Time for new batteries for my AF811

[deltabravo]

The last 2 years or so, the original batteries in my 2010 AF811 have pretty much been useless. I haven't used the camper much during the summer of 2013 and 2014, and most of the time I had shore power during those 2 summer. Part of the time I had decent sun coverage so the solar provide my DC power needs when I didn't have shore power - at the NW Overland Rally last summer. I pretty much had to run the generator after dark until it was bedtime - that's how bad the batteries were last summer at the Rally.

I'm at the point where I can't tolerate the poor performance of the batteries any longer, particularly with the need to take a few trips and use the camper the remainder of the winter. I've already decided on AGM batteries. Why? Because checking / adding water to batteries is a total nuisance. I have to completely disconnect all the DC connections and remove the batteries from the battery compartment, and doing so when the camper is on the truck isn't fun - a ladder is required.

I already have a decent 3 stage charging system - a Xantrex (aka Statpower) PS2.0 inverter / charger and the smart remote for it. I can tailor the charging regimen for AGM batteries.

I know that I've murdered the batteries due to lack of maintenance.

I need to start taking some measurements to see if the batteries from DEKA I have been eyeballing will fit the slideout battery tray.

I've procrastinated this long because I just don't (hadn't been) using the camper enough to justify the expense of new batteries.

[deltabravo]

deltabravo wrote:
New thread on the charging system upgrade coming soon.

Here it is!!

[deltabravo]

I decided to remove the sliding battery tray.

It was screwed down with two pieces of heavy plastic between it and the base of the tray, presumable to lift the tray high enough to clear the access door when it slides out.

[deltabravo]

Batteries installed today.

New thread on the charging system upgrade coming soon.

[deltabravo]

Common sense it kicking in - I think I will split the trip up and drive down tomorrow afternoon and get stuff accomplished during the daylight hours tomorrow. The weather has been stunningly beautiful the last few days, albeit cold in the AM.

[deltabravo]

I think I will start a new thread on the wiring upgrade project, since it's pretty involved.

[deltabravo]

6 AWG wiring is already in place on the truck - I installed that a few years ago.

I haven't installed the new batteries yet - I need to finish the charge wiring upgrade first, because the battery tray needs slid out to connect the wiring, so there's no point in installing them until all the wiring is completed.

I went to a battery shop to get a longer cable made while on my way home today from my RV transport job. I've got another transport trip lined up for tomorrow. I usually don't have the motivation to work on projects if I do an all day down and back transport run - but I'm up in the air if I will do a down and back run tomorrow or split the trip like I did for today's run, which was a "down" yesterday and "back" today.

[mbloof]

There is more to the picture then the 'wire size'.

While I have not reverse engineered the modern AC/DC converter in my current camper the 'old style' one in my last TC was outfitted with current limiting resistors connected directly to the +12V feed from the truck thereby reducing the trucks possible charge current to <5A.

Of course this can be easily bypassed.

If your designing your own truck-to-TC charge circuit you might want to take into account the total AH capacity of your on batteries and what might be a safe charge rate (which does not boil the water out of them) might be.

Sealed AGM battery owners require an even less charge rate then vented battery owners.

In my last camper I used a 30A PWM solar charge controller to regulate the energy provided by my truck to charge the TC batteries. They may not have charged as quickly as a nearly direct connection - but they did not need 'watering' very often ether.

YMMV - let the battery cooking commence!

[bigfootford]

This is a great write up by MathewB.....

How to wire up heavy duty for truck to camper charging...

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/23601503.cfm

Jim

[joeshmoe]

I can do even better. I can show you. Maybe tomorrow though. I'm really comfortable right now.

[deltabravo]

joeshmoe wrote:
It's so nice knowing every time I start the truck, the camper batts. are getting 14.2-14.5 volts and get topped off quickly.

Can you describe how you did the camper portion of your Wolf Creek?

I have the truck part done, but I'm not sure how I will do the camper portion. It's going to require some drilling or hole cutting I think.

[joeshmoe]

Once you get everything mapped out and where you want it to end up, it's a piece of cake.

It's so nice knowing every time I start the truck, the camper batts. are getting 14.2-14.5 volts and get topped off quickly.

[deltabravo]

As expected, the batteries were a nuisance to remove today.

I pulled the truck and camper in to my shop and will start engineering the heavy duty battery charge system sometime this weekend.

[dadwolf2]

brholt wrote:

Gripnriprod wrote:

brholt wrote:
With my AF1150 I found a battery water kit made a world of difference and made the maintenance of the batteries extremely easy. Just another option if you want to reconsider flooded cells at all.

Where did you find the kit?

This is the Manufacturer I used:

Flow-Rite

You can find the system at Tweety's and other stores (note you have to buy the bulb too):

Tweety's Flow-Rite

I bought the Flow-rite system from Tweety's also. IMO, the best thing I ever did for my RV batteries. So easy to keep the batteries at the correct water level now.

[ISBRAM]

deltabravo wrote:

ISBRAM wrote:
... I've got all of the parts now to do a proper 4 gauge charge wire install from my alternator. I will find the time to do it all this spring.

I started the same project 3 years ago and have never finished it. I even have the wiring routed on the truck. Part of the procrastination was caused by not knowing how to get heavy gauge wire from the camper batteries to the outside of the camper.

Maybe I'll do an install write up with photos when I do it, most likely in April. I'm sure that people have several different ways of doing this.
Each camper will be a little different because of the battery location, mine are on the right rear and that's makes access very easy for me.
I being a master auto/ heavy truck technician and a FCC licensed commercial radio repair technician the how is easy but the install is still time consuming.