How do I put in a battery

Anything electric, AC or DC

How do I put in a battery

Postby Kathleen » Sat Aug 27, 2005 1:10 pm

hi all! I am new here.
I just bought this:
>>>>>2005 Woody Teardrop, ready to go camping! 4'x8' with 2 doors, 3 windows that open, 2 ceiling vents, air conditioner, three 110v outlets (two in cabin, one in galley), removable galley shelving, 4 stabilizer jacks, spare tire, two 12v lights inside cabin, air mattress w/pump, bed linens, 2 sleeping bags, water carrier, camp shower pump/sprayer, and fold-up toilet. Also includes 10'x14' screen room, heavy duty extension cord, Coleman propane stove, Coleman lantern (w/fuel), ice chest, pots & pans, bowls & cooking

utensils. We pull w/ a 2.2L Toyota. Located in St. Petersburg, FL.>>>>

it was on e-bay and other places.
OK the 12v lights can be turned on when the trailer is plugged into the car. And the other electrical sockets 110v--can only be used (and the air conditioning of course) when the extrension cord is plugged in.
BUT I want them (except for the air conditioning of course) to be able to be used when not plugged into power. The trailer doesn't have a battery. How do I add a battery?
I know nothing about such things... do I bite the bullet and go to camping world and get them to install it?
I also want to put in a fantastic fan... and would want that to run off a battery also
Kathleen
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Postby Nitetimes » Sat Aug 27, 2005 1:26 pm

Sounds like the 12v was designed to run off of the car battery exclusively. If that is the case, putting a battery in and hooking everything up to it is gonna get a little involved. I don't think you want to take it to 'Camping' anything to get it done because it will probably also involve big bucks there. I'd say if you don't think you can take it on yourself enlisting the help of some good freinds that are knowledgable in this area would be a better route to take and they will usually work for a few beers and maybe some chow.
Sorry I don't sound a little more optomistic but unless you locate a pair of unused battery cable in there somewhere everything will need to be installed.

BTW - I don't know how close you are to some of the TDers in TX but I'm sure if you contacted them they'd be happy to take a look and at least point you in the right direction.
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Re: How do I put in a battery

Postby Steve_Cox » Sat Aug 27, 2005 1:35 pm

Kathleen wrote:hi all! I am new here.
I just bought this:
>>>>>2005 Woody Teardrop.... The trailer doesn't have a battery. How do I add a battery?
I know nothing about such things... do I bite the bullet and go to camping world and get them to install it?
I also want to put in a fantastic fan... and would want that to run off a battery also
Kathleen


Hi Kathleen,
Welcome to the forum and to teardropping :)

I think you answered your own question when you said you "know nothing about such things" however if you want to, you could possibly learn. The biggest concern I would have with novice 12 volt electricians in a teardrop would be short circuits and fire. But it isn't all that difficult to do some simple wiring. Here is an excellent link to wiring diagrams that Joanne did.
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=1941
If you look them over and can make heads or tails of them, you might consider doing the wiring yourself, If it apears to look strange after some thought and you can't tell wheather to read wiring diagrams from top to bottom or left to right, take the easy way out and hire it done. But honestly, if you learn to do it yourself, it would be very satisfying. Remember the adage about being on "teardrop time" (You might want to do a forum "search" for that one)

Steve in St Augustine 8)
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Postby Kathleen » Sat Aug 27, 2005 1:58 pm

Looks beyond me. I teach English and History not science! ;-)
I won't have it till Christmas vacation when I go to florida to get it=don't have the time till then.
I will take a look when I get it. But the people that I bought it from said the lights JUST run off the battery to the car.
I am just south of Austin so am probably pretty close to others on the list.

My son graduates from high school in three years. When he goes to college I want to take this trailer camping down the entire length of the Baja (Mexico) pennisula--for about two months.
I have dogs so I need to have a way to keep them cool--- the fantastic fan working off battery and maybe solar also power will do it especially if I keep close to the coast--which is what I plan to do! ;-)
Also my property in southwest TX has no power on it so need battery power there.
I will post again about this particular problem once I get it in my possession.
Thank you!
Kathleen
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Postby SteveH » Sat Aug 27, 2005 2:40 pm

Kathleen,

It actually should be easy, IMHO. If the trailer is wired to be powered from the car, there has to be a main 12 VDC line into it from the plug from the car. So, all you have to do is locate that wire, break it, install a master fuse, and then wire it to the new battery. Since the wire has to come from the hitch area, it would be easiest to install the battery in a box on the tongue. You could also retain the wire coming from the car to charge the battery when you are driving.
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Postby Kathleen » Sat Aug 27, 2005 3:45 pm

SteveH wrote:Kathleen,

It actually should be easy, IMHO. If the trailer is wired to be powered from the car, there has to be a main 12 VDC line into it from the plug from the car. So, all you have to do is locate that wire, break it, install a master fuse, and then wire it to the new battery. Since the wire has to come from the hitch area, it would be easiest to install the battery in a box on the tongue. You could also retain the wire coming from the car to charge the battery when you are driving.
>>>>

that sounds perfect!
I will take a look once I get it in December. THAT I could probably do. ;-)
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Postby asianflava » Sat Aug 27, 2005 3:49 pm

Yep, I'm with Steve on this one. If you don't mind having a tongue box, just install your battery there. Having the 12V lights is the easy part, just do what Steve posted.

The tricky part is the 110V, it would depend on how the trailer was wired. Without seeing the trailer, it would be difficult to say exactly. It could be as easy as adding an inverter to the battery box or as difficult as rewiring.

Hope you can make it out to Inks Lake Sept 23rd. Even if you don't have a Tear, come by and say Hi.
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Postby Kathleen » Sat Aug 27, 2005 3:51 pm

I have one but it's in Florida! lol
Yes, i will try to come by and say hi--does that mean I can't stay only come by and say hi since I won't be bringing my trailer?
:thinking:
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Postby SteveH » Sat Aug 27, 2005 3:53 pm

Kathleen,

Shure you can stay. Lots of folks that are interested in tears or building one come and tent camp, or whatever.
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Postby Kathleen » Sat Aug 27, 2005 3:57 pm

Well, alrighty! I just use camp in my pickup. :-)
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Postby madjack » Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:25 pm

...I gotta agree that a tongue mount battery box would be the simplest....the fantastic may be a bigger problem though. If you have a vent allready, measure it and if it is 14x14 then you are in like flint, the fantastic should be a simple replacement job, if no vent allready then you have some framing issues to deal with. That further advice will haveta wait until ya get the trailer...goto Inks, you will enjoy the people and make new teardrop freinds that are in your area..
Welcome to the world of teardrops
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Postby Kathleen » Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:33 pm

Yes, it already had two vents so hopefully one will be large enough.
Thank you for the welcome.
I am going to try to get out there! :-)
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Postby madjack » Sat Aug 27, 2005 6:38 pm

...Kat, 14x14 is the basic standard size for vents so if it has 2 there is a good chance of being able to just swap out for the fantastic
madjack 8)
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Postby Kathleen » Sat Aug 27, 2005 7:04 pm

Well that rocks. I will write the people I bought it from and ask them. That would be fantastic as in fan. ;-)
thank you
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Electrical System and Battery

Postby Dee Bee » Sat Aug 27, 2005 8:02 pm

Hi,

Before my TD build I don't think I knew more than how to put batteries in a flashlight. There is a lot of good information on this forum. Take a while to search the posts.

Here is what I did for my electrical system. I may look complicated, but it isn't really. I hope something here may help
http://www.nfdc.net/home/cbdb/Micro%20CamperElectric.htm

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Enjoy your TD

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