Eyes a bit crossed. Consult needed. Converter

[Iflyfish]

I have a teardrop trailer with an empty box on the tongue.

I want to be able to charge 2 6volt batteries using my cars charging system as well as plugging into shore power. I want to have 12volt and 110volt outlets in my trailer. I need a small footprint converter with inteli-charging. I had a Progressive Dynamic Inteli-charger and loved it in my motor home as it periodically pulsed 14V into the batteries and de-sulphated them, batteries lasted for ever. I want 30amps.
.
So I want a system that will take 12 volt power from my car, charge 2 6 volt deep cycle batteries, not allow the trailer batteries to rob power from the car battery, use 110 shore power when plugged in to both charge batteries and use for appliances in the trailer. I want both 12 volt sockets and 110 outlets in the trailer.

I want to run a CPAP all night, LED lights inside the trailer and in the galley, have a 110V outlet for computer when plugged in to shore power.

What charger would you recommend? I have a limited budget. I have been considering the 9100 listed below. Please advise.

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-c ... verter.htm

55-8797 INTELI-POWER 9100 SERIES CONVERTER/CHARGER - 30 AMP...Regularly $224.95 On Sale for Only $129.18
Manufacturer #: PD9130V
55-8807
INTELLI-POWER CHARGE WIZARD 12V...Regularly $38.99 On Sale for Only $24.95
Manufacturer #: PD9105V

Thanks,
Iflyfishscratchingmyheadattimes

[Dale M.]

Can't help you on the converter concepts, but for charging from TV there is a whole thread on concepts.... Mainly its pretty easy by extending the 12 volts from TV to the two (6 volt) trailer batteries so they are wired in parallel with a cutoff relay in the line .... Relay is set up so when TV is running the two battery sets are connected in parallel and trailer batteries will charge from TV, when TV is off, the relay disconnects the two battery sets and the batteries in trailer and trailer will not rob power from TV... Just like if connection between TV and trailer is unplugged....

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=28620

Dale

[Iflyfish]

Can't help you on the converter concepts, but for charging from TV there is a whole thread on concepts.... Mainly its pretty easy by extending the 12 volts from TV to the two (6 volt) trailer batteries so they are wired in parallel with a cutoff relay in the line .... Relay is set up so when TV is running the two battery sets are connected in parallel and trailer batteries will charge from TV, when TV is off, the relay disconnects the two battery sets and the batteries in trailer and trailer will not rob power from TV... Just like if connection between TV and trailer is unplugged....

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=28620

Dale

Great post, thank you very much.

Is a "cut off relay" the same as a battery isolator?

I have talked with UHaul Trailer, great guys here, and they told me that the TV charging of the coach batteries runs directly from the TV batteries to the coach batteries and that the inteli-charger would ALSO attach to the positive post of the coach batteries (wired in parallel)

Thanks,
Iflyfish

Thanks,
Iflyfish

[Shadow Catcher]

Progressive Dynamics is one of the best and Made in the US. We have their small power center.

[les45]

+1 on the Progressive. I have the 4045 and it does everything you want and more at just a little more cost than the one you are looking at.

[Dale M.]

A "cut off relay" and a "isolator" are basically the same thing (functionally) but use different methods to isolate batteries ...

One choice would be a manual on/off switch or always unplugging your tow light/charge umbilical.. Second choice would be a solid-state unit that does the on/off switching (disconnect) through a electronic" black box" (solid state) or a mechanical relay ( electrically controlled switch)....

I prefer the mechanical relay concept because they are easy circuit to make (for me) and I have a handful of relays acquired over the years....

If you decide to go with "commercial made" isolator be sure sales person explains the exact operation of unit and be sure it does what you expect it to do.... IF sales person can not describe units operation effective, find another dealer....

I added a relay controlled charge (aux power) circuit to my Jeep for just such purpose (it did not have any aux power/charge circuit), and am pondering whether to put a relay into my Chevy PU to also control aux power to trailer connector so when I kill the engine, power to trailer is cut off... The factory wired in aux power circuit is hot (on) all the time in my 05 Chevy so any discharge of trailer battery also drains TV ...

