Trying to figure out 6 volt batteries

[Too Tall]

Yea, at first I was skeptical but I like them.

[Too Tall]

I completed my transition to 6 volt golf cart batteries yesterday. Here's a short video I made if you are interested in the box and batteries. I did a little reinforcement on the battery shelf. Probably didn't need to, but the difference in one group 24 and 2 - 6 volt golf cart batteries is about 80 lbs. I filled my propane bottles also. I'm going to get a weight on the RV in a few days just to see what the trailer weights. Not worried about tongue weight with this TV.

https://youtu.be/foLGtyt9Rsg

[GearHd6]

Are the white and red wires the ones that came with the trailer?

[SeaDog]

Good job, nice clean install. The tongue on the trailer looks like it just came off the factory floor.

[Too Tall]

Thanks very much SeaDog, Yes GearHD, that the factory Red and White.

[ChateauV10]

Vey clean and sanitary! I could not listen to the sound, but will you keep the gas hose above the box that way?

[Mountndream]

Nice video....

I used the exact some box with 2 T105s on the same trailer last year with over 5000 miles travel. I don't have access to a welder, but I did check my frame box and it doesn't seem to have any issues with bending or need for additional support.

[Too Tall]

Originally Posted by ChateauV10

Vey clean and sanitary! I could not listen to the sound, but will you keep the gas hose above the box that way?

Thanks very much, you didn't miss much without sound, just an old man rambling. The darn gas hose was tight going over or under the box, (murphy's law)

[Too Tall]

Originally Posted by Mountndream

Nice video....

I used the exact some box with 2 T105s on the same trailer last year with over 5000 miles travel. I don't have access to a welder, but I did check my frame box and it doesn't seem to have any issues with bending or need for additional support.

Appreciate, Yes, I really think the welding was fine since the box distributes the weight evenly over the entire area. Even if a weld broke, the batteries would still be supported by the other welds.

I saw the link to the box someone posted and realized it was exactly what I needed for the space I had to work with. What a great find for $65, Perfect fit. It's excellent quality, much thicker and stronger than I expected. The information sharing on this forum is so valuable.

[GearHd6]

Can you get that propane tank cover off with the line coming out like that?

[Too Tall]

Originally Posted by GearHd6

Can you get that propane tank cover off with the line coming out like that?

Yes, but it's not convenient and I may not do it that way again. What I have to do is disconnect both bottles and take the regulator and hose off as one piece. Fortunately, a bottle of butane last me 2 years so it's not big concern for me now. If I was going to do it again, I wouldn't have worried about aesthetics and just cut a slit in the box starting from the bottom and up just high enough to allow sufficient slack in the hose to keep it out of a bind. I also made the box where you can split it and just pull the front part off. You can replace the box for less than $30 so it's not a big deal.

[kenair]

Originally Posted by Too Tall

I completed my transition to 6 volt golf cart batteries yesterday. Here's a short video I made if you are interested in the box and batteries.
https://youtu.be/foLGtyt9Rsg

Thank-you for the video and this thread.

I am thinking of converting to the two six volt battery route this spring. Right now I have one 12 volt deep cycle and in October (24 to 32F)when the furnace runs through the night my single 12v battery drops right off, I do 90% boondocking camping. I was using a Honda 2000 and a single 5amp on board marine charger to charge the battery during the day. The marine on board charger died last fall.

If I go the 2 x 6v route, I would like to have a all weather on board charger hooked up to charger up my battery (s) during the day with the genny, I am thinking of a NOCO single banK charger https://www.amazon.ca/NOCO-GEN1-On-B...=1&*entries*=0

IS any one using a permanently mounted marine type charger to replenish their batteries during the day. cheers - ken

[boondocking]

If you are going to use your genny to charge batteries you are better off using the onboard converter instead of a 10 amp external charger. Your converter is more than likely at least a 45 amp converter.

A better idea yet would be a couple hundred watts of solar, permanent or portable.

[kenair]

Originally Posted by boondocking

If you are going to use your genny to charge batteries you are better off using the onboard converter instead of a 10 amp external charger. Your converter is more than likely at least a 45 amp converter.

A better idea yet would be a couple hundred watts of solar, permanent or portable.

my travel trailer (2006 Surveyor SV260) converter sucks..... after reading Handy Bobs blog I now know why https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/...ging-puzzle-2/

looking for feedback on who is using a permanent mounted marine type battery charger on their rv battery. thanks -ken

[boondocking]

Some things that Handy Bob says are just not very accurate.

