Does this battery look OK?

[tony.latham]

he right terminology - "shunt" - so this is the thing that hangs of the battery post to allow attachment of items...

No, it's that black thing in the above photo with the two big nuts on it. It comes with the meter.

"In electronics, a shunt is a device which creates a low-resistance path for electric current, to allow it to pass around another point in the circuit."

I have a book out there...

What is it????

Tony

[Tom&Shelly]

Things are really coming together quickly now and the funny thing is that it's given me new enthusiasm to finish my original build. My wife patted me on the back when I told her that and said "you just do whatever you need to do, honey." I think she was humoring me?

Shelly says "yes", but she says "you just do whatever you need to do, honey" to me all the time, so what does she know...?

Tom

[DoctahDeane]

he right terminology - "shunt" - so this is the thing that hangs of the battery post to allow attachment of items...

No, it's that black thing in the above photo with the two big nuts on it. It comes with the meter.

"In electronics, a shunt is a device which creates a low-resistance path for electric current, to allow it to pass around another point in the circuit."

I have a book out there...

What is it????

Tony

Well, this brings me back full circle. Am I right that there is a connector of some sort that is attached to a battery terminal and that lets you attach smaller connections to it, leaving the post free for charging clips? Like for example the fuse box needs power right? How i that connected to the battery if the charger is already connected to the posts? Seems like s smaller attached post needs to be present? And review submitted BTW, great resource - beautiful job.

[tony.latham]

How do i that connected to the battery if the charger is already connected to the posts?

You can add as many wires to the batter post as you can stack (with crimped-on ring-eyes).

And review submitted BTW...

I'm always on pins and needles to read those, but thanks in advance. Sometimes they take a day or two to post.

Tony

[DoctahDeane]

You can add as many wires to the batter post as you can stack (with crimped-on ring-eyes).

Thanks for all the advice, Tony. I feel confident now about finishing this off (and actually using it this Spring!). Buying this moved me ahead a lot but I can see inefficiencies that will probably drive me a little nuts over time. I got as far as an installed, insulated platform and cut profiles on my original build and I can see in your book that you recommend building the structure off the trailer and that there's an option to have a trailer built correctly from the get go. This is all very appealing. I need too think about the best way to take what I have on that build forward - or perhaps sell the existing and start over.

For this one that I bought, the other thing that you got me thinking about is the delivery of power to the trailer. Your combination of charging from the tow vehicle and solar is great. I had been planning to drill through the sidewall for a connection to shore power but I like the independence and simplicity of what you have described better.

One question - in your scenario, this is the reason you suggest the trailer junction box at the end of the pigtail, correct? I'm assuming that power from the tow vehicle gets "married" to trailer connections in that box, right?

[tony.latham]

this is the reason you suggest the trailer junction box at the end of the pigtail, correct? I'm assuming that power from the tow vehicle gets "married" to trailer connections in that box, right?

Doc:

The chassis junction box is just that. A box that organizes the wires that come from the vehicle and feed throughout the chassis light and brake systems.

But yeah, that's where the power post is connected from the vehicle and where the charging and negative wires connect to the battery.



Tony

[DoctahDeane]

this is the reason you suggest the trailer junction box at the end of the pigtail, correct? I'm assuming that power from the tow vehicle gets "married" to trailer connections in that box, right?

The chassis junction box is just that. A box that organizes the wires that come from the vehicle and feed throughout the chassis light and brake systems.


Tony

Tony - when I finish off number two, I will do it this way. For now, with number 1, which I recently acquired, would it work to run a wire from the tow vehicle battery to some kind of power only harness that I plug in to the trailer and ultimately, the charger? Wondering how to finesse the connection. Of course, I can put an outlet on the side of the trailer and use shore power to keep the battery topped off and if that is what it is, that's OK, but it would be nice to be more independent and to have the tow vehicle charging as I drive and perhaps solar available so that I'm not tied to the grid so much. Any suggestions?

