How to Increase Battery Capacity
After spending 10+ years studying RVs prior to buying one I’m amazed at what I still don’t know! Turns out the cure for that is this amazing forum. The latest issue I’m lost about is a LOT more ...
Forum Discussion
OP here.
mkirsch wrote:
Right off the bat, you mean 100 WATT solar kit, and no, it won't help keep a usable charge. Something like that is good for charging and maintaining while the trailer is in storage.
Sorry, I knew that!
mkirsch wrote:
The refrigerator and water heater don't use much power unless something is very very wrong. They have electronic control boards that monitor temperature and light the burner when the temperature gets too cool/warm, depending on heater or fridge.
I figured that was the case, but if my battery is drawn down to 50%, and I stopped using everything but the fridge, would I be doing much damage to the battery? I assume the water pump uses much more - what about just the occasional toilet flush?
mkirsch wrote:
I don't understand where you think you need to spend so much money. A pair of 6V golf cart batteries will cost you <$200, double your battery capacity, and won't require special charging equipment. You can get them at Sam's Club if you are a member.
I based my assumption on the threads here that seemed to imply that anything less than a Trojan battery was a waste of money, and that anything less than an upgraded converter/charger wouldn't properly charge the batteries. Maybe those posts fall into the same category as the posts I see on music forums that imply that you can't make music on anything less than an expensive and/or vintage guitar, etc
mkirsch wrote:
Even so you need to adhere to the discharge less than 50% rule, and you need an effective way to charge the battery. Your trailer is wired to pull a charge from the truck's alternator, but your truck may need a fuse or relay installed to activate that feature. With factory wiring its effectiveness is limited, but you can install a heavy charge line directly from the alternator to charge while you're on the road.
So, now when I'm driving the TT battery isn't getting much of a charge? I wouldn't have noticed, I guess, because in the past I have towed it home and plugged in the shore power. Running a separate heavier gauge charging line from the engine compartment to the back bumper doesn't seem too difficult.
Thanks for taking the time to contribute!
