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Auxiliary battery

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SILVERLINER

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  • OwnPC: Yes
  • NewUsed: Used
  • PurchDate: 5/19
  • Model: 2100
  • ModelYear: 2018
  • Slide: Yes
  • IntColor: Grey
  • ExtColor: Grey/black
  • Location: Tennessee
Auxiliary battery
« on: May 09, 2021, 09:11:18 pm »
 >:(Extend your boondocking, and main house batteries, by adding a auxiliary battery. Most parashoots have a reserve shoot in case the first one fails to get you safely where  you want to be .I had scary trip with my PC ,I got myself in the middle of a Ostrich farm in Tennessee the owner gave me permission to stay there ground was hard seamed other rv's were parked there at one time. It was a picture perfect spot,  horses ,and other farm animals ,  came right up to the camper the owner said stay as long as you like he was going on a trip and would be gone for a while. We had everything we needed,except  there was no cellular service, for miles . That night a storm came over with heavy rain. The PC stayed nice and dry, the scary thing was the ground got soft and muddy looking at house batteries showed depleted the slide was out to booth. Some thing was wrong there was no way the batteries could be depleted,  but even the  inverter was showing depleted voltage  how can we drive with the slide out and I needed to get on a harder surface. Checking the batteries directly from outside of the coach with a voltage meter showed normal voltage .The battery gauges in the coach were reading false. The slide went in with power . The PC got us to the hard surface road .,and on we went.
Now this may not happen again, but for peace of mind  I installed an auxiliary battery completely separate from the outside batteries by using a two way battery switch that completely insulates one system from the other. I installed it inside the coach in my case under dinnett seat just happened to be close to the outside battery drawer  auxiliary battery  12v 100 ah AGM (no fumes) to worry about.  Plus added a Aili battery capacity gage  shunt  from the 6v series golf cart main  batteries   see my post on this forum. See photos  happy camping, no worries be happy.

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Ron Dittmer

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Re: Auxiliary battery
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2021, 09:45:23 pm »
In our case, by default we have 4 batteries during our trips.
- The two 6V AGM batteries that support the house.
- The 12V chassis battery.  I carry jumper cables that are long enough and proper gauge to jump between the house and chassis batteries.
- The tow vehicle's 12V battery.  I understand with model 2100, you likely wouldn't have a tow vehicle.

When our original chassis battery was at end-of-life and died during a trip, I jump-started the engine using the house batteries.
Ron (& Irene) Dittmer

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CalCruiser

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Re: Auxiliary battery
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2021, 12:55:50 am »
Turning on the ignition switch disengages the battery isolator.  If your coach batteries go dead while the slide is extended just start the engine and use the alternator to power the slide and electric sofa bed motors. The same applies for powering  the generator starter motor if needed.
Goin' where the wind goes...

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donc13

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Re: Auxiliary battery
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2021, 09:14:38 am »
I know, I am always a wet blanket.... There's a reason batteries are always mounted "outside" the passenger area.   Lead-acid batteries, flooded/maintenance free/AGM all give off hydrogen gas.  Hydrogen gas is explosive.  They flooded cell can leak acid.

They also have a shelf life so to speak.  They need to be recharged every few months or kept on a maintenance charger.   Yes... I know, batteries at an auto store might sit a year before sold.  They are "brand new" and can take sitting better than batteries that have been installed and used.  So I presume you now have to "top off" your aux battery every now and then.  Etc.

I get the idea, a just-in-case battery but CalCruiser is correct.  Start the engine, wait about 30 seconds and you have power enough to start the generator or move the slide in/out.

Just my opinion.  Not right, not wrong, just different.
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Don and Patti

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2 Lucky

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Re: Auxiliary battery
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2021, 09:20:31 am »
I just carry a portable jump starter everywhere I go, moving it between vehicles.  Also makes it easy to be the good Samaritan if someone needs a jump.
Riding the fine line between bravery and stupidity since infancy.

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SILVERLINER

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  • Location: Tennessee
Re: Auxiliary battery
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2021, 12:32:29 pm »
Reply:  appreciate all replies yes good to know cal cruiser starting the engine will get your slide & sofa stowed and get your generator going.(never tried that) . As far as the auxiliary box being inside the coach it's sealed AGM and for added protection  I added a vent tube to outside air.( l would never recommend using wet cell's in a closed environment). Now as far as keeping  either of the batteries charged , the isolation switch  1 or 2 only it has no both position this makes me in control of not letting me let the batteries discharge more than 50 % just switch next position and be at 100% battery. Now all this is for extended boondocking, if you have access to shore power no need for any of this. BTW when I use my generator i switch to the lesser charged battery and turn my hot water heater on this keeps water heated for longer periods, the generator is used every morning for coffee and micro, and bumps up charging. Another added feature I keep a smart charger plugged in to the AC outlet that works with the inverter so when  generators running or shore power or engine run one battery stays charged.the other charges from the coach inverter charge. I can stay off grid  till my tanks are full and I run out of fresh water.  (Working on that... >:(

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Ron Dittmer

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  • Location: N/E Illinois
Re: Auxiliary battery
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2021, 04:01:04 pm »
BTW when I use my generator I switch to the lesser charged battery and turn my hot water heater on this keeps water heated for longer periods, the generator is used every morning for coffee and micro, and bumps up charging. Another added feature I keep a smart charger plugged in to the AC outlet that works with the inverter so when  generators running or shore power or engine run one battery stays charged.  The other charges from the coach inverter charge. I can stay off grid  till my tanks are full and I run out of fresh water.  (Working on that... >:(
You are thinking like me now.  I have been doing the same thing for many years and it works well.

When off-grid, I run the generator roughly one hour each morning.  I use a smart charger for best utilization of that run time.  While doing so, the hot water tank is going on 110V, we make coffee, charge our phones and cameras, run the microwave, and sometimes Irene's hair dryer.  It's our catch-all time with 110V.

Like you say, we have to take evasive action once we run out of fresh water.  Some places permit the draining of gray water on the camp site, and using a long enough water hose, we can replenish our fresh water.  But those situations are rare.  Most of the time, fresh water runs out requiring us to drive our PC somewhere, even if to a community dump station where fresh water is also.
« Last Edit: May 10, 2021, 04:04:25 pm by Ron Dittmer »
Ron (& Irene) Dittmer