charging the camper batteries?

[DFrank]

Is the + on the 7 pin connector the best means of getting power for my batteries in my truck camper?

Would they get more power if I ran a fatter pair of wires from the alternator to the camper batteries?

I do not run an isolator between the truck and camper, though I'm tempted to add one, but I sometimes need the extra power from under the hood to keep the heater blowing overnight. Ideally I'd like an isolator installed but with the ability to over-ride it if I decide to use the engine's batteries for coach use.

I plan to upgrade the engine batteries to deep cells, so that will matter less, I think.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[JKosten]

Multiple questions:

how many batteries in the camper and what size?

How do you start the truck when the camper kills it?

why not run a suitcase genset?

what loads / devices are you running overnight?

how / where is the trailer normally driven taken (ie: highway and flats or expo offroad)?

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[Bill Stockard]

I have been hauling truck campers for years. I wire the camper's charge line and the ground to the driver side battery using 8-gauge wiring. I place an isolator (a continuous duty type relay controlled by the ignition switch) and a 40-amp circuit breaker in the charge line near the truck battery. The absorption fridges my campers will run on LP, 120 volts AC, or 12-volts DC. With the 8-gauge wiring, it effectively and quickly charges the camper battery, and if I want, it's possible to run the fridge on 12-volts DC and still charge the camper battery. The charge line in the factory 7-way trailer connector is too small to be effective.

Bill

 

[fkovalski]

Yes, a larger gage wire will be a more efficient method of charging the camper batteries. I by-passed the factory 7-pin charge line and installed an 8 gage to the new in-bed connector to the camper.

If you do decide to add an isolator you can see (with photos) how I did my set-up in this thread:
https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?230350-How-I-set-up-an-RV-battery-isolator&p=2223676#post2223676

 

[DFrank]

Multiple questions:

how many batteries in the camper and what size?

How do you start the truck when the camper kills it?

why not run a suitcase genset?

what loads / devices are you running overnight?

how / where is the trailer normally driven taken (ie: highway and flats or expo offroad)?

Posted via Topify on Android

I mostly camp near ski resorts and usually have access to a friend to jump it.

Batts in truck and camper are due for replacement, the truck for sure, the camper I suspect. I added a second one to the camper. the first batt is 26 months old, the second is only 12 months old. Guy told me not to mix, but I didn't want to buy two new ones last year.

The camper does fine for a day or three, depending on temps. All my lights are led, so its really just the forced air furnace that kills it.

I unplug the 7 pin to save the truck, but if the heat goes out in the middle of the night, I will sacrifice the truck batts for the heat.

I am looking at a suitcase generator. Just saw a 2k sinewave for 600, with a yamaha powerplant that looks tempting.

I try to idle it or go for a short drive, but I don't think its enough to get much a charge to the camper batteries. hopefully upgrading the charge wire will help out.


Here's another thread I just started about replacing the batteries, if anyone cares to comment on that: https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?246200-Is-this-a-decent-battery

 

[JKosten]

If you are due for batteries, consider running 6v golf cart batteries in series. Thry have more lead than most deep cycle batteries per that group size.

Costco has the best pricing.

As for gensets a little ome is handy. I can run my little Honda 1k for 6-8 hours on 3/4 gal of fuel. I run a cord out away from the toy hauler and I won't hear it in the trailer. The other option is to run it from the truck bed and most of the noise goes upwards.

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[fkovalski]

As JKosten mentions, I have read about advantages of multiple 6V batteries. I briefly looked into them but needed new ones when the originals (less than 2 years old) went out one night while camping up at A-Basin. I opted for (2) 12V NAPA RV/Marine Group 27 batteries.

I still may go for 6 Volts when I need new ones. There is a wealth of info on the following links that addresses differences/ advantages here:

The 12 volt Side of Life Part 1:
http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volt.htm

The 12 volt Side of Life Part 2:
http://www.marxrv.com/12volt/12volta.htm

I need to re-read it again before I decide. I recall that because of convenience, cost and the fact that I cannot find 6V batts near me that I opted for the NAPA brand.

 

[DFrank]

Thanks for that link Fk.

I have a couple more questions if someone can answer.

I know my batteries are on there way out, but I am considering just adding a suitcase generator and deferring the battery expense, and allow further time for research and sale hunting.

what should my engine and coach batteries read when charged up?

Mine are only reading high 12.s, but they are still trickle (3.5amp genius charger) charging.

I will try to find 6 v options for the camper.

Whats the scoop with using deep cells in the engine? Are there deep cells that that fit under the hood and are otherwise adequate for starting yet still safely provide reserve for the coach?

Can anyone suggest good 6 volters that fit in the space in front of the wheel well? I have not even started looking for them yet.

Dave

 

[AH64ID]

100% charge is at 12.7V after sitting with no charge/discharge for 30 minutes.

Draining the trucks starting batteries to the point of needing a jump will kill them if it's done more than a time or two, unless they are designed to take it.

 

[DFrank]

100% charge is at 12.7V after sitting with no charge/discharge for 30 minutes.

