smkettner
Southern California
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Joined: 03/21/2005
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I recommend having a battery if traveling. Those that ask about no battery have often not moved in 5+ years. You have seen them... up on blocks, Patio & stairs built onto the front door, carport built onto the opposite side.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
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ktmrfs
Portland, Oregon
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Joined: 06/22/2005
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While you may not "need" a battery for the converter to work, Having one installed is a good idea for several reasons if your trailer is used for normal camping and not set up on blocks.
1) If you ever loose CG AC power, you at least now a backup for things like water pump, lights, furnace etc. And my experience is that CG is not overly reliable. Several times storms have knocked out the power.
2) When you stop for a lunch break or whatever, you have power for the above as well if you want to use anything. You don't need to rely on 12V from the TV. On my TV 12V shuts off to the trailer when the ignition is off to keep from draining the battery.
3) Your fridge will NOT work unless it has 12V DC. That means no frige cooling when your traveling unless your getting 12V from the TV
4) you don't need to hook up to power for the electric jack etc.
5) when arriving at a CG you can relax and decide when to hook up instead of having to hook up immediately for 12V power. Likewise when leaving, you can disconnect 120V whenever, not the very last thing you do.
6) You MUST have a 12V battery installed for the breakaway switch anyway. May as well just use a decent 12V marine battery rather than a wimpy expensive battery just for the breakaway switch.
2011 Keystone Outback 295RE
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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That line about a power fail is good too.
The campground I'm parked in just now, I think it was last year they were doing some construciton work,, Sliced through the primary wires that bring power into the park.. Took days to get power restored to the entire park, The same backhoe operator did it again the next week and another one the week after that.
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
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kpconnell
Seattle, WA
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Joined: 03/18/2012
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Ok, but who cares if the battery charger will better operate certain equipment without a battery if you need one and everyone has one?
BFL13 wrote:You are missing the point that the newer technology does not need the battery because the battery was used to "filter" or "clean up" the DC output of the older converters.
Some things in the Rv work ok on dirty DC while other things need clean DC or they will have big problem$.
The switch-mode type puts out clean DC, so does not need the battery as a filter. Nobody said the RV does not still need a battery for other reasons.
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BFL13
Victoria, BC
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Apparently, few read my earlier post, so here is a re-run:
"So can you pull the battery? Sure, but why? "
My routine for generator charging is to plug the shore cable into the Honda 3000 and let the OEM 7355 converter run the trailer, disconnect the battery bank (so no battery for trailer), plug the 100amp PowerMax converter into the Honda as well, and recharge the batteries.
I can exploit the fact the 7355 does not need a battery by charging the batteries with no draw on them while I am trying to charge them up. Saves gen time.
If my trailer came with the old 6300 instead of the 7300 I would not be able to do that. ISTR the 2001s, maybe 2002s, had the 6300, so we just made it having a 2003 model trailer.
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mena661
Southern California
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Wow, I didn't know this was such an issue. LOL!
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smkettner
Southern California
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Really it is not a big deal.
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SCVJeff
Santa Clarita, CA.
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We should be able to get another couple of pages out if this one...
Jeff - WA6EQU
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DryCamper11
Hartford
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BFL13 wrote:You are missing the point that the newer technology does not need the battery because the battery was used to "filter" or "clean up" the DC output of the older converters.
My vintage 1972 RV has an automatic relay that disconnects the RV from the battery whenever the transformer type converter has AC power. The original design was for the RV to run off the converter power only and for the battery to be isolated as it charged.
The original system is still in place, although the old converter is just there as a backup. DC power was lousy off the old system, but it didn't need the battery, despite its age. I suspect the power was so bad that leaving it connected to the battery would have burned up/boiled off the battery too quickly.
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MrWizard
Traveling
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Joined: 06/27/2004
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well if that old converter is a magtec 63xx
the charge rate is only a few amps , typically 3>6 amps depending on version
so while it would eventually get to full charge it takes a long time to get there at low amps and 13.8v
Options, always have options, and the journey goes much smoother
....
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