Finally, after a few months of turning off and on the old battery killing converter to avoid over charging, and also dry camping in my driveway using my the new AGM battery, today I ordered the PowerMax Boondocker 60amp converter/charger and Trimetric 2025 battery system monitor from Best Converters!! I can't wait to receive and install it. They asked that if I am able, to take photos of the installation and send to them for a "possible" tech article for their website! No pressure there!
In any event I'll let ya know how it all turns out!
Now if I can just find the time to finish installing the led clearance lights on the front.... Oye! it never ends!
Dak
1995 Weekender model 910 extended cabover
Calvin, the 1996 creampuff Chev Silverado 3500 extended cab dually
RockyRoadCamper wrote: How hard is this Trimetric 2025 to install for the notive electrician? Does it come with detail simple instructions?
Well, since I'm a novice electrician I'll let ya know! I haven't received it yet, but I would assume it has basic written instructions such as connections, wire sizes required, etc. If not, I understand that Best converter is quite good at helping over the phone.
I installed a Trimetric 2025 in my camper about a year ago, and didn't find it to be too difficult.
I have a single group 31 Trojan battery in my camper, and there was just enough room in the battery box to install the shunt on one side. All of the negative connections to your battery will be moved to one side of the shunt, so you'll need to build a short, heavy gauge cable to go from the other side of the shunt to the negative post on the battery. I had some cables in my "stuff I'll use someday" pile that worked perfectly for me.
At the same time, I also replaced my main battery disconnect switch with a heavier one, and re-purposed the old switch to be a disconnect for my inverter. I only use the inverter to run the fridge while we're driving, and I wanted a way to turn the inverter off without having to climb inside the camper.
The hardest part of installing the Trimetric for me was getting the little cable run up through the wall that I wanted to mount the panel on. I was eventually able to fish it up through with a coat-hanger. I can post some pictures later if you want. I think every installation is going to be a little different, but it might give you some ideas.
Programming all the parameters into the Trimetric takes a little time, but the instructions are pretty good, and there are many people on this forum who can help you if you need it. Once you get all the settings programmed the way you want, it's very easy to use and understand. And, one nice thing I've discovered: the settings won't "disappear" if you have to remove all power to the Trimetric panel.
NRALIFR wrote: I installed a Trimetric 2025 in my camper about a year ago, and didn't find it to be too difficult.
I have a single group 31 Trojan battery in my camper, and there was just enough room in the battery box to install the shunt on one side. All of the negative connections to your battery will be moved to one side of the shunt, so you'll need to build a short, heavy gauge cable to go from the other side of the shunt to the negative post on the battery. I had some cables in my "stuff I'll use someday" pile that worked perfectly for me.
At the same time, I also replaced my main battery disconnect switch with a heavier one, and re-purposed the old switch to be a disconnect for my inverter. I only use the inverter to run the fridge while we're driving, and I wanted a way to turn the inverter off without having to climb inside the camper.
The hardest part of installing the Trimetric for me was getting the little cable run up through the wall that I wanted to mount the panel on. I was eventually able to fish it up through with a coat-hanger. I can post some pictures later if you want. I think every installation is going to be a little different, but it might give you some ideas.
Programming all the parameters into the Trimetric takes a little time, but the instructions are pretty good, and there are many people on this forum who can help you if you need it. Once you get all the settings programmed the way you want, it's very easy to use and understand. And, one nice thing I've discovered: the settings won't "disappear" if you have to remove all power to the Trimetric panel.
Thanks for the information! It's very helpful. As you say though, each installation is different too! I have pretty good access to everything in terms of the battery, place for the shunt, etc., so I "hope" I won't run into many problems (famous last words! )
Starting in the battery box, you can see the Trimetric shunt installed in the lower LH corner. The two big, black cables going between the battery NEG terminals and the shunt are some cables that I had salvaged from a piece of equipment many years ago, and were in my junk pile. I had two cables, same gauge/same length, so I doubled them up. Probably overkill, but I had 'em just laying around. The small wires connected to the shunt are the "sense" leads going to the Trimetric panel. The shunt is bolted through the plastic battery box, and I used a scrap of 1/4" thick oak as a backer on the outside of the box to help support it.
One consideration I had about mounting the shunt in the battery box was that it might help warm the battery when it's cold outside. The shunt gives off a little heat when current is flowing through it. It might be negligible though.
Another view showing the two disconnect switches. The bottom switch used to be the main disconnect switch for the camper battery. I always felt it was just barely adequate for the amps going through it, so I replaced it with the disconnect switch on top that's rated for more amps. The old switch is now a dedicated disconnect switch for my inverter. When we're on the road, I run the fridge off the inverter because I got tired of the LP flame getting blown out all the time. I have a heavy-duty charge circuit from the truck alternator so it will keep up with the drain as long as the truck is running. If we stop for more than just a few minutes, I'll turn the inverter off so the fridge will switch to LP. With the inverter disconnect switch in the battery box, I can turn it off without going inside the camper.
This is what it looks like on the other side of the battery box. It's kinda cramped in there under the kitchen sink. Many bad words were said while I was working in that area. See how much bigger the top switch is compared to the bottom one?
This is where I installed the inverter. It's an inexpensive modified sine wave model with a very noisy fan. It's only used when we AREN'T in the camper to listen to it, but when I installed it I was thinking it might be handy to have it on the inside where we could use it for other things. I'd have to buy a quieter one before I could could do that, though.
And finally, this is where I mounted the Trimetric panel. The wires for it are run up through the wall it's mounted on.
Hope that gives you some ideas on how to handle your Trimetric install.
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