Is one group 24 true deep cycle enough?

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

My 2 zincs:

1) The battery panel ...by a lower percentage than you want when next check the display.

Using the 2nd battery monitor on the Trimetric is one way to go with solar if you already have a solar charge controller. If not, TriMetric makes an SC-2030 companion solar controller that communicates with the TriMetric and adds not only solar production data to the display, but also uses the Trimetric for SOC and remote voltage sensing resulting in a really advanced and reliable solar addition.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein

Using the 2nd battery monitor on the Trimetric is one way to go with solar if you already have a solar charge controller. If not, TriMetric makes an SC-2030 companion solar controller that communicates with the TriMetric and adds not only solar production data to the display, but also uses the Trimetric for SOC and remote voltage sensing resulting in a really advanced and reliable solar addition.

Thanks for the tip! - Though The Solar Controller only works with the new TM-2030RV not my older 2025.

Oh, and I need to change that battery graphic. The wires going to the converter in that photo do not need to be equal length; just the "interconnecting" battery cables. The distance (electrically speaking) from the converter attachment point to the ground attachment point must be equal "through" the batteries for the resistance "through" the batteries to be equal.

That means equal length AND diameter.

This is the edited graphic ...

[dontay]

We camped for 7 years using large Lance truck campers. Each had a single Gp 31 battery. We dry camped the whole summer from about early June to end Oct out west in the mts. and then returned to Fla. On the second year we bought a Honda 1000 inverter generator and used an external 35amp smart charger. At the same time I installed a Xantrex Link 10 battery monitor so I could really know how many amp-hours we had used running lights, frig, and furnace.
This setup worked very well for us. We had to run the furnace most mornings but usually ran the gen for about 2-3 hrs every second or third day depending what the battery monitor said.
A really big improvement came on the second Lance when I changed out the MagnaTek converter/charger with a Progressive Dynamics PD9145A with the charge wizard. With this I could plug directly into the Honda without the external charger and deliver 35-40amps into the battery on startup depending on altitude. Even though the second Lance had a generator it ran on propane so we used the Honda for batt charging since we already owned it. But it was nice in foul weather to just start the big genset from inside.
So my advice would be to monitor your power use first and see what you really need. I would not upgrade batteries without replacing the WFCO with a good unit. It will kill your batteries in a couple of years if plugged into shore power a lot.

[Herk7769]

As an aside, I have two OEM Deka DC-24 batteries that I put in the camper the day we took possession in June 2009.

We are plugged into the converter 24/7 while in storage

We spent two winters boondocking in Key West (Sigsbee Key) (a total of more than 180 days) and lots of off grid camping since (though not so much any more - sigh).

Been waiting for these to die so I could upgrade them, but they refuse. Properly cared for you can get many years out of a pair of even cheap batteries.

Most likely we will upgrade the camper before the batteries now

[ornery]

Originally Posted by GearHd6

I've got a small Mini Lite that currently has a single group 24 marine/deep cycle battery in it. Its got CA/CCA rating so I know it's not a true deep cycle. It claims 85AH on the label.

I'm in need of a new battery and I was looking at the Trojan SCS150. Now I'm wondering if just adding one of those is going to be quite enough? We'll sometimes boondock for 7 days. We do have a Honda EU2000 and we're pretty light on power use I'd say but there are some nights we need to run the furnace some. Should I be looking at adding another battery or will my generator keep the charge up with the single battery? I'd really hate to have to generate for hours on end to bring the battery to a full charge. Thanks.

I always camp with 2. We are usually only out 4 days. Up until now, (this coming camping season in Colorado) we had no generator. However, our 2016 FR, 26VFKS has 2 slides, an electric awning, and electric tongue jack. (Yeah I am lazy in my advancing years). Not to mention the heater blower, and CD/Radio, any vampire voltage too. . So with all that need for 'lectricty, I modified the battery mounting area to accommodate 2 group 24 deep cycle batteries. So hopefully I won't need the generator too much. Just for supplemental use.

[GearHd6]

So yours came with only one battery? What batteries did you buy?

[ornery]

Originally Posted by GearHd6

So yours came with only one battery? What batteries did you buy?

Our TT only came with one from the dealer. I had a not so old one from Walmart that I took off our unit we sold last summer. Don't remember the brand names though.

