Camping without hookups: One Battery or Two?

[Bogo]

Would be better and more meaningful to ask overall amp hours @12VDC. Different battery sizes have different capacities.

[48Rob]

As far as conserving power goes, we're out to have a good time, so another battery just makes more sense.

If you wanna be Daniel Boone and go camping with candles, cool!

If you want to use up lots of power while camping or touring having extra batteries is cool too!

As has been pointed out; while polls are fun and sometimes informative, when it comes to sizing the electrical system for your trailer, other people's opinions will be great guidelines...for their usage, but not yours.

The math isn't hard to do.

Rob

[GuitarPhotog]

One 60 Ah Deep Cycle AGM sealed battery.

The longest I've gone between charges is 7 days of camping and the charge level was down to ~80%.

I don't anticipate ever needing more power than that in my teardrop, but I'm not running: radio or television, heater, electrical cooler, cpap machine...

<Chas>

[S. Heisley]

As far as conserving power goes, we're out to have a good time, so another battery just makes more sense.

If you wanna be Daniel Boone and go camping with candles, cool!

If you want to use up lots of power while camping or touring having extra batteries is cool too!

As has been pointed out; while polls are fun and sometimes informative, when it comes to sizing the electrical system for your trailer, other people's opinions will be great guidelines...for their usage, but not yours.

The math isn't hard to do.

Rob

Rob is correct. For instance, many of us built "BL" (Before LED's were useful) and may, therefore, have more battery power than we really need, now that we have converted. LEDs have made a big savings on battery drain. Yet others among us use solar power to replenish our batteries while out camping.

To find out what you need, add up the Amps for what you and those camping with you expect to use in one day, under max conditions, and then add another 30% to that total because you should never drain your battery down past 30%. (It wears it out faster.) Take that total and multiply it by the maximum number of days that you expect to be off grid. That should give you a pretty good idea of what size battery you need. Best Wishes!

[S. Heisley]

One more thing to consider (I didn't check to see if someone already mentioned this). When you have more than one battery, if one battery goes bad, it is always suggested that you replace both because having one battery weaker than the other can cause problems. Replacing two batteries could be more expensive and more hassle. For that reason, I think it is better to have one big battery rather than two smaller batteries wired in tandem.

[PKCSPT]

AAA and AAA batteries in my lights is all I use when boondocking. My radio is an emergency type that has a crank or solar cells on top to charge the battery. Citronella candles for outdoor light more because I enjoy the smell than any bug repellant possibilities.
For a fan I wiggle my trailer around for a cross breeze and hope there is one.

[Shadow Catcher]

Since the last post we now have real world experience with our solar. Eight days on the north shore of Lake Superior in a shaded camp site (maybe one hour full sun). The panel is a 66 cell 185W high voltage feeding a Morningstar MPPT controller and into the 150AH Lifeline AGM. The refrigerator is the major power user.
65% depth of discharge at the end of eight days.

[Socal Tom]

Another option for multiple batteries is to use a marine battery switch. You can select one, both or none, and switch between them. I have never had good luck with multiple batteries, especially if only seeing occasional use. If left on, one will drain the other and then you end up with a bad battery. With the switch, I just use one until it gets low, then switch to the other, then turn them oath on for charging. There are fancy automatic switches, but I never found them reliable.
Tom

[halfdome, Danny]

One more thing to consider (I didn't check to see if someone already mentioned this). When you have more than one battery, if one battery goes bad, it is always suggested that you replace both because having one battery weaker than the other can cause problems. Replacing two batteries could be more expensive and more hassle. For that reason, I think it is better to have one big battery rather than two smaller batteries wired in tandem.

On my first teardrop I had an experience of replacing one of my batteries because it began to sulfate.
I replaced it and eventually the other one sulfated too.
Reason being is that I had started out with only one battery and added another a year later.
If two batteries are for you, make sure the born on date isn't more than two months apart.
I have never had a problem since that experience since I always have the same born on date on each battery.
Danny

[hiker]

As this will be our first trailer I have no idea how much electricity we would use. However we are thinking of bringing along our camera/laptop power, amateur (817ND) radio gear; cb in tov vehicle.

So thinking 2 batteries one just fore, other just aft of axle. Water storage over axle. Excepting our cast iron I think all our heaviest items are centered.

[eggsalad]

Jane uses a 110 volt curling iron on the inverter too.

Wait, what? Curling one's hair while camping? This must be a Twilight Zone episode.

[eggsalad]

2 @ 6v, 12Ah emergency exit light batteries wired in series.

[Ron Dickey]

I have started a new build and plan on 2 batteries one to run the right side and outside the other to run the left hand side and inside.
A couple of switches will be put in so they can run together in parallel or one can take over the what the other does if one fails.

I will also have an A/C plug so if we stay in a place that offers power we can plug it in the galley while charging our batteries.

Hope to in the future have solar.

Ron

[Woodbutcher]

I use only 1 battery. I charge while towing and have made 2 weeks without and hook ups for electric. No problems.

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Just updated my vote. I have two batteries now, and will have two in my next build as well. None of my friends have teardrops, so mine ends up being "base camp". On some trips it seems that the stereo never turns off and people have to charge their cell phones, walkie-talkies, inflate rafts, air mattresses, bike tires, etc. We don't exactly use the power sparingly, so two batteries are a must. And also why a solar panel is a must. I have a 140W panel now, and the next build will likely have two 100W panels.

MOAR POWAAAAH!!!