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10 Electric Must Haves for your Small Travel Trailer

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10 Electric Must Haves for your Small Travel Trailer

There are a few essential electrical items that will make travelling with your small travel trailer safer and more convenient.

#1  Good Surge Protector

One of the most important things to have for your campground stays is a good surge protector.  It is common to hear stories about bad wiring at campgrounds.  And, plugging your travel trailer directly into a bad circuit or getting a power surge could cause damage to your trailer’s electrical system and appliances.  To avoid the risk, it’s best to use a good surge protector every time you plug in your trailer.  We have used the Progressive Industries EMS-PT30X for almost a year and have had a really good experience with it.  The scrolling digital display shows if there are any errors with the campground wiring and provides peace of mind that the power is clean.  It has a weather shield and a secure locking bracket to prevent theft.

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#2  110V Male to 30A Female Dogbone Adapter

Another very important item that should be with your small travel trailer at all times is a 110V Male to 30A Female dogbone adapter.  This will allow you to connect your trailer’s 30A power cord into a regular household 110V outlet.  It’s essential when you want to hook up at a house or anywhere there is just a regular 110V outlet.  Since we store our Scamp travel trailer in our garage, we constantly use the adapter to keep our battery charged and also run the Scamp lights and other appliances when necessary.  We often use the adapter so we can power our Scamp’s refrigerator the day before we leave on a trip [since our Scamp has 3 modes for running the fridge – AC, 12V (when driving), and Propane (when no electricity is available at the campground)].  Lastly, it’s very common for us to stop at a relative’s house during our trips and we use the adapter for power when we driveway camp.

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#3  110V Household Extension Cord

You should always carry an outdoor 110V household extension cord in your small travel trailer so you can hookup your trailer (using your dogbone adapter) to household current.  We use ours all the time when driveway camping.

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#4  50A Male to 30A Female Dogbone Adapter 

Another adapter that might be considered but might not be essential (until you really need it) is a 50A Male to 30A Female dogbone adapter.  We have yet to use this adapter, but purchased on the advice of our friend Hugh who mentioned that there are some campgrounds and RV parks where only a 50Amp outlet will be available.  This adapter is inexpensive and light enough that we purchased one and carry it with us in the Scamp in the rare event we ever run across a campsite where this is the case.

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#5  Heavy Duty 30A Outdoor 25’ Extension Cord

One item that we have already used (which our friend Hugh also recommended) is an outdoor 30A heavy duty 25’ extension cord.  Normally, when you pull your travel trailer up to the utility pedestal at a full hookup campground, all the utilities are right there (e.g. 30A power, water, and sewer).  However, in some cases, the utilities may be separated.  We first discovered this on a visit to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.  We pulled our Scamp travel trailer up to the water area (which was close to the sewer as well).  But, the electrical outlet pedestal was in a separate location, quite far from our trailer.  After a lot of maneuvering, we were able to get our Scamp in a central enough location that we could reach the water hose and electrical outlet at the same time.  But, our Scamp’s power cord was pulled completely tight and slightly in the air so there was concern it could be a tripping hazard at night (since it is very dark at the campground).  Our friend Hugh loaned us his outdoor 30A heavy duty 25’ extension cord, which solved the problem.  We ordered one as soon as we returned home from this trip and always carry it in our Scamp.

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#6  Portable Air Compressor

It’s super handy to have a portable air pump so you can keep your small travel trailer tires and car tires inflated to the proper levels.  This not only saves on fuel, but it can also be necessary for your trailer’s hitch to clear driveway bumps.  We’ve been using the 12V DC Hausbell Portable Air Compressor for a while and it performs great.  It has a nice digital display and allows you to set the desired pressure.  It can also be used to fill up air mattresses and other inflatables.  It’s small and light, so it can easily be carried in your car.

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#7  Small AC to DC Converter

A nice complement to a portable air compressor is a small AC to DC converter.  This little device allows 12V devices (like the 12V air compressor) to be plugged into it and then plugged into a regular AC 110V wall socket.  This is useful when there isn’t a cigarette socket available (e.g. your car isn’t nearby and/or your small travel trailer doesn’t have an outdoor 12V socket).  We have the RoyPow AC to DC adapter.  We use it in the garage to inflate our Scamp’s tires (we plug our 12V tire inflator into the RoyPow which is plugged into one of our garage’s 110V outlets).  Or, we plug our Scamp into 110V power and plug the RoyPow into our Scamp’s outside 110V outlet.  Use it at the campground by plugging into the 110V power pedestal and then plug in the portable air compressor into it.

