We are kicking tires on a new MH. Yes, we want a new gas coach, so suggesting a used DP to solve this particular question is not on track.The Allegro 32 gas coach has our eye, but we are wondering about only 2 batteries. It appears that almost all upper level gas coaches have residential fridges these days, and they mostly all have only 2 batteries. It doesn't seam like enough. We mostly desert camp without hookups.When residential fridges first started showing up in DP's about 10 years ago, they were adding 2 extra batteries in addition to the typical 4 batteries that DP's had. LED lights have reduced the load, and maybe 6 batteries is not necessary, but 2 seams too little.The problem is complicated by the fact that simply adding more batteries does not appear to be an easy task. The two that come with it are under the steps. Maybe replace those with lithium? The storage compartments are not very heavy gauge, so simply putting batteries in there may not be a good idea without reinforcing things.Any comments on dry camping with residential fridge & only 2 batteries? What happens if your furnace comes on and further taxes the batteries? Any good battery upgrade solutions?

I'd agree that you need more batteries - what's in the next compartment, probably the front tire and then a compartment? That's where you'll probably have to look at putting the extra batteries. The question will then be is the compartment strong enough to handle four more batteries since you're doing the modification? Then you need to get some solar - the more the better.Bill

Tiffin on your model states that 24 hours is the maximum for battery operation of the refer. Your model is NOT designed to do the type boondocking you want to do. Doug

"Any comments on dry camping with residential fridge & only 2 batteries? What happens if your furnace comes on and further taxes the batteries? Any good battery upgrade solutions?"For maybe 75 years now most RV manufacturers have used absorption type refrigerators (propane) as opposed to residential (electricity)for EXACTLY the reason(s) you are trying to avoid. You have to ask yourself, "Do they know something I don't?"Chum lee

Chum lee wrote:For maybe 75 years now most RV manufacturers have used absorption type refrigerators (propane) as opposed to residential (electricity)for EXACTLY the reason(s) you are trying to avoid. You have to ask yourself, "Do they know something I don't?"Chum leedougrainer wrote:Tiffin on your model states that 24 hours is the maximum for battery operation of the refer. Your model is NOT designed to do the type boondocking you want to do. DougIn my opinion, these are the right answers.If you try to forced a square peg into a round hole, it is likely that you will never be totally happy with the result.So.....if you can really afford a brand new A, then order one with a propane fridge.And have you considered potential problems with something that size fitting into the kind of places where you like to stay ??Why are you stuck on gas ??

Not enough batteries | Good Sam Community

Sam_Spade
Explorer
Oct 11, 2016
Winnipeg wrote:
Are the sales people more interested in selling the in-stock unit (with residential fridge) than they are with meeting the customer's needs?

You're joking with that comment......right ??

Not only that but they are known to tell you that an inappropriate combination of equipment will work just fine when they should know that it won't.

Note: A successful salesman doesn't necessarily need to know his product.....IF he knows his customers.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Oct 10, 2016
Winnipeg wrote:
First, Tiffin is putting 2 @ 6V batteries into the Alegro 32SA. That is better than 12V (I think). Second, the residential fridge is OPTIONAL on this model. So, I can get it with the good old propane/12V fridge.

Thank you for the on-topic comments

Uh, the two six volt batteries ARE one 12 volt battery (Eqaual to a 4D in case you wonder)... This has gotten me in lots of arguments.

When in your hand going to or from the battery store, Or in my case on the Store Assistant's hand cart, they are indeed two six volts.

but the moment you hook up that jumper between the 1st and the 2nd they magically become one big 12 volt battery.. I say this because many times I have seen questions about how you tread them different from a 12 volt.. The answer is you don't

Can I replace just one: Can you replace half a 12 volt battery
Do they have to be teh same (age, size, make, et-al) can you get a 12 volt battery that is say half interstate/half Excide?

How do I charge THEM (you charge IT the single 12 volt, Just like a pair of say Group 29s)

Makes life so easier to think of the pair as a single battery, for they are just that when properly installed.
Winnipeg
Explorer
Oct 10, 2016
Well, buried in with LOTS of off-topic responses, someone gave me some very good insight. I confess to taking the "sales" person's statements as truth. Are the sales people more interested in selling the in-stock unit (with residential fridge) than they are with meeting the customer's needs?

