Need wiring advice for house battery system.

[dbhosttexas]

So I am doing a semi foamie truck camper. Fiberglass hi top camper shell, foamie cabinets / foam and wood bed platform.

I have the 110V figured out. Single 2 outlet GFCI recepticle, fed through the wall with a Marinco 110v boat pass through, Additional sealant on the inside provided via black silicone just to be sure no leaks... This goes to a normal outdoor power cord, and is plugged into my Sportsman 1000 inverter generator and will run my 5K BTU window unit AC, and if I am lucky, not holding my breath on this, but if I am lucky my laptop battery charger. (240w).

I have a 300w solar suitcase system that will feed into an Atempower 20amp DC to DC charger / charge controller. Getting power from the alternator, and solar suitcase is more or less a done deal. although it would be nice to find a similar penetration for the 2 pin connector plug thigns. Not sure what they are called sorry.

My question comes in the form of getting power OUT of the battery. I have a group 65 AGM battery in a frame mounted box under the truck cab. I need to figure out. I assume I connect the charger, the wiring for the 12v outlets, and the output to the Bestek 500w pure sine inverter to the lugs on the battery as well. Or is there some way I should electrically separate these connections?

[GTS225]

My question comes in the form of getting power OUT of the battery. I have a group 65 AGM battery in a frame mounted box under the truck cab. I need to figure out. I assume I connect the charger, the wiring for the 12v outlets, and the output to the Bestek 500w pure sine inverter to the lugs on the battery as well. Or is there some way I should electrically separate these connections?

Well yes, but I'd advise a master disconnect switch first thing. That way, you can completely shut down the 12vdc system when not needed.
Fuse the wiring for the 12v outlets, as close to the battery or disconect as possible.
But this sentence bothers me; "and the output to the Bestek 500w pure sine inverter to the lugs on the battery as well." Let's clarify......you said "the output to" the inverter. Maybe I'm interpretting your words wrong, but the inverter's output terminals should never be connected to a power source. (That includes a 120 v source, like your generator.)

However, you should fuse the 12v feed to the input terminals of the inverter as well. (Again, as close to the battery as possible.)

Roger

[dbhosttexas]

My question comes in the form of getting power OUT of the battery. I have a group 65 AGM battery in a frame mounted box under the truck cab. I need to figure out. I assume I connect the charger, the wiring for the 12v outlets, and the output to the Bestek 500w pure sine inverter to the lugs on the battery as well. Or is there some way I should electrically separate these connections?

Well yes, but I'd advise a master disconnect switch first thing. That way, you can completely shut down the 12vdc system when not needed.
Fuse the wiring for the 12v outlets, as close to the battery or disconect as possible.
But this sentence bothers me; "and the output to the Bestek 500w pure sine inverter to the lugs on the battery as well." Let's clarify......you said "the output to" the inverter. Maybe I'm interpretting your words wrong, but the inverter's output terminals should never be connected to a power source. (That includes a 120 v source, like your generator.)

However, you should fuse the 12v feed to the input terminals of the inverter as well. (Again, as close to the battery as possible.)

Roger

You misread what I wrote. The INPUT on the Bestek would come FROM the battery, thus the OUTPUT from the battery to the input side of the inverter. Sorry I thought that was forehead slapping obvious.

I.E. Output TO meaning output FROM the battery, TO the input on the inverter.

And yes, I will be parting out a battery box / power station I had built previously. It will have 2 12V outlets, 4 USB charging outlets with voltage meters, and 2 separate marine rocker switches.

My plan for housing them is to design and 3D print enclosures, so I will have 12V outlets on each side of the cap at the cab end. PLUS I need to run a 12V extension outlet into the cab that will be powered on 24x7 while in use / camper mode to run the fridge which will live in the back seat of my extended cab pickup truck.

Fused close to the battery is both a good, and a terrible idea. Good as it reduces any potential harm from a short, terrible as it is going to be under the cab of the truck. It is messy and mucky down there... However if I can fit it all in enclosed in the battery box and reasonably weather and road / off road gunk protected then absolutely will put inline fuse holders right by the battery...

My plan for off use stowage for the 12V DC is to simply disconnect the positive on the house battery. Although I do not foresee too much down time with this setup. Remote work allows me to not be in the office, so as long as I have 4G or 5G service, and sufficient hotspot bandwidth available I don't see why my office can't be on the bed platform with a folding table looking out the window at the Gulf of Mexico... or the closest mountains as long as I am back in town for any needed in person meetings.

[featherliteCT1]

IMHO, the positive wire connected to a battery should be fused as close as possible to the positive battery post. I, like others, use an MRB terminal type fuse block with an MRB fuse, sized appropriately to the gauge of the wire being fused. I buy my MRB fuses (along with extra spare fuses) from this vendor:

https://www.amazon.com/Bay-Marine-Singl ... 5S8C9?th=1

Alternatively, I have also used a marine grade resettable breaker like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems ... 1653851017

When my batteries were mounted under the bed of my truck, I sprayed all connections with battery protect oil and/or coated the connections with bearing grease in an effort to protect the terminals from the elements, including road salt incurred during winter conditions. Messy, but effective.

[GTS225]

Fused close to the battery is both a good, and a terrible idea. Good as it reduces any potential harm from a short, terrible as it is going to be under the cab of the truck. It is messy and mucky down there... However if I can fit it all in enclosed in the battery box and reasonably weather and road / off road gunk protected then absolutely will put inline fuse holders right by the battery...

Yup....minor interpretation error.
OK....how about this? Put a fuse holder right in the battery box, and fuse it at some value obviously higher than your expected load. My 24' Jayco uses a blade-type fuse holder clear up front in the tongue a-frame, fused at 30 amps. If you fuse yours at 30-50 amps, you'd likely not have to access it unless something really bad happend to your primary supply wiring. I'm just thinking in terms of an abraded supply wire shorting to ground and starting a fire two or three years down the road.

My plan for off use stowage for the 12V DC is to simply disconnect the positive on the house battery. Although I do not foresee too much down time with this setup. Remote work allows me to not be in the office, so as long as I have 4G or 5G service, and sufficient hotspot bandwidth available I don't see why my office can't be on the bed platform with a folding table looking out the window at the Gulf of Mexico... or the closest mountains as long as I am back in town for any needed in person meetings.

Fair enough. I just didn't realize you planned on being a next-to-full time camper.

Roger