Welcome to the sixth entry in October’s Medium Mod Contest. One Medium Mod will be published in every Email Alert in October. At the end of the month, we’ll hold a reader vote to determine October’s winner. Click here for information about the 2023 Mod Contest, including how to enter.
Mark Motsko, Powell Butte, Oregon
Adding USB Charging Ports
2016 Chevy Silverado 3500
2016 Bigfoot 1500
Although our 2016 Bigfoot truck camper has two charging ports, our number of devices that need to be charged has increased; phones, iPads, Kindles, hearing aids, and Bluetooth portable speakers are just a few.
Above: Adding USB Wire Connection, highlighting the lever lock connector
I ordered a four-port, 12-volt charging port from Amazon and installed it under our dinette table. I was able to locate a fused power source in the camper’s power distribution center and ran 16-gauge wire to the USB ports.
Mounting the unit underneath the table required fabricating a piece of scrap maple that had an opening for the USB ports and could be screwed into our table. I used a Kreg pocket hole jig to accomplish this.
The wires were run through D-line micro plus plastic channeling to reduce phantom draws during extended boondocking. I placed an on/off within the circuit.
Materials Used:
Paste type 12-volt switch, $7.99
12-volt USB port, $28
D-Line micro channeling from Lowes, $10.99
Two Wago Lever Nut connectors, $1
Surplus 16-gauge wire
So far, so good! It took me one hour to complete this modification and it cost me $50. In my opinion, the skill level of this modification is medium.
Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.
Enter Your Mods Now!
If you’d like to enter a modification you’ve done on your truck camper, click here. You can enter as many mods as you want, at any time. Good luck mod makers!