portable battery power

If you can do it, consider adding a second battery connected in parallel with the present one. We have dual batteries on our HiLo and raise the top from the batteries. There is always power left for dry camping. If your present battery is getting old you should probably buy two new batteries for better results.

Grab a small cheap generator , use it if you need it . Carry an extra charged battery .

When traveling, I always carry a battery jump pack. If trailer battery is down, or if truck battery has run down, you can jump start the battery to get the truck started, pull in the trailer slide, or charge a cell phone. Also great for helping out a fellow traveler. Portable, convenient and always ready, if you keep it charged. Charging it is part of my "get ready" to travel.

I travel with a battery pack I got from Sears that provides DC power and will also jump start my TV if ever needed. I got the small one on sale, no bells and whistles. If I need to power my laptop, I've a small cigarette lighter inverter that does the job well.

I'm converting my one 12V to two 6V batteries and will also carry that as an additional power source, in addition to my generator. I mostly dry camp and one 12V battery is not enough, especially if you need to run the fans or the furnace without benefit of the generator.

Carolyn

Carolyn

Are you talking about one of these Power Packs:

Duracell Power Pack 600



I've got one (by Xantrex) in the garage that I use during power outages and jump starting the car, etc.

WoodGlue

If all you want it a means of operating slides from an auxiliary battery, then you can use just about ANY 2 volt battery for the purpose. It will be LIGHTLY tested when used for that purpose. If you end up using it for MORE things while dry camping (cool weather running the furnace) then you'll need a better battery so it can withstand frequent discharge/charge cycles. In THAT case you'd be better off just installing a second battery (best results would be to install two batteries of the same size, capacity and age at the same time) but just getting a similar battery to your current one would still be a help. For dry camping without utilities OFTEN you really need a couple of true "deep cycle" batteries (not a modified starting battery like the RV/Marine deep cycle). Starting batteries do NOT stand up well to deep discharges and usually will give up after just a few.

Good luck / Skip

I used two of these jump start battery packs back in my tent camping which was really handy to have back then



Since then the batteries don't hold much a charge any more so they are just taking up space here. I guess you could find a replacement battery somewhere for them - never looked...

With my multiple batteries, portable B&D VEC1093DBD 40AMP smart mode charger, and 2KW Honda generator sitting in the tail gate corner of my now all the the time I don't have much need for the jump start battery packs anymore...

Just my thoughts
Roy Ken

Costco is a good place to find a nice one.

skipnchar wrote:
...you'd be better off just installing a second battery (best results would be to install two batteries of the same size, capacity and age at the same time) but just getting a similar battery to your current one would still be a help.

The OP would be best severed by buying two batteries that go to replace the RV (single?) battery. Then use the charged single battery as a spare for backup per the OP's original need in this thread. I would make sure that for the spare, there was some way to "bolt" it down.

I would not consider adding a second battery to an older one (even if the same size/capacity) as the new battery will be greatly hampered by the old battery when in parallel. I know Skip touched on this, just thought it would be best to provide a bit more explanation :)

Why not just leave your tow vehicle plugged in and running when operating your slides, provided your tow vehicle is wired to charge the battery?