Converting a travel trailer to all 120/240 volt electric
Has any one here ever done it and got rid of the 12 volt system and inverter/converter ? Guy
Forum Discussion
Hmm.. not sure what happened to the editor, kind of ran all of my comments into someone elses?
To correct that I move my comments to the top and made them red for clarity..
Some folks tend to burn up batteries every 2yrs-3yrs (not myself though) and some folks may feel it is a total waste to have a battery sitting around idle, 24/7/365.
Most FLA batteries in group 24/27 sizes are "maintenance free" sealed filler lids, so you can't add any water when they get low which can quickly shorten the battery life.. Even with multistage converters, over time with the battery continually being charged even in "maintenance mode" of 13.2V the battery WILL lose some water over time.
I have a pair of GC2s which use about 16 oz of water per yr, GC2s are larger than group24/27 and have more electrolyte capacity and can afford to lose some water due to constant charging..
Group 24/27 do not have much room for water loss..
I would hazard a guess that group24/27 is going to lose 3 oz maybe 4 oz of water per yr.. 3 yrs is going to mean that batteries plates will be nearly exposed if you can't pry the lids off. Dead battery shortly after the plates are exposed.
Batteries are not cheap by any means, group24 is going to pinch your wallet for $70-$80 and some folks just don't want to put that into there rig just to sit around unused.
I am sure someone is just about ready to tell the OP to get Lithium based batteries instead of retrofitting the electrical system :R
To correct that I move my comments to the top and made them red for clarity..
Some folks tend to burn up batteries every 2yrs-3yrs (not myself though) and some folks may feel it is a total waste to have a battery sitting around idle, 24/7/365.
Most FLA batteries in group 24/27 sizes are "maintenance free" sealed filler lids, so you can't add any water when they get low which can quickly shorten the battery life.. Even with multistage converters, over time with the battery continually being charged even in "maintenance mode" of 13.2V the battery WILL lose some water over time.
I have a pair of GC2s which use about 16 oz of water per yr, GC2s are larger than group24/27 and have more electrolyte capacity and can afford to lose some water due to constant charging..
Group 24/27 do not have much room for water loss..
I would hazard a guess that group24/27 is going to lose 3 oz maybe 4 oz of water per yr.. 3 yrs is going to mean that batteries plates will be nearly exposed if you can't pry the lids off. Dead battery shortly after the plates are exposed.
Batteries are not cheap by any means, group24 is going to pinch your wallet for $70-$80 and some folks just don't want to put that into there rig just to sit around unused.
I am sure someone is just about ready to tell the OP to get Lithium based batteries instead of retrofitting the electrical system :R
schlep1967 wrote:Gdetrailer wrote:schlep1967 wrote:Flute Man wrote:
As far as the reasons to replace the 12V system, well I am sure the OP has their reasons.. Part of it is they may be wanting to get rid of the battery maintenance/replacement costs..
What cost is there to maintaining the existing battery? Replace it every 5 to 10 years? A lot cheaper than any other option.
