Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

i was told 2 6v golf cart batterys is the way to go, but do i really need all that? or is 1 good 12v enough? i plan on buying a generator as well

I have a single 12v 100a deep cycle from Wally world. It has been plenty for me. I run my lights, fan and my Engel Fridge. I've been out for multi day trips without recharging. Sure you will have more AH with a couple of 6v golf cart batteries but for most I think it is overkill. My cheap, $60, battery is just fine for me.

Gerdo wrote:I have a single 12v 100a deep cycle from Wally world. It has been plenty for me. I run my lights, fan and my Engel Fridge. I've been out for multi day trips without recharging. Sure you will have more AH with a couple of 6v golf cart batteries but for most I think it is overkill. My cheap, $60, battery is just fine for me.

...yep, unless you are doing some serious longterm boonie camping(and don't have a gennie)...of course, if you don't have a care about weight or room or money, then go for the 2 6v batteries ...a lot of people love the gel cel or Optima type batteries...they are great and once again, if money was not an object then they are great...BUT...you can buy 3R4 of the WalMart specials for the same price...it's your choice(and money)...........
madjack

A nice thing about the Optima Gel type battery is you're able to safely have the electrical componants in the same confined space with the battery since the gel type don't outgas... No risk of an explosion.

It all boils down to where you camp, how much you run off the battery, etc.

I use a U1 battery, 27 pounds (http://www.factoriesonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?id=2442126).

Mainly because I only use them for the fan, and a couple of lights at night.

I checked, there are lots of different golf cart batteries out there. Some weigh 70 pounds, some 25..... interesting.

Oh, I have a generator also. If I was away from shore power, I'd just charge the battery during the day, so I have no fear of having the battery go flat on me.

If a single group 27 meets your needs, then go for it.

The only reason to use two, 6-volt batteries, is that you need about 220 amp hours of 12 volt power, and you don't want to lug an 8D battery.

A standard 6-volt batteries, like the Trojan T-105, weigh just under 70 pounds. An 8D can weigh something like 180 pounds or more depending on what you chose. A 4D weighs about 125 pounds. I don't want to lift that much.

If you are running a few lights, charging a laptop, maybe a stereo, for a day or 2, you don't need two, 6-volt batteries. If you are trying to run refrigeration, or a ham radio for days on end, you might need four 6-volt batteries.

I have the 12V Fullriver FR31 and at 78 lbs it is the most I want to lift. Its 110 AH has been plenty for us as we usually camp where there is shore power for the converter. I also have a charge wire from the tow car to recharge while towing between campsites if we stay at a place without electric hookup. As Arne said a lot depends on the type of camping, and I was trying to prepare for most things we might want to do.

Bill

Dean in Eureka, CA wrote:A nice thing about the Optima Gel type battery is you're able to safely have the electrical componants in the same confined space with the battery since the gel type don't outgas... No risk of an explosion.

When you say electrical componants, do you mean the fuse panel and such? I should figure this out before I connect everything up.

This is a link to a discussion of battery types and the advantages or disadvantages of each type. Probably more than we ever wanted to know. The author seems to prefer AGM deep cycle batteries over gel cell types in applications similar to the way we use trailer batteries. (AGM stands for Absorbed Glass Mat, the material between the plates.)
http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm

Gel cell batteries can be damaged by charging at a too high voltage or a too high rate, as might occur if the battery is connected to the tow vehicle battery charge system. The author says AGM or standard lead acid batteries are better for charging this way.

With regard to the question about what constitutes a component, I would think anything that might create a spark or ignition source. A switch or relay might do that. My converter came with a warning about its being an ignition source. It has an internal switch for its automatic cooling fan. So I have it sitting right on top of the battery box. The battery box is within the larger electric compartment box on the trailer tongue. My precautions were to vent the electric compartment and use an AGM battery supposed to not give off gas.

Bill

So I should be ok with it sitting in my tongue box with the fuses? I won't have anything else in there, at least for now. The battery will be in one of those plastic boxes and I have one of those things that you feed an electrical cord through so it should vent it some.

01Sport wrote:So I should be ok with it sitting in my tongue box with the fuses? I won't have anything else in there, at least for now. The battery will be in one of those plastic boxes and I have one of those things that you feed an electrical cord through so it should vent it some.

That sounds good to me. I used two of the 2" round vents that Ace Hardware sells. Hydrogen tends to rise so I placed them in the back of the tongue box at a level above the top of the battery. There is a space about 1" between the box and front of my trailer. A friend who has a machine shop helped me saw the 2" round holes in the aluminum tongue box.

This reminds me of my propane tank. I used to transport it in the same electric compartment. We would remove it to the picnic table for use, but forum members expressed concern at the photo in my album. After that I learned the tank can give off gas even with the valve closed if high temperature causes a pressure relief valve to open. I was beginning to wonder how big a fireball 11 lbs of propane would make and built a tank mount outside the electric compartment on the trailer tongue.

Bill

Thanks Bill!!

Just go deep cycle 12v battery.
Unless you plan to mount the battery sideways, or plan some rough trips, the AGM premium us wasted dollars.
I have a friend who's cabin is totally wired for 12v and he uses 2 deep cycle 12v with a large solar panel, and gets all the juice he needs for lighting etc. All of his appliances he runs off propane.

Interesting idea about standard deep cycle batteries. That would save on cost for sure, one of my favorite things. It took a minute but then I realized mounting them upright is to avoid spills. Doing that should not be a problem. I would want to put it in a separate compartment vented to outside. This is the link mentioned earlier http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm and a quote from the article that I think sums it up pretty well.

"AGM's will cost 2 to 3 times as much as flooded batteries of the same capacity. In many installations, where the batteries are set in an area where you don't have to worry about fumes or leakage, a standard or industrial deep cycle is a better economic choice. AGM batteries main advantages are no maintenance, completely sealed against fumes, Hydrogen, or leakage, non-spilling even if they are broken, and can survive most freezes. Not everyone needs these features."

Bill

xrover wrote:Just go deep cycle 12v battery.
Unless you plan to mount the battery sideways, or plan some rough trips, the AGM premium us wasted dollars.

One man's 'waste' is another mans 'common sense'

Mazda Miatas came from the factory with AGM batteries . . . . many of the factory batteries lasted 10 or 12 years before needing replacement. Spending 3X for a battery which lasts 4 times as long isn't 'waste'

Then you have this issue of corrosion and toxic and explosive gases. If your teardrop battery is going to share the same space and the same air as the occupants of said trailer, an AGM just makes common sense . . . . because they don't vent anything you wouldn't want to breathe, like a standard deep cycle flooded battery plus you never have to worry about an explosion

On any 'vehicle' which bounces around alot (like a teardrop trailer) the 4X lifespan may be even greater, because AGM batteries were designed just for such applications. Aircraft, RV's and off roaders have been using AGM's for many, many years and for good reason

Yes, AGM's cost more, BUT they can be very cost effective (if not cost advantaged) in a camping trailer. They are maintenance free, they survive deep discharges much better than flooded batteries, they don't lose capacity nearly as fast if left only partially charged as flooded batteries, they don't self discharge nearly as fast if your trailer is left for 5 or 6 months between uses, so you won't have to worry about wasting electricity with a trickle charger all winter like you would with a flooded battery . . . . and the connections to the battery don't corrode . . . . [b]ever[/'b] - If anyone needs proof, I'll submit a photo of the Optima which has been residing in the trunk of my Miata for the past 6 or 7 years. In fact, I have AGM's in all my vehicles . . . . for good reason

'Wasted money' on an AGM? I hardly think so

Don