Hi All,Experienced Class A'er, but recently got our first TT, a 30' keystone and in the process of getting ready for a long (8 months-ish) trip in the US.I'm installing inverter, larger golf cart batteries, and these alone will add a hundred pounds to tongue weight. I am also interested in larger or more propane capacity beyond the 2x20lb. Our TT's frame is covered with a plastic cardboard which is nice and clean but am reluctant to hack away at that to find areas to use.Looking for creative and safe solutions to place batteries, propane and inverter gear closer to axles.

I am curious why extended travel requires more supplies? Are you boon docking or heading to remote villages somewhere?I carry an extra propane tank in the truck bed with my spare gas can. I would have to put another battery in the front cargo hold or find a chubby hole under the refrigerator or behind the shower access panel etc. None of these would be handy.Most TTs have a few empty spots with panels to access pipes and such.

kpconnell wrote:Looking for creative and safe solutions to place batteries, propane and inverter gear closer to axles.Propane tanks belong on the tongue, nowhere else, as do lead acid batteries. AGM batterries could be mounted elsewhere but that obviously would involve additional wiring. The inverter does not belong on the tongue unless it's somehow protected from the elements ... I solved that issue by mounting my own inverter in the trailer's front pass through storage compartment - pics are in my gallery. That said, have you actually measured the trailer's current gross tongue weight with it fully loaded and ready to camp? ... if not, seems to me you could be creating a make work project for yourself, seeking a solution to a problem that may not exist.

Re-inventing the wheel sometimes may not be the way to go...PROPANE TANKS definitely need to be installed outside somewhere for safety reasons. You also will want the PROPANE tanks mounted in a easy to get to area for changing those heavy things out...Wet cell battery banks need to be able to vent to the outside as well as to the ground in the case they have been over charged and boiled out fluids... Your batteries also need to be in a place where you can do almost daily monitoring and maintenance on them if you want them to last for long life...Almost all TT trailer have the PASS-THROUGH storage area adjacent to the tongue area and this is where you would want to mount your high wattage POWER INVERTERS using heavy gauge cables. Then you can route your 120VAC cabling to anywhere needed in the trailer. If your planned high wattage POWER INVERTER is more than a 1000WATTS you are going to need more than a couple of deep cycle batteries... Even a 1000WATT POWER INVERTER will want to draw around 85AMPS DC Current fully loaded down... You may already know what a 8AMP Propane Furnace 12VDC Heater Fan does to your bettery setup over night... A 2500WATT POWER INVERTER will want to see a couple hundred AMPS of DC Current to operate at full load...Weight Distribution Hitches are a must have item to handle the heavy tongue weights...Roy Ken

Roy, I have a reasonable grasp on ohm's law and please stop YELLING. Thanks.

You will only be adding about 100# to the tongue which is not a problem unless you are already near your tow vehicles capacity. Adding tongue weight will tend to improve handling rather than hurt it.

Getting Batteries and Propane Off Tongue | Good Sam Community

myredracer
Explorer II
Feb 07, 2016
On finding space for the batteries, I made space inside our pass-through compartment in a previous TT. The front cap had a forward curvature with a lot of dead space behind it. It had a vertical flat piece of luan on the forward side of the compartment and I pealed it off (just held on by those little staples they use.) I only made space for one battery but could have made space for another or a few more batteries. I created storage space on either side of the battery. Used a sealed/vented battery box and ran a hose to a vent on the side of the trailer.

If your TT has a front cap with enough curvature, you *could* do something similar. I would not worry about the tongue weight if it ends up at 15 percent or a bit higher. The only downside could be the payload capacity of the TV but you have a 3/4T and should be fine. Our tongue weight is almost 15 percent with just one battery (and 2 propane tanks). The tanks need to stay where they are.
rbpru
Explorer II
Feb 07, 2016
I believe the fumes would be the biggest problem. To safely mount them other than on the hitch would require ventilation and access from outside. I have seen propane and batteries mounted in such compartments on 5vers.

To do that with my floor plan would require cutting through the side wall and installing a compartment similar to a rear outside kitchen.

That is not going to happen.

As for the cap letters yelling, I will let the yougsters worry about that. They will have other life problems soon enough.
time2roll
Nomad
Feb 06, 2016
kpconnell wrote:
Hi All,

Experienced Class A'er, but recently got our first TT, a 30' keystone and in the process of getting ready for a long (8 months-ish) trip in the US.

I'm installing inverter, larger golf cart batteries, and these alone will add a hundred pounds to tongue weight. I am also interested in larger or more propane capacity beyond the 2x20lb.

Our TT's frame is covered with a plastic cardboard which is nice and clean but am reluctant to hack away at that to find areas to use.

