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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Joined: 23 Nov 2012
Location: N. Colorado
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Dead battery
    Posted: 27 Nov 2019 at 6:23pm
You can recharge the TT battery from your TV but you're not going to like it. Several problems: typical TV wiring limits the charging current to about 10 amps from the 7 way connector on the rear. It has to do with small wire gauge between the TT battery and the 7 way connector. So if your two 6V golfers are rated around 200AH and if they are 50% discharged you would have to replace 100AH for full charge. If you could maintain the 10A rate it would you 10 hours!. If you settle for 80% recharge that would require replacing 60AH and take 6 hours at the 10A rate. However, most newer TVs regulate the charge voltage to around 13.8 volts so chances are you will not be able to maintain the 10A rate. Some of this can be overcome by using heavy copper jumper cables directly from the TV battery to the TT battery but it will still require several hours. Considering the times you will have to make the trip and how long you will sit there waiting you should reconsider the alternatives. They are two: solar trickle charger or take the batteries out and trickle charge at home. You might permanently mount a small solar charger on the roof and providing a hole in the cover. Not the best but it will work. The other alternative, taking the batteries home, is still the best tried and true method. Just be sure you reconnect them with the correct polarity in the Spring.

Charlie
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OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
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EchoGale View Drop Down
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Posts: 461 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2019 at 6:33pm
Thanks! Living in Florida I won't be "putting the camper up" for the winter so I'm looking for something other than removing the batteries.  Now if i can just figure how to READ that multi meter everyone said i should buy.  This was helpful.
Julie
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2629 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2019 at 6:48pm
You could also just put jumper cables between your TV and TT batteries. Jumper cables should be large gauge and would allow the maximum amount of current between the two systems. Then it would be totally dependent on what the state of charge was when you start, and how robust the charging system on your TV is. The alternator on our F-150 goes well above 200 amps; IDK what your TV can do.
bp
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2019 at 7:06pm
Yikes, FL must be a dangerous place if you have to worry about people stealing a little $70 solar trickle charger off your Pod.  Are the tires and gas cylinder also in danger?  Thankfully, we don't have too much of that around Dayton, NV.  You can pretty much leave anything you want on your trailer and not even lock it.  If it were me, I'd spring for the solar trickle charger and figure out a way fasten it to the trailer.  On our old Pod, I put boat cleats along the bottom edge and tied our 100W panel to the roof with cord.  Something like that could even go on top of your cover.  Never had a problem, but then it ain't Florida.
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EchoGale View Drop Down
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Posts: 461 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2019 at 8:04pm
No..the whole state of Florida is not a crime den. Jeez. Its just that, since the city made me move it from my house, it lives in a parking lot where there aren't many people around except those who go by it to go to the community dumpster.  I've not had anything stolen but solar charger just sitting there not secured to anything seems like too much of an invitation (especially to the kids around). And I keep the pod covered so I can't really attach it.

I'm sure there's also theft in Nevada.
Julie
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AlaskaAviator View Drop Down
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Posts: 14 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2019 at 9:06pm
Thanks for all the replies. I had the battery load tested this morning and it checked out fine. Just have to remember to switch the disconnect to off next time I store the trailer.Embarrassed
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Posts: 1446 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2019 at 10:54pm
Originally posted by EchoGale

No..the whole state of Florida is not a crime den.

Here's another option.  Pick up a cheap little generator at Harbor Freight or somewhere, and an adapter so you can plug it into the Pod.  Lock it to the Pod with a bike cable, fill it up with gas and let it charge your battery until it runs out of gas.  You don't have to sit there and watch it. Leave it and check back later to pick up the generator and put it away until next time, a month or two later.

It'd be good for camping if it's not too loud, and for emergencies.  But you only need the smallest one you're likely to be able to find to let the on board converter/charger top up the batteries.
 
Here's a link to an Amazon generator.  I think they sell this one at Harbor Freight too.  There are a lot of others.


TT
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2629 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2019 at 12:45am
I don't know that Florida is a "crime den", but it does have a reputation; especially for the notorious Florida man.
bp
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JR View Drop Down
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Posts: 343 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2019 at 8:23am
EchoGale, maybe you might consider permanently attaching a small solar panel to the top of your trailer cover and running the wiring permanently under the cover to the battery area of the trailer and there you go your batteries will always be full if you remember to hook up the connections to the battery.
Jay

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EchoGale View Drop Down
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Posts: 461 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2019 at 10:33am
Thanks for the help, everyone.
Julie
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