Batteries not charging.
I have a Lance 950, 2012. Seems like since I have owned it, I have had problems with adequate battery power. One night of CPAP draining both batteries? I added a second Interstate, so I am runnin...
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Hi,
The CPAP can use 5 amps per hour, or about 50 amp hours overnight, even more with the humidifier in use.
Each group 27 battery is about 105 amp hours in a LAB, not the real world.
Your factory charging system from truck to camper is probably #12 wire, or smaller. Basically you are hooking together a 12 volt truck battery to the 11.7 volt camper battery. So not much amperage is going to flow.
You can improve your camper battery charge rate by installing a #4 wire from the alternator (a 13.8 volt source) to the plug on the side of the truck, then to the camper via more #8 or #4 wire. You can buy a Anderson Connection - made for forklifts, and rated at 50 or 250 amps.
I would also use a forklift relay such as the 6C017 forklift relay rated at 100 amps with 12 volt DC coil. And a automatic reset circuit breaker rated at around 40 or 50 amps. This will allow you to recharge all the batteries in a couple of hours of drive time.
However you can not charge the battery while parked, unless you run the generator a long time. You can also use a pair of large solar panels to help refill the batteries.
SunElec.com They sell many house sized panels, you might need to call to ask about 12 volt nominal panels (21 volt open circuit panels).
I installed a 400 watt system for a friend, and he could recharge the batteries about 30% to 75% in one day, but still used more power each day than the 400W system made - even in sunny AZ. He ran a 120 volt CPAP with a 1,500 watt inverter.
Fred.
The CPAP can use 5 amps per hour, or about 50 amp hours overnight, even more with the humidifier in use.
Each group 27 battery is about 105 amp hours in a LAB, not the real world.
Your factory charging system from truck to camper is probably #12 wire, or smaller. Basically you are hooking together a 12 volt truck battery to the 11.7 volt camper battery. So not much amperage is going to flow.
You can improve your camper battery charge rate by installing a #4 wire from the alternator (a 13.8 volt source) to the plug on the side of the truck, then to the camper via more #8 or #4 wire. You can buy a Anderson Connection - made for forklifts, and rated at 50 or 250 amps.
I would also use a forklift relay such as the 6C017 forklift relay rated at 100 amps with 12 volt DC coil. And a automatic reset circuit breaker rated at around 40 or 50 amps. This will allow you to recharge all the batteries in a couple of hours of drive time.
However you can not charge the battery while parked, unless you run the generator a long time. You can also use a pair of large solar panels to help refill the batteries.
SunElec.com They sell many house sized panels, you might need to call to ask about 12 volt nominal panels (21 volt open circuit panels).
I installed a 400 watt system for a friend, and he could recharge the batteries about 30% to 75% in one day, but still used more power each day than the 400W system made - even in sunny AZ. He ran a 120 volt CPAP with a 1,500 watt inverter.
Fred.
