I have a sililar situation in my planned upgrade of new batteries supporting my OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer and my emergency RADIO COMMs for emergency operations in the field with my truck only.
My plans are to replace my current 255AH capacity battery bank on my POPUP Trailer with two each TroJAN T1275 150AH 12VDC batteries in parallel to be used on the trailer frame and an identical setup of two each T1275 12VDC batteries in the bed of my truck. Separately both these battery banks will provide me 300Ahs to operate my many radio sets from the my truck that are installed under the rear truck seat and also provide another 300AHs of capacity from the trailer tongue area battery bank. I can also connect these two battery banks together when in camping mode with both the POPUP trailer and the Truck are located together to give me a total of 600AHs of battery capacity.
My truck Alternator charging system would be used to keep the battery bank charged using a smart solenoid relay that would use the alternator charging circuit to switch in the battery bank when it needs re-charged when the truck motor is running. Without the truck motor running the battery would never discharge the truck start battery using this smart relay setup.
When being used in camping mode the smart mode converter/charger would also re-charge the battery bank in the bed of the truck when both the truck battery bank and trailer battery bank is connected together. My charging method when in camping mode would connecting my trailer shore power cable to my 2KW Honda generator 120VAC panel receptacle which would re-charge my two battery banks when connected together using my smart mode on-board converter/charger. On paper this all should work keeping all my two battery banks re-charged. I would also back this up with my planned three 120WATT Solar panels mounted on my POPUP trailer roof.
I researched a few ways of charging these battery banks and I don't think you will be happy with just using pin 2 of the 7-way trailer tow connector to charge your two 6VDC batteries. You for one thing will not have enough current available to do a quick three hour smart mode charge and you will also be prone to run down your truck start battery and get stranded. Battery science dictates you will need 14.4VDC @ 40AMP DC current if you want to re-charge your two 6VDC batteries back up to their 90% charge state in a short three hour time period. The 12VDC battery source from the trailer connector will not do this for you. Consider this diagram of how I am thinking of doing my truck bed mounted battery bank and using the truck alternator to keep it charged up. You should be able to adapt something like this for your base camp idea. My BLUE SEA switching would allow you to switch to a 2KW Generator to also recharge your new battery bank with a portable smart mode charger like the B&D VEC1093DBD 40AMP Battery charger. The battery bank show here can be adapted to use two 6VDC batteries in series like you want to use.
Be glad to talk with you on PM if this interests you.
Roy Ken
My plans are to replace my current 255AH capacity battery bank on my POPUP Trailer with two each TroJAN T1275 150AH 12VDC batteries in parallel to be used on the trailer frame and an identical setup of two each T1275 12VDC batteries in the bed of my truck. Separately both these battery banks will provide me 300Ahs to operate my many radio sets from the my truck that are installed under the rear truck seat and also provide another 300AHs of capacity from the trailer tongue area battery bank. I can also connect these two battery banks together when in camping mode with both the POPUP trailer and the Truck are located together to give me a total of 600AHs of battery capacity.
My truck Alternator charging system would be used to keep the battery bank charged using a smart solenoid relay that would use the alternator charging circuit to switch in the battery bank when it needs re-charged when the truck motor is running. Without the truck motor running the battery would never discharge the truck start battery using this smart relay setup.
When being used in camping mode the smart mode converter/charger would also re-charge the battery bank in the bed of the truck when both the truck battery bank and trailer battery bank is connected together. My charging method when in camping mode would connecting my trailer shore power cable to my 2KW Honda generator 120VAC panel receptacle which would re-charge my two battery banks when connected together using my smart mode on-board converter/charger. On paper this all should work keeping all my two battery banks re-charged. I would also back this up with my planned three 120WATT Solar panels mounted on my POPUP trailer roof.
I researched a few ways of charging these battery banks and I don't think you will be happy with just using pin 2 of the 7-way trailer tow connector to charge your two 6VDC batteries. You for one thing will not have enough current available to do a quick three hour smart mode charge and you will also be prone to run down your truck start battery and get stranded. Battery science dictates you will need 14.4VDC @ 40AMP DC current if you want to re-charge your two 6VDC batteries back up to their 90% charge state in a short three hour time period. The 12VDC battery source from the trailer connector will not do this for you. Consider this diagram of how I am thinking of doing my truck bed mounted battery bank and using the truck alternator to keep it charged up. You should be able to adapt something like this for your base camp idea. My BLUE SEA switching would allow you to switch to a 2KW Generator to also recharge your new battery bank with a portable smart mode charger like the B&D VEC1093DBD 40AMP Battery charger. The battery bank show here can be adapted to use two 6VDC batteries in series like you want to use.
Be glad to talk with you on PM if this interests you.
Roy Ken
