Backup battery

tphorn

We are planning to go out west this summer with our Tab.  I have an extra battery that I plan on taking with us. It is a size 24 deep cell battery.  We plan on going to camp sites with hook ups but know this may not be always possible.  I have a couple questions.

1. If I connect the second battery into the solar plug on the front of the trailer will this keep charged off the main charger in the tab? Is this a sufficient wire size to power the Tab when boon docked?

2. I have heard others say they connect an extra battery to the TV trailer wiring when not connected to the Tab and are driving around.  Can this have the potential to over charge the battery?

I have also finally rearranged my garage so the Tab will fit in it.  I purchased a PLYPR 3 Rpod cover to use on my Tab last winter. 

jkjenn

I am interested in a back up, too, and don't want to mess with the existing wiring in the T@b.

Glad to see we are finally getting a bigger contingent in NE OH and W PA.

judymac

Jenn, glad you are back on the forum.  Your,posts are always helpful.

jkjenn

judymac said:

Jenn, glad you are back on the forum.  Your,posts are always helpful.

Thanks, Judy. Work has been a bit of a mad rush plus some business travel. A little under the weather now, as a result, but hopefully things are beginning to smooth out a little.

leenscottfl

I wonder how a battery pack used to jump vehicles would work as a spare? It plugs into the TV to charge and seems that you could just disconnect the RV battery and hook up the pack. Anyone tried that approach?

Nomad

Being from MN I used to carry one of those all the time - Don't know how it would work but there's versions now that are really dinky and can still jumpstart a car. 

Bentr

Trailers use marine batteries which are designed to be charged and discharged many times. I think the jump- start batteries are more like car batteries which provide a lot of amps for turning the engine over but dont like being significantly discharged and will have a much shorter lifespan if used this way. 

source3

tphorn said:

...

1. If I connect the second battery ...

2. I have heard others say they connect an extra battery to the TV trailer wiring when ...

Read the below link.  It will answer your questions and hopefully not create more. Read all 51 pages.  

There are many different ways to set up a dual battery depending on the intended purpose.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/77503-How-to-make-a-cheap-isolated-dual-battery-setup-for-50?highlight=dual+battery

Nomad

Good point Ben.

jkjenn

Richard Lewis described a method on FB, of using a regular battery box and connecting the spare battery to a 7 way female plug so that you would just connect the trailer using the 7 way connector.

Michigan_Mike

leenscottfl said:

I wonder how a battery pack used to jump vehicles would work as a spare? It plugs into the TV to charge and seems that you could just disconnect the RV battery and hook up the pack. Anyone tried that approach?

Are you referring to the small, PowerAll units or the larger chargers with the large jumper cables attached?   These are all good questions, but for all intents and purposes one would be better off sticking with a larger/heavier duty battery set-up or something akin to two 6 volt batteries wired together to gain additional charge capabilities.   There's nothing wrong with carrying an additional deep-cell battery along, but you will find over time that extra items are transported around the country and taken for a ride and are never used.  

The above are common/valid questions in the forum areas and there are varying means of accomplishing the goal of attaining ample power for trailers while camping.   I supplement my larger/golf cart size battery via my 80 watt Zamp solar panel and am continually monitoring my trailer battery and adjusting my power consumption accordingly to preserve my battery and not damage it in the process.  The real question for individuals or those of you with families should be, "where will I be camping the majority of the time?"   Will it be boon-docking and off the grid for 2-3 days or will you be traveling, sight-seeing and camping in RV parks and campgrounds with full hook-ups?    

My point in the above is that solar offers up a viable alternative in charging batteries up during the day, but it can be expensive on the front end.   You also need to know your energy consumption or what devices you are using that draw the most power during your set-ups (e.g., TV/DVD, trailer lights, ceiling fan, etc.).  It's a good idea to get out and take a few shake-down trips beforehand and figure out how things go or if there is a real need to upgrade your system and invest more money into batteries for your trailer.  

Bottom line the smaller power packs are intended as short duration charge units and would not be a good alternative for powering up trailers.  Cell phone, laptops, etc. maybe, but a little bit doesn't go very far!  

Nomad

Mike - Or a generator. Had four days of overcast/rain where the solar wasn't an option. But, yes, one does need to look at how they camp. If it's always hookupville you don't need any of it.

Verna

I asked my favorite truck accessory place if they would wire from the alternator to a battery sitting on the floor of the back seating area so I could use the spare battery to power my ARB if I were sight seeing or shopping for a longer length of time. 

They refused, saying they felt it would be dangerous to have a battery that was not attached to the frame of the truck (or a specific anchor point), even if it was an AGM battery.  They reminded me that I do have solar panels, but the accessory plugs are off as soon as I turn the ignition off in the Toyota Tacoma. 

So, I'm still thinking about a suitable way to power the ARB if I am away from my Silver Shadow and can't power it from the Silver Shadow. 

And, no, the PowerAll will not power the ARB.  I haven't tried it, and I don't want to damage either one.

vito

This is all good info for me as a soon-to-be T@b owner. I was wondering about a small generator that I would carry in my TV that would allow me to use everything electrical in the T@b, including the a/c when dry camping. Any suggestions for size, and brand of generator. The only downsides that I see (other than the initial cost of the generator) might be the noise, and the need to carry gasoline to run the generator. Would appreciate comments from those of you with more experience in this. 

mash2

Early on, I used the Richard Lewis spare battery plugged into the TV to charge the battery and then used jumper cables to link spare to system to augment battery.  Useful for augmenting on occasion.  I would echo Michigan Mike on the longer term goal of figuring out what your needs really are.  I beefed up my battery system by replacing the T@B battery with 12 v 100 amp group 27 AGM battery (using the old battery as my "backup.")  Once I knew my longer term needs, I ended up with a second AGM battery installed in parallel in the system.  (I added solar because I boondocks extensively, but I spent a few months shaking out my system before committing to a more complex system.  While Michigan Mike went to 6v batteries, I turned to AGM in parallel (with 200 AMPs total) because it allowed me to take the interim step of just beefing up the singe system battery as an interim step to more closely monitor my needs over time.  So I went somewhere in between until I worked out what my real needs were.  

Lisa33

Ditto what Mike, Verna and mash2 said.  I carried an auxiliary battery with a cable to connect to the 7-blade connector.  It really wasn't practical since I was constantly worried about charging it.  The better solution is to install a second battery that is being charged via the TV, converter and/or solar charge controller.  

There are a bunch of threads on generators that you might want to check out, with pluses and minuses.  Also look over on the LG Forum.  Basic consensus is a Honda or Yamaha 2000.  That said, I opted for a Yamaha 2400 with tri-fuel conversion (allows it to be run using propane).  

Nomad

Vito - You need a 2000w generator to startup the air conditioner otherwise you can burn out the compressor (so all the advice says). However, when I start the air it doesn't kick the generator into high gear like a toaster will so I suspect the 2000 is overkill but betting the 1000w probably isn't enough for the startup. I have the Honda 2000i, seems to represent 80% of the generators I see in campgrounds. - Yes you do need to carry a gas can but you can get ones that seal so you don't get any fumes. The Honda also seals. - The Honda (and Yamaha) are very quiet and meet the noise level requirements of the National campgrounds. When they're in low gear you can hardly hear them unless you're standing right next to them. From a little distance or inside the T@B it's just a little purring sound.
I have solar and use that most the time. Only haul out the generator if it's overcast and I need juice or I need the air or toaste for Sunday brunch.