Battery 6 or 12 PLAN

[pjay9]

I have been doing much reading in many posts about battery selection and amp hrs ...longevity when use with inverter and such. So my question is on my plan.

Plan: Install two batteries in the truck bed forward of the pax side wheel arch. This area is accessible from the TC access door under the refer if I needed to do something while TC is loaded. I would use battery box/es secured to bed with proper ga. wire running along rail of bed to an Anderson battery plug with a pigtail/plug coming out of the TC battery cabinet under the wing so it is all within the bed rails out of harms way.

Andeson Plug example

So the questions are: Ideas to mount batteries? Ideas to have a connection/plug under TC bat box? Other ways to do the connection? Other ways to achieve the goal of more battery power.


I have not decided if it will be 6 or 12, but will be AMG regardless. There will be solar and inverter, eventually. YES I have been reading on both of these too.

So have at it, PLS and THX! :>)

[Bob__B]

A temperature compensated charger might become more important also.

[pjay9]

kohldad wrote:
One thing to remember is batteries loose capacity when they get cold. Only really matters if you plan on winter camping.

If going with AGMs, I would find room inside the camper for them so I didn't have to load them up each time or worry about them getting cold. If you don't have available cabinet space, you could easily conceal them in a step or under the cabinet overhang.

As said above, since AGM can be discharged deeper, there isn't much of an advantage with 6 volt batteries. Big advantage and reason I would go with 12V is if one of the batteries dies, all you need to do is disconnect from the circuit and the other battery will still be useable.

Bats would reside in the bed with a quick disconnect plug...you do have a point on warmth...the current bats are in an outside box so I have had no issues even in the cold. But something to think about...I bet there is a warm battery post someplace. THx for everyone's thoughts.

[kohldad]

One thing to remember is batteries loose capacity when they get cold. Only really matters if you plan on winter camping.

If going with AGMs, I would find room inside the camper for them so I didn't have to load them up each time or worry about them getting cold. If you don't have available cabinet space, you could easily conceal them in a step or under the cabinet overhang.

As said above, since AGM can be discharged deeper, there isn't much of an advantage with 6 volt batteries. Big advantage and reason I would go with 12V is if one of the batteries dies, all you need to do is disconnect from the circuit and the other battery will still be useable.

[3_tons]

Play9, I PM'd you...

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Aw yes, the old 6V vs 12V debate rages.
I went through this already. See my thread on large gauge TC battery wiring in the TCU section. I chose 2 12V SEARS PM-1 RV-MARINE AGM batteries and have nothing but good to say of them. Group 31 size and very heavy = lots of lead and amp hours. Currently in store for $229.00. Eventually we will get 3 Kyocera 140 watt panels and a Morning Star 45 amp MPPT controller. Three panels at out latitude will give us a reliable 200 or so watt solar output for charging. We will also setup a yet to be determined secondary load to take use of excess charge availability. Those items along with the 4 gauge alternator charge wire to the TC batteries will give us all the power we could need. Good luck. I have also decided to install an AGM battery in the truck for what I hope will be better characteristics matching to the TC batteries.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

I think you meant AGM jars. So far as I can see there is little advantage to a 6 volt AGM over a 12 volt.