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How to power a caravan with 12V?

A 12V power supply for a caravan or motorhome must be provided by a 12VDC DC power supply. In this article you'll find more details on how to power your vehicle from the mains.

  • Bureau d’études
  • 2 min read

This article is also available in français.

Contents · 3 sections
  1. Which electrical power supply for my motorhome?
  2. What wattage should I choose for my caravan power supply?
  3. How do you power 24V appliances in your caravan?

Caravans and motorhomes use 12VDC equipment: water pump, refrigerator, heater…

These devices require a DC power supply via a battery. However, for the sake of comfort, you may want to use the traditional 230V EDF mains supply, without using the battery.

To do this, you’ll need a 230V 12V power supply. We emphasize the term Power supply and not Transformer: A power supply converts AC alternating current into DC direct current; The transformer, on the other hand, does not convert AC current to DC, but leaves the current as an AC/AC ratio.

Which electrical power supply for my motorhome?

ABL Transfo can help you choose the right AC/DC power supply. You can find a 230VAC AC/DC power supply -> 12VDC on our store by clicking on the button below:

What wattage should I choose for my caravan power supply?

Calculating the wattage of your electrical power supply for motorhomes and caravans is easy!

Simply add up the wattage of all your appliances and multiply by x1.25 (safety margin). Let’s use an example:

  • Heater: 100W
  • Refrigerator: 200W
  • Water pump: 25W
  • Television: 50W

So let’s add up: 100 + 200 + 25 + 50 = 375 x 1.25 = 468,75W

In this case, you can opt for a power supply closer to 500W or any higher value, but never lower.

Of note: 1W = (environ) 1vA..

How do you power 24V appliances in your caravan?

All the contents of this article remain the same for both 12V and 24V power supplies. If you need to power 24V equipment in your motorhome, make sure you’re talking about 24VDC direct current and not 24VAC alternating current. To find these power supplies for 24V devices in VDC or VAC, click on one of the buttons below

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