Draining the trucks starting batteries to the point of needing a jump will kill them if it's done more than a time or two, unless they are designed to take it.

I know they are not designed to take it and they have been drained to where they need a long jump time, at least a half dozen times!

I'm torn between just going to costco and replacing the engine batteries with their $92 offering vs buying a more expensive AGM or an even more expensive deep cycle for under the hood.

If I do go out and buy new engine batteries and defer replacing ghe camper batteries, I am afraid they will contribute to failure of the new engine batteries.

I think I'm leaning towards replacing the engine batts with cheapish ones, hooking up the isolator for the camper's tired batteries and getting a genny to top them off daily.

This should provide reliable starts and the flexibility for longer boondock camping.

When I hook up the Isolator, is it ok to use 2-3 lengths of 12 gauge wire, instead of buying 8 gauge? I have boxes of scrap extension cord. I assume three 12s would be better than one 8, but I am no electrician!

 

[TLane]

...
When I hook up the Isolator, is it ok to use 2-3 lengths of 12 gauge wire, instead of buying 8 gauge? I have boxes of scrap extension cord. I assume three 12s would be better than one 8, but I am no electrician!

That's what I do - I use pieces of 12AWG extension cord with all 3 wires tied together. I checked the table on Wikipedia and that adds up to slightly more cross sectional area than a single 8AWG, so it carry a little more current. Plus I like having the outer jacket to help protect the wires inside.

 

[DFrank]

That's what I do - I use pieces of 12AWG extension cord with all 3 wires tied together. I checked the table on Wikipedia and that adds up to slightly more cross sectional area than a single 8AWG, so it carry a little more current. Plus I like having the outer jacket to help protect the wires inside.

I've been doing this, but wasn't sure it was really accepted practice. basically free wire.

 

[mpaulson]

I unplug the 7 pin to save the truck, but if the heat goes out in the middle of the night, I will sacrifice the truck batts for the heat.


If you are doing this in the middle of the night, and your truck's plug is putting out 12V without it running, then the bulk of the power that you have in the truck batteries is getting sucked out fast into the campers half dead battery. You would need to have the camper's battery disconnected in this procedure to keep the truck batteries from draining fast and then they would only be running your heater/camper.
IMO, go the dual 6V route in the camper and if that doesn't keep you going long enough, then get a mini gen set for a back up. I run dual 6V batteries in my trailer (30') and I can have the furnace cycling all night long in freezing temperatures early and late in the camping season and the batteries will still be showing 3/4 full in the morning while some lights are on.

 

[DFrank]

I unplug the 7 pin to save the truck, but if the heat goes out in the middle of the night, I will sacrifice the truck batts for the heat.


If you are doing this in the middle of the night, and your truck's plug is putting out 12V without it running, then the bulk of the power that you have in the truck batteries is getting sucked out fast into the campers half dead battery. You would need to have the camper's battery disconnected in this procedure to keep the truck batteries from draining fast and then they would only be running your heater/camper.
IMO, go the dual 6V route in the camper and if that doesn't keep you going long enough, then get a mini gen set for a back up. I run dual 6V batteries in my trailer (30') and I can have the furnace cycling all night long in freezing temperatures early and late in the camping season and the batteries will still be showing 3/4 full in the morning while some lights are on.

That makes perfect sense. I am hooking up the isolator right now, and have come to the realization that I probably need all 4 batts and a gen set. liking the idea of the high amp hours I see in a pair of sixers.

 

[AH64ID]

I am not convinced that the wiring needs to be upgraded. I have never seen a big voltage drop from the truck to the trailer. Even today I hooked up to the camper to move it around and there was a 0.14V (14.74 vs 14.60) drop from the truck to the camper. That's with the OEM wiring on both the camper and truck, and the reading from the camper is my voltmeter installed in the trailer 15' from the batteries so the batteries probably had a little more voltage.

That was with batteries that were at 100% prior to hook-up, even when I hook up to the trailer with batteries at 40-50% the drop doesn't exceed .5V and after a few minutes its back to being within .25V. If the voltage are that close then the proper amount of charge is going thru.

 

[DFrank]

I've got to run a new wire to the batteries anyway to use the isolator. Might as well run the three 12g in its jacket.

I then plan to just unhook the + wire inside the camper's 7 pin connection.

 

[AH64ID]

I would install the isolator in the camper, not the truck. But that is just me.

 

[DFrank]

I would install the isolator in the camper, not the truck. But that is just me.

Why? seems if i do it under the hood, it'd be easier to manage if i ever got a trailer with batteries.

 

[AH64ID]

Mainly because I don't think the truck wiring needs to be messed with, and the camper wiring is exposed and easier to wire in an isolator.

 

[gtoli]

Mainly because I don't think the truck wiring needs to be messed with, and the camper wiring is exposed and easier to wire in an isolator.

I am such an idiot! Here I have been wondering how to add an isolator without messing with the truck wiring, for fear of ******* off the TIPM, and you drop out the obvious and ridiculously easy solution.

Now I have a new project.