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#8  Battery Power Bank

A luxury item that could be essential depending on how you travel is a large external battery power bank.  The independent power bank can power many of your essential items while reserving your travel trailer’s battery power for your super essential items like lights, fan, and pumps.  We purchased the Jackery 500 which has 518Wh of power (which can power a lot of devices for a long time).  It has a 12V cigarette socket, USB ports, and even a 110V outlet.  We use it to charge our phones, drones, cameras, and power our 12V television in our Scamp.  It can even be used to run your portable air compressor.  You can charge it in your car while driving between camping locations, with 110V power outlets at campsites, and also with a solar panel.

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#9  100W Solar Panel

A 100W solar panel is a great option to help recharge your small travel trailer batteries daily when camping without hookups.  We’ve found our solar panel can maintain our Scamp’s battery at 12.5V (a good place) for days on end as long as the sun shines. The solar panel may also be used to recharge your independent power bank.  Get a good extension cable set so you can easily position the panels into the sun.  Having this connector will make it much easier to connect your solar panels to your battery.  You will need a crimper tool and a set of connectors so you can make a dongle with wires on one side that slide into solar panel and connectors on the other which plug into the extension cables.

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#10  Multi USB Charger

A multi USB charger is great for your car and small travel trailer to charge your portable devices when travelling.  We use the Jelly Comb to charge our phones, cameras, drones and other USB devices. It has a 12V socket and a long cable so we can plug it in the Scamp’s 12V socket and position it in convenient locations for charging.  We also can plug it into our car and portable power bank.

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“There’s no wi-fi in the mountains, but you’ll find no better connection.”  Anonymous

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly. 

How to Watch Movies in the Wild

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How to Watch Movies in the Wild

Sometimes it’s nice to come back to your small travel trailer after a long day of hiking and watch a good movie.  After all, you can probably stay up as late as you want and sleep in the next morning!  Without the usual pressures of the outside world, being in the wilderness affords a nice opportunity to really enjoy some quality entertainment!

The main piece of equipment you will need to enjoy a good movie in your small travel trailer is a television (LCD TV) that is powered by 12 volts.  Being powered by 12 Volts allows you to use the TV off grid (e.g. no hookups).  This type of TV can be plugged directly into a 12V socket and powered by the travel trailer’s 12V battery or an auxiliary battery power bank, which is desirable when you have no hookups in the wild.  If your small travel trailer has 110V outlets, they are unlikely to work without hookups because most small trailers don’t have inverters (allows your 12V battery to power 110 volt outlets).  Note:  12 volt TVs designed for travel trailers often also come with a 12V power supply which allow the TV to be plugged into a 110V outlet (which may be useful if there is no 12V socket option in the small travel trailer so the TV can be used at least when the trailer is hooked up to city power or if the trailer has an inverter with 110 volt outlets).  It’s important to note though, that the 12V TV will be more efficient (use less power) off grid when plugged directly into a 12V socket than using an inverter (110V outlet powered by 12V battery) since there are losses associated with “inverting” DC to AC current (which can be significant).

It is recommended to get a TV designed specifically for an RV because (along with being 12V) they are built to withstand vibration from the road and handle larger variations in temperature and humidity, unlike home electronics.  Additionally, they may be more energy efficient than non RV models which is important if you are camping without hookups and trying to conserve power.

One of the few manufacturers of 12 volt TVs for travel trailers is Jensen.  The model that came with our 13’ Scamp travel trailer is a Jensen 19” with a built-in DVD player.  The TV is mounted in the corner of our Scamp so it can be watched while sitting at the dinette or from the bed (when the dinette is converted to the bed).  The DVD player is handy if you have a collection of DVDs because you can play DVDs anywhere without the need for over the air TV signals, a cable/satellite connection, or a data connection (e.g. wifi or mobile data hotspot).  I recommend using an adhesive like LocTite Threadlocker to secure the mount’s bolts threads if you have a TV mounted in your small travel trailer.  Our factory installed TV disconnected from its mount (brand new Scamp) on one of our first trips and fell to the floor!  When we arrived at our destination I found the TV on the floor with a broken soldered joint at the cable connection.  Fortunately, the TV manufacturer (Jensen / ASA Electronics) was super nice and fixed the TV at no cost!  After that experience, I used LocTite on all the bolts to secure the TV and the TV mount has stayed tight since.

If you don’t have room for a TV or don’t want the expense, you can also watch TV and movies on your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop albeit with a smaller screen size.

