Colorado 6X12 Haulmark Cargo Trailer

[MtnDon]

I have been looking at batteries ...............
The ones I am looking at have 225 amp h per battery total 450 amp h at 12 volt.
Ron

You got me confused. I've never seen a common 12 v battery with 225 amp-hours; just 6 volt.
Are you adding the amp hours for two six volt in series??? If any size battery is connected in series the amp-hour rating does NOT increase. The volts add up, but the amp-hours do not change. Connected in parallel the amp-hours add up, as in parallel connecting two 12 volt batteries.

Maybe I just did not understand the statement.

[lrrowe]

Thanks Don for the link on batteries. It is now pasted on my list of things to read.
Bob

[Trainman45]

Hi Gonefishin,
I am like you for batteries, I have only used 6 volt and no 12 volt, and your the other way, only 12 and no 6 volt. lol. I hope MtnDon's info helped all who wanted to know about 6 volt batteries.

I use the 220 amp hour Lifeline 6 volt. 2 in series is 220 amp hr and 12 volts. The 4 that I have gives me the 440 amp hrs.

[Gonefishin]

So my 12 volt group 12 batts are 115 amp. I can use one battery for 12 volts. I don't need two. (115 amps has been plenty for me so far) If I did want more amps, I can add one more in parallel. If I were to have room and the need for four, I'd have 460 amps. Just like four a 6-volters, roughly.

I guess I see the advantage with 12 volt batteries is that I can use only one. With 6-volts, I need at least two to start with. But in the end, Using our examples in this discussion, Four 12-volts = 460 amps. Four 6-volts =440 amps. or Two 12-volts=230 amps Two 6-volts=220 amps. I "hear" that 6 volt batteries last longer, so that may be an advantage if someone is planning on at least two batteries anyway. I get 3-5 years out of my deep cycle 12-volts if I keep them charged and properly maintained (charged slowly, and electrolyte full).

[lrrowe]

I started off my college days in electrical engineering but right away found out I could not make the grade in EE so I moved on from there to another field.

After reading the inputs from what seem to be some very knowledgeable forum members, I now realize how far behind I am in this area.
So Gonefishing and the others, please keep your inputs coming, for some of us have a lot to learn and these posts are a tremendous place to start. Thank you.

[MtnDon]

Our lead acid batteries are imperfect things. Try as we might it is impossible to not have slight differences in internal resistance.
ideally each cell would have identical resistance. When cells are connected in series as in a 6 volt or 12 volt assembled battery the different cell resistances are not a serious factor. All the power being used or being charged into the battery passes through all the cells.

When we have parallel connections that resistance difference can cause problems. Battery A has a little higher internal resistance than battery B. In use battery B with the lower resistance will discharge more than battery A with the higher resistance. When recharged we end up with battery B reaching full charge before battery A. If we charge until battery A is full, battery B gets an overcharge. Repeat many times and the batteries become less and less equal. If there are three or four batteries in parallel, the potential for problems increases.

The ideal battery or battery bank is the one with the fewest number of cells and all the cells in series. However, I live in a world of compromises. Most people do. There are many less than ideal battery banks in use. With care most will deliver a useful life. Our off grid cabin setup is not ideal because of parallel strings. It was a matter of cost. I have had 4 1/2 years out of the golf cart batteries and hope to be able to get another 4 to 5 years. I have what would be a better battery bank in mind for when replacement is necessary. It is a series only string of 2 volt cells; 12 cells for 24 VDC.

In the case of our trailer battery power I am choosing two 6 volt GC in series. The cost is approximately equal to two 12 volt in parallel and in theory it is better.

[Tx River Rat]

Hi Gonefishin,
I am like you for batteries, I have only used 6 volt and no 12 volt, and your the other way, only 12 and no 6 volt. lol. I hope MtnDon's info helped all who wanted to know about 6 volt batteries.

I use the 220 amp hour Lifeline 6 volt. 2 in series is 220 amp hr and 12 volts. The 4 that I have gives me the 440 amp hrs.

