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Old 04-29-2013, 05:35 PM   #1
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Dry Camping Battery Life

I took the new TT out for the first time this past weekend. Apex Select 214. A little over a three hour trip which should have been keeping a charge on the battery. Well I got to the campground and set up. Turnd on the water pump and filled the hot water tank and used some lights. By 10 o'clock the lights were going dim and eventually quit for the weekend. The furnace wasn't used, the frig was not on, nor the AC or microwave. How much time should I get on a charged battery which is new while dry camping ? In my old 1999 Aero Lite 21 RDB I could get 4 or 5 days off a charged battery.
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Old 04-29-2013, 05:48 PM   #2
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Remember you have a lot more parasitic draws on newer campers then older ones.
To mention a few.
Co detector
Radio
Normally these draws will run a battery dead in a week so if your camper wasnted plugged in days before you left they were already draining the battery.
The size of battery may be a big determining factor as well.
Normally dealers will install the smallest cheapest battery possible with low amp hours.
Most likely a group 24.
You may want to upgrade to dual 12 volt or better dual 6volts batteries as well as bigger amp hour batteries.

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Old 04-29-2013, 06:04 PM   #3
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Before a trip, charge the bat(s) for a day or two with a quality 3 stage charger.
The appliances have brains and clocks too.
I installed 2 batteries.
I installed a battery desulfator, a battery cutoff switch and LED's are ordered.
I am going to install an on/off switch for the radio/DVD blah blah player.
The water heater should be off unless it will be needed.
Consider using a portable solar panel to get some of the charge back if you are going to be out for more than a couple days.
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Old 04-29-2013, 07:34 PM   #4
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was the battery fully charged before you left? because most tow vehicles only provide a trickle charge and 3 hours isn't enough if the battery was low.

Turbo's right, newer trailers have way more parasitic power drains. if you don't keep the trailer plugged in at home or install a battery disconnect switch, your battery will be dead in just a few days.

we dry camp all the time and have two 12v deep cycle batteries, with a disconnect switch and a Honda 2000w generator.
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Old 04-30-2013, 05:02 PM   #5
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I do plan on getting a second battery for the trailer along with my Honda 2000 watt generator. That little generator kinda saved the weekend. Turbs why are two six volt batteriss better than two 12 volt batteries. You would have to hook them up to get 12 volts to run you trailers electric.
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Old 04-30-2013, 05:04 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B. Miller View Post
I do plan on getting a second battery for the trailer along with my Honda 2000 watt generator. That little generator kinda saved the weekend. Turbs why are two six volt batteriss better than two 12 volt batteries. You would have to hook them up to get 12 volts to run you trailers electric.
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http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you..._make_12_volts
The easy answer.

Short video.
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Old 04-30-2013, 05:11 PM   #7
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Are you sure you started your trip with a fully charged battery? It should have lasted a lot longer.
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Old 05-04-2013, 01:01 PM   #8
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The battery was charged but at the moment I am guessing not fully. I got it from the dealer when I picked up the trailer figuring it was fully charged. I took it off the trailer after towing to and parking it in the storage lot. I just put it back on the trailer believing that the three plus hour tow to the army corp campground would fully charge the battery. that two six volt battery setup just might be the way to go.
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Old 05-04-2013, 01:16 PM   #9
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You need to check yours, but some vehicles and some TT's aren't evn wired to provide or receive a trickle charge from the tow vehicle.... You may have been putting nothing into the battery during the three hour drive.
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Old 05-04-2013, 01:33 PM   #10
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yep, assuming that the battery is full, when you picked it up from the dealer and assuming that your tow vehicle will recharge it in 3 hours, is not a good thing.
if it didn't have a battery disconnect switch or the dealer didn't keep it plugged in, the battery could have been below 50% charged.
and, at best, most tow vehicles only trickle charge a battery while driving. so 3 hours may only have made a dent if the battery was that low.
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Old 05-04-2013, 02:17 PM   #11
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Make sure that you have 12v out from your trailer connector. I have "popped" the fuse a few times unknowlingly and have had a similar experience. I always check when hooking up with one of those connector tester thingyes.
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Old 05-04-2013, 08:01 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oakman View Post
Are you sure you started your trip with a fully charged battery? It should have lasted a lot longer.
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Old 05-05-2013, 06:28 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B. Miller View Post
The battery was charged but at the moment I am guessing not fully. I got it from the dealer when I picked up the trailer figuring it was fully charged. I took it off the trailer after towing to and parking it in the storage lot. I just put it back on the trailer believing that the three plus hour tow to the army corp campground would fully charge the battery. that two six volt battery setup just might be the way to go.
It may have sat days without being plugged in.

A fully charged OEM battery (typically around 70 AH) will last about 7 days without a battery cut off switch. As stated before, an alternator will maintain your trailer battery (provided the truck's 12 volt accessory line has a fuse in it) but take forever to charge it.

Read the attachment as to why alternators make poor storage battery chargers; but work great to charge your starting battery.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Automobile Alternators as Chargers.pdf (805.9 KB, 30 views)
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