[tony.latham]

...would it work to run a wire from the tow vehicle battery to some kind of power only harness that I plug in to the trailer and ultimately, the charger?

It's common to run a wire (at least 12 AWG) from the tow battery (with an inline fuse at the batt) to the "house" battery. This is normally done through a 7-pin trailer connector.

What charger are you referring to? A DC to DC charger maybe?



Tony

[DoctahDeane]

...would it work to run a wire from the tow vehicle battery to some kind of power only harness that I plug in to the trailer and ultimately, the charger?

It's common to run a wire (at least 12 AWG) from the tow battery (with an inline fuse at the batt) to the "house" battery. This is normally done through a 7-pin trailer connector.

What charger are you referring to? A DC to DC charger maybe?


Tony

Ah, OK! That sounds promising. So perhaps replace the existing 4 pin connector with a 7 pin connector. That would be cleaner. I was referring to the Genius charger that you pointed me to before.

[tony.latham]

I was referring to the Genius charger that you pointed me to before.

Just hardwire that to your battery.

Tony

[DoctahDeane]

I was referring to the Genius charger that you pointed me to before.

Just hardwire that to your battery.

Tony

I'm sorry this is where text gets challenging. So the 7 pin connector will charge the trailer battery by using the AUX wire to positive terminal on trailer battery and the charger might be used for say, solar? My understanding is that this arrangement would keep the trailer battery topped off while driving. Then, I suppose I could use a Genius charger to charge battery from solar, if NOT driving? Is that what you are saying, big picture, Tony?

[tony.latham]

I'm sorry this is where text gets challenging. So the 7 pin connector will charge the trailer battery by using the AUX wire to positive terminal on trailer battery and the charger might be used for say, solar? My understanding is that this arrangement would keep the trailer battery topped off while driving. Then, I suppose I could use a Genius charger to charge battery from solar, if NOT driving?

Well... yes and no. Your tow vehicle will charge the battery while towing. But the Noco Genius is used when you have access to 120V.

For solar, you need a solar controller (plus the panel of course). Mine's a Renogy Adventurer but there are lots on the market.



Tony

[DoctahDeane]

Been a while. I hope everyone is healthy and doing OK. Tony, thank you for all the support. Big day today - got all the trailer/junction box wiring done, including license plate light, and did maiden voyage to my daughter's house up the road and back. Hubs were cool to the touch, upgraded tires (radials) were much smoother. All the lights worked first time! So thanks for the help. Now I'll get on to the internal electrical, deep cycle battery stuff but at least I could actually drive somewhere legally and use this now (although it'd be very dark at night).

Seeking cosmetic advice now - underneath, as I installed the junction box, I redid some of the wiring and some that was already in place is not well protected. Is it advisable to use looms underneath? I know they organize wires but they do have the split so not really water proof. I'm talking the basic trailer wires for taillights, etc.

Second thing is that now that I've added the junction box, it has a pretty substantial cable that ends at the tongue with a 7 pin plastic housing. And, since I upgraded the vehicle side from 4 to 7 pins, there's a fair amount of stuff outside the rear of the vehicle that I have wrapped around the trailer hand crank that raises and lowers the wheel to get it in place over the ball. It all works but it's not very well organized. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Pretty excited now, of course and thanks again to everyone for the encouragement. Tony, your book is great.

[tony.latham]

I redid some of the wiring and some that was already in place is not well protected. Is it advisable to use looms underneath? I know they organize wires but they do have the split so not really water proof.

I just saw your post.

I run my wires under the chassis within loom. Water isn't a problem but rock damage is a possibility. Or at least that's my thinking. (The cable sheathed in the white plastic is multi-stranded marine stuff. It's hardy. I use that stuff for my charging line.)



If you've got a photo of your other issue, that would help.

Tony

[DoctahDeane]

Boy does that look familiar, including the crimper. Thank you, I will get some loom. Here's a photo. I'm not even showing the cabling coming from the tow vehicle. It just seems like maybe it could be organized better.