If you used 60 ah of battery in a day you would need to run the genny for at least 6 hours the following day to bring it back up using a 10 amp charger.

Just trying to be helpful.

[Too Tall]

Originally Posted by kenair

Thank-you for the video and this thread.

I am thinking of converting to the two six volt battery route this spring. Right now I have one 12 volt deep cycle and in October (24 to 32F)when the furnace runs through the night my single 12v battery drops right off, I do 90% boondocking camping. I was using a Honda 2000 and a single 5amp on board marine charger to charge the battery during the day. The marine on board charger died last fall.

If I go the 2 x 6v route, I would like to have a all weather on board charger hooked up to charger up my battery (s) during the day with the genny, I am thinking of a NOCO single banK charger https://www.amazon.ca/NOCO-GEN1-On-B...=1&*entries*=0

IS any one using a permanently mounted marine type charger to replenish their batteries during the day. cheers - ken

Thank you, I'm debating the same thing but from all indications my on WFCO is going to work out. I will carry my Schmacher 12 amp till im sure I have the best and quickest charge method.

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by boondocking

If you are going to use your genny to charge batteries you are better off using the onboard converter instead of a 10 amp external charger. Your converter is more than likely at least a 45 amp converter.

A better idea yet would be a couple hundred watts of solar, permanent or portable.

X2. A furnace blower can draw around 7 amps and running it all night will certainly take about 50% of the capacity of a good grp 27 12 volt battery. If you have taken out 60 AH, a 10 amp charger will take at least 6 hours to get you back to 100% SOC, probably more like 8 hours since the supplied current will drop off of 10 amps pretty quickly. Your generator is putting out a lot more than the the 140 watts that the charger is consuming. A modern RV power converter, supplying 45, 55, 60 or 70 amps is a much better solution than a fixed marine charger, as it has a lot more output capacity and can also supply the current to the loads in the unit. Sure you won't always see the maximum current, but you can force some of them to stay in boost mode and get back to 90 or 95% in a couple of hours.

Handy Bob is into solar and a single 150 watt panel will get you back to 100% on a sunny day without the genny at all. 300 watts (and a second battery) and you are all set!

[GearHd6]

How can you force the converter into boost mode?

[spock123]

Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein

X2. A furnace blower can draw around 7 amps and running it all night will certainly take about 50% of the capacity of a good grp 27 12 volt battery. If you have taken out 60 AH, a 10 amp charger will take at least 6 hours to get you back to 100% SOC, probably more like 8 hours since the supplied current will drop off of 10 amps pretty quickly. Your generator is putting out a lot more than the the 140 watts that the charger is consuming. A modern RV power converter, supplying 45, 55, 60 or 70 amps is a much better solution than a fixed marine charger, as it has a lot more output capacity and can also supply the current to the loads in the unit. Sure you won't always see the maximum current, but you can force some of them to stay in boost mode and get back to 90 or 95% in a couple of hours.



Handy Bob is into solar and a single 150 watt panel will get you back to 100% on a sunny day without the genny at all. 300 watts (and a second battery) and you are all set!

I have a 40amp stand alone battery charger, I plan to replace my 55amp converter with a 70amp converter, so you are saying that the 70amp converter is better than my 40amp charger. I have one bank of batteries that came with the camper they are 105amp each, four six volt batteries. I plan to install another bank of Trojans along with a 3,000 watt inverter just to buy me more dry camping time. I am not going to hook them all together. The Trojans are 225amp and brand new the four that came with the camper are 105amp and one year old


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[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by spock123

so you are saying that the 70 amp converter is better than my 40amp charger....

Without a doubt a modern,multistage power converter beats a battery charger any day. Most big battery chargers are only designed to charge and then maybe go into a trickle mode. They may have a "start assist" mode, but a converter has at least 3 charge modes, and the control electronics to go along with them. Some can be set for specific battery types.

Your problem, it seems, is that you need a "dual bank" converter if you are adamant about not connecting your existing bank with your new one. Progressive Dynamics makes their PD2100 line of converters that offer multi stage charging intelligence and will support up to 3 separate battery banks but they will set you back $450 or more for a 60 amp unit while a PD9260 single bank unit is less than half of the price.

Might even pay to get 2-9260s instead, if you have the amperage at the panel.