Can a Horse Trailer Wired for 110AC Power Also be Wired to Run Off of 12 Volt DC Power

Published 06/12/2014

Question:

Im trying to put two battery on the front of my horse trailer but it never had any battery on it before I got it. The living quart of the trailer is wired for 110 voltage but I want to power the inside of it off my truck using the battery on the front of the trailer do you know what all I would need to make it work right and on the inside of the living quart is a breaker box.

asked by: Josh J

Expert Reply:

Since you want the powered accessories on the trailer to run off of both 110 AC power and 12 volt DC power you will need what is called a transfer switch and probably some additional wiring including the batteries.

A transfer switch will automatically switch to running off AC power when the trailer is plugged in and then revert back to DC power. The trouble is that the accessories using the power have to be rated for AC and DC power.

This is actually a fairly major operation. We do not carry transfer switches so you would likely need to go to an RV dealer with a service center to have this sort of conversion done.

expert reply by: Michael H