If you are city camping, like the times we spent on my cousin Jon’s driveway in Santa Barbara, or when we parked our Scamp travel trailer out on the street in front of my sister’s house in Oakland, you likely will have access to electrical power, wifi and over the air HD digital signals.  If your small travel trailer is connected via an extension cord to city power, then there is no concern about how to power your TV.  Once your family member or friend gives you their wifi code (assuming you are close enough to the house to receive the signal), you will have full access to streaming media (which includes TV).  You will need a digital streaming media player attached to your TV — like a Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, or AirTV.  We have subscriptions to Sling TV, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.  Sling TV (internet TV service owned by Dish Network) has an incredible variety of television channels and offers additional channel packages (like News, Lifestyle).  We have the Sling TV Blue package along with News and Lifestyle packages which has most major news channels, CNBC, and all the Hallmark Channels.  Sling TV also provides a free 10 hour cloud based DVR, so you can record shows and watch them wherever you are (as long as you have an internet connection).  So, as long as we have a decent wifi connection in the Scamp, we get a vast array of TV channels through Sling TV.  Netflix and Amazon Prime also provide a huge library of movies and TV shows.   In addition to Internet TV, we also receive crystal clear over the air TV when in most cities via our HD antenna system.  We added the TV package when we ordered our Scamp which includes an HD Antenna on the roof, an electronic attenuator inside the Scamp for rotating the HD antenna for optimal HD reception, and cabling inside the Scamp with a cable port outside for use when staying at an RV park that offers cable TV.  Over the air HD TV is especially good when one wants to watch local channels (like the News or Weather) or when no other forms of TV are possible (e.g. no Internet, no DVDs, no phone).

When staying in campgrounds at State and National Parks, there usually is no wifi or over the air HD TV reception.  If the campground has electrical hookups, then no consideration needs to be made regarding powering the TV.  However, if the campground has no hookups, it’s best either to watch shows on a small device (e.g. mobile phone, ipad, or laptop) or use a large external battery power bank (we use the Jackery 500) which can independently power the TV for hours without running down your travel trailer battery.  It is extremely important to reserve all the trailer’s battery power for essential tasks (e.g. running a fan, lights, and water pumps) when boondocking (no hookups).  A 100W solar panel is a great option to help recharge your small travel trailer batteries daily when camping without hookups.  We’ve found our solar panel can maintain our Scamp’s battery at 12.5V (a good place) for days on end as long as the Sun shines.  Another option is to use a generator for power (although State and National Parks generally have rules regarding if and when you can use one).  For most small travel trailers, a solar panel is enough.

Now that you have your TV / personal viewing device, power outlet, and power source all figured out, you can decide on what you want to watch and how you are going to watch it (which will likely vary depending on the campsite location and available utilities).  The three main ways to watch movies in the wild are through:   DVDs, downloading movies onto your personal viewing device, and satellite TV (requires satellite dish and subscription).  You can try scanning the HD channels for over the air TV, but, so far, we’ve found no signals in all the remote areas where we’ve stayed.  If you have a DVD player built into your TV, then just stick the DVD into the TV and away you go!  Before every trip, we try to download a bunch of movies from Netflix and/or Amazon Prime.  The downloaded movies can be played both on our phone and on our TV (through our phone using a special cable) even if we have no internet connection.  If buying an HDMI cable that displays your phone’s movies onto the TV, you need to make sure you purchase a cable that is meant for your model phone.  We purchased this cable for our Samsung Galaxy S8 phone which plugs into the phone and the TV’s HDMI port and displays whatever is playing on the phone.  Update:  my Samsung Galaxy S8 needed to be replaced and few phones (including my new phone) output HDMI.  So, I purchased a small inexpensive laptop with HDMI output to play movies into our TV.  To download movies and shows from Netflix: download the Netflix App from the Google Play store or Apple App Store, open the Netflix App on your phone and sign in, select a movie or series, and click on Download.  When you want to watch at the campground, select the Downloads menu item and find your movie / show and play (you will not need an Internet connection to watch the show).  The process is very similar with Amazon Prime.  Lastly, satellite TV may be an option to consider.  Our friends Hugh and Cheryl have satellite TV (DirectTV) with a satellite TV antenna on the roof of their very large motorhome.  This is also possible for a small travel trailer if you don’t mind the expense for equipment and monthly subscription and can setup and store the satellite receiver and antenna.

In the not so distant future, StarLink (constructed by SpaceX) will provide high speed broadband satellite internet service covering most of the globe using a constellation of thousands of mass produced satellites in low Earth orbit.  The first 60 satellites were launched in 2019 and Space X has been launching sets of 60 on a regular basis since this time.   SpaceX plans for near global service by late 2021 or 2022.  If successful, Starlink will transform travelling with small travel trailers by enabling high speed broadband communication (e.g. ip phone, browsing, email, tv / movie streaming) at the most distant locations where one can travel.  For small travel trailer enthusiasts, this will be a communication bonanza — possibly enabling longer and more pleasant trips by allowing campers to work from the trailer, stay in touch with family, and enjoy online entertainment, including TV and movies, at once completely off the grid campgrounds.  Update:  StarLink is now available for RV use!!!

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly.