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wopachop's avatar
wopachop
Explorer
Mar 05, 2019

Move batts inside trailer worth it? mppt controller rec

Hi everyone the trailer currently has (2) 12v on the tongue of the trailer. I thought about using foam board to insulate the battery boxes a tad.

Winter temps here are 30-40f and summer the high 90s. The trailer sees around 5-15 days a year of really hot 120F days while camping in the desert.

Just bought (2) 6v batteries and would like to get the most life possible from them. Trailer came with a 150w panel and a "go power" 30amp PWM controller. (2014 forest river)

Im thinking about using the 30a PWM controller for a different DIY project and invest in a higher quality mppt controller for the trailer.

Hoping for advice on:
1. Worth the effort to move the batteries inside the trailer?
2. Are there a couple brands/models of mppt controllers that are well respected in the RV world? (i supplement with generator power, and might add another panel down the road. no plans for a huge power bank. guessing around 30amp is sufficient)
  • wopachop,

    I suspect the controller is low quality.

    You don't have enough wattage to go MPPT

    I'd recommend the Grape solar controller with temperature sensor, sold at Home Depot.
  • Moving the batteries would not seem to me to do anything especially useful for you. The 6V batteries should outlast the 12V ones with basic care; they're a good bit more robust, being deep discharge batteries rather than "dual purpose" batteries that are closer to starting batteries than anything. Do check the electrolyte levels from time to time and add distilled water as needed.

    Periodical brief higher voltage bursts are good for the batteries in keeping the electrolyte from stratifying and maybe doing a teensy little bit towards keeping the cells equalized. It's certainly not a grave concern. If they are being held there all the time that's a different matter, of course.
  • I should take a pic of a possible location. The bathroom sink cabinet has a panel to access the back of the fridge. Thought about building a little box and have the batteries vent with the fridge.

    Trailer is on shore power while parked at home. Seems like the batteries get hit with 14.4v every morning and thats not needed since my converter is powering the trailer? Another idea is to store the batteries in the garage. Install them before a camping trip.

    Probably a waste of time? $200 every 5 years is not so bad. The current batteries only lasted about 2 years. Fully charged my water pump is enough to trigger the low voltage alarm.
  • I would not put lead acid batteries inside the rig. They give off gases.
    Your temperature ranges are not that extreme. Keep them charged with a good quality converter.