Electric Power for Tent

by Dan (Reno, Nevada)

Question: I have to use a CPAP machine to help me breathe at night. I do not have an RV, but I do have a tent that goes into the bed of my truck. Is there anyway to get electricity to my truck bed tent camper from the pedestal in an RV park. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: We assume that you will be parked at a campsite that provides electricity at the site. We also assume that your CPAP machine uses regular 110 electricity. We also must note that we have no expertise on CPAP machines. So we highly recommend that you look at the machine-specific specs and talk to the manufacturer of the machine about your plans to take it camping. Perhaps they will have suggestions or advice.

Having said all that, it seems like you could run the right type of extension cord to power the CPAP machine. It should be a good high quality outdoor extension cord. An extension cord of about 25 to 50 foot should do.

A few important cautions:

  • Be careful about what adapters you use. If the power pedestal has a 110 Volt household type receptacle use that one with your extension cord.

    However, if your only choices are a 30 or 50 amp receptacle then you will need the appropriate adapter for the male end of your extension cord. You will have to be extremely careful not to overload your extension cord or you might end up burning up the extension cord and/or causing a fire.

  • We can’t stress this enough: please make sure you use a high quality outdoor extension cord rated higher than all your power needs. For instance if your CPAP machine uses 15 amps, make sure you buy a 20 amp cord. Do not take skimp on cost; put safety first.

Another thought that occurs to us is perhaps you should look for a battery-operated CPAP machine. We don’t know if that is a viable option for you, but thought we would mention it.

Other input welcome.

Comments for Electric Power for Tent

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Apr 24, 2012 CPAP
by: Anonymous


My wife and I use to tent camp. I would lug a deep cycle battery and an inverter w/12 volt clamp . It works great, except for the weight. Now when we dry camp in our trailer I would still bring an extra battery along just for the machine. Longest we’ve used it was for four nights.


Apr 23, 2012 CPAP
by: Anonymous


My husband used a Vector power converter/generator that could be either plugged in to a cig lighter or run on stored power. It was a very handy and multi-use tool!


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