soft start
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
Forum Discription: Perplexed/need help with a problem - ask here
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14660
Printed Date: 10 May 2024 at 12:54am
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Topic: soft start
Posted By: Hunter
Subject: soft start
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 8:45am
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I have a couple of questions. First if I am setting up two agm batteries in // do I have to run the connections to the camper two both batteries or can I put the pos and neg on one of the batteries if I have set up the pos to both batteries and the neg to both batteries. I am thinking of raising the batteries up on another rack so I can fit two 100ah agm batteries on the trailer and concerned about the length of the existing wires to the camper. The second question is if I put a soft start on the 15k air conditioner how much will this reduce startup demand? I would like to run a 1200w and a 2500w generator in // to reduce the weight of what I have to move around? Thanks in advance. YOU guys have been so helpful! Oh another question the 2021 rpod 196 comes with an inverter 1000w. Anyone know what it runs on the camper. I have noticed that I am using up power faster than I want to.
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Replies:
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 9:14am
Put the pos from the trailer on one battery and the neg from the trailer on the other battery, plus of course the positive jumper between the batts and the negative between the batts. By doing it that way the cabling between each battery and the trailer will be of equal length.
Get an Easystart (not a simple soft start capacitor) which will reduce your startup current by about 2/3. I believe you actually have a 13.5 kbtu a/c. At least that's what the specs say. My Honda 2kw starts and runs the 13.5kbtu a/c fine with the Easystart, so I don't think you'll need to lug around the 1200 watt genny, even if you could parallel it with the 2500 which I'm not sure is possible.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: campman
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 9:57am
You say you are using a lot of power from your battery(s) and have the inverter option. Do you also have the 100 watt solar panel affixed to your roof to try to keep your batteries topped up?
It sounds like you currently have been depending on a single 12 volt deep cycle battery for not only 12 volt loads but also providing you with 110 volt power? You need to verify what your loads are in your trailer...write them down as propane, 12 volt load and 110 volt. This is just to help you (and us) figure out where your power is going and how your systems work together. Am example of a energy hog is if you have a coffee maker that plugs into your 110 volt receptacle. If it is rated at 1000 watts, in 30 minutes it has used 500 watts of energy which on its own will take, say, 5 hours of good sunlight to replace, maybe more. (Just rough figures for example purposes! There are engineers who can give you precise numbers but I am not that guy. :-)
Now, if you have NO solar panels and you are boondocking and using your 110 volt power you only have so much energy available in your battery. A solar system has to be sized properly to be able to consistently provide you the power you need.
Inverters take 12 volt battery power and provide 110 volt power but in doing this, due to inefficiencies inherent to the conversion, they lose about 10 to 15 percent. This will also help empty your battery quickly and you don't want to go any lower than 50% charge to prevent damage/shortened life of the battery. A 100,amp hour battery only had a max of 50 amp hours of energy that is useable.
End of story, you need to know where you are using your electricity. You should be running everything you can on propane (water heater, fridge/freezer) and nothing on 110 volt if you have no solar panels...I would suggest turn off your inverter as well to save wasting energy when it isn't needed.
You could let the forum know your power usage (as well as if you have solar panels their size/wattage) for more specific thoughts/recommendations. You will quickly figure out what is going on!
Have a great day,
Andy
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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg
'21 RP192
"If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!"
Red-Green
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Posted By: Hunter
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 11:46am
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Thanks for your reply Andy. I do have the 100 watt solar panel. The only thing I am running off the electricity when off the grid is the water pump,lights, and fan in bathroom when needed that i know of?I have no appliances that I am using. As I said I do not know what the inverter is running? The switch to turn it off does not work so I guess I will try and check the wiring. The inverter I suspect is where the draw is coming from. Everything you mentioned is running off propane.
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Posted By: Hunter
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 11:56am
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Sorry I meant to say easystart. The air conditioner is a 15k. It was pre ordered by another person that then decided to not buy the camper so I ended up with it. If the easy start reduces the initial draw by 2/3 then I think as you say the 2500 gen would work. Thanks for getting back to me! I guess with the batteries then I cannot run the camper connection off one battery if I have two batteries in //? The // jumpers are both the same length. I am trying to find all this out before I bu buy the 2500w. Thanks for your help!
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Posted By: campman
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:16pm
Just one more quick note, the above notes I made are if you are boondocking. If you are using shore power it will provide your power and your power converter will give you your 12 volt power and charge your battery at the same time.
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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg
'21 RP192
"If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!"
Red-Green
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:39pm
Not sure I follow your question but if you put two batteries in parallel then you will be running the 12v system in the trailer from both batteries. That is fine and is what you want. As for length you will need to try it and see. I think it will probably be fine.
You'll likely be fine with your 2500 watt generator, install the Easystart and try it and see. Be sure to turn off your other ac loads (like your water heater ac element) and put the fridge on propane. Pick a hot day and let the a/c cycle a few times to be sure the generator holds.
