Just to clearify....

[madjack]

...here is another couple of thoughts to add to your confus......errr, consideration...you can goto WallyWorld/Costco/etc and buy a 100ah deep cycle marine battery for about a THIRD of the price of the Optimas...the main difference is the Optimas are an AGM(actually spiral cell) battery which needs no venting(basically)...the deep cycle from WallyWorld/et all will need to be in a vented space...the Optima should also live about twice as long as the deep cycle, lead/acid battery before needing replacement......
madjack

[cowboy63645]

madjack, you had it right the first time...CONFUSION!! lol but its ok, I am learning and that is what is important. My question now is this. Will the wally world deep cell battery last me atleast a couple years worth of camping?

[madjack]

Cowboy, this applies to either type...the longevity you get is directly related to good battery maintenance...never discharge all the way and when stored, it is best to hook up a lo-amp maintainer or tender...there are several 1-1.5amp models on the market including solar models...with proper maintenance, you should get at least 2 years and maybe even 3 or more out of a regular L/A battery........
madjack

[cowboy63645]

looks like I need to start researching to see exactly how much power I will need, and what battery would suit me the best. I already have a battery tender, I believe is a 1.5 amp unit. And I guess I should also add up all the watts I would be using and find a inverter that would run everything I need it to. Thanks to everyone who posted for all the help!!!!!

[MrBuzz]

Hey Cowboy...this might add to the confusion, I hope not.
You don't need to up the amperage of the battery charger because you aren't running anything off the actual charger. Higher amps would speed up battery charging when that is necessary, but not add to what you can run on the 12volt side.
My TD is wired with both 12 volt and 110. The two types of wiring are separate...the only place the meet is through the charger
Everything I use on a daily basis is 12 volt. There are 12 volt lights and power sockets (cigarette lighter sockets). I use the 12 volt sockets to run a fan, charge cellphone/MP3 player/other stuff and I also have a 300watt power inverter that is used to charge or power my laptop.
The 12v side is powered by a WalMart deep-cycle battery mounted on the tongue and I have a 2amp charger/tender hard-wired into the system for recharging. One side of the charger is connected to the 110v wiring for power and on the other side the charger output wires are connect to the battery through the fuse panel.
On the 110v side I have a power inlet where I plug in the extension cord...that goes to two GFI outlets, one in the cabin and one in the galley. I also wired a switch into the 110v that powers the charger.
My 12v wiring to the interior goes through the roof...the wiring to the battery goes down the back of the galley and runs along the frame up to the battery on the tongue.
In normal camping I don't use much power, primarily just for lights at night and to charge the phone. The deep cycle battery never seems to get low on charge. Last summer I camped at least 2 weekends a month and only charged the battery 2-3 times...and that was mainly just to see if my system worked.
Here's a photo that shows some of these details.

[cowboy63645]

that didn't add to the confusion at all, and was actually a great deal of help, thank you. I was considering adding a 12v plug ito the camper for the same reasons, but wasent sure if it would be a good idea to have both plugs, so thank you. I need to look for a wiring diagram on how to run both plugs. But I would only need both plugs actually inside the cabin, I wouldnt need them in the galley. Thanks for the help!!

[cowboy63645]

would it be a good idea to put in a place where I can run an extension cord from my trailer to a campground recepticale, if there ever is one. We dont camp at many actual campgrounds, but if it were to come up, could I add it into the battery system somehow?

[brian_bp]

I agree with madjack: from all reports, and judging from the technology used, Optimas a fine and suitable batteries... but they're expensive. My comments were only intended to sort out the Optima line, because an Optima model was proposed (and I think they're a great design).

Apply the same sort of "what features do I need" thinking to more conventional flooded-cell batteries, and you end up with a large deep-cycle battery with the right terminals. "Large" may mean Group 31 again, but maybe only Group 27 or even Group 24 if you don't really need so much capacity and are considering the weight.


By the way, the 1.5 A battery tender is good only for storage, or to recharge through the week before the next weekend trip. A charger with a higher output is called for if you have AC power for a few hours and want to charge up for the leg of the trip. The right charger is cheaper than the battery!

[bobhenry]

I used the redneck method I open the hood on my truck and eyeballed the group 27 deepcycle I stuffed in it , and bought another just like it. If the truck battery dies I have a donor if I'm in a pinch. I hate overthinking it makes my brain hurt

[chorizon]

I used the redneck method I open the hood on my truck and eyeballed the group 27 deepcycle I stuffed in it , and bought another just like it. If the truck battery dies I have a donor if I'm in a pinch. I hate overthinking it makes my brain hurt

THAT'S Thinkin'! I don't care who you are!

[Miriam C.]

would it be a good idea to put in a place where I can run an extension cord from my trailer to a campground recepticale, if there ever is one. We dont camp at many actual campgrounds, but if it were to come up, could I add it into the battery system somehow?

You can get a marine inlet at most of the boating and outdoor stores. Bass Pro and others. Wireing is pretty simple and most come with instructions. For a simple wire up on 120 ac see Mary K's or look at this thread.
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=20164
There are lots of easy ways to do the 120 ac.