Adding another 12 volt battery
My fifth wheeler came with one battery but when we lose power it does not last long for the 12 volt lighting. What harm would I be doing if I added another battery and ran it in series with the other ...
Forum Discussion
We switched from a pair of 12V batteries in parallel to 6V batteries in series in hopes they will perform better and share the load better. It seemed with our two different sets of 12Vs, one battery always worked harder, drained faster, charged harder, then died sooner with acid boil-overs all along the way. Yes I wired them to share the load properly. And yes I always replaced them as a matched pair, not just one.
I hope the 6Vs will work more like batteries stacked inside a flashlight. They share the load much better, they drain in unison, and they last longer as a working pair. I also hope they will charge at about the same rate together, not one getting over-charged.
Beware though if changing 12V to 6V. 6Vs are taller and their foot print is not the same either. Read the specs on 6V batteries and compare them to 12Vs. They might not fit in your battery compartment.
I also agree about converting to LED lighting. That helps a lot with battery reserves. I converted all our lighting from incandescent & florescent to LED and noticed a big difference right away. We travel exclusively without ever hooking up to shore power so it is a big deal for us.
I hope the 6Vs will work more like batteries stacked inside a flashlight. They share the load much better, they drain in unison, and they last longer as a working pair. I also hope they will charge at about the same rate together, not one getting over-charged.
Beware though if changing 12V to 6V. 6Vs are taller and their foot print is not the same either. Read the specs on 6V batteries and compare them to 12Vs. They might not fit in your battery compartment.
I also agree about converting to LED lighting. That helps a lot with battery reserves. I converted all our lighting from incandescent & florescent to LED and noticed a big difference right away. We travel exclusively without ever hooking up to shore power so it is a big deal for us.
