Laptops - with no hook up?

[helenherbert]

I have NO knowledge of electrics so a really simple answer would be really appreciated!
I want to charge a phone and plug in a laptop when not hooked up.
Please can someone tell me what bit of kit I need and where I plug it in - and any help where I can get it from too?
Have searched our wonderful forum but can't get past volts, amps, inverters, 2 pin plugs and stuff I find baffling.
Many thanks to anybody who can give me a short simple answer!

 

[RobdeBear]

Depending on your 'phone type there's bound to be a 12v car socket charger/adapter available. Some phones can charge from USB and there are loads of USB adapters out there. I use a TomTom one which is quite expensive but it has a straight through socket (so you still have a socket) plus 2 USB sockets, one of which is high current for charging iPads and the like. it is a bit tall though so won't fit in the rear door side socket once the bed's down.

I'm sure Apple do a car charger adapter for their laptops but as for anything else, you'd need to have a quick search quoting your computer model to see if you can find something that plugs in without an inverter being required.

Remember to try to use the rear sockets though as the dashboard one will be taking the juice from your starter battery. Shouldn't be an issue charging a phone but running a laptop could be another matter.

 

[Martin]

Helen, another option is to charge the laptop via the inverter socket behind the passenger seat and use one of Calikevs adapters, this will save you having to buy a 12v travel charger plus you can use the adapter for othe low powered devices.

 

[RobdeBear]

Helen, another option is to charge the laptop via the inverter socket behind the passenger seat and use one of Calikevs adapters, this will save you having to buy a 12v travel charger plus you can use the adapter for othe rlow powered devices.

Of course! As ours is a 2006 we don't have the inverter. I had assumed Helen had a pre-inverter model, too.

 

[calikev]

Helen if you have the invertor behind the passenger seat this will do the job
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281122117027? ... 1555.l2649

 

[RobdeBear]

Can the inverter be retro-fitted and/or would it be stupidly expensive?

 

[calikev]

I'm sure you could fit an inverter in somewhere. Before I had the Cali I used this in my old t5
http://www.maplin.co.uk/portable-power-pack-225153
I bought mine off eBay new for about £25

 

[Martin]

Does the pre-facelift not have an inverter then?

 

[RobdeBear]

Not that I'm aware of. If it has I will emit a loud Homer Simpson like - Doh!!

 

[calikev]

I though it had one next to the little plug at the end of the sink the round plug with two pins
Although I could be wrong :laugh2

 

[Martin]

I think Helen has a 2011/12 Cali so she should have an inverter, i did not realise the pre facelift did not have them fitted though, I have learnt something new

 

[RobdeBear]

I must admit that I had never used the Euro mains socket until just now, when I checked to see if it was live. Up until now we've either wild camped or on unserviced pitches. There's no power from it, as I had assumed would be the case when not on hookup. Maybe I'll look at fitting something inside that cupboard. We have a big inverter in the Defender and it's brilliant.

 

[Freeley]

My 2009 has an inverter socket I think. I thought it was the 2 pin jobbie on the passenger b pillar.
I've also got a Hella socket on the side of the kitchen unit next to the 240 socket.
Is this not the same on the facelift then?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[calikev]

No the facelift has a diamond shape 2 pin socket with a flap on it behind the passenger seat
Built into the trim.This is the inverter socket that runs off the leisure batteries giving you 240v + 150watts maximum At the end of the sink unit is 3pin 240v socket and a standard 12v cigarette lighter socket

 

[Freeley]

No the facelift has a diamond shape 2 pin socket with a flap on it behind the passenger seat
Built into the trim.This is the inverter socket that runs off the leisure batteries giving you 240v + 150watts maximum At the end of the sink unit is 3pin 240v socket and a standard 12v cigarette lighter socket

Ok my inverter socket is the same as yours then.
I've got an adapter for my Hella socket that makes it a standard 12v cigarette lighter socket.
They must have added the inverter some time between 2006 and 2009.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[AndyFromTheBrac]

I had a thunk about this too. Can someone tell me if I'm being a twonk? :crazy

As most laptop power supply (bricks') output to the lappy at around 19v, would this be wasting some of the juice (in terms of resistance) by inverting 12v to 230v then transforming it down again to 19v? So draining the batteries a little quicker (hey I've watched Apollo 13, every little helps )

So would it be more efficient to use a 12v laptop adapter in a 12v socket which can juice up the laptop without the up & down of the inverter & brick?

 

[RobdeBear]

I had a thunk about this too. Can someone tell me if I'm being a twonk? :crazy

As most laptop power supply (bricks') output to the lappy at around 19v, would this be wasting some of the juice (in terms of resistance) by inverting 12v to 230v then transforming it down again to 19v? So draining the batteries a little quicker (hey I've watched Apollo 13, every little helps )

So would it be more efficient to use a 12v laptop adapter which can juice up the laptop without the up & down of the inverter & brick?

That was my thinking but if there's an inverter aleady there then that's nice and easy. As long as an oxygen tank doesn't get hit by a stray piece of space debris, of course ;-)

 

[helenherbert]

Just got in from work - and loads of helpful answers already! Thanks so much forum!
I do have a facelift - think you all know more about my cali than I do. Have found the inverter socket and am sending of for the kit on ebay - many thanks for the link.
We use it as a bit of a mobile office at the moment so it will be so useful to extend the battery life of the laptop.

 

[JimJ]

Alas with a laptop there is a need for an extra kick to get the charge running, well that's my understanding of it. Laptop chargers require 14.5v for starters. Apple do not do a car charger kit for this reason. We did find something in the Apple store that looked like it would work, but as clearly stated on the packet it's for planes only. We did try it, but no it didn't work.

Would be interesting to see this eBay inverter worked out

 

[helenherbert]

Not too well!
Worked fine for phone charging (and would imagine it will be ok for ipad/3DS) but did not work for the laptop - any more advice out there...?

 

[brother10]

Hi Helen,

I`m not Brain of Britain (yet) but don`t understand you being unable to charge your laptop. I use that method often with great success. Perhaps as mentioned previously some laptops require a bit more ooph to get going than others. I use a HP about 3 yrs old, also watch TV through it with the addition of a little gizmo from Mr Amazon. Do you have another laptop that you could try it with and more importantly do you have current coming from the socket?

Best I can do until I pass my Hertz,amps and ohms exams.

Bob

 

[brother10]

Sorry Helen,

Of course you have power. Must go and resit my reading exams.

Bob

 

[AndyFromTheBrac]

I used one like this;


http://dx.com/p/car-charger-for-del...ampaign=1402&gclid=CObx8oLHsbgCFdMQtAod33IAjQ

- Input: DC10~12V
- Output: 19.5V/3.34~4.62A
- Max power: 90W

Worked fine from a car charger, but haven't tried it in the Cali. There are plenty of 3rd party co's that do Apple MagSafe etc car chargers too. There are lots + Amazon;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?tag=eliteelect-21

Failing that you could look at the more expensive (but more versatile) PowerTraveller range https://www.powertraveller.com/

 

[helenherbert]

I now have to back pedal - and have tried my laptop - Samsung Ultrabook - and it does charge.
Husband think his didn't show the charging light because it was fully charged when he tried it in the van - DOH! We are truly hopeless!
So upshot is - YES - it does charge!

 

[Les]

Aren't the 2 x 12v sockets in the rear by the side of the rear seat cup holder and in the boot from the standard multivan so are supplied by the starter battery? The cct diagram in the self learning guide only shows the hella socket supplied by the leisure batteries. Also my supplement implies the inverter is supplied by the starter battery as well.