Looking for creative and safe solutions to place batteries, propane and inverter gear closer to axles.
Moving that much weight to the axle will change the towing geometry a bit and may not be as stable. As long as you have a good anti-sway weight distribution hitch you might be fine.

RVIA standards require batteries to be vented to the outside including AGM. However plenty do place batteries under the dinette bench or behind a cabinet where there is extra space. Depending on space and venting the inverter should be in a separate compartment.

Propane tank must be completely outside the living space. You could look at a permanent tank similar to a motorhome and mount it along the frame rail if space and clearance permits and this is probably a long shot with a lot of custom work. Might be best to just carry a spare propane bottle and have an extended stay kit to connect as needed. Or just swap in as needed and refill the third bottle when convenient.

Maybe just focus on the battery. Are you installing a large 2000+ watt inverter? This really should have 4+ batteries.

If you will be off-grid a lot I really recommend 200+ watts of solar.
Oaklevel
Explorer
Feb 06, 2016
Not a good idea to put your batteries or propane inside of the trailer, without proper venting it can KILL you. Also it needs outside access dso the fire dept can get to it. Best to leave it on the tongue.

If the KILL was taken as yelling I mean it period.
Oaklevel
Explorer
Feb 06, 2016
rbpru wrote:
FYI all capital letters is yelling: THIS IS YELLING.

I did not invent it, I am an old guy; my grandkids told me.

Thats just stupid. Not saying it is not so but a lot of us old guys type with cap lock on...... Its like # is the pound sign I have no idea what a hashtag is I think it is something to do with drugs ie hash hashish. People got to take in to account all of use are not in to THE LANGUAGE OF THE DAY NO I AM NOT YELLING I hit the cap lock by mistake../// :)

To get on someone that is just trying to help is sorry........
LarryJM
Explorer II
Feb 06, 2016
Huntindog wrote:
rbpru wrote:
Like the OP I would like to be able to take a hundred or so pounds off my hitch weight and transfer it to the rear axles. Then I could load more into the bed.

Unfortunately, the TT design does not lend itself to doing that.

I have did not noticed any difference in stability between 9 and 14 percent tongue weight with a light or heavily loaded TT. I did notice the increase towing weight.
You will not notice it until it goes from OK to OH ****. It is not something that changes gradually.

Trying to setup a TT for the minimum TW is like playing Russian Roulette. You win until you lose.
Don't ask me how I know this.

Yep and Mr. Murphy will make sure that OH **** happens on that mile high bridge - mid span - over one of them bottomless canyon overpasses in Ca with that unexpected hurricane force wind gust hitting you broadside.

Man it's a long way down on some of them bridge overpasses out there.:E

Larry
LarryJM
Explorer II
Feb 06, 2016
rbpru wrote:
FYI all capital letters is yelling: THIS IS YELLING.

I did not invent it, I am an old guy; my grandkids told me.

That is true, BUT using CAPITALS only in certain places/phrases is a common method to add emphasis to a statement, much like putting those in bold. Just see how silly you would sound if you read the above sentence and only yelled the words BUT and CAPITALS:p

I agree a lot of folks are eating some really sour tasting cheerios today with all that bodily fluid in them instead of milk:E

Larry
Huntindog
Explorer
Feb 06, 2016
rbpru wrote:
Like the OP I would like to be able to take a hundred or so pounds off my hitch weight and transfer it to the rear axles. Then I could load more into the bed.

Unfortunately, the TT design does not lend itself to doing that.

I have did not noticed any difference in stability between 9 and 14 percent tongue weight with a light or heavily loaded TT. I did notice the increase towing weight.
You will not notice it until it goes from OK to OH ****. It is not something that changes gradually.

Trying to setup a TT for the minimum TW is like playing Russian Roulette. You win until you lose.
Don't ask me how I know this.
rbpru
Explorer II
Feb 06, 2016
Like the OP I would like to be able to take a hundred or so pounds off my hitch weight and transfer it to the rear axles. Then I could load more into the bed.

Unfortunately, the TT design does not lend itself to doing that.

I have did not noticed any difference in stability between 9 and 14 percent tongue weight with a light or heavily loaded TT. I did notice the increase towing weight.
kevden
Explorer
Feb 06, 2016
I made a frame for two agm batteries(mounted on thier sides) out of an old steel angle bed frame and some nuts and bolts. I mounted it between the frame rail and the skirting, bolted through the floor. Kept the oe main power feed to the tongue in place for charging from the tow vehicle and powering the tongue jack. The new cable from the battery to the power center and a dc to ac inverter is only about 2ft long. The only maintenance that I have done was to spray battery terminal protection on them when installed, and check for corrosion once or twice a year(none yet). I keep the trailer plugged in year round to keep them charged.

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