cigarette lighter amps

how many amps is the v12 cigarette lighter? i want to run a ice cube air conditioner which is 5 amps... or...is it advisable to buy the aux battery pack and skip using the cigarette power port?

thx...

The RV-12 power outlet is fused at 5 amps. According to the schematic (Skyview), the wire size is 18 awg. With a 5 amp load, the circuit would be loaded to maximum capacity. Normally circuits are only loaded to 80 percent capacity. Another consideration is how heavily the alternator and regulator are loaded. If everything is loaded to maximum capacity in a hot environment, the lives of components will be shortened.

If the circuit is protected with a 5A fuse then running it at 5A has some risk for blowing the fuse over time. Also if there is a power spike that is over 5A when the unit is first plugged in it might take out the fuse.

18 gage aircraft quality wire assuming it is tefzel (AS22759/16 or /34) is good for 10 amps in a typical application so 5A is not a factor for the wire.

thx... i'm gonna buy the aux battery in lieu of using the cigarette lighter port...

Not an RV12, but I've equipped my RV6 with cigarette lighter power socket fused directly to the positive battery terminal thru a 7.5 amp fuse. I figured the extra couple amps might come in handy over a 5a fuse just in case I need it to connect a battery charger thru the cigarette lighter plug, and it has when the initial inrush current from the charger has topped 6 amps which would've blown a 5 amp fuse. This is keeping in mind that most cars have historically fused their cigarette lighter outlets with 10-15 amp fuses, so I believe that 7.5 amps is a reasonable value for circuit safety in an experimental airplane.