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Old 02-20-2017, 08:38 PM   #1
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Can I remove the battery?

We never dry camp. We always stay where there are hookups. We take a small electric heater so we never use the propane furnace.

I want to take the battery off to make room for two bikes. Does that effect anything electrically? Running lights? Anything?

The weight will be about the same so that is not an issue either.

Can I remove the battery?
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Old 02-20-2017, 08:43 PM   #2
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Can I remove the battery?

Does the trailer have brakes? If yes, a battery is required.

If no, check your converter- some "want" a battery to help with the converting of electric from 120v to 12v.
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Old 02-20-2017, 08:43 PM   #3
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Does your trailer have brakes? If it does, you cannot remove the battery, it is required to engage the brakes in case you have an accident and the trailer separates from the TV.
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Old 02-20-2017, 08:45 PM   #4
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Short answer. No. The battery acts like a buffer or cushion for the converter when 12 volt loads are turned on and off like lights, ECT. If you need the room relocate the battery. Jay
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Old 02-20-2017, 08:48 PM   #5
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All of your 12 volt systems should work off inverter while plugged in without the battery I would think? Trailer breaks should be powered from tow vehicle? Unhook it and check everything. Dont forgot propane detector and co2 detector. I dont know enough about invertors to know if you would damage it not having a battery hooked up?
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Old 02-20-2017, 10:11 PM   #6
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Trailer breaks should be powered from tow vehicle?
Trailer brakes are powered by the tow vehicle WHILE CONNECTED. If the trailer "breaks away", the break-away cable pulls a tab that energizes the brakes. In this situation, power comes from the battery. This is a legal requirement for trailers over, I think, ~3000 lbs. If you are required to have trailer brakes, the battery is also required.
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Old 02-20-2017, 10:16 PM   #7
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good to know. I dont ever plan to pull my battery on my 11k 5th wheel or have it come unhooked from my truck for that matter.
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Old 02-20-2017, 11:25 PM   #8
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... or have it come unhooked from my truck for that matter.
No one ever plans for that!
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Old 02-21-2017, 01:38 PM   #9
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All of your 12 volt systems should work off inverter while plugged in without the battery I would think? Trailer breaks should be powered from tow vehicle? Unhook it and check everything. Dont forgot propane detector and co2 detector. I dont know enough about invertors to know if you would damage it not having a battery hooked up?
They will be powered by the Tow Vehicle to the battery in the camper. The problem comes in should the camper break away from the tow vehicle, and the emergency brake activation device is pulled out, you would have NO brakes without the 12 Volts supplied by the camper battery!

NEVER remove the battery and tow your camper if you have trailer brakes! It is not only unsafe, it is unlawful!
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Old 02-21-2017, 05:48 PM   #10
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Sounds like your main interest

is doing away with the bulky 12v battery that you do not use.

You can look into the newer brakeaway kits that come with a small 12v battery
for the emergency brake activation. Some even have their own charger.

Good luck!
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Old 02-21-2017, 06:32 PM   #11
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Well they do make smaller alternatives for the battery for the brake away. I have one on my 12 foot enclosed. As for the buffer you could install a capacitor. I know on our old apache it's been being run for years without the battery
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Old 02-22-2017, 09:42 AM   #12
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Aside from the breakaway brake activation, the only situation that might require a battery is a powered tongue jack. When powered jacks came out, if operated while the camper was plugged into the AC mains, it could blow a fuse or damage the converter. IDK if this is still the case, but if you do have a powered jack, check the manual. A good battery is at least useful for the easiest unhitching and hitching.
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Old 02-22-2017, 10:43 AM   #13
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Excellent points, and I happen to have

a small 12v sealed battery for an air compressor to pump up an inflatable.
I know that it will run that compressor for at least 15 minutes, and that is a significant load.

I'll do some testing with it to see if it will run my lift jack on the camper.

I have a feeling that my next rv battery will be one of these small sealed batteries,
at a fraction of the size, weight, and cost of a standard 12v battery.

Again, this is wilh the understanding that shore power is in use while camping.
The converter will supply a trickle charge to the battery, all the same.
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Old 02-24-2017, 12:34 PM   #14
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If traveling very far you need the battery to run the control circuits on the frige, and on gas. If short trip you can be without except for brakes.
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Old 02-26-2017, 07:38 AM   #15
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If traveling very far you need the battery to run the control circuits on the frige, and on gas. If short trip you can be without except for brakes.
That depends on which model camper the OP has. Most A Frame models do not need 12V to run the fridge on gas.
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Old 02-26-2017, 08:13 AM   #16
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The result of this sort of experimentation could be quite fascinating. Injury, death, lawsuits, that sort of fun...
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Old 02-26-2017, 02:34 PM   #17
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I'm the original poster. Most of your responses were concerned about the emergency braking system. I never thought of that.
But I finally found a way to contact Forest River to ask the exact question as I stated in the first post. Their response:

"Yes you can remove your battery, however I wouldn't suggest it just in case your power would ever go out at your campsite. But it is completely up to you."

Very interesting after all the brake concern here. Do our little A122s really have that back up brake feature?

ANYWAY it's all moot now. I finally figured out a way to get two bikes on, AND keep the battery. And better yet, it didn't cost me anything to do, I had all the stuff in my garage. The key to the project was re-orienting the battery so that it fits underneath the down tubes of the bikes. That meant swinging it 90°.

I am super excited about this as I have been trying to come up with a way to carry two bikes since I bought the popup a year ago.

It's really easy to put the bikes securely on, the whole contraption weighs maybe 15 lbs, and after I get it painted, it will look pretty good too.

I will try and post pictures when I have it painted and reinstalled.
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Old 02-26-2017, 03:10 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Tipper View Post
I'm the original poster. Most of your responses were concerned about the emergency braking system. I never thought of that.
But I finally found a way to contact Forest River to ask the exact question as I stated in the first post. Their response:

"Yes you can remove your battery, however I wouldn't suggest it just in case your power would ever go out at your campsite. But it is completely up to you."

Very interesting after all the brake concern here. Do our little A122s really have that back up brake feature?
If your A122 has electric brakes, it's required by law to have a battery in place to power the emergency breakaway switch.
Of course this applies to towing.
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Old 02-26-2017, 04:03 PM   #19
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"I will try and post pictures when I have it painted and reinstalled."

Please do.
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Old 02-26-2017, 07:19 PM   #20
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Congrats on figuring out a way to get the bikes installed.

Quote:
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Do our little A122s really have that back up brake feature?
Yes it does. You have, or should have, a cable with a clip on the end that is supposed to be attached to the TV. This is separate from the chains and the trailer plug. When the cable pulls a insulator from the small plastic box on the trailer, the 12V from the battery is connected directly to the brake line powering the braking force. It is the safety feature of last resort and if you don't have the cable, one needed to be street legal.
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