What's the purpose of a battery in a camper?

realter wrote:
I am referring to my truck camper or sometimes called a slide in. Any harm in using it with a dead battery, if I only camp at places with electrical hook ups?

Some older converters need it to filter DC. If you have a WFCO, PD, Powermax, or IOTA, those don't require a battery.

I am referring to my truck camper or sometimes called a slide in. Any harm in using it with a dead battery, if I only camp at places with electrical hook ups?

Francesca Knowles wrote:

BurbMan wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:
The battery on a camper (or trailer) has nothing to do with vehicle brakes. It's strictly for use by the camper/trailer.

It supplies power to all the 12volt systems in the camper- but if you have nothing powered by 12 volt, get rid of it.

That's some BAD advice right there! If the camper becomes detached from the tow vehicle it loses the 7-pin connection and the power it gets from the tow vehicle. The breakasway switch will activate the brakes BUT only if there is a battery to power the brakes. This is REQUIRED BY LAW. You will see even utility trailers, if they are large enough to need brakes, they will have a battery even if it's a 12v dry cell.

:h

Breakaway switches must have their own dedicated source of power and can't be powered by the trailer battery.

Not that it matters in this case, since we're talking about a camper.

Breakaway switches are just that....a switch was allows the trailer battery (or a small battery in switch....for trailers that don't have a battery) to supply 12V DC power to the trailer brakes in the event of a 'break-a-way'. Battery supply to brakes must come from on-board battery as it will be the only source when trailer is bouncing down the road.

And what is a 'camper'.....OP didn't specify
Truck camper, towed camper etc.

Campers have on board batteries so that they can be 'self contained recreational vehicles'

Francesca Knowles wrote:

BurbMan wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:
The battery on a camper (or trailer) has nothing to do with vehicle brakes. It's strictly for use by the camper/trailer.

It supplies power to all the 12volt systems in the camper- but if you have nothing powered by 12 volt, get rid of it.

That's some BAD advice right there! If the camper becomes detached from the tow vehicle it loses the 7-pin connection and the power it gets from the tow vehicle. The breakasway switch will activate the brakes BUT only if there is a battery to power the brakes. This is REQUIRED BY LAW. You will see even utility trailers, if they are large enough to need brakes, they will have a battery even if it's a 12v dry cell.

:h

Breakaway switches must have their own dedicated source of power and can't be powered by the trailer battery.

Not that it matters in this case, since we're talking about a camper.

I'm not sure where you got that info but the trailer brake-away circuit has to be attached to the trailers own battery according to DOT regulations. That on board battery that is used by the brakes in an emergency and by the house is considered "dedicated" and that s why all trailers are set up that way.

BurbMan wrote:

Francesca Knowles wrote:
The battery on a camper (or trailer) has nothing to do with vehicle brakes. It's strictly for use by the camper/trailer.

It supplies power to all the 12volt systems in the camper- but if you have nothing powered by 12 volt, get rid of it.

That's some BAD advice right there! If the camper becomes detached from the tow vehicle it loses the 7-pin connection and the power it gets from the tow vehicle. The breakasway switch will activate the brakes BUT only if there is a battery to power the brakes. This is REQUIRED BY LAW. You will see even utility trailers, if they are large enough to need brakes, they will have a battery even if it's a 12v dry cell.

:h

Breakaway switches must have their own dedicated source of power and can't be powered by the trailer battery.

Not that it matters in this case, since we're talking about a camper.

Francesca Knowles wrote:
The battery on a camper (or trailer) has nothing to do with vehicle brakes. It's strictly for use by the camper/trailer.

It supplies power to all the 12volt systems in the camper- but if you have nothing powered by 12 volt, get rid of it.

That's some BAD advice right there! If the camper becomes detached from the tow vehicle it loses the 7-pin connection and the power it gets from the tow vehicle. The breakasway switch will activate the brakes BUT only if there is a battery to power the brakes. This is REQUIRED BY LAW. You will see even utility trailers, if they are large enough to need brakes, they will have a battery even if it's a 12v dry cell.

The battery on a camper (or trailer) has nothing to do with vehicle brakes. It's strictly for use by the camper/trailer.

It supplies power to all the 12volt systems in the camper- but if you have nothing powered by 12 volt, get rid of it.

joebedford wrote:
To activate the brakes if you have a breakaway.

X3 and it acts as a very large capacitor/filter for the 12v system.

x2.

The battery your dealer provides (often they are NOT included from the factory) also allows many hours of running the propane fridge, propane water heater and even the furnace over night, along with some time on the lights, if you maintain the stock battery and charge it properly. Many never or seldom use the self contained features, but I have yet to see a camper built without them.

Jim

To activate the brakes if you have a breakaway.