[PSU Turf]

We dry camp with 2 Trojan T-105 6 volt batteries and 2 100 watt Renogy solar panels. A Trimetric battery monitor and its companion SC-2030 charge controller keep the batteries charged. We have never come close to running out of electricity with this setup. There has been a lot of good info posted on this thread. Whatever set up you go with don't forget to use appropriate size cables. Electricity is just like water: the bigger the wire (pipe) diameter the more current (water flow) you can push through it.

[JustB_Rad]

My Group 24 goes dead in the driveway in 2 days from just the Propane Detector and Radio when turned off.....

[GearHd6]

Originally Posted by PSU Turf

We dry camp with 2 Trojan T-105 6 volt batteries and 2 100 watt Renogy solar panels. A Trimetric battery monitor and its companion SC-2030 charge controller keep the batteries charged. We have never come close to running out of electricity with this setup. There has been a lot of good info posted on this thread. Whatever set up you go with don't forget to use appropriate size cables. Electricity is just like water: the bigger the wire (pipe) diameter the more current (water flow) you can push through it.

Thanks for the solar info!

What is considered a good size wire? My battery is on the tongue and the converter is all the way at the rear. That's probably not an ideal setup to begin with.

[GearHd6]

Originally Posted by JustB_Rad

My Group 24 goes dead in the driveway in 2 days from just the Propane Detector and Radio when turned off.....

Yeah I don't think I'm far behind you there. Mine was better when the battery was new though. I think I drained the original battery too low too many times though.

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by GearHd6

Thanks for the solar info!

What is considered a good size wire? My battery is on the tongue and the converter is all the way at the rear. That's probably not an ideal setup to begin with.

I would bet that you currently have #8 or #6 cables from your rear converter to the batteries. All of your normal 12 v loads go through those cables and I am sure that there are things in your unit that can draw at least 20 amps of DC. If you are installing a reasonable solar solution, say 2 100 watt panels, you will never supply more than 11 amps (two 100 to 150 watt panels in parallel) from a solar controller at 12 to 15 volts. Might not sound like much but it goes on for hours and hours...as long as the sun is out. If you locate your solar controller next to your converter and use the existing wiring, you should have plenty of capacity since a #6 wire set would lose you less than 1% from the solar system.

Now, if you use a Trimetric meter and its companion SC-2030 solar controller, the controller will be monitoring the voltage at the batteries since it gets its information from the Trimetric over a data cable. So if it wants to do a boost charge to 14.5 volts and there is a .3 volt drop in the cables, it will get the battery voltage data as if it measured it right at the battery terminals, since that is where the Trimetric is connected and the controller will boost the voltage until the batteries see 14.5 volts, overcoming any losses in the cables! You should also get the accessory temperature probe and mount it near the batteries since the controller adjusts it charging parameters to allow for the battery temperature.

The only time that you would be supplying 11 amps (two panels) is in full sun, with the panels well aligned to the south, the ambient temperature below 50 to 70 degrees and the batteries at a low state of charge. As the temperature rises, the panels put out less current. There is plenty of voltage available to overcome your 1 to 3% loss from the cables and the controller will adjust accordingly. Other times the current will be lower since the batteries are coming up to full charge or the sun is lower in the sky or an at poor angle to the panels.

Bottom line, I am sure that if your cables can supply the RV or TT with sufficient DC power, they are fine as is for adding a solar solution.

You should, however, use 10 GA PV cables from the panels to the controller.

[CraigBean7672]

I'm slowly working towards a system like Scott has, but that's a lot of coin to drop all at once. My unit came with one group 27 battery so the first thing I did was install a second battery and one 150watt solar panel. Once I started looking at the install I discovered I needed to re-wire the batteries and install a better disconnect switch AND get a better solar controller. I say this so the OP can develop a plan to upgrade his system in stages. If I were to do it over again it would be like this:

1. (2) Trojan 6 volt
2. Trimetric Meter
3. Solar panel + Trimetric SC-2030 solar controller

[silverback 35ts]

Not even close please do some searching for solar systems or generators as they have great power charts to give you a good start to your needs as to the number of and types of battery's you are going to need.
Hope this helps and Happy Camping

[ablindmule]

2 deep cycle 6V batteries and everything Herk7769 or ScottB said. You definitely need more than one battery just to have enough amp hours. Also, consider a simple 200W portable solar panel (I love my Zamp system) that you can set up each day without having to use the gas generator, weather and cloud conditions permitting. We drycamp regularly and have easily managed all our power needs with our solar panels. I don't even own a gas generator.....at least, not yet.