Anyone know the amperage draw of the power TC Hippajac lifts? For one or for four, but specify so we know…I am wondering what amp charger controller to buy. 10 or 20? The lifts will be the biggest draw as I have another battery bank for the ele frig.I guess I could wire the battery power straight to the fuse box, but usually the power would go through the charge controller and then to the fuse box.Backstory. I have 200 watts going to a dedicated battery bank just for the frig. completely isolated from the rest of the camper. The regular one battery in the camper will power everything else (Hippajac lifts, lights, fans, blower, phone and inverter which I have never yet used.) It has 100w solar charging it. I just ordered the parts, so will install soon.Typical wiring is to have solar go to controller. Battery go to controller, and controller to output to the fuse box (load). Does it matter if I just send battery straight to the fuse box while at the same time straight to the battery terminals on the charge controller? Then the only amps to worry about would be the solar coming in, solar is low amps.I dont want to pull the hippajac wiring to go to battery. Im trying to minimize the wire changes.

The AMP rating on charge controller depends on the AMP/WATTS of the solar panel(s).Most cases leave current wiring alone and when adding solar + charge controller your simply wiring from the panel to the controller and from the controller to the battery. (IE: Charge controller, solar battery charge controller)Many controllers have a fairly useless "load" set of terminals. In some cases this is for when the battery is fully charged and you really really don't want to waste the extra energy captured by your panel(s). The extra power can be routed to the "load". In other cases the "load" is intended to be your RV. However most RV's also have a AC/DC converter/charger which feeds 120VAC and 12VDC loads.

You definitely want any solar panels to be wired through a charge controller.To operate the jacks you need a battery connected to the control box for the jacks. The solar would charge the battery and would indirectly help with voltage sag as you use the jacks. Ideally you should have enough battery to run the jacks without the solar helping the battery maintain voltage. Sizing the solar should be based on solar array size not any specific load.Don't use the load terminals on the solar charger. Feed the dc power center from the battery. That's how the camper should have been built. This load terminals on the charger have a very small load value. The jack controller should have fuses, one for each jack. They are normally blade type fuses and will be marked with their rating. The actual power consumed will be less but it should give you an idea of roughly the power demand in amps. Typically a single healthy battery should be able to raise the camper off the truck.

I think some confused by the question.I do have the RV powered all through the "load" from the charge controller. This is a quality 20amp one, not the $14 things out there. The reason is that the controller will shut off when battery voltage gets low so the batts done get too drained. I assume I can pull 20 amps through the "load" terminals since it is a 20 amp unit. My camper should never need 20 amps.When buying quality controllers, they get expensive, so I do not want to buy more than I need. 10 amps are cheaper than a 20 amp, but if a 10 will do then I have no reason to get anything bigger. Remember the lift motors will be on a different controller and battery than the RV.Yes, many are correct that a battery will be sufficient to power the motors, as I have been doing, and already well know.Fuses would tell me how many amps it is not pulling, but do not tell me the amp draw.The fuse could be double the draw.

I can't give you the number, but it is a lot, especially front jacks on 5000 + lb camper. I tried couple of times using TC converter for jacks and when I can operate rear to some degree, activating front jacks will put 40 amps converter in instant overload. Even going down!Also once in the past my dually batteries got discharged and after 2 hr of recharging they would still not lift the camper. So my guess that for 4 jacks lifting, you need good battery, or at least 100 amp converter.

I don’t think anyone is confused by the question, more confused why you’d run your jacks through the controller. If it’s just for the undervolt safety shutdown, I mean, if you wish... but they aren’t getting used at all unless you’re loading up the camper. You kinda’ don’t want it to decide the battery is getting low and stop when you’re halfway up with the thing. I haven’t measured the current, but four jacks would have to be only 5 amps each to be 20 total amps. That just doesn’t seem likely.

Hippajac Amp Draw | Good Sam Community

burningman
Explorer II
Aug 26, 2019
I don’t think anyone is confused by the question, more confused why you’d run your jacks through the controller.
If it’s just for the undervolt safety shutdown, I mean, if you wish... but they aren’t getting used at all unless you’re loading up the camper. You kinda’ don’t want it to decide the battery is getting low and stop when you’re halfway up with the thing.
I haven’t measured the current, but four jacks would have to be only 5 amps each to be 20 total amps. That just doesn’t seem likely.
Kayteg1
Explorer II
Aug 26, 2019
I can't give you the number, but it is a lot, especially front jacks on 5000 + lb camper.
I tried couple of times using TC converter for jacks and when I can operate rear to some degree, activating front jacks will put 40 amps converter in instant overload. Even going down!
Also once in the past my dually batteries got discharged and after 2 hr of recharging they would still not lift the camper.
So my guess that for 4 jacks lifting, you need good battery, or at least 100 amp converter.
ajriding
Explorer II
Aug 25, 2019
I think some confused by the question.

I do have the RV powered all through the "load" from the charge controller. This is a quality 20amp one, not the $14 things out there. The reason is that the controller will shut off when battery voltage gets low so the batts done get too drained. I assume I can pull 20 amps through the "load" terminals since it is a 20 amp unit. My camper should never need 20 amps.

When buying quality controllers, they get expensive, so I do not want to buy more than I need. 10 amps are cheaper than a 20 amp, but if a 10 will do then I have no reason to get anything bigger. Remember the lift motors will be on a different controller and battery than the RV.

Yes, many are correct that a battery will be sufficient to power the motors, as I have been doing, and already well know.

Fuses would tell me how many amps it is not pulling, but do not tell me the amp draw.
The fuse could be double the draw.
work2much
Explorer
Aug 25, 2019
You definitely want any solar panels to be wired through a charge controller.

To operate the jacks you need a battery connected to the control box for the jacks. The solar would charge the battery and would indirectly help with voltage sag as you use the jacks. Ideally you should have enough battery to run the jacks without the solar helping the battery maintain voltage. Sizing the solar should be based on solar array size not any specific load.

Don't use the load terminals on the solar charger. Feed the dc power center from the battery. That's how the camper should have been built. This load terminals on the charger have a very small load value.

The jack controller should have fuses, one for each jack. They are normally blade type fuses and will be marked with their rating. The actual power consumed will be less but it should give you an idea of roughly the power demand in amps. Typically a single healthy battery should be able to raise the camper off the truck.
mbloof
Explorer
Aug 25, 2019
The AMP rating on charge controller depends on the AMP/WATTS of the solar panel(s).
Most cases leave current wiring alone and when adding solar + charge controller your simply wiring from the panel to the controller and from the controller to the battery. (IE: Charge controller, solar battery charge controller)
Many controllers have a fairly useless "load" set of terminals. In some cases this is for when the battery is fully charged and you really really don't want to waste the extra energy captured by your panel(s). The extra power can be routed to the "load".
In other cases the "load" is intended to be your RV. However most RV's also have a AC/DC converter/charger which feeds 120VAC and 12VDC loads.

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