First, Tiffin is putting 2 @ 6V batteries into the Alegro 32SA. That is better than 12V (I think). Second, the residential fridge is OPTIONAL on this model. So, I can get it with the good old propane/12V fridge.

Thank you for the on-topic comments
Mr_Mark1
Explorer
Oct 10, 2016
You guys are both good posters..... let it rest. Take a breath.

MM.
Mile_High
Explorer
Oct 09, 2016
dougrainer wrote:
Mile High wrote:
dougrainer wrote:
Mile High wrote:
usersmanual wrote:
I sell hundreds of trailers each year. They (TT)mostly come on transport trailers. The fivers are towed but the ELECTRIC brakes all and have always run off the transportation vehicle batterys. there will be a small auxiliary battery for the break away system brake ; we always install the required batterys on the PDI we do on every trailer that passes through our RV lot

Nobody is arguing where the power comes for the brakes, but it can't be towed without a battery because of the break away, so you get a cheap battery when it leaves the factory, regardless of how many it is supposed to hold normally.

NONE of our Towables come with batteries from the factory. The Factories do not care about having a battery for the Break away system and neither do the Transport companies. I work (37 years and still do) for a large Towable/motorhome dealer(same dealer for those 37 years). AND, we install Interstate Batteries on ALL our units. Interstate makes about the best battery out there. The reason I mentioned Jayco is because Jayco makes provision for 6 batteries on their 5th wheels with residential and we install all 6(OUR expense, not Jayco's AND NO OEM pays a dealer for the battery install) on those models. All other Towables, we install 1 battery even if there are mounts for 2 or more unless the customer pays for the extra batteries on the deal. Doug

Years ago they did come with CHEAP batteries, but since 2008, they dropped batteries in almost all brands on towables.

Well I can't speak for the brands you sell. I can only speak for the brands I buy, and those factories are a little more conscientious of the law and the risks to other motorists.

Regardless - this whole conversation is going nowhere so everyone can zip up their pants and put the rulers away and we can get back on topic. My point was that in addition to battery quantities, there are battery sizes and even if you have less number of batteries than you think you should have, the batteries themselves may be of a higher series and capacity.

REALLY? How many Towables have you purchased? Your sig shows you have a motorhome. MY point is, YOU SPOUT OFF AND HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHAT YOU ARE STATING. Doug

YA AND THIS IS A MOTORHOME THREAD, BUT TO ANSWER YOU, SIX TOWABLES - THE LAST ONE WAS LAST YEAR AND IT HAD A BATTERY IN IT FROM THE FACTORY ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHERS BEFORE THAT! WEVE ONLY HAD THIS MOTORHOME SINCE MAY - there, could you hear my keyboard? Seems you spend a lot of time in caps trying to make your useless point. Just because the stuff YOUR BOSS orders doesn't come with batteries doesn't mean that is ABSOLUTE for ALL or MOST brands as you like to claim, it just means you don't get out much.
dougrainer
Nomad
Oct 09, 2016
Mile High wrote:
dougrainer wrote:
Mile High wrote:
usersmanual wrote:
I sell hundreds of trailers each year. They (TT)mostly come on transport trailers. The fivers are towed but the ELECTRIC brakes all and have always run off the transportation vehicle batterys. there will be a small auxiliary battery for the break away system brake ; we always install the required batterys on the PDI we do on every trailer that passes through our RV lot

Nobody is arguing where the power comes for the brakes, but it can't be towed without a battery because of the break away, so you get a cheap battery when it leaves the factory, regardless of how many it is supposed to hold normally.

NONE of our Towables come with batteries from the factory. The Factories do not care about having a battery for the Break away system and neither do the Transport companies. I work (37 years and still do) for a large Towable/motorhome dealer(same dealer for those 37 years). AND, we install Interstate Batteries on ALL our units. Interstate makes about the best battery out there. The reason I mentioned Jayco is because Jayco makes provision for 6 batteries on their 5th wheels with residential and we install all 6(OUR expense, not Jayco's AND NO OEM pays a dealer for the battery install) on those models. All other Towables, we install 1 battery even if there are mounts for 2 or more unless the customer pays for the extra batteries on the deal. Doug

Years ago they did come with CHEAP batteries, but since 2008, they dropped batteries in almost all brands on towables.

Well I can't speak for the brands you sell. I can only speak for the brands I buy, and those factories are a little more conscientious of the law and the risks to other motorists.

