A minor electrical mod

[Pooneil]

After a particular battery incident a few weeks ago that we need not go into here, a change was in order. So I bought a new battery box and a group 27 battery to extend the dry camping time. I'll be out 4 nights this weekend and want to power my CPAP as well as the normal camper stuff, so its a good test. Here is the battery in the box.

2015-05-18 16.53.30 by b2220128, on Flickr

Because I wanted to put on a battery switch, the box is big enough for a group 31 but has a slide in retainer for smaller batteries. I orders it from Walmart.com where it was stock for same day pickup at my local store. The extra space provides the room for the bolts that hold the switch to the box. I bought a few feet of red 10 gauge wire and the appropriate crimp on ends. I also picked up 3/8 split plastic wire cover to protect the wires.

Here's the switch

2015-05-18 16.53.39 by b2220128, on Flickr

I bought a two position switch to reserve the possibility of setting up an independent power circuit that can be powered while the parasitic drains in the camper are shut off while I am away for the day. Perhaps for a fridge compartment fan.

I installed the wider box by cutting and fitting 2X10 lumber into the battery box rails rather than taking it to the shop and having the rails moved and re-welded. The lumber is attached to the rails and the box is screwed to the lumber and I have a ratcheting strap as a hold down.

The last part of the mod will be to cut and relocate the break away switch power wire to bypass the switch so it can be in the off position while traveling if needed.

[OutAndAbout]

Nice mod Tom. Adding a battery switch has been on my list for a while, maybe some day I'll get the time. Thanks for sharing. this weekend.

[mickrock]

That switch on the box is cool.

Doesn't look like you'll be using the furnace for your test trip, although I am looking forward to seeing your review.

Good luck!

[Pooneil]

The 30 year average low is 58° with a standard deviation of 7°. But we are dry camping so no furnace for me. Taking my down sleeping bag just in case.

[Pooneil]

the trip was a great success. It rained out west in the desert on Thursday with fog and heavy mist on Friday morning. Great fun when passing convoys of pressure pumping equipment. The desert sky cleared up Friday and was sunny the rest of the time. Unlike those unfortunate enough to be in the Hill County or suffered from flooding and loss of power back here in Houston. Or the storms elsewhere.

My battery proved to be insufficient to power my CPAP for four nights. Monday night the battery was too low, so near dead, and I had to use a rechargeable Li+ battery pack. So I guess my system engineering need to go toward providing more recharge capacity.

This weekend would have been ideal for solar, if I could have tied it down securely from the high winds. I'd like to have a rechargeable Li+ battery with a 12V to 12V battery charger that could be powered up by my truck electrical system in the daytime and recharge the camper battery or charge straight from the truck. All I can find is LI+ jump starters that may or may not do well in recharging a deep cycle camper battery. Perhaps I'll get a second house battery next time I dry camp for four or more nights.

[1A Camper]

If you go solar here is something to look at.

http://www.amazon.com/Renogy%C2%AE-M...le+solar+panel

[Pooneil]

Originally Posted by 1A Camper

If you go solar here is something to look at.

Thanks

[KyDan]

Tom, we've run this one up the flagpole many many times but I gotta ask--
Are you SURE your refrigerator doesn't have that dreaded heater strip
between the fresh food door and freezer door??
Many do have it and some don't have a switch to turn it off.
My new rig is one!
It's relatively easy to test. Turn on the fridge and after a few hours put
your finger on the middle of the metal strip between doors.
If it's got the heater you can easily feel it will be warm.
If the heater is absent or off the metal will be cold to the touch.
If you've got the heater it will suck your battery in a couple days.

I just cut the wire to the heater in mine the other day.
We don't care about a little condensation there but do dry camp every so
often.

[Pooneil]

Originally Posted by KyDan

Tom, we've run this one up the flagpole many many times but I gotta ask--
Are you SURE your refrigerator doesn't have that dreaded heater strip
between the fresh food door and freezer door??

A Frames come with small 3 way fridges that don't have a freezer much less such advanced technology as a heater strip. If the 12V switch is off, which it is all the time on mine, then there is no power draw.

[D-mo]

here is a thought .....
I too use a CPAC machine and have been struggling with the issue for a couple of years when camping off line. What i have done in the past is bring along a Xantex 800 series powerbox, and use this as my powerbase. I didnt have a 12 volt converter so i powered this through the inverter ... yea i know ... its not that efficient... but hey
This will last me a couple of nights. I have a dedicated 40 watt solar panel that plugs directly into powerbox, but some campsites are very sparse for sunlight ... so sometimes this has failed.
Tired of dinking around with the 40 watt panel, i installed a 12volt plug in the trailer that pulls power from twin group of good quality 27 deep cycles ...and i purchased resmed 12 volt converter ... hoping this will do better than the Xantex power box and the 40 watt panel.
Both batteries are topped up with a 80 watt panel during our trips ... and im hoping now that after reading your post that i will have enough juice to get me through a good week of camping when on a sunny camp site.
so .. all in all .. thats what i have done ...
but just a quick question for you ...did you run your humidifier when you went on your 5 night trip .... i dont .. as it is much more of a power draw than the pump itself ..

d-mo

[Pooneil]

Sounds like you have a good plan

Originally Posted by D-mo

but just a quick question for you ...did you run your humidifier when you went on your 5 night trip .... i dont .. as it is much more of a power draw than the pump itself ..

Yes I did run the humidifier because the dry, cold desert air is pretty unpleasant to the mouth and throat with a CPAP. Without the humidifier running, I can use that battery that came with my machine for a full night and recharge from my TV during the day.


If the Anker portable jump starter didn't have a 50% low battery alarm, I'd pick one up and use that for the extra power at night.

[mickrock]

fundairing.com

[Pooneil]

Interesting. I've never heard of a "microblower" before. It uses disposable zinc-oxygen batteries and I wonder how much pressure it will be able to provide. While not being willing to do the Indiegogo subscription, I would like to see this come to market.

[D-mo]

yea ... so will i .... thanks for that tho .. interesting ..

you know there are quite a few people with this condition while camping, im surprised only a few of us have mentioned this on the board ...

d-mo

[D-mo]

sorry ... duplicate post ...

[handbuilder]

Sorry, Dmo & Tom, I decided best to delete my post and stay on topic.

[Pooneil]

Thanks for your consideration, handbuilder. But now that we're on a tangent...

I attended an IPO roadshow yesterday by a company, ieCrowd, that among other technologies, is developing a non-CPAP alternative treatment for sleep apnea. The idea is to use an ankle bracelet at night to stimulate the nerves into tricking the brain to "thinking" the wearer is walking. The brain in turn will put more effort into breathing and overcome the apnea. They did not say if it would specifically treat obstructive SA, which is what most of us have. Nor do they give a timeline for a product. But it is an interesting idea that many would like see realized.