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02-14-2015, 09:15 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 114
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Adding Second Battery to 21FBRS
Looking to pics and ideas for adding a second battery to the tongue of my 21FBRS. Space is a little tight on this small-ish travel trailer and two group 24 battery boxes simply do not fit. Trying to use the existing battery rack but starting to think this project will involve having something larger welded up.
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2015 Flagstaff 21FBRS
2012 Silverado 1500 LT Ext Cab 5.3L 3.08
Blue Ox SwayPro 550
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02-14-2015, 09:20 AM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 39
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I have the 2109s and I did fit two battery boxes on the front. You need to make sure your battery box is all the way over to one side before fitting the second. Also you might have to slightly trim the boxes to fit.
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2017 2500 Silverado gas, 2015 rockwood 2109s
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02-14-2015, 09:23 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 114
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ddrockwood
I have the 2109s and I did fit two battery boxes on the front. You need to make sure your battery box is all the way over to one side before fitting the second. Also you might have to slightly trim the boxes to fit.
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Yep, the boxes will just barely fit with the handles cut off; but the tops I have are way too large. Maybe I can fabricate some sort of cover. Hmmmmmm
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2015 Flagstaff 21FBRS
2012 Silverado 1500 LT Ext Cab 5.3L 3.08
Blue Ox SwayPro 550
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02-14-2015, 09:29 AM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 39
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I have the factory box tops on its tight but works. I have plans of locking the battery's down also. Haven't had time to do that yet.
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2017 2500 Silverado gas, 2015 rockwood 2109s
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02-14-2015, 01:27 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 166
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Make sure the batteries are the same and they are hooked up properly. Battery "B" positive to battery "A" positive and battery "A" positive to trailer positive wire. Battery "A" negative to battery "B" negative and battery "B" negative to trailer ground. It will work if both positive and negative from the same battery are attached to the positive wire and the ground but it is better if hooked positive from one battery is to trailer positive wire and the other battery negative is the ground.
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02-14-2015, 01:48 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 735
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You could purchase a marine double battery holder and it should just squeeze between the rails of the A-frame where the battery perch is. You can also get a Torklift A7708 if you have the cash or make one up if you know someone who works in sheet metal. We did a lot more dry camping/boon-docking in our last camper so I made something like the Torklift, but large enough to hold our four 6V batteries.
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02-14-2015, 02:10 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 649
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I did it with mine, just had to trim the handles off the boxes. I knew I was going to be doing some boon docking on a long trip between stops and wanted the extra power, however, I didn’t hook them together. I brought a charger with me and when one got low, I switched wires to the other and used an outlet in a nearby hangar to charge the other.
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Ohio
2016 Cedar Creek 36ckts
2015 Ford F-350
4WD SRW Diesel
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02-14-2015, 02:46 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Brownsville
Posts: 1,166
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you guys must do a lot of dry camping.Y not take a small generator like the Honda EU 2000 or Ryboi 2000
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2019 Flagstaff 26 RBWS
2015 GMC Sierra 1500
2019 camp 17 nites. Bill,Alley and are two kids Sierra,Ivy. 2020 camp 9 nites
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02-14-2015, 02:54 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 649
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I have a Honda EU 3000 I load into the bed of the pickup truck on longer trips. However, if I’m just stopping for a night or two, I don’t mess with it. I get along fine with 12v, it’s my wife who needs the 110!
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Ohio
2016 Cedar Creek 36ckts
2015 Ford F-350
4WD SRW Diesel
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02-14-2015, 03:23 PM
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#10
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Happy Campers
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Illinois
Posts: 80
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Easy Mod.
With the second battery we have boondocked 7 days without a charge. (We do have two generators.) The 21FBRS with LED lights puts little demand on the batteries.
__________________
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...and not, when I came to die, to discover that I had not lived." H. D. Thoreau
2012 Nissan Frontier 4X4 Crew Cab Longbed
2014 Flagstaff 21FBRS
Some Yorkies
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02-14-2015, 03:48 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 114
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Denny and Suni
With the second battery we have boondocked 7 days without a charge. (We do have two generators.) The 21FBRS with LED lights puts little demand on the batteries.
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When (or if?) this snow every quits, I might just grind off the two fore and aft L pieces of the existing battery bracket. That should get me another two inches or so of overall width to accommodate two regular battery boxes. Plan B will be to build a plywood box to fit.
Thanks for all they replys!
