Battery size question
Hi everyone, Long story short, I made the mistake a few years ago of purchasing the biggest batteries that I could fit into the provided box on my 5th wheel, but the spacing is so tight that it was...
Forum Discussion
Thermoguy wrote:
To the OP - you never say how old your batteries are other than a couple years. If they are still good, why replace them just to get something you can lift? Just disconnect and leave in the trailer - or is there a reason that is not an option? If your batteries are not very old but not charging properly anymore, why? Have you used battery power to a point where you are damaging the battery and not getting proper life out of them? If this is the case, going to a single battery will be harder on that 1 battery and damage it quicker, also possibly leaving you without power if you drain the battery to a lower state. Something to think about before you switch to a single battery. But, with the battery you are choosing, you can always add a 2nd. I went the route of 2 6v, but I like to boondock vs apartment complex camping.
My batteries died because I ASSumed that the battery disconnect switch I had the dealer install worked like the one in my previous trailer. It didn't. For whatever reason, there is a leaky parasitic drain of some sort. I store my camper off site, and because we moved last Spring, I didn't check on it for 3 months. Batteries were dead and won't hold a charge. My other camper never had that problem. The disconnect on that trailer absolutely killed all power to the batteries.
No big deal though. It was my fault for not checking the draw. I'm an experienced RV owner. Been doing this since 2009. The difference now is that we don't boondock at all anymore. The 5er is our mobile hotel. That's why I'm moving to one battery. It'll be so much easier to disconnect and remove it when need be. I'll try to post a picture of my battery box. For whatever reason, they bolted a steel shelf just above where the batteries sit, so squeezing 2 Group 27 batts in there is almost impossible. I literally cut both of my hands when trying to remove them, and connecting the wiring is almost impossible. Not worth it.
I totally hear what you're saying about 2 batteries though. If I still boondocked, I'd expand the battery box and solve the problem. I just don't use the camper like that anymore.
