my portable 12 volt system any advise

[prier5]

In two weeks we will be heading to the mountains where there is no power. We have an inverter generator we will use as needed. However, we are restricted to 10pm with running the generator. I have put together the following system to provide power to our tv, dvd, dvr. Two 6v gulf cart batteries connected in series, one 200amp fuse, one 2000watt psw inverter and all cables. My plan is to attach my smart charger to the batteries and charge the batteries each morning as we prepare coffee and normally run the generator for a few hours each day. I'll be turning the inverter off each night. Well there be any issues with leaving the inverter hooked up to the batteries during the charging cycle. Any input or advise would be welcome.

[prier5]

Horizon170, yes, in the future I plan on adding solar. I will wait until we get our new 5th wheel.

[Horizon170]

I will also suggest some Solar for boondocking. I'm not sure but I think you can reduce you generator run time by charging batteries with both the inverter and the additional battery charger.
If this is wrong I will edit my post.

[prier5]

BFL13, that's a thought as my stuff is new, i'll go look around for maybe a higher charge rate battery charger. Thanks for help.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

100 amps @ 14.8 volts = 1480 watts. Assuming 95% efficiency that 100 amp PowerMax needs a 15 amp supply. It might be "iffy" with a Honda 2k genny (13.3 amps continuous)

BFL has a 2800 watt Honda, so it is a breeze for him.

[BFL13]

prier5 wrote:
The 100 amp is just for starting the charge rate is 30amp and automatically switches to maintenance mode.

That will make a difference on your generator, where a 100amper would need a big input that the gen might not have. I have a 100amp PowerMax charger but it is power factor corrected so it doesn't take so much to run it.

It should take your 30amper about three hours and fifteen minutes to do a 50-90 on the pair of 6s. If you had a second 30amper and used them both at once( if the gen can handle both) you could knock an hour off that time to do the 50-90

[prier5]

The 100 amp is just for starting the charge rate is 30amp and automatically switches to maintenance mode.

[BFL13]

Is that really a 100amp charger, or is that 100amps just for a burst of engine starting and the real charging rate is maybe 40amps or whatever?

[prier5]

In the future after we get our new rv we will be installing solar.

[prier5]

I am charging the batteries from a schumacker6/12 volt 100 amp automatic battery charger. This will be run off my inverter generator and my xantrex 1000 will be attached to my battery pack. I don't have a converter other then the battery charger. Yes the system is more work and should be mounted and incorperated into the trailer, however, we will be buying a new 5th wheel after selling our homes and moving this fall so I did it this way so I can incorperate most everything I have put together into our new unit.

[beemerphile1]

It will work okay but it sounds like you are creating extra work that provides no real benefit. Install the batteries and inverter in your RV.

Like others I wonder about the charging. What charger do you plan on using and what converter do you have?

[westend]

The newer Xantrex Prowatt Sine wave inverter draws less than 500 milliamps at idle. It also has automatic phase sensing (in case you reverse the battery leads) and an on-off button.

There is no need to disconnect the inverter while charging. I would turn it off if you're not powering any 120V devices.

The OP sounds like the perfect candidate for a solar charging system. He could mount those extra batteries, connecting to the rest of his 12V system, install a solar module/s on the roof and never have to use the generator

[wa8yxm]

No problem at all that I can tell.. IF you have yet to spend money.. you might consider an "in-line" type inverter/charger.. These have both advantages and disadvantages.

For your setup this is how it would work, I will list pro/con later.

When you run the generator it will charge the batteries, Most of these units are very good 3-stage chargers and some can be programmed. The one I know best is no longer being made (Prosine 2.0 by Xantrex) but there are many fine ones out there by many companies, INCLUDING Xantrex. It will pass Generator power to the "house" (note. use a good inverter type generator like a Honda or Yahama please, not a contractor's earbusting model).

When the generator is shut down, it auto switches to inverter mode and the "house" never knew it lost power.. DO NOT RUN A/C during this period.

Basically, it is a a big honking UPS.

Pro's: Simpler hookup, you have only one set of connections to battery.

Con's. Though the combo-unit is likely lighter than an inverter PLUS a converter it is heavier than either of those by themselves.

Pro: less cable clutter

Con: if half of it dies, you go without till till it is fixed.

I rather like mine.. Tripped circuit breaker this evening (on 30 amp site) and did not even know it till I lost internet... The comptuer continued, the TV and DVR continued, cooking dinner continued (Steam cooker electrically heated) but I lost internet.. you see, all the stuff that worked was on the inverter, the MODEM, is not, it is on a mains only circuit (I did this for a reason) when I looked at the router (Which still had power) I noticed the status led flashing Orange

Flashing orange = No Modem
Steady Orange = Modem but no internet
BLUE = GOOD
On my router and thus I knew the modem lost power and "Vanished" Went out-reset and BLUE (ok) once again.

The "modem" is a Linksys WGA (Wireless game adapter) connects me to the park Wi-Fi.. looks to my system like a cable Modem but wi-fi instead of cable. kind of neat, Gives very good range with a minor modification.. i will finish the set up tomorrow when it is nicer out (Cold rain today, very hard on fingers).

[RoyB]

I think everyone is asking what is the model of the "SMART CHARGER" you are referring to. This is either the smart mode on-board converter/charger for the trailer or perhaps you may be using a portable smart mode battery charger plugged into the 120VAC receptacle of the generator. To properly charge two 6VDC batteries as one 12VDC Battery you will need a smart mode charger rated at least 40AMPS DC output capacity. The Black and Decker VEC1093DBD 40 AMP Smart Mode portable charger is an excellent battery charger for this purpose and will indeed re-charge your 12VDC battery bank (two 6VDC batteries connected in series) in approximately three hours generator run time.

I would plan things to run down your battery bank no lower than 50% charge state which is somewhere close to 12.0VDC and then recharge back to the 90% charge state the next morning so that you can do this all over again the next day/night run off the batteries. Keeping your 12VDC Battery bank between the 50% charge state and at least the 90% charge state cycle will give you the best expected performance for your batteries. You can expect 12 or so of these 50% to 90% charge state cycles before having to do a full 100% charge state which will take around 12-14 hours to complete the required charge time. This insures your battery will be at its peak specified performance.

If you are planning on using your smart mode on-board converter/charger it will have to be 45AMP model if you want to re-charge the batteries in a quick three hour time. You will also need to have an RV30A-15A Adapter to be able to plug your 30AMP shore power cable directly into the 2KW Generator 120VAC panel receptacle.

Posting model numbers of both the portable smart mode battery charger and the on-board smart mode converter/charge would be useful for those on here to comment on your planned battery charge system...

Just some of my thoughts here
Roy Ken

[prier5]

pianotuna, you asked what make my inverter was so in checking I realized it was a 1000 and not a 2000. I will be using it for tv,dvr and dvd only so 1000 should be more then enough. Thank you