I was at a garage sale and I bought this little, classic drip coffeemaker, only the power cord doesn’t end with the usual wall plug but one that fits into the cigarette lighter of a car. I’m wondering if I can even use this thing in my car. My car interior, like most, has no flat surfaces designed into it. And this was made to be a counter sitter. That got me wondering if this is an “RV coffeemaker” that anticipates more power, or power reserve, than a car battery. I haven’t tried it out yet. I’m thinking you guys would be good guys to ask on this. I was going to spend some time googling it, but you guys are more fun and won’t try to sell me two more.
You are correct, this was designed for RV use. As with all appliances that create heat, it will use a significant amount of energy. Depending on the amount of power available in your vehicle’s 12V plug, it may work fine or may blow a fuse.
Also, depending on the size and condition of your vehicle’s battery, you may deplete it beyond what is safe. RVs have deep cycle batteries designed to provide power over a long period of time and be drawn down quite a bit, vehicle batteries are designed to provide a large amount of power quickly to start the engine but little power after that.
You could always leave the vehicle running while you brew coffee and set it on the floor as that is probably the most level surface.
Yes, it will drain your car battery which is not designed for DC appliances… There is probably a sticker on the bottom see what the amp draw is, usually a capital A then a number behind it. You would need a deep cycle battery or have your car running while using it. I used to sell these at a Marine Store I used to work at. Most of them don’t work or take forever to make the coffee, probably 80-90% were returned.