the 18v batteries.

Charles

front view showing USB power station ports.jpg
 
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How about one of these? Just plug it in.


Sorry for the long URL. Get over it.
 
You have two options.. I am not a fan of those Uni-box/Quick-box outlets the way the wires connect is not robust enough to make me happy and is prone to causing over heating and melting outlets and .... Well.. Not good (had it happen thankfully not disastrously) Punch down wiring works well for Telephones.. NOT for Space heaters.

Option one is to find a shallow box and outlet that has USB ports. I tried. no joy but I only gave it a couple minutes and google not in person. A good electrical supply is your best or Lowes/Home Depot type stores.

Choice two is a plug in Something like this (Shown as example only)

I have one with a built in Night Light but please do not ask where it came from.

Or better yet (Because if the USB goes bad and it can happen, you now have to replace the entire thing) Go with a corded "Charging station"

 
Chef Duane said:
How about one of these? Just plug it in.


Sorry for the long URL. Get over it.
Click to expand...
Fixed it for 'Ya................................... (y)
https://www.amazon.com/expanders-POWSAV-3-Outlet-Extender-Protector/dp/B082FJXVW6

Some forum software does not like long links. The Bigfoot Owners Club Int. is an example of this. They are running on old, clunky software and it cannot handle long links. The fix is to 1) look for the ....../ref....... in the link in your address bar. 2) Put the cursor on the slash or just to the right of it. 3) Press and hold the delete button (this is assuming you are using a laptop or desktop) and hold it until all of the rest of the link to the right of the cursor is gone. Its OK to delete the slash, just don't delete anything to the left of it, or alternatively you can leave the slash. 4) Hit the enter key again, this will reload the page, without all of the coded info that tracks the information to you, and everything else that is included in that mass of gibberish. 5) Once reloaded, copy the new, short link, and past it in your post. :geek:

Not trying to be critical or complaining, just trying to help you should you have issues some day on another forum. Its also good to do this before you bookmark something, as it saves a few bits and bytes of memory. You would be surprised how short some of the Amazon links really are when cleaned up.

Charles
 
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CharlesinGA said:
The fix is to 1) look for the ....../ref....... in the link in your address bar. 2) Put the cursor on the slash or just to the right of it. 3) Press and hold the delete button (this is assuming you are using a laptop or desktop) and hold it until all of the rest of the link to the right of the cursor is gone. Its OK to delete the slash, just don't delete anything to the left of it, or alternatively you can leave the slash. 4) Hit the enter key again, this will reload the page, without all of the coded info that tracks the information to you, and everything else that is included in that mass of gibberish. 5) Once reloaded, copy the new, short link, and past it in your post. :geek:

Not trying to be critical or complaining, just trying to help you should you have issues some day on another forum. Its also good to do this before you bookmark something, as it saves a few bits and bytes of memory. You would be surprised how short some of the Amazon links really are when cleaned up.
Click to expand...
I'm not going to do all that. Too much of a hassle. Plus I'm lazy. Never had any problems with any other forums I visit. If it is a problem I just won't post it and the forum will miss out on my deeply insightful and informative offering. :cool:
 
I just use something like this. Have two of them and can move to wherever needed.
 

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