two battery's should i?
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 804
Likes: 1
From: sunnyvale
two battery's should i?
ok so I just bought a travel trailer and it seems to run the icebox on 12V or 110v, the gas setting is not working at this time. so I ask if I should run two battery's so I can keep my frig cold going down the road or if you think my alternator will keep up with my frig, trailer battery, and truck battery or should I look in to a two battery system? I think its a upgrade that might help. but I know nothing about doing it or if it will upgrade my alternator to or not! so if you run two let me know how you did it or if you use it to its fullest!
thanks for any input
Jay
thanks for any input
Jay
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,475
Likes: 728
From: Calgary Canada
Yep. Two batteries may help you when you are stopped, but if your alternator can't keep up, it'll just mean you arrive at your destination with flat batteries.
How tough would it be to fix the gas setting? That's worked great for me on my rigs, and keeps the fridge cold as ice while driving.
How tough would it be to fix the gas setting? That's worked great for me on my rigs, and keeps the fridge cold as ice while driving.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 119
Likes: 2
From: Calgary, Alberta
The system was not designed to "charge" the trailer battery like a regular charger. Yes a trickle charge does go to the trailer battery but is was certainly not designed to run appliances on the unit. By the time you add up the cost of a battery and wire it all in, you might as well fix the gas problem on the trailer.
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,946
Likes: 11
From: Northern California
Your batteries should charge form the 7 pin connector...and honestly they only time that will not happen is if your alternator is weak. It is a good idea to have some batteries for your trailer and also maybe look into a solar panel for charging them when you are parked.
I would start with at least two deep cycle batteries.
I would start with at least two deep cycle batteries.
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Are you sure the fridge uses the truck battery at all? Ours was setup to only use the battery on the trailer, if it ever came to that. I would look into getting THAT issue fixed before I spent too much time or money on the second battery idea. It might just be something cheap and easy on the trailer like a relay or fuse.
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 804
Likes: 1
From: sunnyvale
thanks all the frig will be need to be replaced after I looked in to it a bit more its shot. now I get to buy a $2480.00 dollar frig for my trailer that's only going to get used 4 or 5 weeks a year! man that blows but thanks all for the help and replies.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 216
Likes: 8
From: mich.
A lot of people replace there rv fridges with home fridges that run on 110 volts.Then add a small invertor and a couple of batteries.The new fridges are very efficient and don,t use much power. Go to rv.net and read about it.
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Brett Foote
Fleet Owner
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From: Blue Hill Township
I never use the fridge in my camper on propane. I switch it to 12v while driving and use 120 when camping.
There is no need to have extra batteries for the refer. Just don't open it when it is on 12v and it will stay cold enough.
Sent from my Telegraph using IB AutoGroup
There is no need to have extra batteries for the refer. Just don't open it when it is on 12v and it will stay cold enough.
Sent from my Telegraph using IB AutoGroup
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 804
Likes: 1
From: sunnyvale
I never use the fridge in my camper on propane. I switch it to 12v while driving and use 120 when camping.
There is no need to have extra batteries for the refer. Just don't open it when it is on 12v and it will stay cold enough.
Sent from my Telegraph using IB AutoGroup
There is no need to have extra batteries for the refer. Just don't open it when it is on 12v and it will stay cold enough.
Sent from my Telegraph using IB AutoGroup
SPONSOR
Joined: May 2013
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I just want to throw an idea out here because it looks like there could have been issues with the alternator and the fridge itself. If you are thinking about taking extra batteries with you as a back up, you might consider how they are protected because battery theft is popular these days unfortunately.
We have two battery security products available. The Hidden Power is a battery mount that attaches to the truck frame and trickle charges from the main battery but that sounds like you might run into some issues there due to the concerns with the alternator. Another idea is the Power Armor, it is a lockable diamond plate battery box that holds up to five spare batteries that can be mounted to the trailer tongue or bumper.
Take care and happy camping,
- Torklift Jen
We have two battery security products available. The Hidden Power is a battery mount that attaches to the truck frame and trickle charges from the main battery but that sounds like you might run into some issues there due to the concerns with the alternator. Another idea is the Power Armor, it is a lockable diamond plate battery box that holds up to five spare batteries that can be mounted to the trailer tongue or bumper.
Take care and happy camping,
- Torklift Jen
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,405
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I've got four 6-volt batteries, three solar panels, and an inverter. I never use the gas side of the fridge.
On the previous camper, we pulled the gas fridge an put a 10 cubic foot electric one in. We left it closed for a couple hours before we pulled out. Everything would stay cold. Our one experience camping without electric, we had a small generator we ran a couple hours a day to keep everything cold and charged up (no solar panels on that rig). That fridge is the only thing I miss about that old camper! Those dual mode fridges loose a lot of space to the absorption coils!
On the previous camper, we pulled the gas fridge an put a 10 cubic foot electric one in. We left it closed for a couple hours before we pulled out. Everything would stay cold. Our one experience camping without electric, we had a small generator we ran a couple hours a day to keep everything cold and charged up (no solar panels on that rig). That fridge is the only thing I miss about that old camper! Those dual mode fridges loose a lot of space to the absorption coils!