Regardless - this whole conversation is going nowhere so everyone can zip up their pants and put the rulers away and we can get back on topic. My point was that in addition to battery quantities, there are battery sizes and even if you have less number of batteries than you think you should have, the batteries themselves may be of a higher series and capacity.

REALLY? How many Towables have you purchased? Your sig shows you have a motorhome. MY point is, YOU SPOUT OFF AND HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHAT YOU ARE STATING. Doug
Mile_High
Explorer
Oct 09, 2016
dougrainer wrote:
Mile High wrote:
usersmanual wrote:
I sell hundreds of trailers each year. They (TT)mostly come on transport trailers. The fivers are towed but the ELECTRIC brakes all and have always run off the transportation vehicle batterys. there will be a small auxiliary battery for the break away system brake ; we always install the required batterys on the PDI we do on every trailer that passes through our RV lot

Nobody is arguing where the power comes for the brakes, but it can't be towed without a battery because of the break away, so you get a cheap battery when it leaves the factory, regardless of how many it is supposed to hold normally.

NONE of our Towables come with batteries from the factory. The Factories do not care about having a battery for the Break away system and neither do the Transport companies. I work (37 years and still do) for a large Towable/motorhome dealer(same dealer for those 37 years). AND, we install Interstate Batteries on ALL our units. Interstate makes about the best battery out there. The reason I mentioned Jayco is because Jayco makes provision for 6 batteries on their 5th wheels with residential and we install all 6(OUR expense, not Jayco's AND NO OEM pays a dealer for the battery install) on those models. All other Towables, we install 1 battery even if there are mounts for 2 or more unless the customer pays for the extra batteries on the deal. Doug

Years ago they did come with CHEAP batteries, but since 2008, they dropped batteries in almost all brands on towables.

Well I can't speak for the brands you sell. I can only speak for the brands I buy, and those factories are a little more conscientious of the law and the risks to other motorists.

Regardless - this whole conversation is going nowhere so everyone can zip up their pants and put the rulers away and we can get back on topic. My point was that in addition to battery quantities, there are battery sizes and even if you have less number of batteries than you think you should have, the batteries themselves may be of a higher series and capacity.
usersmanual
Explorer
Oct 09, 2016
actually our transport guys supply a break away battery on a fiver and remove it when they deliver. most TT are on a flatbed trailer system
there are some exceptions. As doug said factories don't care but our transport guys definitely do as its illegal in BC and some states not to have the break away system operational
dougrainer
Nomad
Oct 09, 2016
Mile High wrote:
usersmanual wrote:
I sell hundreds of trailers each year. They (TT)mostly come on transport trailers. The fivers are towed but the ELECTRIC brakes all and have always run off the transportation vehicle batterys. there will be a small auxiliary battery for the break away system brake ; we always install the required batterys on the PDI we do on every trailer that passes through our RV lot

Nobody is arguing where the power comes for the brakes, but it can't be towed without a battery because of the break away, so you get a cheap battery when it leaves the factory, regardless of how many it is supposed to hold normally.

NONE of our Towables come with batteries from the factory. The Factories do not care about having a battery for the Break away system and neither do the Transport companies. I work (37 years and still do) for a large Towable/motorhome dealer(same dealer for those 37 years). AND, we install Interstate Batteries on ALL our units. Interstate makes about the best battery out there. The reason I mentioned Jayco is because Jayco makes provision for 6 batteries on their 5th wheels with residential and we install all 6(OUR expense, not Jayco's AND NO OEM pays a dealer for the battery install) on those models. All other Towables, we install 1 battery even if there are mounts for 2 or more unless the customer pays for the extra batteries on the deal. Doug

Years ago they did come with CHEAP batteries, but since 2008, they dropped batteries in almost all brands on towables.
usersmanual
Explorer
Oct 09, 2016
Mile High wrote:
usersmanual wrote:
I sell hundreds of trailers each year. They (TT)mostly come on transport trailers. The fivers are towed but the ELECTRIC brakes all and have always run off the transportation vehicle batterys. there will be a small auxiliary battery for the break away system brake ; we always install the required batterys on the PDI we do on every trailer that passes through our RV lot

Nobody is arguing where the power comes for the brakes, but it can't be towed without a battery because of the break away, so you get a cheap battery when it leaves the factory, regardless of how many it is supposed to hold normally.

exactly but as said we always install correct Rv batterys upon arrival (before sale) and will assume most places do or sell the new customer the correct ones before delivery

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