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techntrek View Drop Down
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Heater power
    Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 10:51pm

Your left battery has more wire between it and the load (and the charging source), the right battery has less since it is directly connected to the trailer's leads.  Extra wire = more resistance, so the left battery will always be discharged less than the one on the right, and will always be charged less.  By moving your positive wire to the left battery you have an equal length of wire from each battery so they will discharge and charge more evenly.

David's first link leads to a post that has a link to an excellent site that explains all.

Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 8:16am
  Sorry to have posted I guess.
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 10:25am
Discussion is good, no bad intentions from either side I'm sure.  Smile
 
The solar forum I mentioned in that other thread is full of guys that have been running large battery banks for years (some for decades).  They all talk about problems they had with early implementations where the slightest imbalance between parallel strings caused early failure of cells or entire batteries.  Many of them discharge shallowly, less than 10%, and few go below 50% DOD.  Just passing along their experience.
 
One way to get around this problem for campers is to use two 6 volt golf cart batteries in series - same overall capacity but nothing in parallel so physics ensures an even draw/charge for both batteries.  My own battery bank at home is 16 12 volt batteries in series (192 volts nominal), so no issues with parallel strings there, either.  Later I'll convert to a 48 volt nominal system and I'll go to 6 volt batteries so everything is still in series, but at half of the total capacity since I don't need a 22 kw battery bank.
 
That UK site has many other good articles, such as long explanations of the Peukert effect and a dowloadable calculator so you can calculate based on your own loads.  Few understand it or the advantage it brings to using multiple batteries at the same time.  Yes its a commercial site, but their techical section is unbiased from what I've read.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 7:45pm
I think it worth mentioning that most everything in this forum is presented as opinion and information.  It is the duty of the reader to digest the material and determine within themselves what, if any, course of action they may choose to take. 
 
While I can only speak for myself, I gain or lose nothing regardless of how anyone hooks up their batteries, lifts their matresses, empties their black tanks, etc.  Anything that I offer is done so out of generosity of spirit and within the limits of my knowledge and experience.  Others may do things differently or be of a different opinion - that's OK - refer to the opening paragraph.
 
At the end of the day, it is your (readers) TT.  If you ask for advise/opinions, you'll likely get several from some real nice folks who are willing to take time out their busy schedules to help you.     
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2011 at 2:42pm
Originally posted by David

I think it worth mentioning that most everything in this forum is presented as opinion and information.  It is the duty of the reader to digest the material and determine within themselves what, if any, course of action they may choose to take. 
 
While I can only speak for myself, I gain or lose nothing regardless of how anyone hooks up their batteries, lifts their matresses, empties their black tanks, etc.  Anything that I offer is done so out of generosity of spirit and within the limits of my knowledge and experience.  Others may do things differently or be of a different opinion - that's OK - refer to the opening paragraph.
 
At the end of the day, it is your (readers) TT.  If you ask for advise/opinions, you'll likely get several from some real nice folks who are willing to take time out their busy schedules to help you.     


Sorry, I didn't ask for battery help, just tried to help someone else who did. I won't let it happen again, as I can see that there is only one way to do things.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2011 at 4:16pm
Originally posted by furpod

Originally posted by David

I think it worth mentioning that most everything in this forum is presented as opinion and information.  It is the duty of the reader to digest the material and determine within themselves what, if any, course of action they may choose to take. 
 
While I can only speak for myself, I gain or lose nothing regardless of how anyone hooks up their batteries, lifts their matresses, empties their black tanks, etc.  Anything that I offer is done so out of generosity of spirit and within the limits of my knowledge and experience.  Others may do things differently or be of a different opinion - that's OK - refer to the opening paragraph.
 
At the end of the day, it is your (readers) TT.  If you ask for advise/opinions, you'll likely get several from some real nice folks who are willing to take time out their busy schedules to help you.     


Sorry, I didn't ask for battery help, just tried to help someone else who did. I won't let it happen again, as I can see that there is only one way to do things.
 
I'm not sure that I understand?
 
At the end of the day, it is your (readers) TT.  If you ask for advise/opinions, you'll likely get several from some real nice folks who are willing to take time out their busy schedules to help you.   
 
Perhaps a more direct way of saying it would have been: Readers, more than one opinion on the subject has been offered.  Each is kindly trying to help you but, you will have to decide for yourself which way you want to go.
 
Again, I'm a little confused.  If you would like further clarification/discussion, how about we use the private mail feature?
 
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2011 at 5:14pm
Never mind. 
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2011 at 5:17pm
I'm not sure what happened here, either, furpod.  You offered your way, I offered another way, we had a normal debate.  No reason to go and delete all of your posts...
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2011 at 6:07pm
I took it as it being pointed out that there is a wrong way and a right way. And that my way was wrong. Also, as I said, I didn't ask about batteries, I asked about if anyone knew for sure if the heater motor wires were constant 12v. The implication that someone had taken time out of their busy schedule to help me, and then I chose not to heed their advice.. which I didn't ask for, bothered me.

and now based on the last moderator post, if I want to discuss it, or clarify it, I should PM him.. so I think it's best I just not bother. I have never needed to be moderated in all the time I have been on the internet.

So I removed my posts so as to not misguide someone else who might want to know about adding a dual battery mod to their trailer.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Aug 2011 at 6:54pm
Originally posted by Chuck

furpod (or anyone else that can comment), You mentioned the "dual battery mod" that you did. Did you include a switch between them? I have 2 batteries and it's a pain to disconnect and reconnect each time I want to switch. I sure would like to put in a switch but know nothing about what to use or the challenges of that kind of install.
 
Chuck shifted the subject to dual battery connections and asked for advise.  All 3 of us (myself, Tech, and furpod) offered opinions/advise.  It is really up to Chuck to decide how he wants to proceed.  This is "standard operating proceedure" here.  Someone will ask for advise and a whole bunch of us will jump in and try to help.  It's one of the really cool things about the forum.  We get exposed to a whole lot of different viewpoints/opinions/practices. 
 
I asked to go PM as you quoted me and seemed to be upset - a personal matter between you and I that would be best handled out of the public forum.  I would have done this - moderator or not.  If 2 members are upset, it is best to discuss the matter privately as many of the readers find this sort of thing distasteful.  PM is a good thing.  A number of us use it to "talk" directly with each other.  Podders Helping Podders advertise that they are happy to go "one on one" with you to help where they can.  No offense should be taken.  There are times to discuss things confidentially. 
 
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