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Topic ClosedCamping w/o battery

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Nomad2 View Drop Down
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Joined: 18 Oct 2017
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Camping w/o battery
    Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 11:56am
Is it safe to plug into shore power and operate without having a battery installed?

Appreciate your help. 
Gary & Julie
2016 Rpod 179
2010 Toyota Highlander
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 12:21pm
Only if you are sure that the positive cable for the battery will not contact the frame. You would have some fireworks if it did. However, it is better to have a battery.
StephenH
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furpod View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 4:38pm
It would also be very unsafe, and in most jurisdictions, illegal to tow without a battery installed.
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podwerkz View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 4:55pm
furpod is, of course, referring to the battery operated electric brakes during a break-away event.

If there is no battery, those brakes wont activate during an accidental separation.


r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 6:04pm
+ 1 to furpod
Never leave footprints behind.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2020 at 6:14pm
Wondering why you would want to do this? Aside from the towing issue, which is a big deal. If you are not properly equipped, if you lose shore power, you're in a hard sided tent.
Mike Carter
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2020 at 8:32am
The converter is able to provide the 12V electrical requirements of the trailer if you are plugged in and there is no battery. The batteries are a dealer installed option.

Towing laws in many but not all states do require breakaway brakes. The language about how long they need to stay energized varies. Some say an "adequate period of time". MD says 15 minutes. I didn't check every state. 

Your brakes take about 12A so 15 minutes would be only 4 amphours. So, if you were always camping on hookups and wanted the smallest possible battery and the minimum legal breakaway brake function say for MD a little bitty motorcycle battery would do. 

After you lose your trailer do remember to put chocks under the wheels before you get distracted trying to explain what happened to the highway patrol though. LOL
1994 Chinook Concourse
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