Trailer battery charging while towing
Probably a dumb question but how long would it take to charge a two-battery system while going down the road between campgrounds? I know it depends on how charged the batteries are to begin with. Wo...
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Vague descriptions coupled to fragmented opinions makes not for great comprehension folks... :(
I would LOVE to see the pickup that has a factory wiring harness connected to a trailer wiring harness that could deliver TEN AMPS to trailer batteries. As many as I have measured 4-6 amps was overwhelmingly the bell curve. Lessee, charging a depleted to 50% pair of batteries maybe let's call it 5-amps, TWENTY HOURS would fill the batteries to say 85%. Remember, this is nothing more than a voltage regulated alternator doing the charging.
It's a pain, it isn't cheap, but 6 gauge preferably FOUR AWG running back to a truck semi trailer socket, then continuing on to the batteries would allow a decent 20-30 amp charge. Depends on the length. I took the conservative side.
Genuine circuit breakers on both ends of the positive cable. Not the garbage tin can type - All plastic with 1/4" studs.
Big rigs have ONE AUGHT cable running back to a group 27 to power electrohydraulic trailer life gates. mmmmm just a tad larger than six or four gauge.
OP, go to the nearest BIG RIG parts supplier. Kenworth, Peterbilt, International, White Freightliner. The 2 in 1 socket and plug is the hot setup. That way the cables stay neat and hookup mistakes are avoided.
Delcity.com has the 60 amp breakers, and terminals for the breakers, alternator connection, etc.
Check
skycraft.com for DLO diesel locomotive wire. Select 6 or 4 cable. The extra minimum lengths will be used for the ground cables.
Select preferably a twin outlet and twin plug. Then buy the cheapest garden hose you can lay your hands on. Cut the ends off.
The butchered hose with the cable stuffed through it cannot get any closer than a foot or so from any pickup exhaust parts. Use huge cable ties to secure.
Anything less than this is a pure waste of your time and money. Yank everything off when you go to sell the pickup.
The ground cable must positively run from the trailer batteries alongside the positive and preferable be connected to the engine somewhere.
From the school of hard knocks and doing exactly this for a living.
I would LOVE to see the pickup that has a factory wiring harness connected to a trailer wiring harness that could deliver TEN AMPS to trailer batteries. As many as I have measured 4-6 amps was overwhelmingly the bell curve. Lessee, charging a depleted to 50% pair of batteries maybe let's call it 5-amps, TWENTY HOURS would fill the batteries to say 85%. Remember, this is nothing more than a voltage regulated alternator doing the charging.
It's a pain, it isn't cheap, but 6 gauge preferably FOUR AWG running back to a truck semi trailer socket, then continuing on to the batteries would allow a decent 20-30 amp charge. Depends on the length. I took the conservative side.
Genuine circuit breakers on both ends of the positive cable. Not the garbage tin can type - All plastic with 1/4" studs.
Big rigs have ONE AUGHT cable running back to a group 27 to power electrohydraulic trailer life gates. mmmmm just a tad larger than six or four gauge.
OP, go to the nearest BIG RIG parts supplier. Kenworth, Peterbilt, International, White Freightliner. The 2 in 1 socket and plug is the hot setup. That way the cables stay neat and hookup mistakes are avoided.
Delcity.com has the 60 amp breakers, and terminals for the breakers, alternator connection, etc.
Check
skycraft.com for DLO diesel locomotive wire. Select 6 or 4 cable. The extra minimum lengths will be used for the ground cables.
Select preferably a twin outlet and twin plug. Then buy the cheapest garden hose you can lay your hands on. Cut the ends off.
The butchered hose with the cable stuffed through it cannot get any closer than a foot or so from any pickup exhaust parts. Use huge cable ties to secure.
Anything less than this is a pure waste of your time and money. Yank everything off when you go to sell the pickup.
The ground cable must positively run from the trailer batteries alongside the positive and preferable be connected to the engine somewhere.
From the school of hard knocks and doing exactly this for a living.
