battery charging basics
i'm planning a 6 month trip in a minivan staying mostly in nat parks, probably with no hookups since i think hookup sites cost a lot more i need a bit of power for my electronics mostly and maybe a...
Forum Discussion
What ol' MEX is trying to say is...
You're biting off quite a bit here. It's not so easy as just throwing a pair of batteries in the back and heading down the road. Best to get your head wrapped around that fact before reading any further.
A little, 1000W, quiet Honda generator and a 40A Black & Decker portable charger (best RV charger ever) would REALLY be a good idea. Honda generators hold their value and it should be an easy sale at the end of your trip. 2 hours of gen time a day will probably get you pretty far. And the fuel will be inconsequential.
I'm with westend on the Costco/Sam's GC2s.
Otherwise, if you must go Wally, to save money you could get these. They should be made by Johnson Controls and decent batteries. The reviews say you might check the electrolyte levels before you leave the store. However, 4 reviews a decent statistical sample do not make.
But again... GC2s. Besides lasting longer, their chemistry makes them easier to top off, which requires about 15.5V or lots of time. And if you're batteries don't get topped off AT LEAST every other week, they will die a quick death due to hardened sulfate.
On top of that, you'll have PCL, or Progressive Capacity Loss each time you fail to charge to 100%. So not only will you kill the batteries prematurely, but you'll have lower and lower capacity each day.
That said...
the Wally batteries will stand up better to high current situations like your fridge may require. However, a startup cap shouldn't set off any inverter alarms in such a short time.
Directly off of jumper cables, alternator charging is not a terrible way to charge your house batteries, though not cheap in gas as MEX just said. The alternator will perform better above idle, though. MEXBUNGALOWS can tell you just what speed to set the throttle.
Then there's BFL13s alternator to inverter to portable charger method, which is even a little faster. He just posted that method in another, similar thread.
To do it right, without a genny, I think a pile of solar is in order. A portable that you can move into the sun is ideal. Even a few square inches of shade on a cell can drop the output of the entire panel immensely. I would say 240W, at least. Then you've got 24V or 12V and what kind of controller to consider.
Of course, with portable solar panels, there's a concern of them walking off.
You're biting off quite a bit here. It's not so easy as just throwing a pair of batteries in the back and heading down the road. Best to get your head wrapped around that fact before reading any further.
A little, 1000W, quiet Honda generator and a 40A Black & Decker portable charger (best RV charger ever) would REALLY be a good idea. Honda generators hold their value and it should be an easy sale at the end of your trip. 2 hours of gen time a day will probably get you pretty far. And the fuel will be inconsequential.
I'm with westend on the Costco/Sam's GC2s.
Otherwise, if you must go Wally, to save money you could get these. They should be made by Johnson Controls and decent batteries. The reviews say you might check the electrolyte levels before you leave the store. However, 4 reviews a decent statistical sample do not make.
But again... GC2s. Besides lasting longer, their chemistry makes them easier to top off, which requires about 15.5V or lots of time. And if you're batteries don't get topped off AT LEAST every other week, they will die a quick death due to hardened sulfate.
On top of that, you'll have PCL, or Progressive Capacity Loss each time you fail to charge to 100%. So not only will you kill the batteries prematurely, but you'll have lower and lower capacity each day.
That said...
the Wally batteries will stand up better to high current situations like your fridge may require. However, a startup cap shouldn't set off any inverter alarms in such a short time.
Directly off of jumper cables, alternator charging is not a terrible way to charge your house batteries, though not cheap in gas as MEX just said. The alternator will perform better above idle, though. MEXBUNGALOWS can tell you just what speed to set the throttle.
Then there's BFL13s alternator to inverter to portable charger method, which is even a little faster. He just posted that method in another, similar thread.
To do it right, without a genny, I think a pile of solar is in order. A portable that you can move into the sun is ideal. Even a few square inches of shade on a cell can drop the output of the entire panel immensely. I would say 240W, at least. Then you've got 24V or 12V and what kind of controller to consider.
Of course, with portable solar panels, there's a concern of them walking off.