5


This is what I was trying to say .
Trainman just did it better
Ron

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

Hi Jerry,
Hey cool. My 14 days here are up Tuesday the 21st, I will be moving a little farther west of Quartzsite towards Blythe, CA. I still will be out in the desert off I-10 kind of between both. Let me know when you are close.

Tim

Hey Trainman

It was my first time there.

Sorry I could not hook up with you, internet really sucked when i got there, almost impossible to sign on unless
it was 3 am to 6 am. Could not get my iPad to connect to park internet, i only stayed for 3 days at an RV park
with some friends - now on the way back home. Now that I know where you go every year will catch up with you next year,
may stay in desert 14 days then 1-2 days at a park then 2 weeks desert again.

Jerry

[Trainman45]

Hi Jerry,
Good to see you got the Over The Top out on a road trip.!! Too bad I missed you, maybe next year.

[Trainman45]

Hi Gang,
Still running around the southwest in my cargo trailer. It will be 4 years on Jan 2nd of fulltime camping in this baby, and loving every minute of it.
Here are a couple of pics for ya out in the wild.

West of Flagstaff AZ in the Coconino National Forest, September 2015



Winter basecamp Sonoran Desert southern AZ, November 2015

[Gonefishin]

4 years living year-round in it? I often wonder how long I could go in mine if I just ran away from home! When I'm gone for a month, it always seems like I'm just getting warmed up. You could write a book on how its done, or at least a long tutorial/journal. Thanks for the update.

[Trainman45]

Hi Gonefishin,
Yes, year round fulltime living in my cargo trailer, everything I own I carry with me. I downsized when I retired and was researching fulltime RVing, which by the way I had never heard of, and thought cool, I could do that. That is when I found out I could not tow those big trailers or even a slide-in camper on my truck. My truck is a 1/2 ton Chevy with a tow rating of 5000 lbs. Then I found you guys here on this forum with the cargo trailers, and I thought, hey, I could pull a cargo trailer.!!

So with all the help I got on here I was able to do some of the basics to convert and hit the road. I camp mostly on BLM land and in National Forests, free camping all over the southwest.

Blending in


Standin' on the Corner


Alabama Hills California

[Gonefishin]

I admire your year-round living, and would love to try it for a year. Are you living without a/c in the desert? I see the Dickinson heater and Engel fridge. I would need to increase my battery bank and solar for the fridge, and may do that sometime anyway. This past summer, I used a redneck 12 v swamp cooler as a personal "fan." Still havent seen a simple a/c solution without 110 or a noisy bulky generator.

I have followed your blog. Congrats. on living the good life. I bet there's not many doing it in a 6x12. You really have kept it simple and practical. Keep us posted.

[hankaye]

Trainman45, Howdy;

Happy Turkey Day!

Ok, Found your Blog went through it saw the answers to some of my questions
so I'll answer them in here ().
Been awhile since you've been posting. Glad to see that you are
surviving the Desert SW in good style.
Have a question or a few about the insulation job that you did.
Did you have square rib or a 'U' shaped rib? (Square)
Did you fill the ribs with anything? (I see some spray foam to seal gaps
did ya put some in the ribs?)
Multiple layers of foam to create the continuous surface? (Judging from the pix
Looks like the foam was as thick as the ribs and you taped over the ribs.)
If so, then why the bubbles? (You mentioned " I added 1" insulation under the
bubble wrap insulation," I take it then that the bubble wrap was installed between the
ribs and the interior walls?)
Now some about the electrical system.
Have you vented the battery box?
What size inverter do you have to fill your needs?
Noticed you switched from a dorm style fridge to the chest type
any particular reason, if so how do they compare to each other?
Jeeez, didn't realize I prattled on so...
Any way, the insulation questions are the main ones. (looks like most of the insulation
questions were answered but, some others were generated ...

hank

Oh! What do ya do for showers and such???

[Gonefishin]

I have those questions too Hank. Who better to answer than a fulltime camper? (With a Dickinson!)