bka0721 wrote:
Yep I am, and have been all my life, obsessed with data and the watching trends and changes of so many things.
I'm kind of that way too.
Here's my first monitoring system, in a 6x10 trailer I used as my first "RV"
This is the trailer I had the Group 27 Prevailer gel battery in, then later I added a surplussed 4d gel battery that I obtained while working at Heart.
Yes, that's 3 Link 10s. One monitored just the input from the solar, each of the others monitored the two batteries.
I had 200 watts of solar on it.
deltabravo wrote:bka0721 wrote:
So my question to you, are you guaranteeing that your days of lack of monitoring and maintenance are behind you? Are you going to have the batteries plugged into a trickle charger and for FWC batteries check the fluid every month, during periods that your camper is not being used? If so, go spend $400+ a battery, for the Lifeline/Deka. If not, just purchase the largest Group Battery that will fit in the area where your battery fits, at your nearest battery seller for lower cost.
Monitoring is good - I watch them closer than probably any truck camper owner, except you. ๐
I have Link 10.
Photo removed not duplicate and to save bandwidth ~~
Maintenance is the problem, due to the difficulty in doing it.
After reading your post yesterday, I've done a lot of thinking about cost / vs maintenace between wet cell and AGM. I'm still on the fence at this point because I keep thinking how hard it is to pull the batteries during camping season to check the water. The slide out tray doesn't have the ability to slide all the way out to expose the back battery without complete falling out of the batter compartment - so this necessitates the disconnection and removal of the batteries to check their water level.
I keep the camper plugged in all the time at home, except right now, because there's no need to since the batteries are toast. Otherwise, whether in storage or in use, batteries are kept at a decent state of charge unless it's dark out (no sun) and I'm alseep (no generator).
I've got solar, and when dry camping in the shade, I use a Honda EU2000i to keep the batteries up.
My knowledge of batteries, monitoring, charging, etc goes back to my younger years when I spent 8 years work at Heart Interface (inverter company) which is now known as Xantrex.
sidebar: I am completely lost with what the acronym FWC means in regards to batteries.
FWC = Flooded Wet Cell
Yep I am, and have been all my life, obsessed with data and the watching trends and changes of so many things. I have tracked my solar harvesting for 4 years now and was able to determine when my original 7 year old AGM Eagle 6v Batteries needed to be replaced, weeks ahead of their final demise. That way it was not a shock when it happened and to my checkbook. I was able to purchase them in a Sales Tax free state, just to save some $$. It is also good to have a record of maintenance and Equalize times, as well as other events, such as when people stop and visit in remote locations. While there is ways of digitizing this information and using a HUB to use one remote monitor, I donโt. Because my trailer is disconnected often, having a type 6 connector is difficult. So it was just as cheap to have the three monitors.
I am a proponent of saving money and using things simply and efficiently. So going solar and in my case, more solar, is not always the answer. So yes, evaluate whether it is something you will use. You mentioned about parking in the shade. Well, that is one of the reasons I have solar on my trailer, in addition to the roof of my truck camper, to park it in the sun and my truck in the shade and have, many times. Options and redundancy.
b
bka0721 wrote:
So my question to you, are you guaranteeing that your days of lack of monitoring and maintenance are behind you? Are you going to have the batteries plugged into a trickle charger and for FWC batteries check the fluid every month, during periods that your camper is not being used? If so, go spend $400+ a battery, for the Lifeline/Deka. If not, just purchase the largest Group Battery that will fit in the area where your battery fits, at your nearest battery seller for lower cost.
Monitoring is good - I watch them closer than probably any truck camper owner, except you. ๐
I have Link 10.
Maintenance is the problem, due to the difficulty in doing it.
After reading your post yesterday, I've done a lot of thinking about cost / vs maintenace between wet cell and AGM. I'm still on the fence at this point because I keep thinking how hard it is to pull the batteries during camping season to check the water. The slide out tray doesn't have the ability to slide all the way out to expose the back battery without complete falling out of the batter compartment - so this necessitates the disconnection and removal of the batteries to check their water level.
I keep the camper plugged in all the time at home, except right now, because there's no need to since the batteries are toast. Otherwise, whether in storage or in use, batteries are kept at a decent state of charge unless it's dark out (no sun) and I'm alseep (no generator).
I've got solar, and when dry camping in the shade, I use a Honda EU2000i to keep the batteries up.
My knowledge of batteries, monitoring, charging, etc goes back to my younger years when I spent 8 years work at Heart Interface (inverter company) which is now known as Xantrex.
sidebar: I am completely lost with what the acronym FWC means in regards to batteries.