Dale

[Iflyfish]

Progressive Dynamics is one of the best and Made in the US. We have their small power center.

Good idea. I had one and loved it. I will post more detailed response below.

[Iflyfish]

+1 on the Progressive. I have the 4045 and it does everything you want and more at just a little more cost than the one you are looking at.

I appreciate your time and thinking about this.

I had a Progressive Dynamic in my '06 Winnebago View and loved it. I saved a set of nearly sulphated Trojan batteries when I purchased my Progressive Dynamic Converter. The pulsing 14 amp charge keeps the batteries clean as a whistle when in long term storage. It cost me a $300 set of batteries to learn the lesson by losing a set of batteries in my plugged in vehicle over the winter with the standard charger that came with the unit.

I have looked at the 12V Distribution Control Panel+ 45A Converter PD4045 RV and it looks like a winner given it's size and utility.

Since this Teardrop is such a small rig and I only plan on running a small LED light, a Cpap machine at night, and perhaps a small portable refrigerator/cooler I wonder if a single 12 volt battery would be sufficient rather than the 2 deep cycle 6 volt golf cart batteries I installed in my large motor home. Any ideas?

Thanks again for your thoughtful post.

Iflyfish

[Iflyfish]

A "cut off relay" and a "isolator" are basically the same thing (functionally) but use different methods to isolate batteries ...

One choice would be a manual on/off switch or always unplugging your tow light/charge umbilical.. Second choice would be a solid-state unit that does the on/off switching (disconnect) through a electronic" black box" (solid state) or a mechanical relay ( electrically controlled switch)....

I prefer the mechanical relay concept because they are easy circuit to make (for me) and I have a handful of relays acquired over the years....

If you decide to go with "commercial made" isolator be sure sales person explains the exact operation of unit and be sure it does what you expect it to do.... IF sales person can not describe units operation effective, find another dealer....

I added a relay controlled charge (aux power) circuit to my Jeep for just such purpose (it did not have any aux power/charge circuit), and am pondering whether to put a relay into my Chevy PU to also control aux power to trailer connector so when I kill the engine, power to trailer is cut off... The factory wired in aux power circuit is hot (on) all the time in my 05 Chevy so any discharge of trailer battery also drains TV ...

Dale

Thanks for taking the time to provide this useful information. I wonder if the Progressive Dynamic Charger has this cut off feature installed?

Iflyfish

[GuitarPhotog]

The PD4045 converter does NOT have an automatic battery cutoff feature. Generally a battery cutoff relay is installed in the tow vehicle since it's easier to sense whether the vehicle is running or not (doesn't require an extra wire to the trailer that way).

<Chas>

[Iflyfish]

The PD4045 converter does NOT have an automatic battery cutoff feature. Generally a battery cutoff relay is installed in the tow vehicle since it's easier to sense whether the vehicle is running or not (doesn't require an extra wire to the trailer that way).

<Chas>

Thanks, I am getting clearer about all of this. As they say in Mexico "Poco e Poco", little by little

Iflyfishwithalittlehelpfrommyfriends

[GuitarPhotog]

The PD4045 converter does NOT have an automatic battery cutoff feature. Generally a battery cutoff relay is installed in the tow vehicle since it's easier to sense whether the vehicle is running or not (doesn't require an extra wire to the trailer that way).

<Chas>

Thanks, I am getting clearer about all of this. As they say in Mexico "Poco e Poco", little by little

Iflyfishwithalittlehelpfrommyfriends

Don't worry about it, we all started at some level of ignorance, and it's just exposure, education, and experience that turns newbies into experts.

<Chas>

[Shadow Catcher]

I have a circuit beaker in the line from the TV battery to the trailer. Potentially the solar panel back feeds the TV battery, but that would happen only if I left the trailer plugged in, and once we are set to camp the trailer is disconnected and unplugged.

[Iflyfish]

I have a circuit beaker in the line from the TV battery to the trailer. Potentially the solar panel back feeds the TV battery, but that would happen only if I left the trailer plugged in, and once we are set to camp the trailer is disconnected and unplugged.

Good one
Thanks,
Iflyfish