__________________
2015 Flagstaff 21FBRS
2012 Silverado 1500 LT Ext Cab 5.3L 3.08
Blue Ox SwayPro 550
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02-14-2015, 04:00 PM
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#12
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Happy Campers
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Illinois
Posts: 80
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Easy Mod
Quote:
Originally Posted by danking49
When (or if?) this snow every quits, I might just grind off the two fore and aft L pieces of the existing battery bracket. That should get me another two inches or so of overall width to accommodate two regular battery boxes. Plan B will be to build a plywood box to fit.
Thanks for all they replys!
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We used the battery box that came on the trailer and bought the other standard stock off the self from Menards (like Home Depot). Did not need to cut or grind handles or box. More or less a drop-in.
BTW: you can see the snow in the background of battery box photo. More on the way.
__________________
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...and not, when I came to die, to discover that I had not lived." H. D. Thoreau
2012 Nissan Frontier 4X4 Crew Cab Longbed
2014 Flagstaff 21FBRS
Some Yorkies
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02-14-2015, 06:07 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Western (BC) Canada
Posts: 56
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Doubling up Batteries
I don't know if this will help but we added two "Interstate" 6-V Batts (GC2-XHD-UTL) to our Flagstaff V-Lite 26WRB. Our dealer supplied the heavy duty opaque plastic box which has inside dimensions of 21" X 7,1/8" X 11,1/2"deep. The batteries are 10,1/4" (2) X 7" X 11,14"high O/A. They are a very nice tight fit but require a battery carrying strap to remove. I am attempting to attach photos but have not got the hang of exactly how to do this from a Mac but will give it a try.
If they attached they are mostly self explanatory but the open box does show just one 12 Volt batt. This is just an old one I use just for storage. The two 6 Volt units are showing on floating charge in storage.
I modified the lid closing arrangement as the dealer had just used plated sheet metal screws. It can be seen that I used 1/4" stainless threaded inserts. On the lid I use four SS 1/4" bolts with flat and lock washers.
Hope this is of some help.
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02-14-2015, 06:13 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Clarksville Va.
Posts: 10,422
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Quote:
Originally Posted by danking49
Looking to pics and ideas for adding a second battery to the tongue of my 21FBRS. Space is a little tight on this small-ish travel trailer and two group 24 battery boxes simply do not fit. Trying to use the existing battery rack but starting to think this project will involve having something larger welded up.
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I think a couple day's ago this guy built a battery box to fit on his tongue and did a great job. and bolted it to the frame. used plated steel
__________________
Coachmen M/H
Concord
2018 / 300 DSC
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02-14-2015, 08:16 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 125
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Do you run 2- 6V golf cart batteries, or just carry a spare 12volt??
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02-14-2015, 08:53 PM
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#16
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Western (BC) Canada
Posts: 56
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I use 2 X 6V Golf Cart Batteries ("Interstate" GC2-XHD-UTL) and just carry an older 12V Deep Cycle in the back of my truck as a spare.
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02-17-2015, 01:49 PM
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#17
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 6
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You want to Connect in Parallel. Both batteries should be the same type and capacity.
By connecting in Parallel you are doubling the capacity (amp hours) of the battery while maintaining the same voltage of one of the individual batteries.
A jumper wire between the positives of both batteries and another jumper wire between the negatives of both batteries. Connect your positive and negative wires to the same battery to run to your application.
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02-17-2015, 01:57 PM
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#18
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Western (BC) Canada
Posts: 56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pauljackie
You want to Connect in Parallel. Both batteries should be the same type and capacity.
By connecting in Parallel you are doubling the capacity (amp hours) of the battery while maintaining the same voltage of one of the individual batteries.
A jumper wire between the positives of both batteries and another jumper wire between the negatives of both batteries. Connect your positive and negative wires to the same battery to run to your application.
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All good info from "pauljackie". I would only make one further point (from bitter experience). In addition to both batteries being of the "same type and capacity" I would also like to add that they should be from the same manufacturer and have the same manufacturing date or lot number.
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03-06-2015, 06:15 PM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 3
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I turned one battery box front and one back. The tops miss each other then.
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03-07-2015, 07:47 PM
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#20
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Marietta, GA
Posts: 91
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The first thing I did when I bought my 21FBRS was purchase two Trojan deep cycle 6 V batteries and put them in series. Trojan batteries are the best, used in golf carts and lots of industrial equipment. I have gone a week with out charging my batteries.
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SPARKEY BOB
IBEW LU 613 Atlanta
Micro Lite 21 FBRS
Toyota Tundra
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