It doesn't sound like the inverter is running anything so that's good.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 12:58pm
One question, where and when during the day do you want to use the a/c? If you're in a designated campground with no hookups and want to use it at night you're likely to be disappointed, most places have quiet hours and dont allow generator operation at night.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Hunter
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 2:45pm
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Thanks for your response. I appreciate the thought that when I am in a campground without power they will not allow the generators to run at night. So far this is the extent of my off grid camping so the larger generator is not necessary until I am boondocking away from campgrounds. This will be awhile I suspect.
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Posted By: Hunter
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 2:53pm
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Sorry for not being clearer . I am thinking of raising the battery rack to make room for two 100ah batteries and am concerned about having to splice connections to the camper so I had was wondering if I could just put the pos and neg connections to the camper on the nearest battery.
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 3:04pm
Why do you have to raise the battery rack? Two batteries should fit in the existing rack. You can rotate them a little so they slide in if you need to. In Any case it's not a big deal to extend a battery cable if you need to, just use a butt splice with self sealing heat shrink.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: campman
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 5:12pm
Maybe we need a good pic posted of 2 12 volt dedicated deep cycle batteries wired in parallel, showing the connections. As well, showing how the trailer connection is connected.
As for the power loss issue, what kind of battery is it? It must be a deep cycle battery, not a dual purpose boat battery or worse yet...a battery designed for starting a vehicle! Your battery may be a deep cycle but it may be toast due to age, over-discharge, freezing etc.
With no 120 volt loads and a fair sized solar panel in half decent sunlight you shouldn't be having a problem. You may need to get the battery load tested at a shop to confirm its serviceability.
If you do go for 2 new deep cycle batteries, make sure they are exactly the same make, model, capacity etc. This is to maximize their life and so they share the power load when hai g them.
Definitely see of the inverter switch is working, no need to invert power except when you need it for charging your phone, perhaps using a cpap machine, etc...turn it off when it isn't needed.
Andy
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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg
'21 RP192
"If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!"
Red-Green
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Posted By: Hunter
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 5:41pm
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The two batteries that I have will fit on the existing rack without a box. I cannot find a box that will handle the two batteries and the available space at the same time. So if I raise the rack I will have space for two boxes. Another solution I have been thinking about is just to build my own box.
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Posted By: campman
Date Posted: 24 May 2021 at 6:52pm
There have been earlier threads that highlighted the light weight frames RPODS are built on. Very in depth.
OG has put forward a strong argument that great care must be taken not to overload the A frame. So, please consider the weight (and the resulting tongue load on your TV as well) you wish to load in that area.
You can utilize the search function if you are interested in order to search OG's prior posts.
Andy
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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg
'21 RP192
"If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!"
Red-Green
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 8:15am
Ok, the issue is the box not the batteries. The plastic battery boxes are flexible and will slide into place. Battery case sizes are standardized. Look up the group size of the batteries you have (or check by the case dimensions) and then look on line for the outside dimensions of boxes designed for that size. Just get two of those (they're not expensive) and strap
them to the rack.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 8:34am
Hunter, you may want to consider something other than a battery box. There are various tongue boxes that will easily hold two batteries. I mounted this one on my 172 and it worked very well. http://www.harborfreight.com/231-cu-ft-steel-trailer-tongue-box-61602.html?_br_psugg_q=tongue+box - https://www.harborfreight.com/231-cu-ft-steel-trailer-tongue-box-61602.html?_br_psugg_q=tongue+box It'll take a little drilling for wires and self drilling screws to attach. Be sure to sue rubber grommets where you make holes for wire. Only bad thing is that it costs about $35 more than what I paid.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost
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Posted By: Hunter
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 1:28pm
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This is what I was originally planning to do but I cannot find two boxes 12.25 long. Everything seems to be 11 or then go up to 13,14". The batteries are 12.17'" long. Will keep looking. Thanks
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Posted By: Hunter
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 1:39pm
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Thanks for all your info Andy. I will look into the weight stuff although I am only adding the weight of one more battery to the tongue and see that many have already done this without problem.
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Posted By: campman
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 1:54pm
No worries, Hunter. My concern had to do with the possible addition of a 2nd box in addition to your 2 battery planned install. It all adds up, I guess I was getting at.
I am also planning on a 2 battery install on our new trailer when it arrives...I will leave only 1 propane tank on the A frame to reduce tongue load as a 192 has quite a hefty tongue load from what I have read.
I also have a Sherline tongue weight scale to monitor actual weights as I don't like guessing. I have plenty of room as well as capacity to carry extra load in the back of my cap-covered truck box so that gives us loading options.
Have a great day,
Andy
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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg
'21 RP192
"If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!"
Red-Green
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 2:30pm
Sounds like you have group 27 batteries. The batteries should fit in these cases, check that the outside dimensions will work.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RCUWGY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_Q733GFWTY9V7A85K828X - batt box
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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