Give me feedback on my battery set up

[Larwyn]

Dee,

After reading this topic it has occured to me that perhaps you should scrap the original plan.

Replace the batteries with a fuel cell. This will solve any water shortage problems you may have as fresh water is a byproduct of the process. If you also replace the copper conductors with super conducting ceramics you will save much in resistive losses. Also since the superconductive material requires liquid nitrogen to operate you will be able to tap into that circuit to cool the inside of the tear, eliminating the need for air conditioning.

You will have all the power you need from one fuel cell so there will be no need for paralell circuits thus isolation will be of no concern. Sure this may be a few thousand dollars more expensive, but, hey you will have all the power, water and cooling you need and you will not be taxing those poor batteries to their slow agonizing death.

[bdosborn]

Ok So is it better to keep the batteries constantly on the charger? The "Battery Tender" is programed for these gel batteries. It has three levels of charging, the last in the program cycle is "float."
DEE

Yup.
Bruce

[madjack]

Ok So is it better to keep the batteries constantly on the charger? The "Battery Tender" is programed for these gel batteries. It has three levels of charging, the last in the program cycle is "float."
DEE

Yup.
Bruce

...ditto
madjack

[Dee Bee]

Dee,

After reading this topic it has occured to me that perhaps you should scrap the original plan.

Replace the batteries with a fuel cell. This will solve any water shortage problems you may have as fresh water is a byproduct of the process. If you also replace the copper conductors with super conducting ceramics you will save much in resistive losses. Also since the superconductive material requires liquid nitrogen to operate you will be able to tap into that circuit to cool the inside of the tear, eliminating the need for air conditioning.

You will have all the power you need from one fuel cell so there will be no need for paralell circuits thus isolation will be of no concern. Sure this may be a few thousand dollars more expensive, but, hey you will have all the power, water and cooling you need and you will not be taxing those poor batteries to their slow agonizing death.

What a hoot!

DEE

[Auszooker]

hey Dee, how about a test for us all to find the truth with 2 batteries.

Could you charge them both up and measure the voltage of each battery after resting for 24 hours and then measure after sitting for a week untouched? then repeat the process but with both batteries paralleled together?
I think this would prove whos theory is correct (and the first test would also show if one battery is morn worn out than the other)

you think this thread is good over here in Aus threads like these on some forums can go on for 15 pages and get quite

[Larwyn]

hey Dee, how about a test for us all to find the truth with 2 batteries.

Could you charge them both up and measure the voltage of each battery after resting for 24 hours and then measure after sitting for a week untouched? then repeat the process but with both batteries paralleled together?
I think this would prove whos theory is correct (and the first test would also show if one battery is morn worn out than the other)

you think this thread is good over here in Aus threads like these on some forums can go on for 15 pages and get quite

Good idea. And it would be even more informative if an ammeter were placed in series with one of the cables parleling the two batteries. Then you could actually monitor the current flow between the two. It would have to be a bi-directional ammeter, digital or analog with zero center scale. This should set us all straight.

[An Ol Timer]

This has been a fault with most all of the threads on the forum and not just this one. Too many opinions, you know what they say about them, and not enough proven facts. Like the old TV show, " The facts mam, just the facts."

[Chris C]

But isn't that how we all gather information...........from opinions mixed with facts? I think we all learn from discussion, Ol Timer. I know I've learned a whole lot more about teardrop trailers on this site than I would have without it.

[An Ol Timer]

OPINIONS very rarely do more than cloud an issue, whereas facts, PROVEN FACTS, have the tendency to draw up a final conclusion that will end up being something useful. When someone uses a lot of adjectives to expand on what little knowledge they may have, I have a tendency to begin to question all of their opinions.

[Chris C]

And therein lay your opinion! Thank God we live in a country where we all have a right to express them openly. I still say I've learned more here than I would have by not being involved. If everyone knew all the facts as you suggest, then none of us would have to ask questions, I guess. As for me, I'm not knowledgeable enough to know everything.

[asianflava]

This has been a fault with most all of the threads on the forum and not just this one. Too many opinions, you know what they say about them, and not enough proven facts. Like the old TV show, " The facts mam, just the facts."

The title of this thread is, " Give me feedback on my battery set up" if it's opinion or fact, feedback is what was requested. Like Chris says, we all have to wade thru all the information and decide for ourselves. In a forum like this, it doesn't matter what question is asked, people will have different opinions.

[Brad Lustig]

I have to admit when I made my suggestion, I was thinking about dual batteries on a boat and having reserve to start something up when you're through for the day. Definitely not an issue with a teardrop. But, I would still install some sort of battery cut-off switch. Most marine battery isolators are usually built better than most cut-off switches that I've seen. And for about the same price, it would be a good thing to have anyway. Just my opinion

[BufordT]

Two things here.

One. I've used the same battery. Wal-Mart one that I've left in the mini-hopper for over two years now. Charged it once and I've never checked it since. Been using it for two years about 5 times a year. I'll take it out next trip up and recharge it. It still runs the 12v fan all night and still runs the lights as if it were fully charged.

Two. On opions. We are taught what we are taught and that's what we are taught. Right or wrong.

Good job Dee on the batteries. I won't change a thing. Plan on doing the same thing on my mini-cabin and the next tear also.

Bufordt

[denverd0n]

This has been a fault with most all of the threads on the forum and not just this one. Too many opinions...

Fact of life with this kind of forum. And as for "just the facts," there isn't any way to know what are "just the facts." So, the best you can do is read what everyone has to say, judge for yourself what sounds reasonable and logical, use the information for following-up and finding out for yourself, and then make your decisions.

Dee, as for your batteries, yes, if you have a good quality charger with a proper float setting, then the best thing to do is leave them plugged in all the time.

As for isolators between batteries, I suggest you take a look at a variety of RVs, 18-wheelers, yachts, and so on that have multi-battery banks. I guarantee you that you won't find a single one with isolators between all the batteries. If your office has a data center with a UPS system, take a look in there. No isolators will be found. If you work for the telephone company (I used to) check on their battery backup system. Right again, no isolators. Now you be the judge.

By the way, the phone company system we had when I worked at Northwestern Bell (does that date me?) was really cool. They had a room full of 72 2-volt cells! I'm not sure what their capacity was, but each 2-volt cell was about the size of a 30-gallon trash can! They were wired both in parallel and in series to provide the 48 volts that operates the telephone system.

[GeorgeTelford]

Hi

I have used a battery management system meter between two batteries and it doesnt show any movement between the two. The two batteries are matched and are from a set of 10 that I bought for my Bus conversion (10 X110 ah batteries all in parallel) Matched as in serially off the production line!

You want to squeeze more life outa your batteries? use a good 3 or 4 stage charger and fully recharge the batteries asap after use, do not use more than 50% of capacity max.