Scottishman
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Re: Which battery for small travel trailer
Yes that's good to know and the general suckiness of RV converters is also mentioned by the author of The 12volt Side of Life. (Why does the RV industry continue to put these converters in campers?) Anyway - I got myself a decent smart charger as recommended by you and others - so when we do have power I'll hook the charger and battery to that separately from the converter.907Views0likes0CommentsRe: Which battery for small travel trailer
I just checked - the converter is manufactured by WFCO. Model No. WF-8735-P. The label says that the output rating (includes charging and load) = 13.6V - which concurs with my own test as above. I suppose, therefore, that this should be enough to charge the battery? It says nothing about two-stage.904Views0likes0CommentsRe: Which battery for small travel trailer
Skibane, Thanks for that. Well, the only way I've found to rest the voltage delivered by the converter is to put a voltage meter across the two terminals that go to the battery from the converter (having disconnected the battery). It reads 13.62V. So I presume that's the charging voltage (?) I also don't have enough faith in this (2016) converter to believe that it has two-stage charging as you suggest. I'll find the converter specs and look it up. Thank you905Views0likes0CommentsRe: Which battery for small travel trailer
Scottishman wrote: My wife and I have a FR Palonini 132FD. 16' LOA. We use it for two three-week trips every fall and spring - and occasional camping in between. We tow it with a Toyota Tacoma, and have a 100W solar panel on the roof, plus a spare 80W 'briefcase' solar panel I always have problems keeping batteries charged and kill them. So this time I purchased a AmpereTime solid-state 200Ah Nickel/cadmium battery. It's an awesome battery that is good for 2000cycles and will last many years - but the issue is that it needs 14.6V for charging and neither the tow vehicle, the camper converter on shore power (13.63V) or my solar panels will deliver that kind of oomph. So I'm faced with spending a bundle on any of the solutions and that just seems like overkill. So I think I should return it and start over again - regrettably. My question is - what's the best deep-cycle battery for this small camper, considering the type of use. We are VERY careful with power usage - just the fridge control panel; heater fan when in use; and occasional LED lights. Thank you d) Here's a question about the Victron DC to DC charger installation. All I can find on You Tube for installation is concerning motorhomes. I have Tacoma towing a TT - so the wiring has to be very different because of the Vehicle-to-trailer coupling. Who has suggestions about how to wire up this gizmo - like running the wires through the truck. e) Continuance of above...there is ZERO room in this camper - even for that charger and I don't want to drill holes in the camper shell or floor to bring it inside anyway. Can I mount it to the tow frame / chassis of the TT? Is it waterproof? It would be ideal for ease of access.903Views0likes0CommentsRe: Which battery for small travel trailer
OMG that's really great and detailed advice - and a lot to think about - At some point I have to take what I can from the incoming advice and make my choice. So far: a) From all of the above information is leading to installing a Victron Dc to DC charger for charging while towing. b) Upgrade my solar panels to 400W and upgrade the controller to suit. c) Considering KEEPING the Ampere time 200Ah (I now see it's good value at $760 compared to Dakota, for example.) My only unanswered questions about those is...problems in freezing weather. I live in Jackson, Wyoming and travel to 8,000 - 9,000 every fall and spring when temps can get seriously below freezing. (I already took all the water systems out and it has no toilet.) If the answers to that persuade me to return it. Then I'll look at your specific battery recommendations above. d) Here's a question about the Victron DC to DC charger installation. (I'll also copy this to those in the forum who suggested it.) All I can find on You Tube for installation is concerning motorhomes. I have Tacoma towing a TT - so the wiring has to be very different because of the Vehicle-to-trailer coupling. Who has suggestions about how to wire up this gizmo - like running the wires through the truck. e) Continuance of above...there is ZERO room in this camper - even for that charger and I don't want to drill holes in the camper shell or floor to bring it inside anyway. Can I mount it to the tow frame / chassis of the TT? Is it waterproof? It would be ideal for ease of access. Overall, the expenditure is going to be considerable relative to the value of the camper ($8,000)- but it's all easy enough to move over to the next slightly larger camper from when we're not quite so adventurous - (I'm 65) I think that's all for now - what am I forgetting?903Views0likes0CommentsRe: Which battery for small travel trailer
Thank you for such swift and helpful responses: Nammedevac70; Deltabravo; theoldwizard1; Toedtoes - I will address each answer in order but first - duh - why did I write Nickel-Cadmium when the battery is Lithium Ion. Overall, our camper is worth about $8K. This battery cost $800, and to upgrade charging from tow vehicle, A/C hookup, or solar, or generator - is all significantly more - which I hadn't planned for. We never hook up while camping even for three weeks. 1) Nammedevac70: Thanks - I'm definitely thinking 'less is more'. We never hook-up and I'm not a generator user and I don't have room for one plus fuel.. We live in a sunny part of the country and I'd rather upgrade my solar. It's perfectly reasonable to go into 'preserve' mode and use power very sparingly. I'll consider your battery suggestion - our closest Sam is over two hours away... 2) Deltabravo - Thanks. I'm not limited by battery size box as I've changed that before to accommodate two 6V golf-cart batteries before. (Extremely heavy esp. for a tiny camper) Your DC to DC is an excellent suggestion - which I'll probably follow-up on. As for changing converter to inverter etc. - that requires cabinetry removal and wiring know-how - a project I'd probably mess-up - so not for now. 3) Oldwizard1 - Sorry - that was a mistake - please see note above. A new converter would require cabinetry removal and wiring expertise - which I don't have - so better to stay away from that. I do have a solar controller on each panel which I use. 4) Mrandyj - I have different sized battery boxes or can change to suit the right battery(s) Sorry - I made a mistake about the battery - see notes above. You're right it's LiFe If I can get away with one (really good) battery - I'll try that first and go into 'preserve' mode with electrics. Right-on with your suggestions about DC to DC and variable output controller - I'll do those things right away. 5) Toedtoes. Thank you - very helpful. Your suggestions are backed-up by above advice from others and please see my responses which address yours too904Views0likes0CommentsWhich battery for small travel trailer
My wife and I have a FR Palonini 132FD. 16' LOA. We use it for two three-week trips every fall and spring - and occasional camping in between. We tow it with a Toyota Tacoma, and have a 100W solar panel on the roof, plus a spare 80W 'briefcase' solar panel I always have problems keeping batteries charged and kill them. So this time I purchased a AmpereTime solid-state 200Ah Nickel/cadmium battery. It's an awesome battery that is good for 2000cycles and will last many years - but the issue is that it needs 14.6V for charging and neither the tow vehicle, the camper converter on shore power (13.63V) or my solar panels will deliver that kind of oomph. So I'm faced with spending a bundle on any of the solutions and that just seems like overkill. So I think I should return it and start over again - regrettably. My question is - what's the best deep-cycle battery for this small camper, considering the type of use. We are VERY careful with power usage - just the fridge control panel; heater fan when in use; and occasional LED lights. Thank you5.7KViews0likes21Comments
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