RoyB
King George, VA
Senior Member
Joined: 04/13/2008
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
JoeRT04 - If you want just ON-OFF then any ole switch will work - I was describing another way to skin the cat and gain complete control on how your TWO batteries may be used. If you not interested in using TWO batteries just go with any ole switch - but if you want to double up with two batteries the method I described works out pretty good.
My switches were mounted on the first crossmember at the front of the trailer. You get full equal cables control of your battery in addition to a ON-OFF of BAT1 or BAT2 or BOTH.
On the back side of this same crossmember I mounted a BLUE SEA Fuse block that you will need for running two batteries.
If you want to get somewhat serious of camping off the power grid you will need a minimum of two 12VDC batteries.
If you are just dealing with ONE battery then I would mount your any ole switch in the NEGATIVE Terminal battery lead.
My Posts are IMHO based on my experiences - PM me
Roy and Carolyn
RETIRED DOAF/DON/DOD/CONTR RADIO TECH (42yrs)
K9PHT (Since 1957) 146.52M
2010 F150, 5.4,3:73 Gears,SCab
2008 Starcraft 14RT EU2000i GEN
2005 Flagstaff 8528RESS
POPUP PHOTOs-Pg52-Pg56
.JPG)
|
JoeRT04
Cape Cod, MA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/16/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Offline
|
RoyB wrote:If you want to get somewhat serious of camping off the power grid you will need a minimum of two 12VDC batteries. Thanks RoyB. I'm thinking of getting a 2000 watt generator but you've got me thinking a bit... I used to have a Roadtrek Class B MH that had the convenience of a built-in genny. I'm looking at the Yamaha EF2000iS.
I know what the disadvantages are (noisy, extra gas can) so, 2 batteries sounds inviting. For the sake of staying on topic, I'll end this bit about generators and perhaps that can be a new topic in the FT forum. Thanks again.
2012 Aliner Sport
2010 Toyota RAV4 SPORT with 269 HP V6 Tow Package
|
mike4947
N. Syracuse, NY
Senior Member
Joined: 08/26/2002
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Don't worry about being off topic. This kind of thread will wonder all over the place. 
As for the two batteries I went that way for two reasons. 1) Two batteries would get me through most trips without recharging and 2) when I did need to recharge I could put more amps in the two than one and thus decrease the time the genset needed to run.
This if from a FORMER battery killer king. I managed in the olden days to go through 3-4 batteries a season and in one case destroyed a brand new Deep cycle in 3 weeks using it for a trolling motor and killing it dead, and I mean right down to 10.5 volts, every day on vacation.
blog.rv.net Your daily guide to the Open Road
Subscribe to the daily digest
They say you learn by your mistakes, in that case I must be a genius.
|
galexander
Omaha,Nebraska
Senior Member
Joined: 06/11/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
I cleaned it up after getting back from a three day camp out. Loved every minute of it.
2003 Chevy Silveraldo 2500HD 4x4 SB Ext.Cab 6.0L
2012 Rockwood A128S
|
the techwriter
Utah
New Member
Joined: 08/20/2009
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
I just added a 30-amp breaker to my garage breaker box and ran a 25-foot cable in a conduit out to an outdoor 30-amp receptacle mounted on a fence pole. I can now plug in my PUP and run the A/C without having to crank up the genny. No more orange extension cord to keep the battery charged either. Momma bear is happy, so all is good in the world.
2010 Viking 2465 SST Pop-up
2000 Ford Explorer w/WDH
Me, DW, DD, DS, and Harvey the wonder dog!
|
|
|
JoeRT04
Cape Cod, MA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/16/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Good job everyone in working on your RIGS! 
This morning I packed the final items into the Aliner for our annual weekend Memorial Day campout.  As I was doing that, I pulled some things out. It's amazing how we "over pack" sometimes. 
Now don't laugh but... On Friday, I going to hitch up the Aliner to my TV (tow vehicle), drive about 10 miles to the canal and open up the Aliner to take in the beautiful view there. Then I'll do a U-Turn, and then drive the backroads to my home-yard to set up camp there.
I've had such bad luck on Memorial Day weekend (weather, crowds etc) the last few years so. this time, I'm setting up camp at home. We have a fire pit here & we invited neighbors and friends over to join us - much like at a campground.
The seasonal rates at nearby local campgrounds jump 20% this weekend thru the summer months. I've decided to enjoy our Aliner on its first "trip" at home. The price is right. This is a good way to find out if we forgot to pack anything before we take a long trip later next month.
Do other FT'ers camp out @ home?
|
Santa Fe
PA
Full Member
Joined: 10/27/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
Washed, waxed, and is now set up in the driveway to get packed up for Memorial Day weekend!
NEW TV: 2008 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4WD
4.7L V8- 260 HP, 306 LB.-FT.
Titanium Metallic
2005 Scion tC- Black Sand Pearl
2004 Hyundai Santa Fe LX- Nordic White
PUP: 1996 Coleman Cheyenne
|
mike4947
N. Syracuse, NY
Senior Member
Joined: 08/26/2002
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
JoeRT04 wrote:Do other FT'ers camp out @ home?
You bet. Been camping for 40 years and besides ALWAYS spending the first night in a new or new to us camper when we bring it home. We've spent many a weekend in the camper at home. At quite a substantial expense I had a wide gate installed so I could get the camper to our back yard so it was more like camping rather than sitting on an asphalt driveway. A lot of those weekends I will admitt were "last minute decisions" and we couldn't get into any campgrounds 
But even for week or longer vacation we'd always find somewhere to camp. A lot of those times it was fairly close to home as either the DW or I was unemplyed or couldn't get our vacations scheduled together so one "full timed" and the other commuted.
Also made it nice in all cases that we could get home and do things like keep up the yard work, laundry, etc.
|
HunterBri
New England
New Member
Joined: 08/17/2010
View Profile
Offline
|
Tonight, after work, I am going to open up my PUP to air it out overnight and start packing stuff. The family is heading up to New Hampshire tomorrow afternoon for the Memorial Day weekend.
'Liberals in government are like a bowl of cereal...lots of fruits and nuts, surrounded by plenty of flakes.'
2010 Jayco 1206 pushing a 2010 Nissan Xterra, gently persuaded by Brian ('71), Amy ('74), and Cathryn ('04)
|
HunterBri
New England
New Member
Joined: 08/17/2010
View Profile
Offline
|
RoyB wrote:
This year I think I am going to go to the gold fields of Virginia and camp out with some family members that want to do some gold panning. Folks are starting to find some gold there already. I just like the idea of camping off the power grid.
All of this is centered around a town called Dillwyn VA.
Sounds like fun....
photo from google images
RoyB...Sounds like you might get the GOOOOOLLLLD FEVER! Might have to join GPAA!
|
|
|
